Many of today’s famous landmarks are equally enjoyed for their appearances as they are appreciated for their original intended practical use. However, there are projects that were purely conceived to function as artistic landmarks. The justification and success of those projects require a visionary group of project leaders that understand that the true value behind their project’s success relies on a combination of creative genius and effective project management to ensure the project is fully realized.
The Mount Rushmore project is a classic example demonstrating the value a project can bring to a region thirsting to make its mark on its country and eventually the world community at large.
Here are the facts on Mount Rushmore:
Vision
The Mount Rushmore project was originally conceived in 1927 by South Dakota historian Doane Robinson to promote tourism to the region. However, the original site was rejected by the chief project manager and artist Gutzon Borglum who took Robinson’s vision to the next level and chose a more prominent site on Mount Rushmore giving the project a more national focus carving the likeness of who he felt were the most influential presidents across a 150 year period.
As the lead project manager and creator of the Mount Rushmore project it was Borglum’s vision and foresight that elevated Robinson’s idea by creating a national monument (that was originally set out to be regional) that expressed, what he felt, were the ideals of American society. The intentional grandeur of the sculptures alone are enough to demonstrate that Gutzon understood that for his monument to gain national and international attention it had to be awe-inspiring by show casing the remarkable effort invested in its creation.
Execution
With support from the federal government, construction of the Mount Rushmore project began in 1927, and the four presidents’ faces were completed between 1934 and 1939. During the entire project between 1927 and 1941, 400 workers sculpted the 60-foot (18 m) carvings of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to commemorate the first 150 years of American history. The entire project costed $989,992.32 US.
From an execution perspective, the project at times was plagued by financial problems in which the chief project manager and artist Gutzon Borglum mismanaged. Luckily John Boland, was a critical part of the project leadership and was tasked to manage Borglum’s financial issues while balancing the artist’s creative motivations. As in any large scale project, without the right execution even the best concepts will ultimately fail. In this case, project execution was achieved but not without its fair share of problems.
Outcome
With the help of Gutzon Borglum and John Boland, the Mount Rushmore project has exceeded its original vision set forth by Doane Robinson by creating an American landmark recognizable around the world. Just to demonstrate the scale of the project, during the process of construction over 800 million pounds of rock were removed primarily with dynamite over a nine year period. Today almost 3 million tourists visit Mount Rushmore annually.
The final successful outcome of Mount Rushmore can be attributed to the sheer size of the sculptures (project). The completion of a project of this magnitude alone demonstrates the project management skills required both from a design, delivery and financial perspective. The success of large scale projects of this type need an in depth management and understanding of all the elements that will push them over the finish line.
Fun Fact – Did you know that if Gutzon Borglum and John Boland had their hands on a project management solution the Mount Rushmore project could have potentially saved an additional $23,512**
** This calculation is based on an estimated value that 95% of the project budget was allocated to labor and 10% of labor cost can be attributed to lost productivity. Cost savings is based on an accepted norm that project management software can improve lost productivity by 25%.
Tags: Lost Productivity
