THE Peacock experience
The Project Management of a Peacock Costume: A Lesson in Planning and Anticipation
A few years ago, my eldest daughter learned what retro-planning and anticipation meant—at the age of eight. How, you ask? Well, it all started with a bedtime revelation.
One evening, as I tucked her in, she casually dropped this bombshell: "Mama, next week we’re celebrating Carnival at school, and I want to be a peacock!"
I appreciated the one-week notice (better than last-minute), but there were some major constraints:
Scope was non-negotiable. She wasn’t open to being a princess, a cat, or anything easier.
Not a mainstream choice. Japan is wonderful, but it’s not exactly the land of outstanding carnival celebration - at least from what I learened in the past 8 years.
Fixed deadline. The event date wasn’t moving.
Budget constraints. Buying an overpriced costume was out of the question.
A quick online search confirmed my suspicions: I could either pay a small fortune for express shipping or get a fairly priced costume—delivered after the event. Neither was an option.
Time for a creative workaround! I found a dark blue dress with a tulle skirt and, with some fabric, ribbons, and a few late-night crafting sessions, transformed it into a lovely peacock costume. I was a little sleep-deprived, but my daughter was thrilled, we stayed on budget, and I even found some joy in the creative process.
Lessons Learned - Yes, There Was a Retro!
After the big day, I sat my daughter down for a quick Lessons Learned session—just like in a project debrief at work. I explained the importance of:
Critical path analysis – How long does it realistically take to turn an idea into reality? If you have a firm deadline, you need to work backward.
Early planning – If you’re unwilling to compromise on scope, you need to start early. (A princess costume, in contrast, could have arrived via next-day delivery.)
Fast Forward: The Next Carnival
The following year, in August, my daughter briefed me on her next Carnival costume idea—for February. Was August too early? Maybe. But it gave me ample time to research options, plan accordingly, and ultimately, still make the costume—but this time without the late-night stress.
The Big Takeaway? Planning ahead gives you flexibility. Life happens—kids get sick, work runs late, unexpected priorities pop up. If you’ve done the groundwork early, these hiccups don’t throw you off course.
Project Management Parallels
The same principles apply at work. If you push tasks until the last minute, you can bet that’s exactly when your boss will drop an urgent request, a key colleague will be on vacation, or some unexpected issue will arise. The longer you delay, the more everything snowballs into an emergency.
This becomes even more critical when coordinating a project with an entire team. Creating a stressful situation for yourself is one thing, but if you want to keep a project team engaged and ensure timely delivery, it’s essential to reserve the necessary time for each task. Communicating deadlines well in advance allows the team to plan accordingly, rather than dropping last-minute bombshells when it’s already too late. Proper anticipation and planning help prevent unnecessary stress and keep everyone aligned toward a common goal.
So, whether it’s a high-stakes project at work or a high-demand peacock costume, the formula remains the same: Anticipate, plan ahead, and give yourself room to adapt.
Bonus Win
And in a final victory for efficiency—this year, I convinced my second daughter to be a peacock. Night-shift crafting effort: successfully recycled!
