Project Management Red Light, Green Light

I recently spoke at a symposium in the Rocky Mountains for close to a thousand project managers from all over the country. One of the best project management concepts I've learned is green, yellow, and red lights. All project managers know this lingo: A green light means the project is moving full-throttle forward. A red light means you're stuck. Yellow is a danger zone because the project is delayed and people start to overthink it. The longer a project drags on, the more expensive it tends to get. (You know, like Chicago's Millennium Park.) These day I find myself thinking about pretty much everything in terms of green, yellow, and red lights.

Green light: "First day of summer camp for my three-year old. Get there early!" Yellow light: "Forgot dry snack baggie with favorite round cheese thingy. Have to go back for it?" Red light: "We're out of round cheese thingies. Daughter is apoplectic." Green light: "Negotiated with sugar bombs: jellybeans and fruit roll-ups. And we're off!"

More info on my crime: The UK Express.