One Project at a Time...

I was browsing some books in a bookstore when I came across a book about "Project Management" published by Harvard Business Review.

What perked my idea was the statement "operations run the organization, but projects change the organization."

Then the author enumerated some examples of common projects.

Here are some of those projects that got my attention namely: rebranding, regulatory and compliance, internal reorganization, system implementation and process automation.

Rebranding deals with changes in the image of the organization.

This is usually obvious in phrases or slogans that are often repeated.

For example, Bacolod is considered the "City of Smiles," that is a brand.

As an exercise, think of how you describe your organization before and now.

What changes?

Personally, I find the rebranding of the Church in Bacolod significant rebranding from "Church of the Poor" to a "Listening Church."

Regulatory and compliance deals with the mandate to comply with policies and process.

Thus, the setting up of processes and policies that would push for change in the status quo.

What are projects that were implemented in your organization in terms of administrative and financial policies?

How did it change society or organization?

Internal reorganization deals with the changes in the personnel and the creation of relevant offices or structures to implement change.

What are the new offices or structures established in your organization?

How did it change the organization?

System implementation and process automation is necessary to eliminate individual resistance as well as facilitate change.

By automation, the systems will go on with or without the need for the cooperation of the individual stakeholders who might not want to participate.

How are things being done now?

With COVID-19, automation has become a ubiquitous necessity in our lives.

In your organization, what are the automation that were implemented wherein things are now computerized or digitalized?

As I was reading the book I cannot help myself from admiring those people who were able to make changes in their organization one project at a time.

Before I was thinking before that we change society/organization one idea at a time.

But with the researches presented in this book, I am now convinced that indeed societies or organizations are not changed by idea (although it might be part of it).

Rather, society and organization is changed one project at a time.