How BIG Things Get Done

Big projects. Big ambitions. Big... failures?

Most businesses underestimate what it really takes to pull off big moves. “How BIG Things Get Done” by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner shows us why — and how to fix it.

The Big Idea

Most big projects go over time, over budget – or never get finished at all.

The solution? Thorough preparation and planning.

An Eye-Opening Statistic

“91.5% of projects go over budget, over schedule, or both.”

That’s a staggering number. But it’s also an opportunity – if you plan smarter than the average.

A Key Model

The Foresight Model - use this when estimating how long a project will take:

F – Find a reference class of similar projects
O – Obtain the data on outcomes (cost, time, etc.)
R – Review the distribution of those outcomes
E – Estimate where your project is likely to fall
SIGHT – Use that insight to adjust your plans and expectations

What We've Implemented

A lot of our coaching work involves planning and executing 6-week projects that create meaningful business shifts. We’re doing the same within Business Mastery, too.

One simple – but powerful – change we’ve made is to break down each task and ask three questions:

• What’s the best-case estimate?

• What’s the worst-case estimate?

• What end of the scale is most likely?

Another helpful mindset shift we’ve adopted:

“Progress on planning is progress on the project.”

The Verdict

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If big projects always seems to take ‘longer than you expected’ and you want to get better at planning and executing - this book’s for you!

A rare 5 stars from me.