Labor improbus omnia vincit

Sometimes it’s fun to read history just to remind ourselves that large mega-projects don’t have to be wasteful boondoggles. Go and read about some of the marvelous projects that were well planned and well managed. Let yourself be amazed.

Read about the Atlantic telegraph cable and how it connected America to the “old country.” Or read about the transcontinental railroad. Or read about the Panama Canal or the Hoover Dam and wonder at the marvels of early project management well executed.

The Erie Canal

The U.S. granddaddy of all these projects was the Erie Canal – and it sits in the dustbin of history. Too bad, because it was both an engineering and economic marvel.

Started in 1817 it was to be more than twice as long as any canal yet built in the world and had a projected cost that rivaled the annual budget of the federal government (but it was entirely funded by the state of New York.) It would run for 360 miles, require 83 locks, would require digging and removing eleven and a half million cubic yards of rock and dirt – ALL BY HAND. It was projected to be completed in ten years but was completed in eight.

Was it a useful project? Before the canal, it had taken three weeks and cost $120 to ship a ton of flour from Buffalo to New York. Once completed, it cost $6 and took about eight days. Don’t you wish your 6-sigma project brought that kind of productivity improvement?!

Oh, and the Latin title of this piece? It means “enormous labor conquers all.”

Lesson

The need to think big and act boldly about infrastructure has been with us for centuries.

Application

What big projects are needed for your organization? Look beyond your team to find the resources.