Keep Building Even When the Process Is Broken

This is the job the Project Manager

I always say "to finish right, you need to start right."

Clear scope.

Complete drawings.

Aligned teams.

Time to think before moving.

That is the ideal.

But sometimes starting right was never an option.

Sometimes you arrive after the fire has already started.

The lights are out.

Water is running where it shouldn’t.

Gas is still flowing.

People are reacting instead of thinking.

The process is broken.

The drawings fall short.

The system has already failed.

And yet,

The work still needs you to be present.

I have built a career walking into those moments.

Not to perform.

To stabilize.

You shut off what is dangerous.

You quiet what is loud.

You stop what is causing harm.

You design what was never properly considered.

You make the situation safe enough to think again.

But the only part that matters, is that you don't try to fix everything at once.

Instead!

You create the conditions for a better next day.

Because the trick is simple.

The next day is always an opportunity to start right.

You can reset the sequence.

You can redraw what matters.

You can clarify responsibility.

You can replace urgency with order.

That's all this is required.

Not perfection or flawless beginnings.

Recovery!

Because, finishing right is built one corrected day at a time.

No matter which side your on, design or craft.

Starting right may not have been available yesterday.

But disciplined restarts, are your super power.

If you can do that calmly, repeatedly, without ego,

You become indispensable.

Field Note

Starting right is ideal. When that isn’t an option, start where you are

until it is right.