I just wanted to write a quick summary of projects on-going and where some others are just never getting complete. Over the past two years we have restructured our company to get back to being more fun and creative and away from the project management of construction projects in the Caribbean. We are currently creating inspired destinations in ASIA for the ever expanding cruise industry and opening new doors in a new market. Great fun and challenges await if clients can keep up with innovations and adapt to the changing global expectations of guests. But quickly as I was looking at project we inspired back in 2013 and 14; some of which are still struggling to fully open or even open at all. It is easy to see how we inspire people to think about what can be; but much harder to inspire them to pursue the project realization with the same level of enthusiasm and care we took in the creation. Too many times once the creative idea is floating out there everyone becomes the “expert” and immediatley deviate from the original plans. They grow confident in their own abilities which most always lack the experience or knowledge required to be successful. They forget about inspiration and just get buried in the many task at hand and loose sight of the goals. We created a project for the BVI out of thin air, with a new government and no entry strategy for attracting the Cruise Industry. We completed our work, delivered 100% drawings and simply never got paid, but the project moved ahead and now is over budget by 100% and still not fully open. The other large private island project Harvest Caye was also creatively developed and then taken on by the client to open in 2015 and is now over 100% over budget and still not open at all! How do these projects loose their way and end so badly?
Inspiration is the key to innovation but it can only become valuable if the client is inspired to deliver and has the knowledge and experience to dream and to realize the concept fully. I am learning to work only with clients who once inspired can deliver and not loose their way. “Not all who wander are lost”, JRR Tolkien, however I can give you the names of some who truly lost their way.
By the way not lost just wandering in Southeast Asia!
