Many of my clients when I have first started working with them seem concerned with messy looking improvement projects. That's a natural reaction on two counts.
Firstly, we don't want messy projects on the whole. We want to have neat delineated projects with clear steps, milestones and outcomes. This doesn't often happen.
Secondly, projects don't often unveil their full range of tasks until we start taking action. We may be able to plan / predict the steps required for a project but unless we have done the same project before we end up having to guess the steps. Please plan your projects properly, don't miss this step out. But be prepared for the common reality that your later steps will be replaced as you go, once new knowledge is available to you.
When you look from the outside in (whether a business, project or something else) it usually looks organised, tidy and planned. When you look from the inside out it can look chaotic, confused and difficult. The grass usually looks greener elsewhere and it is no different with improvement projects.
Don't worry about the mess, worry about persisting to achieve the results.
Giles Johnston
Author of 'Business Process Re-Engineering', a practical plan to improve business performance.