Drift Starts at the Edges

When people work on something big, they naturally talk about what’s included. Rarely do they mention what’s not included.

But that’s where drift starts. A suggestion here. A “quick add” there. Each one seems small. Together, they push the finish line further out and eat up time and resources.

The finish line for something big or important is as much about what’s in as it is about what’s out. This is called scope. It sets the boundaries and gives you a way to say when something can’t fit: “it’s out of scope.”

Try this

For something you’re working on, write two lists:

• In scope: What you’re committed to delivering
• Out of scope: What you’re explicitly not doing (even if it’s a good idea)

When a new request comes, check it against the lists. If it’s out of scope, you can say: “That’s not part of the scope for this round. We can revisit it later.”

Example

A small business owner was building a new website. In scope: five pages, contact form, mobile-friendly. Out of scope: e-commerce, blog, customer login.

When her designer suggested adding a shopping cart, she had an answer ready: “That’s out of scope for this version.”

From PMEZ’s FINISH LINE approach