Envisioning, Planning, and Implementing

Big Idea / Main Takeaways  Planning a successful project is hard work  And you’ll get better with practice  Proper planning is a critical part of a project’s success  And there are established “best practices” for getting things done  It takes a team  Ocean’s 11 / Heist movies

Getting Stuff Done: A Paperclip Story (alt. title: When I was your age…)

Accomplishments  2.5k raised for charity  13 miles of paperclip chain  Senior Class participation of 75%+  Positive groundwork for senior year and beyond

Behind the Accomplishments  5 solid months of planning/work  Donations: Paperclips, Food, Space, Prizes  Time/support/buy-in from faculty, parents, administration, etc.  Volunteer hours from 100+ students, 20+ parents, 10+ faculty, admin  Unintended consequences: Paperclip Related Injuries

Behind the Accomplishments HARD WORK!

Proper Planning: First Time for Everything  Idea  Project Plan  Responsibility Matrix  Required Resources  Risk Register  Lessons Learned

Idea (easy to explain)  Raise money for breast cancer research by attempting to set the world record for longest paperclip chain created by a team of 60 people in a 24 hour period.  Fill in the blank

Project Plan  Get Approval.  Get Paperclips.  Recruit Volunteers.  Plan day-of logistics.  Prep for Day-of.  Execute Plan.  Fill  In  The  Blank

Project Plan  Get Approval.  Teacher sponsor  Upper school principal  Headmaster  Get Paperclips.  Scout stores for prices  Contact store managers about discounts  Seek donations  Recruit Volunteers.  Make announcement  Call friends  Call everyone in senior class  Plan day-of logistics  Best way to clip / test run  Where to put the paperclips  Time arrive, Judge  Prep for Day-of  Get food, etc.  Take clips out of boxes  Class Meeting  Execute Plan  Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong

Responsibility Matrix  School Prez – Oversee all operations  Class Prez – Inspire, lead clipper  School VP – Organize food, manage adults  Soccer Captain – Outside Team  60 Clippers  Parent 1 – Drive the truck  Judge – Judge  Volleyball team - reinforcements  Teacher sponsor – Actually oversee all operations  Cleanup - nobody

Required Resources  Paperclips (1 mil)  2 breakfasts, lunch, dinner for 100 ppl  Beverages x 24 hours x 100 people  Pickup truck, sheets  Space: library, soccer field  Extra chairs, tables  Megaphone  Coolers (to hold paperclips)  Donation Bucket, big gold paperclips  Extra garbage cans, toilet paper, etc.

Risk Register  RISK  Everyone doesn’t show up  People leave  It rains  Mitigation  Recruit Backups  Prevention and peer pressure  No mitigant

Lessons Learned  Project Specific  Transportation time between library/field lost us time  Small chains to big chain the biggest holdup  Waves of energy; important to have other things going on  General  Importance of taking things seriously  Importance of explaining things properly  Importance of Planning  Play fair

It Takes a Team  Leaders, Managers, Followers  Different Skill-Sets Welcome  In a company: External Relations, Procurement, Operations, HR, etc.  In a project, not much different  Importance of finding your ideal role, flexibility  Know yourself.

Big Idea / Main Takeaways  Planning a successful project is hard work  And you’ll get better with practice  Proper planning is a critical part of a project’s success  And there are established “best practices” for getting things done  It takes a team  Ocean’s 11 / Heist movies