What successful projects have in common
At first glance, the four principles appear independent of one another. In reality, they interlock and together form a pattern that can be observed time and again in successful projects across very different industries.
When I first read the article about Frank Gehry, I was convinced that I was about to discover four independent principles.
- Responsibility.
- A shared goal.
- Models.
- Thorough planning.
The longer I reflected on these ideas – and the more often I compared them with my own project experience – the clearer it became that they cannot really be separated. They do not describe four methods. They describe four perspectives on the same fundamental idea.
Exceptionally successful projects do not try to avoid uncertainty. They make uncertainty visible early.
Perhaps this is the real common denominator of successful projects. They accept that complex initiatives can never be planned completely. But they invest an extraordinary amount of energy in identifying as early as possible where uncertainty arises, why it arises and what consequences it could have later.
The earlier this happens, the lower the cost of correction.
This idea runs like a thread through all four principles.
- Responsibility ensures that decisions are not lost between organisational units.
- A shared goal prevents teams from working towards different visions.
- Models make visible what has previously only been discussed.
- And thorough preparation reduces the likelihood that fundamental questions will have to be answered only during execution.
Taken individually, these principles seem almost self-evident. Their real strength, however, only emerges in combination, because they build on one another.
- A shared goal without clear responsibility often has little effect.
- Responsibility without shared understanding leads to well-intentioned decisions that move in different directions.
- Models without a clear goal remain attractive visualisations.
- And a detailed project plan quickly loses value if the underlying assumptions have never been reviewed together.
Perhaps this sequence explains why some projects run remarkably calmly despite high complexity: many difficult conversations have already taken place before the actual execution begins.
Why successful projects do not depend on methods
When people talk about successful project management today, methods are often at the centre of the discussion.
- Agile or traditional.
- Scrum or PRINCE2.
- PMI or SAFe.
These discussions are important. In my view, however, they answer the wrong question. Methods describe how projects are organised.
The more important question is: Which principles remain effective regardless of the method?
That, in my view, is where the most interesting insight in this article begins.
- Whether a building is being constructed.
- An international SAP transformation is being carried out.
- A cloud platform is being introduced.
- Or an organisation is undergoing profound change.
The tools differ. The principles surprisingly little.
People need direction. They need clarity about responsibility. They need a shared understanding. And they need the courage to make uncertainty visible before it turns into risk.
Perhaps that is the real task of modern project leadership: not to have an immediate answer to every question, but to ask the right questions early enough.
The longer I work with projects, the less I believe in perfect project plans. I believe in good conversations, shared pictures, decisions with clear ownership and teams willing to challenge their own assumptions again and again.
Most projects do not fail during execution. They fail in the way they begin.
That is the most important lesson I have taken from Frank Gehry’s way of working.
His attitude of asking difficult questions as early as possible – because they become significantly more expensive later. That attitude applies far beyond construction projects. In my view, it describes one of the universal principles of successful projects.
And that is precisely why it is worth looking beyond our own discipline. Sometimes the best answers are found exactly where we never thought to look for them.
Drei Fragen, die erfolgreiche Projekte früher stellen
You may not need to answer these questions immediately. Sometimes it is enough to take them into your next kick-off. Good questions can achieve more than another project plan.
1. Would everyone involved describe the same project?
If you asked five key people independently how project success will be measured, how similar would their answers really be?
2. Which assumptions are already taken for granted in your project?
Every project is built on assumptions. The most dangerous assumptions are rarely the wrong ones; they are the ones nobody questions anymore. Which assumption would change your project the most if it turned out to be wrong tomorrow?
3. Which difficult question are you postponing right now?
Almost every project has issues that are supposed to be discussed “later”. Experience shows that these questions rarely disappear. Usually, they simply become more expensive. Perhaps it is worth taking that one question into your next project meeting.
Outlook
This article marks the beginning of a series on successful project management.
In the coming articles, we will explore the principles introduced here step by step. The focus will not be on new methods or frameworks, but on fundamental questions that arise in almost every demanding project.
Among other things, we will look at
- why good planning begins long before the actual project plan,
- why precise estimates can still be wrong,
- what role models and prototypes play in creating shared understanding,
- how responsibility and communication influence project success,
- and what we can learn from exceptionally successful major projects for everyday leadership.
The series will conclude by asking which of these principles will endure in the age of AI – and which are only now beginning to unfold in new ways.
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