Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day – Cliché Secrets EXPOSED

December 28, 2011 - BlogSquad,

Everyone has heard the phrase “Rome Wasn’t Built In a Day”
We all understand that it took a LONG time to build an empire and this parallel is cliché in its application to long projects. Honestly, it can be downright annoying to have that statement pulled out right when you are in the middle of a stressful job! I think we have all heard this phrase so many times that we don’t even stop to consider what it actually means.

So what are we missing here? How exactly did everything come together for the Romans in their large and ambitious projects? We are talking about generations of work done by a multitude of people yet the end result spoke of a conjoined effort that all fit together perfectly. Think of the pyramids in Egypt, another brilliant accomplishment that to this day stands as a great example of having a plan and seeing it through to completion.

How did this all happen, and why do we care?

Well I certainly wasn’t onsite to observe these projects in progress, there are lessons that I believe can be inferred from the end result. It sounds almost crazy to presume that in our age of information overload, but we can actually learn something from this if we look at some key factors.

Proper Planning

The first observation is that of any construction project. Before any ground is broken or contracts are even awarded, someone has come up with a plan. There are a select few people of the population that can single handedly mastermind a plan. Maybe this was different in ancient times, but I really don’t think so. This plan is the result of a combined effort of many people considering all sorts of factors from different perspectives. Having a good plan can be the make it or break it element of any project.

I once had an experience where a colleague and I missed our early morning flight. The night before we had determined exactly what time we would have to be at the airport, and worked backwards to figure out what time he needed to be picked up, etc. The morning of the flight, everything went according to plan, in fact we were a few minutes early arriving at the airport. Once we arrived however, boarding had already closed for that flight. What happened? How did we miss the flight?

The reason: Our plan was fundamentally flawed! We didn’t count for the extra time required for international flights, and this meant that before we even got up that morning we were already destined to be late. Don’t let this happen to you. Make sure your plan is good before you even start executing it.

Human Resources

One of the big reasons the people of Rome and Egypt succeeded on their large undertakings was through the use of a LOT of people. The fact that a lot of it was slave labor is irrelevant to my point. We have machines that can do most of the “slave” labor these days, so don’t get too wrapped up with that. To complete any project, you will need an adequate sized team. I’ve mentioned before that there is value in having people specialized in certain tasks rather than having people that are mediocre at everything. Looking back to our ancient examples, they had quarries where stonecutters would expertly craft the raw stones into blocks for building. Other teams of people would transport the stones to the location, and yet another team would install them. Through this coordinated effort, many people were able to be used effectively.

Proper Management

While Ruling with an Iron fist is not politically correct, there is still value in having a strong leader to any project today. Without leadership, everyone tends to do their own thing. Regardless of the skill of the workers, someone needs to be overseeing the project on some level to make sure the work of different teams is delivered on time and to specification. Imagine what would happen if half of a pyramid got assembled with blocks that were a few inches smaller. I think it is safe to say that the “leaning pyramids” although a great tourist attraction probably wouldn’t have survived quite so long.

Unbridled Enthusiasm

Looking at these historical accomplishments, I can only conclude that these people knew how to think BIG. Given the generations of work required to complete some of these projects, it is amazing to imagine how “outside the box” some of these ancient thinkers really were. Their enthusiasm throughout the ages kept the projects moving forward, regardless of how off track they might have been at any one time. Even if things do go a bit sideways on our current projects, we can always stay focused by keeping the end in mind. Being enthusiastic about the outcome throughout all stages of a project will allow it to achieve a level great level of success and satisfaction.

Mindset is so important in any business, and I hope there are some tips here that have helped inspire you for projects you are planning, working on, or just wrapping up. I’d love to hear your thoughts, please feel free to leave a comment below. I am also the author of a Professional AV newsletter focused on providing tips, tricks, and tools of the trade. You can sign up for free at http://ProAVSchool.com/subscribe