Find your Project 'WHY'

Understanding what type of project you’re really running — and how to engage the people who shape it

Not every project is created equal, and treating them all the same is a quiet career-killer.
If you can’t explain why the project exists — not just what it does — you’ll struggle to get traction with sponsors, stakeholders, or even your own team.

Every initiative has a core “why.” The trick is knowing which type of project you’re in, and how senior stakeholders are likely to play it.

1️⃣ Mandatory Projects

These are the “must-dos”: compliance, audit findings, system failures, or anything that would cause major financial or reputational loss if ignored.

Exec Focus
They focus on risk avoidance and timelines. You’ll hear words like assurance, readiness, and sign-off. Nobody gets kudos for doing them, but everyone gets blamed if they fail.

How to engage

• Keep communications short, factual, and tied to risk reduction.
• Frame progress in terms of exposure reduced or assurance gained.
• Don’t sell innovation; sell safety and certainty.

Your credibility here comes from control, not creativity.

2️⃣ Transformation Projects

These reshape the business — digital programs, new operating models, mergers, or AI frameworks. They change identity as much as process.

Exec focus
They compete for ownership. Transformation is political oxygen; everyone wants their logo on the PowerPoint. Vision statements abound.

How to engage

• Tie every milestone to a strategic narrative — “This step brings us closer to the future business model.”
• Give sponsors space to tell the story publicly.
• Keep the delivery core quietly disciplined beneath the noise.

You’re managing theatre and substance at once.

3️⃣ Core Differentiation Projects

These build what makes the organisation stand out — unique capabilities, customer experience, or proprietary data and analytics.

Exec Focus
They’re protective. These projects sit close to the brand’s identity, so senior leaders hover, tweaking features that touch their legacy.

How to engage

• Anchor every decision to the value proposition: “Does this strengthen what makes us different?”
• Build prototypes or demos early — tangible evidence wins arguments.
• Watch for ego collisions; align via metrics that define distinctiveness rather than raw output.

Here, diplomacy is as valuable as delivery.

4️⃣ Growth Projects

These scale what already works — expanding product lines, adding regions, or increasing throughput.

Exec Focus
They’re impatient. Growth feels exciting but safe; everyone wants to see numbers move.

How to engage

• Present outcomes in revenue or customer metrics, not project milestones.
• Show incremental wins; every extra sale validates confidence.
• Protect focus — these projects die from “just-one-more-feature” requests.

Momentum is your brand here; every update should sound like acceleration.

5️⃣ Improvement Projects

These make the machine run better: efficiency upgrades, maintenance, and capital improvements.

Exec Focus
They nod politely — until something breaks. Improvement projects are invisible until failure proves their value.

How to engage

• Speak in the language of cost avoidance and capacity released.
• Make benefits visible with before-and-after metrics.
• Remind leaders that “boring” is what keeps the lights on.

Consistency and reliability are your selling points — make them visible.

🧭 Bringing It All Together

When you “find your project why,” three things happen fast:

1. You know what game you’re playing. Each type demands different proof and pacing.
2. You engage stakeholders on their terms. You stop fighting for attention and start speaking their language.
3. You protect your credibility. Because nothing builds trust like showing you understand why this project matters.

Your 'why' you use to steer through politics, priorities, and pressure without losing the plot. If you don't know 'why' its too easy to get lost in the day to day project machinery and miss out on delivering a solution or service that makes your customers smile.