Bob Shea’s wonderful book, Big Plans, is a must read even if you don’t have little kids around the house. The protagonist is a child who has the confidence and tenacity any of us would borrow from liberally. His direction is unclear. He moves from a boardroom to the White House to building a rocket ship in a matter of pages, but does it all with the confidence of someone unafraid of failure.
I think about this each time we take on a new project here in Interactive Communications. Before the work begins, and as I and my staff begin to socialize the idea, we can either feel overwhelmed by the task ahead or forge into the unknown (or partially unknown) with fearless abandon. Great projects pull away from the gate due to this kind of energy. Big plans are contagious. Big plans are plans others want to get behind… but often only once the plans start to seem like an inevitability.
In the very early stages of taking on new, potentially game-changing work, Big Plans can feel like the edge of a cliff.
Over the next few months (Feb-May 2014) my staff and I will be gathering requirements, talking through business processes, considering user experience, testing features, and planning navigation structures all in support of a new online experience for alumni. The project’s first milestone, but not its finish line, is September 1, 2014. We’ve got Big Plans, You See!
I hope to be speaking to many Ohio State staff in the coming weeks and months about this project. If you meet with me, let me know you’ve heard about our Big Plans.