How do you measure the success of a project? Well, that depends on who you ask. For a project manager you may think that we’re all about the numbers. On time and under budget. But there’s so much more to success than measurable data. A smooth journey and strengthened relationships are equally, if not more, important.

One project that stands out as particularly successful is a nature center in New York. First the obvious, yes this project met all the metrics we set out to achieve, however, those weren’t what make this project standout. The project flowed smoothly from one phase to the next and ended with a happy client and TSI team. That’s not to say that there weren’t bumps along the way, but that the open communication and trust we had with each other helped us navigate through them with the least amount of stress. As an example, this project hit our staff at an odd time, and we had to switch project managers partway through. This could have meant an information loss and added stress all around, but we had strong processes in place tracking the project, and a project team that accepted that situation and kept right on going. They trusted each other to speak up if something felt off, this included our client. We like hearing feedback both positive and negative, but we like it even more when we hear it as soon as possible.

The nature center also had all the key stakeholders involved from the beginning. Nothing stresses out a design team faster than having to do a 180 on their designs because new people got involved halfway through the process. Their timeline also followed our standard timeline. There are times when clients need us to move faster, and we have ways in which we can accommodate that to a certain degree, but it does put pressure on both us and our client. For instance, in a normal schedule, if a client delays getting us feedback by a couple days, as long as we’ve had discussions about what to expect, we can usually proceed forward without having to adjust the schedule. However, on a tight schedule, there’s no wiggle room for these types of issues without scheduling consequences. If the end date is critical, it could mean shortening both design time and client review time. Neither of which will have a positive impact on people’s stress levels.

In the end, we finished the install with a happy client and a staff proud of what they produced. Our exhibits are made to last, but I’d like to think that 15 years down the road, we’ll be the first ones they call when it’s time to redo the exhibits.

In case you’re after a little more concrete advice, over the years I’ve found there are some key items that everyone needs to understand at the start of the project to set the groundwork for success:

• Communication method

• The scope of the project as a whole and for each separate contract

• How far a budget can comfortably stretch and realistic expectations

• Schedule expectations

• Whose voices need to be heard and how those opinions will be prioritized

• Know your role in the process and be ready to fulfill it

• Be honest with each other by realizing that constructive criticism now, ensures positive results later

Now that you know how a TSI project manager measures success, it’s your turn, how will you measure success?