A) M.E.A.T for Project - Mission, Execution, Adding Value, Tools
MISSION - These are the project requirements that usually provide the general direction for your final product or performance.
Ask the group these 3 questions:
1. Do we have a clear understanding of the project expectations?
2. Do we have a shared understanding of the final product or performance?
3. Is our progress aligned to the project’s requirements?
Revisiting the mission helps re-align and re-focus the group so that less time is wasted with more effort relevantly re-directed.
EXECUTION - This refers to PROCESSES that need to happen to complete your project.
Work out the processes with the group:
1. Outline the specifics and details of the processes for greater clarity of tasks that need to be done
2. Initiate discussions and decisions early on regarding what needs to be done, by who, by when, at/from where and how so that a PLAN of execution can be clearly laid out
3. Include CONTINGENCY/ BACKUP plans too
4. Work out deadlines and provide some buffer time for troubleshooting and refining
5. Prepare to review and readjust roles and tasks along the way
As a saying by Winston Churchill goes, ‘He who fails to plan is planning to fail’.
ADDING VALUE – This is where you exercise ownership and responsibility to deliver the tasks in the project and also engage in self-improvement.
At a group level, a simple framework that can be used to review for improvements to the project is:
1. What went well/ is going well with our project group so far?
2. What went wrong/ is making things worse with our progress in the project so far?
3. What would work better for all of us in terms of improving on this project?
A soldier that trains hard is likely to increase the success of a mission as much as a soccer player making personal efforts to level up his skills is likely to contribute to his team's win.
TOOLS - Tools are the logistics (offline and online) to ensure project tasks can be managed and executed more efficiently and effectively - communication, research, documentation, rehearsals, editing, recording, facilities etc.
What matters is that your project group comes to an agreement on which tools are best suited towards the purposes of the project.
