The Pilgrims held their second Thanksgiving celebration in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought that had threatened the year’s harvest and prompted Governor Bradford to call for a religious fast. George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States; in it, he called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country’s war of independence and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Do you proclaim victory when your projects close?
Here is the last round of questions to consider as your projects close.
Closing: Did We Do It?
Has all project documentation been completed?
Have all stakeholders been informed?
Is operational handoff complete?
How will project success be measured? Who will do it? How and who will it be communicated to?
Has a lessons learned session been conducted?
In 1817, New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday. In 1863 Thanksgiving was scheduled for the final Thursday in November and in 1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week becoming an annual celebration of the harvest and its bounty.
Adopt these questions as traditional practice to celebrate effective and efficient project delivery.
Lisa DiTullio, Founder, Your Project Office, www.yourprojectoffice.com
