From Chaos to Clarity: How a Messy Project Finds Its Way

“This is never going to come together.”

If you’re sitting amid a jumble of half-baked ideas, clashing opinions, Slack messages at 10 p.m., three different “final” decks, and a meandering spreadsheet that makes exactly no one feel better … we’ve got you.

*That feeling of chaos* is what happens at the beginning of well researched projects that have a lot of stakeholders. It’s important to remember: You’re not alone, and complex projects are always the darkest before the dawn.

Here’s how I’ve found help turning chaos into clarity:

1. Go back to the origin.
​The right questions can bring the clarity you need. Here are my go-to two to try:

• PAST: Why did we want to do this project in the first place?
• FUTURE: If we’re here celebrating a year from now, what will we have done?

When you feel lost, these two questions can help unlock the way forward.

2. Define the unspoken tension.
​Every chaotic project has a tug-of-war hiding underneath it, maybe between people (2 stakeholders want different things), or ideologies (the culture is slow, but the project demands fast), or even realities (when something is beyond repair, a project set on top of it feels futile). Call it out and you can start to do something about it.

3. The “click” moment.
​This is the best part — when the story suddenly makes sense. To get here, literally try to tell the simplest story built around your goal or core audience. Here are some we’ve done recently:

• Creative campaigns are the key to more revenue. We’re going to build an operation that supports that.
• Influencers aren’t talking about an industry topic that matters. We’re going to create a program to change that.
• Online health info is monetized through anxiety. Our content will be the antidote to that.

Suddenly, the plan is … a plan. It doesn’t mean the chaos is over. But now, you’re building, not just reacting.

KRYSTLE KOPACZ CEO, Revmade krystle@revmade.com

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P.S.: If you’re struggling to get a project off the ground, we’re here to help! I’m always available to get on a call and strategize, just reply to this email to set up a time.