When doing project management, you don’t want to be the tail chasing the dog. You’re not trying to be a solution searching for a problem, and if you don’t recognize the relevant stakeholders, you’re unlikely to be successful in bringing value to your stakeholders.
The first thing to do when getting into problem solving mode is to identify what are the relevant problems that make up an issue, or a desire to start a project. To do this, you need to test out different hypotheses. Since you’re ultimately going to be judged by a specific group of people, try to bring those people together to identify the different dimensions of a problem. Rarely is it the case that stakeholders are aligned on a problem. From there, you want to determine the amount of dimensions of the problem. When asking questions, it’s good to frame them like hypotheses. If X happens, will the problem be solved? Trying to structure your answer into what the relevant requirements are allows you to go back to the people tasked with completing the work to determine possible solutions.
Generally, the hypotheses you want need to be able to be evidence-based. If this is true, then the problem is solved, or this dimension of the problem is solved. Breaking down the problem into the different issues or requirements helps you determine where the fundamental issues lie. They often come down to cost of acquiring a new customer, profit margin, or total expenses. Determining where executives want to focus is key to building buy-in on the project.
Much like the Joker, at this point, you want to share your plan. This plan takes the form of a charter where you detail exactly what you’re looking to complete, and verify that stakeholders are on the same page. Having in writing what your goals are makes it easier to push people along into doing what you need to succeed.
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