The Wind in our Sails

One argument put forward against user engagement and regular consultation is – we don’t want to risk a change in direction. It seems the preferred option is to travel hopefully and then deal with any major course corrections at crunch meetings marked on the project manager’s gant chart as points of no return. This is hard to do when the only two choices are – meet the right brief or deliver the wrong project.

The alternative is to make continous small corrections depending on the surrounding conditions – to get to where you want to go in the best way you can. In the yachting world this is called ‘Sail Trimming’ - the art of adjusting your sails to make the best use of the wind in moving your boat forward.

So, when the wind begins to change, we need to react - quickly. If we want to arrive safely in the right harbour then we need to be realistic about how we work with the changing elements rather than against them.