When confronted with a big, complex project, a lot of people just dive right in. Hey, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish, right?

Not always. This approach often results in people working ahead of their understanding. They don’t have a full picture of the steps and obstacles ahead. That’s where a lot of rework ends up happening.

Companies that are plagued with rework usually have people who don’t take the time to stop and say, “Okay, what’s the specific outcome that we are trying to accomplish here, and what’s the best way to get there? What will be the key points? And hat do we want to be sure happens? What do we want to be sure doesn’t happen? Who does this go to? What are the steps and who owns each step and how and when does the baton pass?”

The salient points need to be thought through BEFORE work is begun. So as you are about to begin a major project, say, “Hey, let’s start by doing a project initiation brief to see where we’re going with this thing before we create the need for all kinds of unnecessary work.”

Try it once, and you’ll be sold forever on the value of going in with your eyes wide open.