Project Restart 2024 on projects, crises, processes and motivation

Project Restart was the first Restart where I had no role at all, so I could look at the whole event with a bit more detachment.

The 4 words in the title are the first thing that came to mind after the talks. I suppose they partly reflect the programme.

I drove two hours to Restart and two hours back, and I have to say the drive home was good because it gave me time to reflect calmly and sort my thoughts. To think it all over a little.

I also used the drive back to dictate the basis of this article. This is my second attempt at dictating one, and this time it was a bit more useful, but it still needs editing, photos and so on. I do feel it works better than when I last tried it two years ago.

This time the lineup was packed with big names, even for people outside the digital marketing bubble. All the better.

As I know it is beyond me to concentrate on 12 talks in one day and actually take something away, I sacrificed three talks in advance and focused fully on the ones I had chosen. So here is what caught my attention and what I enjoyed:

1. Specialisation belongs in the 19th century – Karel Smutný

The title of this talk gives a pretty good idea of what it was about. Talks often resonate with you precisely when you are going through something similar or have recently come across it. I feel that highly specialised people need more managing because they are less aware of the bigger picture. As a quote from the talk puts it:

Narrowly specialised people and teams look efficient at first glance because they know their domain in depth. But when we step back, we see that many of them do not contribute to business priorities.

2. The mythology of projects – Jirka Langer

A truly project-focused talk in which Jirka Langer presented OKR using examples and the platform of Heureka (Czech price comparison site). OKR is a framework and tool for managing change and tracking goals.

It consists of one objective and supporting KPIs, which are called Key Results here.

Regular measurement and evaluation of Key Results is important. So is the initial setup.

I believe OKR (at least in theory) can show a clear goal and set priorities. I have tried something similar in a comparable setup, and I see the biggest challenge in setting the Key Results.

3. Processes for better projects – Pavel Minář

When someone says 6 times during a talk that they will try to convince you they are not a nutter, it does not entirely convince you 🙂

In practical terms, though, I took the most away from these 30 minutes. First of all, what a process is.

Some activities, or rather combinations of activities, repeat in your life. Above all, a process is something that improves over time, although a lot depends on our approach. Some people create processes automatically, while others need a little help to stay consistent.

Two key attributes of a process that matters to me:

1. It repeats.
2. I have not fully automated it.

Because the process repeats, I can get better or more efficient at it.

Next came a section on checklists and their place in processes.

For example, a critical checklist should have only 5-9 items, otherwise it is dangerous.

Processes save us energy in certain situations, let us think about something else and, of course, reduce errors.

4. Intelligence is the ability to respond to change – Martin Vasquez

While the previous talk was about something that repeats, this one was about change. Martin Vasquez described change and its consequences in an entertaining way, using examples.

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.

Stephen Hawking

I tried out the quote above

We all experience change. Some people have it happen to them, others create it themselves. Some cope with it well, others badly. The following curve fits certain changes in our lives perfectly, and I personally recognise these phases.

Radovan Vávra – A good manager according to Radovan Vávra

The best motivation for people that I have come across is money.

A good manager must think primarily about shareholders.

Manager pay in Europe and the USA differs dramatically. In the USA, managers are paid significantly better.

Radovan Vávra

Marie Havlíčková – Rescuing Groupon in practice

We put together a crisis team and cut everything that was not making money. Typically the people working on the brand.

During a rescue, micromanagement can serve you well.

Marie Havlíčková

Marian Jelínek – The inner world of winners, or what sets the best apart from the average

“Let children lose and experience those negative emotions.”

Marian Jelínek

For even more detailed reports from the event, you can read the one by Váš Hosting or the Freela blog.