I recently watched an interview between the Head of Ted, Chris Anderson, and TikTok's CEO, Shou Chew. While I must admit that I'm not on TikTok (I'ts just not my platform of choice), this interview was interesting; and as I listened to it I noticed some key similarities between the underlying drivers of TikToK and what I believe are key drives for project success. Whether you love TickTok, hate it or are somewhere in between, it really doesn't matter - we are here to focus on projects!
Strategic Alignment
Let's start with strategic alignment. We all know that for an organisation to survive and have sustainable success, there needs to be a strong sense of purpose (the "why" behind what we do) and a clear vision that unites the team and drives effective decision-making. TikTok's mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy, and they deliver this using three key values: create a window to discover, provide a canvas to create, and create bridges for people to connect. Their mission and values drive their day-to-day decisions and the culture of the organisation, enabling them to achieve their desired outcomes.
Projects operate in the same way. Project teams and stakeholders need to have a clear sense of purpose - the why behind this project, the north star that drives daily decision-making. Having a strong sense of purpose in a project team and among stakeholders can be the difference between project success and failure. Too often, I see projects commence with no business case and no sense of how the project or program contributes to the broader organisational strategy. As a result, stakeholders and project teams disengage which creates flow on effects to the time, cost, and quality of the projects. It's human nature to want to be a part of something, to know how you contribute and that the work you do matters. As project leaders, it's our role to help define and communicate the project's connection to the organisational strategic goals and objectives. Doing so will create a sense of purpose, drive higher team and stakeholder engagement and enable more effective decision-making.
Focus on End Users
In the interview, Shou talks a lot about the users of their platform and the work they have undertaken to ensure a positive user experience. Remaining focused on the end-user experience has enabled them to make business decisions that supported their long-term goals, rather than quick wins and immediate returns. Keeping the end users in mind through their product development is a critical part of their success.
While you may think this is obvious for a platform that is designed to engage people, you'd be surprised how often this element has either not been considered or has been forgotten along the way.
Here's the thing... EVERY project needs to focus on the end users! It's all well and good to deliver an awesome new software platform or design a new process, but if you have forgotten to create strong engagement with the users and bring them along the journey it's almost a guaranteed way to ensure project failure and rejection of the product/solution. Projects are more than just delivering the "thing" and ticking the boxes. While a project is finite (ie. it has an end date) the product/solution being delivered is expected to continue on and be used for some time. As project leaders, it's our role to ensure the projects remain focused on the users and the business benefits, and that users are engaged. Doing so will provide less stakeholder resistance, a smoother transition at the end of the project, and a high chance of achieving the project benefits.
It's a Team Effort
Shou also mentioned that at TikTok they have teams of people who work on the platform, products and experience collectively, and the importance of using experts and people with specialised skills to ensure high quality of work and identify areas for improvement.
Projects teams are exactly that... Teams! But it's not just about selecting anyone who is free at the time and putting them on the project team. Project teams need to be considered carefully. Team members need to bring diverse skills and thinking, they need to know how to communicate well, and they need to be able to challenge ideas among the team and stakeholders respectfully. As project leaders, we not only need to ensure diversity of skills, but we need to enable a psychologically safe space for our teams to operate in which every voice can be heard and respected. If you can do this you will enable greater innovation, collaboration and problem-solving, and a better project outcome.
So there you have it! three similarities between project leadership and TikTok, with some tips on what you can do to support your team and deliver better outcomes. Want more tips on how to grow your skills as a project leader? Subscribe to my newsletter to get all the latest tips and updates.
If you want to check out the interview between the Head of Ted, Chris Anderson, and TikTok's CEO, Shou Chew, here is the link: https://www.ted.com/talks/shou_chew_tiktok_s_ceo_on_its_future_and_what_makes_its_algorithm_different/comments
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