On trees
Details are important, it’s where the devil is (citation needed). Details are what allow a plan to come into focus and and idea to have impact. Without them we cannot fully shape what we’re working on, and can never really be sure we’re done with our task. Despite this, we frequently fail to fully understand the details on what we do. We embark on tasks without taking the time to fully examine the minutia that defines our work. Instead, we focus on the higher-level portions - concepts, ideas - that rely on the detailed work to really stand out.
On one hand I can completely understand the desire to avoid really getting into the details… it’s tedious. It can be boring. It takes time… and there’s SO much of it. Even what seems to be a “simple” project contains a ton of details when you zoom in. Asking questions like “who do we talk to about X”, or “what specific steps are needed to complete this task” makes those “simple” projects seem more complex… after all, we started with just installing a new piece of software, why does that have more than one step?
While it is true getting into details can make projects seem to stretch out, the time is more than worth it for a number of reasons.
Understanding the whole picture - Taking time to understand the details helps flesh out the entire picture you’re looking at. It’s similar to looking at a painting and noticing something new… suddenly you understand a new perspective on what the artist wanted to capture.
Avoiding pitfalls - Knowing the trap is there is the first step to avoid it, and investing energy in the detail work will help uncover potential problems that may have otherwise remain hidden. While identifying and planning for these challenges adds more time to your calendar, it will pay off by avoiding the need to fix those problems later.
Improving your skills - Getting into the details also helps you expand your skillset. You’ll find things you didn’t know were there, or connections suddenly become obvious. Like any skill, over time you’ll also get better at defining the detailed work, which will reduce the amount of time it takes to reap the benefits of this exercise.
On the other hand, however, I find it baffling when folks consciously avoid the details. I’m not suggesting that everyone involved in a project needs to be at the most granular level (indeed, executives need to exist at a high level and tend not to have time for detail work), but the project as a whole needs to be aware of details. Even something as simple and double checking settings on an email account should not be taken for granted (unless you want the whole company to see what’s in there…).
You can always take 15 minutes to kick around your projects details with your team. Ask them what’s missing from the plan, and then go find that devil.
