It has happened to me. I need to go get flea medicine for the dog, but then on the way my husband asks me to pick up razor blades. Then my daughter asks for a Starbucks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was trying to go to the store for one thing, and then my errand got bigger than I intended. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This kind of thing is so common it has a formal name: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scope creep <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I lead meetings at work, I am very quick to point out when our plan starts to creep beyond the original intention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cScope Creep! That will have to wait and be part of another project.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I feel like I have won when I get to call out scope creep. A line in the sand, a boundary and an answer. I know what to do with this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Projects are what I do and I love to organize and process them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best way to recognize when scope creep is happening is to be very clear on the purpose of my effort. And to know how much money and time I was willing to spend.
If I only had a half hour, I would tell my husband and daughter no because I didn\u2019t have the time. If I was trying to save money, I might tell my daughter no to Starbucks. I have a small tight little task and I know what I need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Life is full of currents and I can get caught up in the momentum of what I\u2019ve always done. Maybe I was running my flea errand on the way home from work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And maybe in all that hurry I forget to check the big question. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s easy to forget to wonder whether I ought to have that job at all. Projects keep my focus on a few details I\u2019ve decided are important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if I look again, maybe I would decide something different. I could un-focus my perspective and see things a different way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I could widen my view. Instead of trying to be the fastest one on the freeway, I could expand my view and ask if I even want to be on the road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can\u2019t help but think that this COVID shut down shifted the momentum of all the people in the world. People are moving. People have lost jobs and found new ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are other roads to travel on. Picking my road can make a difference. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It has happened to me. I need to go get flea medicine for the dog, but then on the way my husband asks me to pick up razor blades. Then my daughter asks for a Starbucks. I was trying to go to the … Continue reading