Another Project Completed.
So What Now?
If you are currently only focused on your role in the projects you participate in, you're missing out on:
- Broadening your perception of the entire project,
- Understanding the context of the work process, and
- Grasping the powerful dynamics of influence within the project.
This means you are missing incredible opportunities to accelerate your career development.
If this feels overwhelming, here's some good news:
Understanding the diverse perspectives of stakeholders in a project doesn't necessarily mean you have to directly converse with everyone or clearly define their concerns as if in a job interview. In reality, effectively experiencing a project involves more subtly and fully feeling the context of the work process. It’s about redefining your role, building your unique perspectives, and exploring hidden growth opportunities.
A project is a hidden stage where you can learn about diverse perceptions and grow three times faster.
When I entered the advertising industry after working in investigative journalism, I hesitated to expose myself. I spent my first to third years within the rigid rules of a creative agency. At that time, I thought creativity was the key element for survival in the industry. But what was the outcome?
It wasn't what I expected.
No one knew how to develop ideas based on spending time in the daily routines of target customers. Decision-makers in brands and agencies implicitly agreed on the uncertain shared ROI in a timely manner. Industry professionals were busy filling the next idea to execute marketing actions within limited periods.
I quickly realized that I needed to examine the entire context relevant to each project's stakeholders' perceptions. I started using some methods from investigative journalism to understand these multiple realities. After deciding to broaden my perception to encompass all stakeholders' roles, people began to engage with my inquiries and respond. Eventually, they started inviting me to share their roles, the hidden intentions behind their decisions, and the political dynamics within organizations, leading to invitations to continue conversations outside the projects. This approach allowed me to reach a Creative Director position in just three years, a role that typically takes over twelve years in the advertising industry.
By sharing their hidden stories, people provide you with the opportunity to understand the entire work dynamics from individual stakeholders to the overall physiology of the industry.
In reality, individuals struggle with their situations, feel fear, and are burdened by abandoning their responsibilities. Therefore, if you continue to ask appropriate questions that reveal your intent to understand them, they will share the missing parts of the project context that you could never find before.
You cannot find sufficient growth opportunities on your own. You must proactively show interest in what team members have done, their concerns, and explain why it matters. This is your most important opportunity to advance your career faster than others. If the average project duration is about two months, you will only experience six projects a year. How long do you intend to work as an employee? When will you start your own business?
Life is limited.
If you want to grow faster than before, the projects you participate in are the stages where you can learn from understanding the situations of those you work with and grow in multifaceted ways.
What does effective growth in one project look like? Here are some ways you can get started:
# 1. Read the Room
Despite decades of technology use, office workers still rely on physical cues to communicate. Observing whether there is always an empty seat reserved for the leader, the different postures between a leader and an employee across a desk, or who interrupts the flow of a presentation can help you understand the context of relationships.
# 2. Take a Strong Stance on Controversial Topics in Meetings
Don't be afraid to voice bold opinions. If you always hold safe opinions, why should anyone pay attention to you? People are drawn to those with conviction. To understand the positions of others in the project, you need to show curiosity about roles different from yours and make your presence known.
Emphasizing that ideas are discovered through actual observational data rather than brainstorming has drawn project leaders' attention to my practical approach, connecting me with various project participants.
# 3. Create Good Questions and Follow-Up Authentically
People often suspect the intentions of someone who shows interest in their domain. Your intent should be to deepen your understanding of the project as a whole, to refine your role, and to find opportunities to facilitate or assist others in their tasks.
Such efforts not only contribute to your rapid development but also to the activation of the entire team. Maintain a friendly tone and respectful attitude while sharing your goals and processes authentically.
# 4. Clarify What You Know and What You Don't
Project participants each have their expertise, and they define the project's meaning based on their perspectives, attitudes, and knowledge. Instead of debating what is right or appropriate, be clear about what you know and don't know. This approach will make others respect your curiosity once they feel respected in their domains. This initial clarity in dialogue can invite you into an unexpected sea of understanding.
# 5. Listening and Silence Can Persuade
When you question people about their roles in various project phases, they might find it bothersome or unnecessary. Remember, your goal is to understand the bigger picture. Questions and conversations are just one way to approach this goal. By stepping back after asking a question and observing, you can also gather needed information by observing how tasks are being performed and decisions are made offsite or beyond meeting rooms.
Your questions and curiosity will prompt responses that are themselves informative about the project's attitudes and priorities. Rather than reacting to these responses, use them as data points to further your understanding of the overall project dynamics.
How to Get Started:
If you're not currently involved in a project, revisiting documents from past projects is a viable option. Identify the areas of the project you were involved in and those you weren't. Consider reaching out to project colleagues for a casual discussion over coffee. Discuss the materials and circumstances, and ask about their roles, expectations, and pressures during the project. This can broaden your perspective on project involvement and spark further learning and understanding.
#1MillionSherlock
