It's easy enough to say. Before working on any strategy, you need to know about reality—the facts. Otherwise, you risk creating a bad strategy. It's hard enough to do this. Yet, even this isn't enough. You really need to measure twice before you strategize once. The Synaxis project methodology is to measure, strategize, and execute. Then repeat. To be more accurate, we are very careful at each transition. In these transitions, most of the project problems occur. Within each stage, activity is relatively streamlined and clear. When a stage completes, and a new one opens, it's time to reflect. This reflection takes the form of repeating the previous stage, as least as a thought experiment. Before moving from measurement to strategy, it's important to take time to reflect on the measurement. As we enter the strategy stage, starting to analyze those measurements, we need to ask questions. Did we measure correctly? Are these measurements useful? Only when the measurements are tested in this way—in the face of the potential strategy—will we learn if the measurements have truly been successful. Yesterday, a client told me that one of their clients always bids out each stage of the project individually. On paper, this looks like a good idea. Why lock in with one vendor? More competition makes for better pricing and better service, right? And when transitions are cleanly defined—such that they could be handed off to another vendor—deliverables, reports, etc. are well-crafted. Right? In reality, the opposite is true. A simple linear movement between stages will not work as effectively. Instead, we must think of these stages not as a line but as a circle. Only when we circle back to earlier stages will subsequent stages be the most effective.