Successful project management, whether big or small

We’ve worked on projects of all types of sizes. 

From billion dollar multi-purpose hospital projects, to local recreational facilities and community murals, we’ve delivered wayfinding systems under all types of conditions, with varying budgets and wide arrays of collaboration partners.

What have we learnt in our collective decades of project management? 

No matter the size of the project, the principles for success should always follow a similar trajectory. 

Plan well. 

Be a source of inspiration and kindness – but not a pushover. 

Don’t waste time.

Here’s a wayfinder’s crash course in good project management, whether big or small. 

Big projects, bigger learnings

Since starting ID-LAB in 2006, we’ve been privileged to work on large projects. 

As we’ve grown, we’ve taken on projects of all types and sizes. 

These types of projects have pushed us to develop our own methodology and framework to better manage our time, resources and energy. 

They’ve also taught us how to push through during times of stress, what stakeholders need to maintain confidence in the project, and the importance of early planning. 

Learning 1: You can’t plan for everything, but you can for most things

Infrastructure is notorious for running over time and over budget.  

Sometimes this can’t be helped. Supply lines may be disrupted. Major unexpected events might happen. Illness or mass staff disruptions aren’t uncommon. 

But most of the time, it can be helped. 

Subpar planning is the killer for most projects. Poor planning doesn’t just lead to a failure to meet milestone timings or the budget – it can also lead to the project’s failure to meet expectations. 

On big projects in particular, there’s a lot of moving parts. Things can unravel surprisingly quickly. The more designers, construction managers and builders there are on any one project, the more agendas and individual outcomes there are to balance. Instead of everyone working towards a singular set of project KPIs, they end up focusing only on their own. 

The best projects we’ve been a part of plan for this inevitability. These projects incorporate balanced contract terms and oversights. There are strong controls and external monitoring systems at every stage. Risks are foreshadowed and contingencies are explored early. 

Plan well and work towards the same goal. Then watch vision = reality.  

Learning 2: Balance friendliness with timeliness

We’re proud of our reputation of being a good team to work with. We know when to work hard, and how to have fun. 

This balance between friendliness and timeliness is something we’ve worked out over time. It’s part of our stakeholder management process. 

We like to bring people together early on in the project process to lay out expectations, timelines and responsibilities organically. We find this inspires an overall sense of camaraderie, as opposed to opposition and blame shifting when things get busy or conflicts arise. 

Our approach is to use a soft but firm hand to guide the group towards a common destination: a well-executed project with happy stakeholders.

Learning 3: Remember, there’s no time to dawdle

At the start of a project, it may seem as if the end date is a long way in the distance. 

Then a bit of scope creep enters the mix, so priorities shift. 

Other work and distractions may be vying for attention on the sidelines, so busy work takes over. 

One day, the deadline casts a looming shadow over the entire project. Teams start to scramble. Corners get cut – along with budgets. There’s a mad dash to catch the deadline, and the project suffers because of it. 

We’ve noticed the opposite occurs on successful projects. No matter how large the team or the number of collaborators, these people don't waste time on things that aren’t bringing the project to fruition. Instead, they conduct regular meetings, create action plans and stick to them. If things fall behind, it’s caught early, and rectified early. 

No matter how big or small the project is, there’s no time to waste.

Big learnings for all projects sizes

We learn from every project we undertake, whether big or small. We learn from our successes, and our missteps.

Every project should be seen as an opportunity to improve outcomes, hone processes and overall, deliver greater projects that better serve the communities and industries which they house and service.