The Infinite Game - a Project Management viewpoint

I’ve just finished reading "The Infinite Game" by Simon Sinek (highly recommended!) and it got me thinking how the points he makes resonate with program and project management.

In project management, we often find ourselves in the midst of both finite and infinite games. Here's how these concepts apply:

1️⃣ Clear Purpose: Like advancing a Just Cause, Project managers should have a clear vision of the purpose and value of their projects, and communicate it effectively to their stakeholders and team members. A just cause inspires people to work towards a common goal, aligns their expectations, and guides their decisions. Can you articulate the why as clearly as you can articulate the what?

2️⃣ Trust as a Foundation: Trust is the glue that holds project teams together. Project managers should foster a culture of trust and collaboration among their team members, as well as with their clients and partners. Trusting teams are more productive, creative, and adaptable. They can handle challenges, conflicts, and feedback better, and deliver high-quality results.

3️⃣ Study Worthy Rivals: In the project world, competitors can be other projects, tight deadlines, or limited resources. Learning from these challenges and adapting our project strategies is vital. Avoid the tendency to assume this project is different or special and not taking onboard the lessons learned from other projects.

4️⃣ Prepare for existential flexibility: Project managers must be ready to make significant changes in their project scope, strategy, or direction when the situation demands it. Existential flexibility requires project managers to monitor the external environment, anticipate risks and opportunities, and adapt quickly and effectively.

5️⃣ Ethical Project Management: Like ethical business practices, ethical project management is crucial. We must consider the consequences of our actions on all stakeholders, from team members to clients.

6️⃣ Resilience in Project Management: Projects rarely go exactly as planned. Being resilient means embracing change, learning from setbacks, and adapting project strategies for success.

7️⃣ The Mindset Shift: Embracing the infinite game mindset in project management means we're not just focused on completing tasks; we're committed to delivering lasting value and achieving sustainable business outcomes.

It’s important to recognise the danger of short-term thinking in projects. Short-term thinking can derail projects. It leads to rushed decisions, corner-cutting, and often, compromised quality. In the long run, this jeopardizes project outcomes and sustainability.

💬 Have you encountered short-term thinking in your project management experience? How do you incorporate an infinite mindset to ensure project success in the long run? Let's discuss in the comments!

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