Scope Creep

A dear friend warned me against scope creep. Scope creep? Being an engineer, and having the humor that is unique to the highly intelligent, scope creep defines the tendency for a project to run amok. It is a technical term but can be applied to all manner of living.  A previous president re-emphasized this with the famous K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid. Stay focused. Stay on task. Resist the late arriving “bright idea”. If you do not, the scope of a project creeps away.

What is the goal? What are you trying to accomplish? Is your plan well delineated? Then stay the course. It is easy to be distracted. There are an abundance of the “Ooooo! Shiny!” captivations. If you get derailed, you might not hit your mark. There is always some late arriving lugnut who thinks they understand the project. They tote in their unrelated and self serving “data” and want to influence and make their mark on things. The discipline necessary to succeed and achieve the ultimate goal is a skill learned over time. Keep your skills honed. Stay alert. Remain diligent and you will maintain your aim. Resist the pressure to “include” everyone. It is often that “everyone” is a death knell to success. Stick to the core of focused team players. Then, you avoid the creep.