When I have to give an update or report progress on a particular project or initiative I immediately get a picture of Now – Where - How in my mind. This system is also a great way to organise thoughts if asked to give an impromptu update as well.
Now – Often the now relates directly to the SWOT. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that are either impacting on progress or at least need to be accounted for.
This sets the scene for the degree of difficulty being experienced in the process. I don’t mention SWOT, I simply use the headings as prompts to speak too.
Where – Reiterating the desired outcome is often missed, yet it is the key area for giving others some understanding of the ‘journey’ and its value.
The Where needs to be quite proactive in expression while also being clear about potential impact.
How – These are the key strategies and associated actions being undertaken and monitored throughout the process.
Those being updated should now have a clear understanding of what is at stake and what can be achieved which should make gaining support much easier. This is where the request for help from others and for resources can be canvassed.
Summary
Managers sometimes update purely around the How. The problem with this is that the value of effort is not easily appreciated.
People can also question the ‘Why’ of our activities as they have no real yardstick to measure against.
Only through consistent reiteration of the goal and its impact once achieved, the associated barriers being experienced and the solutions being applied can others get a true understanding of the project overall and its process.
This method can be applied when reporting against overall business or divisional progress as well as individual projects and initiatives.
Therefore, you may have to follow this process several times during one presentation where multiple projects exist.
The following project sheet template is a handy way to manage initiatives as it directly captures the NOW – WHERE – HOW process.
