I saw how raw wood materials were transformed into beautiful components of hollow-body and semi-hollow body guitars. The design and the construction techniques culminated in the intended musical instrument. But more than this was necessary to achieve the goal. Some of the materials were very specific to the tone, resonance, and overall sound quality of the resulting instrument. Pearl maple, popular, mahogany, ebony, and rosewood were used in strategic locations of the instrument to enhance the sound or the physical strength. Some of the materials and effort only contributed to the esthetics of the guitar. Precision machining of the metal frets on the fingerboard provides the “action” desired – the distance between the fret and the string. Each guitar, though created to the same standards of artisanship, was a uniquely crafted masterpiece. Some machining processes were performed by CNC (computer numerical controlled) routers, but many processes involved the crafting of the skilled hand and trained eye. Each guitar was custom-painted and lacquered, with the choice of color or clear-coating decided based on the natural beauty of the wood grains in the finished guitar body.
At the end of the process, the last touch of the process was to add acoustical electronics and install and tune the strings. It was very interesting to me that the only position in the manufacturing process that requires the craftsman to know how to play the guitar is at this final assembly and test station. As each guitar is completed, the last factory touch is for a musician to actually play the guitar – whatever music style or song left up to the musician – to verify the instrument is the complete treasure that it is intended to be. Beauty, functionality, and sound quality come together with the touch of the artist to ensure the acceptance of this product by its creator before being delivered for acceptance by its new owner.
It dawned on me that this place I was in was not just a guitar factory. It was an art gallery, a museum of centuries-old craftsmanship, and even a source of inspiration.
As I reflect on the experience, I see so many lessons for project managers:
- Every person on the team has an important special contribution that adds to the total deliverable.
- Where precision is critical, using the right tool for the task is critical.
- Some tasks deliver the bulk of the functionality, where others add the beauty of the execution.
- Each material and process used has a specific purpose and delivers a specific feature or requirement.
- The features and requirements of the ultimate deliverable drive design and execution decisions.
- A well-managed project can be a beautiful thing; the mastery of the project manager in orchestrating the team is important, and the mastery of each artist in each seat of the orchestra combines to create the final deliverable.
Just like creating a guitar, managing a project is both an art and a science. Just as the artist takes pride in the beautiful guitar and the beauty of its use, so should a project manager take pride in the planning and execution of activities to perfectly deliver the project scope.