Projects on the EDGE

by Skip Colfax

Sometimes people ask me, “Why do we even have project plans in the EDGE System? Why not just list all of the tasks as “Actions” and complete them one-by-one?” These are good, logical questions, and, upon first look, one might think that just listing actions, without a project plan, would save time. But, in reality, without a project plan, just the opposite happens. We end up spending more time figuring out why we’re doing the action, and where this action is supposed to lead us… We can get lost and having to think about it all over again is a time waster.

I’ve learned that my project plans are my task management system. Not only does the Project Plan hold all of the tasks needed to complete the project, but it includes an Outcome Statement, which describes my goal and keeps me motivated to complete all of the actions. The important thing is that all of that information is in one place, so I can watch as the project actions are ticked off one at a time. That’s motivational, and drives me forward.

By categorizing my project plans as “Projects”, I have an easy view from my task list of all of the projects I’ve got on my plate. I can easily answer questions about the status of each project, and at the click of a button, I can easily show my boss all of the stuff I’m working on. Then, we can reprioritize, if necessary, to get additional, urgent actions or projects done, too.

I really like the projects category a lot. I love it when I’ve completed all of the actions in a project. There are few things in my work life that give me as much satisfaction as checking off a project as complete. But the big kick for me is by acknowledging my hard work completing the project, I find myself energized and pumped up for whatever’s next. I love that feeling!