We’ve all been there: you attend a high-energy workshop, have a ‘lightbulb moment’ when you learn about a resource-levelling technique or a project communication framework, and you’re fired up to return to your project and revolutionise your ways of working.
Then, Monday morning hits. A key stakeholder changes the scope, a decision that you’re waiting on is delayed further, and your first attempt at using that new skill feels… clunky. Maybe it even fails.
Your natural instinct? To retreat to “the way we’ve always done it.” But real growth happens in the gap between the first attempt and the fiftieth.
Lessons from the River: Consistency in the Headwinds
I was thinking about this during my rowing session this morning. It was one of those sessions that makes you question your life choices: pouring rain and a punishing headwind. My crew and I could have easily called it a day. (Spring can’t come fast enough!)
Instead, we pushed off. We didn’t focus on speed, as the wind wouldn’t allow it. We focused on consistency.
- Every stroke had to be identical.
- Every recovery had to be timed.
- Even when a gust buffeted the boat and threw us off balance, we didn’t panic. We just reset and looked for that consistent rhythm again.
The takeaway? By maintaining our form in the worst conditions, we weren’t just surviving the morning; we were building the technical muscle memory that will give us speed when the water is glass.
Why “Once” is Never Enough in Project Management
When delivering project management training, we often see “the One-Hit Wonder” effect. A delegate tries a new risk analysis method once, finds it time-consuming, and abandons it.
But skills aren’t light switches; they are muscles. Here is why consistency is your most valuable competency:
- Refinement through reflection: You can’t analyse a fluke. By applying a skill consistently, you gather enough data to see what’s working and what’s just “weather.”
- Predictability for the team: When a PM is consistent in their methodology, it lowers the cognitive load for the entire team. They know what to expect, even when the project environment is volatile.
- The “benign conditions” payoff: If you practice rigorous stakeholder management when things are “wet and windy,” you’ll be an absolute powerhouse when the project is running smoothly.
How to Build Your Consistency Muscle
- Lower the stakes: Don’t try a brand-new, complex approach to a critical project work package for the first time. Practice in a “low-wind” environment first.
- Commit to the “rule of three”: Try a new skill at least three times before deciding if it works for your toolkit.
- Always reflect: Even if your first attempt was a great success, make sure that you take the time to reflect on what made the new approach go so well, so that you can repeat it consistently.
The next time your project feels like it’s rowing against a headwind, don’t stop rowing and drift back downstream. Focus on the stroke. Consistency isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being persistent enough to let the skill actually take root.
