Before You Move On...
A note from me to you on closing projects with the same energy and enthusiasm you started them with.
We just finished year two of a two-year project, and we're now entering our assessment and closeout phase. This is where our team evaluates the efficiency and success of projects. It helps us to understand how well our processes work, where we can tweak our operations, how well the client aligned with our firm ethos and the way we like to conduct projects, and how we can improve moving forward. We also send a survey to our clients to get their feedback and perspective on the project as well.
We normally do the assessment right after we finish the last deliverable, and it is entered in our project management software as the final step or stage in each project. This allows us to complete the assessment while the information is fresh on our minds.
I also send it to clients as part of their closeout and offboarding process for the same reason. I want to gather their insights while their enthusiasm and satisfaction with the process is high and their memory is sharp. This helps us gather better information and is another avenue to request reviews and specific feedback for improvement.
A verse that comes to mind is Ecclesiastes 7:8:
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. KJV
This verse reminds us that the energy and excitement of starting are great, but completing what God has called us to do is the ultimate goal. Finishing is the better thing. God gives us a few examples of this in scripture.
First, God takes takes days to intentionally create the world we live in. Each day had a purpose. You could say these were the "milestones" of Creation. God showed us what it means to break a project down into smaller tasks, finish an important step and rest before the next one.
In Genesis Chapter 1, God created: Light (v. 3), Heaven (v. 6-8), Earth (v. 9-10), Grass and Herbs (v. 11-12), Sun and Moon (v. 14-18), Sea Creatures and Birds (v. 20-21), Land Animals (v. 24-25), and Humankind (v. 26-30). Once day six activities were completed, God took time to assess His Work and "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day."
Our next example of this is in His Son, Jesus Christ. When Christ came to Earth, He had a list of prophecies to fulfill from the Old Testament. He met each one, leaving no scripture unfulfilled. You could say He completed each task, of every milestone, assigned for His project roadmap of being Savior of Mankind.
Then He assessed His work while on The Cross.
All Old Testament prophecies fulfilled—check.
Healing the sick—of heart, body, mind, and spirit—check.
Challenging legalism over relationship-based faith—check.
Prepared 12 Disciples, and many others, to share the Good News—check.
Made sure His mother would be taken care of before His passing—check.
Forgave the sinner on a cross beside Him as a final earthly act of grace—check.
He had finished the work. Then He exclaims, on The Cross, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). Whew!
God also promises to finish the work He has begun in each of us (Phil. 1:6).
After modeling what completion looks like, God wants us to learn how to finish well before we move on or rush to the next thing we have in mind to do, too.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 also says that we should be "patient in spirit", meaning we should be willing to take our time, learn from, and go through what the process of finishing can teach us. We should not be proud or unwilling to learn, adjust, and make necessary changes. God wants us to grow and mature in every part of our lives. That includes how we show up in business.
This is your invitation to join me in being thoughtful about how we end a commitment before moving on to the next item on our lists. The key to success in future projects may be sitting in the review of your current one. But we will miss it if we don't take the time to review.
I’d like to hear your thoughts as I go back through this process to document what we did well, what can be improved, and what new business might be lurking in how we got this done.
What is your closeout process? What helps you evaluate success in your business? How do you engage your clients for honest feedback and reviews? Have you ever thought about processes as a way to prepare your business for sale—or for greater profit?
Leave me a comment below and let me know your favorite closeout process or if you need help creating one for your business.
If you need support before I meet you here again, I'm always an email away, and I'ms sharing a few resources for you below.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lorin R. Carter
The Corporate Consultant
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