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What is a Project? – Goldilocks Edition

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Many people ask the question, “What is a Project?” Every day.
Some people may have first heard of such a thing by finding a job posting on a job board for a project manager.
You are curious to know what a project is. What would you manage to accomplish this task?
Wideman’s Comparative Glossary on Project Management Terms provides many great definitions.
Too Hot
A project in which human, financial, and material resources are organized in a new way to accomplish a unique scope work of given specification within the constraints of time and cost. This is to achieve unitary, positive change through the delivery of quantified as well as qualitative objectives.
-Turner, J.R. The Handbook of Project Based Management: Improving Processes to Achieve Your Strategic Objectives. 1992
This definition seems too restrictive and makes far too many assumptions. A’super dictionary definition’ of what a project should not exclude examples that most managers would consider projects. What if the cost of a project was unlimited? There is always a limit, but what if the project was so important that you couldn’t use all the funding in the time allowed? That could still be a project. What if there are no financial resources available? For example, if you organize an event for a non profit organization in their facilities with no money ever changing hands. That is still a project.
Too cold
Temporary effort to create a new product or service.
– Various original authors are quoted in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (known also as “PMBOK?). 1996
This one sounds great. I can’t deny the truth of this statement, and I can’t think off a single example that would fall outside of this definition of what a project is.
However, I find it too broad.
It’s fine to use as a dictionary definition of the term “project”, but it doesn’t tell enough about project management. According to this definition, painting a unique scene using watercolors is a project. But that’s not what we mean by “project” when we refer to what you manage as project managers.
Just right
A project is a process that involves a whole set of activities. It has a defined starting point and clearly defined objectives. The delivery of these objectives signals the completion of the project. Projects usually require limited resources to be completed.
-Wideman R. M. Cost Control of Capital Projects. BiTech Publishers Ltd. Richmond, BC, Canada 1995
This definition tells me what a project looks like and fits every example that I can think of. It also excludes any examples that might have been overlooked by the “too cold” definition of what a Project is.
What is a project for you? Leave a comment below.

Ferdinand
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What is a Project Coordinator? Scott was thinking about the role of Project Coordinator recently. He replied to one my Project Management Career Coaching questions with this: Josh, I am currently attending school for Project Management and have really enjoyed your daily emails. I am currently a Manufacturing Supervisor in a small company. After graduation, my goal is to be a full-fledged Project Manager. I was interested in your recent post about changing industries and how you were successful in landing a job as Project Coordinator. I have been looking for a company for some time, but I don’t have any way to get to know the workers. It is a different industry than mine and I don’t have any connections to the company. I discovered that they have two positions available for Project Coordinators. I am trying decide if it’s worth taking the risk and making the move now rather than after I graduate. It is difficult to gain experience in managing small projects in the position I am currently in. It’s a small company, so I have to accept the fact that I can’t advance in my career unless I leave or wait for someone else to retire. I am asking you this question: Do you think that a job as a Project Coordinator is a good starting place for an aspiring Project Manager. Or would you prefer to stay at the same place for another year and gain more experience in employee management? I know you are busy, so I appreciate any advice you can offer me. Scott, thank you for your email! What is the role of a Project Coordinator? Project coordinator roles are not the same in all organizations. This is why I don’t believe it fits into all strategic career paths. It depends on the industry and the organization, but as a general rule, a role in project coordination is a good way to get into project management. It indicates that the organization is mature in managing projects. It will also give you an opportunity to experience the ‘world of managing projects’ in that organization. If my experience is any indication, you’ll be right there. Building Relationships – I discuss how to get connected to people in the industry or company. If you approach it with respect and tact, you can use LinkedIn to reach out to these people. LinkedIn is a great networking tool that can bring you face-to-face connections and allow you to make friends and develop relationships over time. It’s not a quick process, but it’s possible to expect great results. It will take some time. It won’t take forever, but it won’t stop. It’s ongoing. Some people find themselves in small companies and want to go into a larger company. Once you have the experience and knowledge from a larger company, it is sometimes best to stay there. However, if you want to return to a smaller company, you can bring your expertise and help grow it. If I was you, I would interview for the position of Project Coordinator, even if it wasn’t something I wanted to do. This will give you valuable experience in interviewing and allow you to ask great questions about the company’s project management. It can make a huge difference in your chances of getting hired.
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Project Failure: We are at It Again Serendipity happens. I replied to a student Inside pmStudent eLearning with what turned to be an article about project success and failure. Shim wrote, “Projects failure rates?” a few days later. The conventional wisdom is wrong! His blog is amazing. I began leaving comments, and it quickly became one of those comments that should be its own post. Chaos I mean the reports that various organizations have on project failure rates. Shim outlined the following in his post:
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Project Failure: We are at It Again Serendipity happens. I replied to a student Inside pmStudent eLearning with what turned to be an article about project success and failure. Shim wrote, “Projects failure rates?” a few days later. The conventional wisdom is wrong! His blog is amazing. I began leaving comments, and it quickly became one of those comments that should be its own post. Chaos I mean the reports that various organizations have on project failure rates. Shim outlined the following in his post:
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