LEADERSHIP

SUPERHERO’S SUCCESS SYSTEM • 51
world’s best plan will fail. Superheroes need enthusiastic sidekicks!
Think of the initiation stage as the first step in your iterative
learning process. Stay vigilant—evil lurks within and
without. Be on the lookout for these common (and potentially
deadly) villains:
● Errors of Omission - Much project failure is caused
by not understanding the work required for success.
● Overoptimism - Have you noticed that the further
you get from work, the easier it looks? The reverse is also
true. The closer you get to work, the more difficult it becomes.
What sounds reasonable in the boardroom may prove
impossible in the real world.
● Overcommitment - Motivated individuals (and their
organizations) tend to overcommit. Though intentions may
be honorable, one too many projects can put an entire portfolio
at risk. Remember that all systems have a limit.
Control Documents and Checklists
The merits of an effective project management process
can’t be fully realized until the organization has adopted, usually
through trial and error, an appropriate set of documents
and checklists to provide structure, detail, and convenience.
The documents and checklists included in this section are not
industry specific. They are necessarily general and represent a
minimum control baseline which you may add to, delete from,
and edit as appropriate for your projects and situation.
You’re encouraged to download and use as a starting point
the documents and checklists presented here. Each fits on a
single page for hand-written notes and small projects. For