Visualize It! (or how to avoid boring reports)

Just another report of the next project execution’s step has been arrived.

There are lots of letters, too many figures, graphs and diagrams. And there are much more execution indices and effectiveness figures. Also there is something about terms, budget and risks. Then, comparison of the plan and the fact is everywhere. You’ve cleared up that people planned something and have done (also something). It’s not important now what exactly they have done. But you understand that they have done it, because the report can’t be so thick for no particular reason. And it immediately lends credence.

Then the forecasts come next. We’re forecasted the development of the project situation. We read and believe that everything is alright. Moreover, we start to believe nearly from the fifth page, because it’s really difficult and too boring to read it further. Or it’s because there is no will anymore. That is why you just believe that everything is ok on this matter. And if someone doesn’t believe – welcome to read the report! Everything is written there. And if still there are some failures with terms or with costs, that is normal. Just look through the forecasts, it is written there that it’s just temporary occurrence. And the forecasts indicate that everything will be removed.

So everything is ok. And if someone doesn’t believe, I repeat again – just read the report. Then you will understand that everything is going well and there are no problems. No problems anymore. No one has problems.

That is the process of project realization we sometimes have.

And now imagine that a house is being built for you. It’s your house, the house of your dream. One more year and you’ll live in your dream house. You’ve already decided what curtains will be in your fireplace hall. Because it must be a fireplace hall in your dream house, with no doubt. And if not the fireplace hall, then pool must be there. By any large, it depends on what one likes more.

And now you’re waiting your house, and you receive the report about the plan’s execution monthly. And everything is normal with that, because the project it is. Everything should be correct and should be papered. Project terms are long, and it means there is needed to control interim milestones and steps’ completion and to look through regular reports. For example, you can do it once a month.

Will you read such report like this? I’m sure, you won’t.

It is your house, and only you will live there. What will you do? Sure. You’ll get into your car and drive to see what is happening on the building site. Only at the place you’ll see and draw a conclusion whether everything is alright, or some problems have appeared. Visual information will tell you much more than all those tones of paper reports. It’s better to see once, than to hear or to read hundred times.

You should remember, that according to agreement (or the contract, as you like) the foundation is to be laid and the first floor walls are to be raised for today. But you come and see that the foundation has been really laid, but there’re no walls at all. They are to be, but there is nothing.

But, hey, don’t worry. The forecasts indicate that if to strain all forces, it’s possible to do everything in time. There are extra reserves of time on the schedule. We won’t be late anyway. Don’t worry, because it’s said like this in the reports.

Will we calm down? Of course, we won’t. No way! After we saw that there were no walls, we finally identified where the problem was. And now we won’t forget it. Now we’ll deal with it. Now we’ll control it. And now we’ll come here not in one month, but in one week, and even in two days, if it is required. What is more, we’ll come every day, if it’s needed. We’ll deal with the problem, and will drive on the building site to see personally how this problem is being solved.

So, in such case, why not to do reports visual?

Why we need so many letters, figures, graphs and diagrams? It serves as a shroud to cover the truth. And I must admit – the truth is covered very well. Then you’ll ask to prepare the report in the form of presentation made up with photos or videos, instead of one more paper report. Those reports will demonstrate you better what is the real progress by your project.

And now there is no need for you to go at the place because you can understand and see much more by means of visual figures, instead of boring paper ones. After you’ve looked through, you may now listen a little bit about the comparison of the plan and the fact, and about the indices and forecasts. But not sooner.

Try to make a report by your own in the form of presentation and fill it with real visual figures. For example, like this (if I’m not mistaken, the walls should already have been raised here):

P.S. Demand visual reports. Make your own reports with photos and video. Teach people you work with to visual reporting. And you see that, probably, they will like to do it. But business is not whether they like it or not. The core is that instead of the shroud being formed from letters and figures, you’ll see the reality. In its turn it means that you’ll manage not illusion built from figures, letters, graphs and diagrams, but you will manage the reality.