There is an expiry date for every work. Every project is not a life-time project. Most must be shut down after a specific period of time.
As said in the last post, we love to do new things and start new projects. Sometimes it is easy to fall in love with a pet project and wish it will never end. But as time goes, we sense something is missing with that piece of work.
People normally choose one of the following three ways at that juncture:
1. Pretend as if everything is okay and try to run the project. But very soon they will come to face the hard fact.
2. Knowing the problem, they put more effort and resources into the project. But if the root is utterly ruined, no extra effort is going to help.
3. Analyzing the problem, they decide to dump the project and direct energy and resources into a brand new project.
But how do you know when it is time to dump a project? During pressure, it is easy to think about shutting down the project. But the truth may be, you are simply quitting! So what are the factors that provide solid evidence that your project has reached its expiry date? Here are four major signs:
1. No profit. There was profit, earlier. But now, nothing. Even when there is, it’s in fractions. Now the work has become a liability.
2. No passion. While there was great interest in the project during the early days, now everything has become dry and passionless. The joy of working has been lost. Drudgery has taken the center stage.
3. No punch. It’s as if there is no electricity. The momentum is gone. The charisma has withered. The cutting edge has broken off. It’s just a vegetable existence.
4. No progress. Gone are the days of grand goals and achievements. Now it’s just the mundane stuff. Same old same old. No growth. No expectation. The work has deformed itself into a plateau.
These signs are sure signs that demand attention. If you find these in a specific project, it is time that you take an appropriate action. Pretense and more trying won’t work. Dumping is the only solution, even if it hurts. But it’s hurting already. What more can it hurt, anyway?
Start planning to direct your energy and resources into a new promising project. And that’s for the next post!
Question: What other signs are there that help you determine the expiry date of a project? Add your comments here.
© Joe Abraham. www.joeandancy.com. March 12, 2012
Image courtesy: ddpavumba/freedigitalphotos.net
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