For Projects to Realize Value — What Value Means and What It Takes to Achieve It

In the previous chapter, we looked at What Is Project Management?.
Project management is not simply about “managing” a project—it’s about guiding the team toward the goal originally defined for the project and achieving meaningful results.

So, what exactly is the goal of a project?

Projects usually exist as part of a larger system—such as a company or organization.
These organizations provide value to the people connected to them: employees, users of their services, business partners, and even the surrounding community.
Many projects, therefore, exist with the goal of realizing or enhancing that value.

Move Your Work Forward — The Ideal Project and Task Management Tool: Repsona

What Does It Mean to Realize Value?

What does it mean for a project to “realize value”?

• Creating services or features that benefit users
• Contributing to society, improving operational efficiency, or driving positive change within an organization
• Maintaining a current successful state of affairs

Delivering these outcomes represents the purpose of many projects—and project teams work daily to make them a reality.

For a project to generate greater value, its relationships with other projects, routine operations, and its host organization are all crucial.
Together, these interconnections form what the PMBOK calls a Value Delivery System.

Information Flow: Guiding Projects in the Right Direction

Many people and teams contribute to value realization—your project, other projects, upper management, and routine operations.
A value delivery system functions best when information flows smoothly among all of them and when the project’s direction aligns with the organization’s overall goals.

The organization’s strategy, desired outcomes, and long-term vision should be clearly communicated to project and operations teams.
Information must flow in both directions—projects and operations should report progress, share feedback, and provide insights for improvement.
This ongoing communication loop is essential for ensuring that the project is aligned with organizational goals.

The Organization’s Role in the Project

For both the organization and the project to deliver value, the organization must give the project a clear sense of direction.
It should normalize information flow, clarify challenges, and make key business decisions effectively.
When the organization itself is not functioning properly, projects within it will inevitably struggle to deliver value successfully.

The Role of People in a Project

It is people who drive projects forward.
Each person plays a distinct role in moving the project ahead.
While assigning roles doesn’t guarantee success, maintaining clarity and coordination across those roles greatly improves the likelihood of it.

Some teams thrive under a centralized leader who defines and delegates roles clearly.
Others perform best in a decentralized environment, where members are self-organized and autonomous.
A hybrid model combining both may also work well, depending on the situation.

It’s important to begin a project by discussing and agreeing on what kind of team structure will work best.
Understand what roles are needed, and what each member’s strengths and weaknesses are, so that everyone can fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

Below are example roles that may exist in a project.
The names and boundaries are flexible—one person may take on multiple roles, or one role may be shared among several people.

Leader

Defines and coordinates work so the project moves toward its goal.
Plans, monitors, and controls team activities.
Oversees not only the project’s progress but also the health, safety, and emotional well-being of team members.
Often negotiates with management or external stakeholders and prepares necessary documentation.

Guide

Provides direction on the value the project aims to create.
Offers insights on what would be most beneficial or meaningful.

For example, if a project is developing a system to solve a problem, the “guide” could be someone who experiences that problem and will actually use the system.
If the project is driven by a new idea, the guide could be the person who conceived it—or someone providing funding to make it happen.

In many projects, goals can still feel unclear at the start.
As deliverables are gradually completed, regular feedback from the guide becomes critical to maintaining alignment.

Facilitator

Ensures that all members share a sense of teamwork and collective responsibility.
Leads discussions, builds consensus, resolves conflicts, and keeps meetings focused and productive.
Clarifies objectives and encourages open communication across the team.

Executor

Uses specialized knowledge and skills to perform the actual work and bring the project’s value to life.
Examples include programmers in software development or carpenters in construction.

Executors not only complete assigned tasks but also share updates from the field, propose improvements, and help create a two-way flow of information.
They may also take on responsibilities like learning new skills, improving productivity, or mentoring junior members.

Expert

Does not perform daily project tasks but provides specialized expertise.
Experts may review project direction, validate technical accuracy, or offer guidance based on their professional insight.

Section Manager / Department Manager / Executive

Sets the overall direction for project goals.
Determines priorities among multiple projects, allocates resources, and makes organization-wide decisions.
Addresses issues beyond the project team’s control, maintains alignment between organizational and project objectives, and ensures that the project team remains supported and connected.

The Project Environment

A project never exists in isolation.
It’s influenced by both internal and external environments, which can have positive or negative effects.

Internal Environment

This includes the organization itself—other projects, products, ongoing operations, and their combinations.
It also covers past project experiences, company culture, facilities, employee skills, and available resources.
Each of these factors can significantly affect project performance.

External Environment

The external environment surrounds the organization and includes factors that are largely beyond control:
market trends, regulations, politics, industry conditions, and even physical elements like weather.
These influences require a project to remain adaptable and flexible in its direction.

Summary: For Projects to Realize Value

The ultimate goal of a project is to realize value.
To achieve this, the organization must first ensure the proper flow of information—aligning project direction with organizational goals.

Then, the people driving the project must understand their roles and take responsibility for moving the work forward.
Because every project is influenced by internal and external environments, its direction should remain flexible as it progresses.

A Value Delivery System is established when everyone involved fulfills their role while exchanging information and feedback in both directions.
Real value is created not simply when supervisors assign tasks and subordinates execute them, but when the entire organization moves together toward a shared purpose—where every member finds meaning in their contribution.

That’s when true teamwork and true work begin.

Move Your Work Forward — The Ideal Project and Task Management Tool: Repsona