“Ready” Over “Perfect” During Change Initiatives

When was the last time you were reminded that perfection is often the enemy of progress? It might manifest as spending too much time on a first draft report only to have others’ “red pens” request a slew of edits…or, meticulously planning a vacation itinerary without first appreciating that it's a long overdue vacation that should make space for flexible time for activities that may present themselves once on site.

The truth is even if you personally strive for perfection and present a product or service that you’ve painstakingly assured is perfect…your “perfect” may be another person’s “passable.” Because perspective matters, doesn’t it?

Here’s some good news: all the time that you might churn in your attempts to polish something to perfection can be saved if you just focus on aligning with others to define what “ready” looks like, instead.

This insight became clearer to me after reading Seth Godin’s blog post "Ready vs. Done" where he emphasizes the value of meeting specifications and being ready over striving for an unattainable perfection (see screenshot from his blog below).

The Power of Alignment

Early in my career, I worked on a project where stakeholder alignment was an afterthought in the organization’s fervor to roll out the new, shiny technology that was going to solve everyone’s problems–or so it seemed. Misunderstandings were rampant, and the project timeline kept extending. This experience taught me that aligning with stakeholders from the outset is crucial.

Clear expectations and shared goals set the stage for a successful initiative…and doing this isn’t a “one and done” exercise at the start of a project. It takes ongoing communication and accountability to review progress toward the original project goals to keep the ship on course.

Addressing Scope Creep

Scope creep is a familiar challenge during business transformation initiatives. And while it is often reasonable to expect project progression to bring to light new considerations, what’s important is to recognize this tendency as scope creep and then address how [and if] an expansion of goals will also require additional resources.

Scope creep can be a clever way to disguise a pursuit of perfection.

Scope creep can be a clever way to disguise a pursuit of perfection. When encountering additional possibilities, be sure and evaluate whether they are truly necessary to get to what you originally agreed upon to make the project “ready.”

The new possibilities that could be afforded by scope creep might instead be planned for subsequent phases of a project once a new set of requirements, goals and “readiness” factors are determined for the future.

Embracing the MVP Mindset

Why not be the project team MVP (most valuable player) by championing a focus on the project MVP (minimum viable product)? Instead of aiming for perfection out of the gate, launch with a version that meets only the essential (aka “ready”) requirements.

Establishing a project MVP gives language to and sets expectations for the idea that this project is a longer-term, multi-phased journey–with important stops along the way to check out the scenery. In fact, the external conditions and stakeholder feedback that will help shape future phases of the project and new readiness factors are quite “scenic” [and critical], indeed.

An MVP makes space for real-world feedback and continuous improvement. I’ve seen projects flourish with this approach, evolving iteratively based on actual user experiences.

Conclusion

Remember, alignment, managing scope, and embracing an MVP mindset are key to navigating change successfully. Striving for "ready" over "perfect" fosters progress and adaptability, ensuring that your change initiatives are both effective and sustainable.

Connect with Jessica Stephenson at Mosaic BizOps

I can partner with you on change initiative opportunities at your organization.

• Employees not taking advantage of your investment in digital infrastructure?

• Ready to use a marketing automation tool, but don’t know where to start?

• Need to mentor an emergent marketing or talent leader, but don't have enough capacity?

• Is employee turnover high due to an insufficient onboarding and development strategy?

• Require expertise to handle an HR tech project, like implementing an applicant tracking system?

• Migrating to a new project management tool and facing challenges in adoption?

• Ready to revamp your employer branding strategy to attract top-tier talent?

• Having trouble aligning your organizational framework with your overall business strategy?

• Hosting an event and need a speaker to demystify the latest tech talent trends?

Jessica Stephenson, Owner of Mosaic BizOps is ready to talk about process improvement, change management and employer brand strategy for your organization.

Contact Jessica for a complimentary consultation: