From the course: Project Management Foundations

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Identify the project goal

Identify the project goal

From the course: Project Management Foundations

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Identify the project goal

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- The first step toward project success is finding out what the customer really wants. The project goal is the end result that the project wants the customer to deliver. A goal is something like a problem to solve or an opportunity to take advantage of. It drives everything that happens in the project, so you want to make sure you've got it right. You start by putting together a problem statement that clearly defines the problem or opportunity. It doesn't have to be a long winded affair. It you can fit it into one sentence, all the better. Developing a problem statement can be challenging because people often jump straight to solutions. Solutions describe the end result, not the initial motivation. In the hospital project, suppose the COO tells you that the hospital wants to implement a new scheduling system, that's an end result. One way to backtrack from a solution to the original problem or opportunity is to ask why. Why do we need a new scheduling system? Don't be afraid to ask…

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