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Kicking off a new project without proper initiation in the form of a charter means that you run the risk of unclear objectives and wasted
money.

In his work for Boeing, Glen takes a similar approach and adds one additional factor to the mix: thinking about project competitors.

“I always have to think about competitors in addition. So that might drive how we tweak the scope. Now, obviously, you may have a
directive scope from the prime contractor for our customer. But you may want to try and slip some things in there to try and throw your
competitors off or give yourself an advantage,” he said.

This ties into thinking about your company’s long-range strategies and how an individual project fits into the bigger picture than just the
value of the project itself.

Step 2: Project planning
Surveyor Kent Groh jokes that he lives by the “Seven P’s” tongue twister when it comes to project planning: Proper prior planning prevents
piss poor production.

But all laughs aside, the planning stage is critical.

Even if you’re a surveyor focused on $1,500 lot surveys, setting up smart processes can still lead to increased profitability.

Map out major milestones
Planning your project takes the outline of your project charter a step further. It involves
mapping out critical details like major milestones.

“I like to say, all right, here’s the major 5-10 milestones, or deliverables. And roughly,
this would take six months, four years, whatever. So that’s what I would put in the
charter, just so the stakeholders have an idea and we can come to some agreement,”
Tony said.

If you apply this to the world of surveyors conducting lot surveys, maybe this translates
to an email template that you use as the base for every single project. Then, each time
you get a new proposal, you change the name and send out the email in a quick 15-20
minutes.

For Glen, the planning stage is all about simulating the project in his head. Just like
competitive athletes visualize themself doing a race, you can do the same thing as a project manager.
“When you’re in the planning phase, in your mind, simulate the first couple of days, simulate the month, simulate the year. You’ve done
these things a hundred times, so simulate it in your head,” he said.

Use this process to tease out those milestones, then write them down on paper. This will help you start sequencing the project in a
logical order.
“If you’re in some of these smaller projects, just list the four or five things you want to do today as part of your plan. Then simulate it in
your head, and then you’ll start to be able to sequence the things that lead you to that milestone and what kind of resources you need
along the way,” Glen said.

Once you have your milestones written out, treat that list as a map.

What tasks need to be completed to take you from Point A to Point B? Then, from B to C?

“Just pretend you’re going to do the job yourself. Then along the way, okay: that means I need that GPS. I better go get that,” Glen says.
The process is like putting together a physical toolkit to head to a job site, but at this point, it’s all in your head.

The “tools” you need can include things like:

● Physical tools
● Paper resources
● People
● Equipment
Think about everything possible.
“If you’re going to go to someone else’s site, what are the ingress/egress? Where are the safety points? How
do you keep yourself safe while you’re doing the job? All those things are part of the resources,” Glen said. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE u
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