3 things my camping trip reminded me about delivering projects successfully

I went camping with a few friends to the gorgeous Algonquin Provincial Park (a 3-hour drive from Toronto) last weekend and had an amazing time. The scenic hikes, the gruelling temperatures and the wonderful company capped a memorable trip.

Reflecting on the experience reminded me of three (3) elements that I often guide my clients to include in their project playbooks.

1. Plan - but expect things to go a bit differently

There was a lot of planning that went into the trip. From location scouting to checklists to weather monitoring. But despite all this, a few things didn't go our way.

When we reached the campsite, the location wasn't ideal because of its close proximity to the main road, which made it feel like a suburban backyard instead of a provincial park. Despite the detailed checklists a few groceries and essentials didn't make it into our cars. And even though we expected some rain on one day and freezing temperatures on the other, we didn't expect to see our first snow of the season this early!

Despite these "setbacks", we maneuvered and adapted our way through the situations.

Due to inclement weather, we capitalized on a last-minute cancellation and got a really good campsite. We made the most of the ingredients and essentials we had and even with the surprising snow flurries, we enjoyed the moment instead of being Debbie Downers!

Risks and issues are part of the journey to successful project deliveries. It's the planning that you do upfront (irrespective of your project delivery methodology) that allows you to re-plan and execute despite the risks and issues that come up. Anticipate this, and you're already ahead of the game.

2. Divide & conquer - it really works

We had a mix of avid campers and "almost first-timers" amongst us. Needless to say, the range of camping and other associated skills varied dramatically. But instead of just a few taking care of pitching tents, starting the fire, cooking, cleaning and other activities, everyone did their bit to help and get things done.

This dividing and conquering, or delegation, is critical to the success of projects. As project managers, you'll have team members who're masters of their arts. You'll also have those who're just starting their careers. Understanding what your team can offer, dividing tasks accordingly between them, and holding them accountable is the way to move towards successfully managing projects without burning out your team.

Rely on the experts of your team for their expertise throughout the project, for providing mentorship to others, and for completing a few critical activities. And assign your junior members focused tasks that leverage their skills and provide opportunities for their growth.

3. Lessons Learned - they're more valuable than you think

Most of the friends in the group had recently done another camping trip prior to this one (in slightly more amicable conditions). They realized what worked and what didn't, and as a result, were better prepared for this adventure. There were some critical items, in particular to the bedding arrangements, that made sleeping in tents through sub-zero temperatures possible. And as we were wrapping up this trip, we'd already started discussions on how to make the next one more streamlined both in terms of preparation as well as delegations of tasks.

Whether it's after sprints, releases, phases or completed projects, doing Retrospectives or conducting Lessons Learned are extremely helpful in continuously improving all aspects of project delivery. This on-the-ground feedback from battle-hardened team members provides project managers with the tools that will almost certainly work.

Doing this earnestly instead of just treating it as an administrative duty is not only prudent for the success of the project but also reflects the project managers' appreciation of the teams' effort and advice.

Which of these do you follow on your projects? And what personal experiences have reminded you about some core tenets of project management? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.

About the author

Hussain Bandukwala is the Founder & CEO of Parwaaz Consulting. He helps organizations optimize their project management and is a trusted advisor to PMO Leaders & Project Managers. Hussain's offerings (all virtual and remote) include system & process audits, leadership support, and workshops & training. He serves small, medium & large organizations around the globe, and has helped clients like Groupon, SalesLoft and Greystar setup and optimize their PMOs in 90 days. Hussain is also a LinkedIn Learning author and [in]structor, and created it's very first course on PMOs.

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