Human Element : Blind Spots in Mission led projects and movements

[martinprogrammer]

When working on complex, mission led projects, it's all too easy to become so engrossed in the mission that we lose sight of operational aspects of the project.

This particular post is about a few different ideas, but mainly about the human element that underpins any successful endeavour.

The mission, no matter how compelling, urgent or critical cannot fuel the project alone.
Ignoring human pre-requisites and the team building aspects will lead to failure.

One of the most common blind spots in projects is neglecting the importance of team building and team cohesion.

Mission led projects, by their nature, attract individuals who are passionate about the cause. While this passion is a powerful driving force - relying solely on self-selection will lead to significant challenges. Enthusiasm doesn't equate to competence and doesn't translate into the skills required for the projects success.

The next potential blind spot is the lack of objectivity when critically evaluating project's direction and making unbiased decisions. When everyone on the team is deeply invested in the mission, a certain atmosphere of confirmation and cognitive bias sets in. This can lead to a phenomenon called groupthink, where the desire to conform limits the expression, authenticity and potential of individuals. Groupthinks don't have the optimal wealth of perspectives to inform best decisions and foster innovation.

An alternative to self-selected process of coming together is a recruitment approach. It means actively seeking out individuals with specific skills and experience needed for the project.

This adds a layer of complexity to the project because the head-hunted members will not necessarily be as homogenous as the people who join the mission through the passion alone.

Another blind spot is ignoring the needs and motivations of team members. While the mission itself might be inspiring, there are additional factors that drive individuals personally. Being aware of these needs and sensing whether the motivation is maintained, rising or falling is a valuable capacity to have. Individuals want to be recognised for what they do and expect opportunities for personal growth while feeling valued and loved.

From the dawn of human existence, communication has been a vital tool. Cavemen, huddled in caves at night, exchanged grunts to signal their presence and alerting each other to potential dangers. They kept the fire burning, the thread of warmth and light unbroken. These are the symbols of collective commitment to the group and the mission.

Today, the essence of this primal communication persists and it means among other things "I'm here", "I care", "Don't forget me" ... This continuous exchange of reassurances is the lifeblood of our relationships, the rhythm that keeps them alive and thriving. But what is it that makes this rhythm resonate? Is it the frequency of communication, the intimacy of the message or its practical value? Perhaps, a combination of all of these underpinned by a commitment to each other and shared sense of purpose. This commitment, defined through affection and loyalty, is the harmony that binds us together.

Like any system, the harmony can be disrupted by misunderstanding. Each of us runs an invisible ledger, a record of interpersonal debts and credits. This ledger isn't checked regularly - but periodic audits reveal disparities between our perceived debts and credits and communication can successfully reconcile the discrepancies, as long as they are addressed promptly.

Therefore, commitment, communication and engagement are crucial for maintaining the group's cohesion.

Now, something a bit stronger - I'll write about the force and the capacity building separately

Building utopia is a collaborative effort of putting together a coalition of force. The force is an aggregate of influence, capability, leadership, vision and other things that has to be powerful enough to win over the existing paradigm with its own aggregate of power. Collaboration, idealism and synergies are those secret ingredients that are the reason why an incumbent power can win over the establish one. Therefore, anything to do with movement building, attracting talent, cohering and engaging is the most important task.

Utopians are not only hopeful that something good will happen. They must intelligently work towards defining the changes and building a vehicle for implementing them. That requires innovative thinking, organisational and problem solving skills.

A complex project, like ours, amounts to systemic change work and requires capacities and capabilities which are already well defined in other spheres of human interest. We need the best people that we can get and seek to imagine a future world that would suit them as well.

This is just to gauge if there's an interest in anything raised so far. I'll follow this up with a few other discussions.