Transcript Avoiding a Successful Project Failure

Avoiding a Successful Project Failure
Paul Flanagan
Presented to the
Hampton Roads Chapter
Project Management Institute
September 1, 2004
© 2004 Christopher Technology Consulting LLC
No Change Is An Island is a Trademark of Christopher Technology Consulting LLC
Successful Project Failure ?
 Contradiction
in terms
?????
Have
we experienced this?
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Two Types of Failure
 Technical
•“It doesn’t work”
 Effective
•“There’s no payoff”
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Avoiding Failure
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Technical Failure
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Use the PMBOK
Good project planning
Good technical execution
Manage scope, cost, time, …
Effective Failure
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Address the people issues
Early and often
First thought – not a later bolt on
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Manage The Triangle
Cost
Scope
Time
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Manage The Triangle
Technology
No Change
Process
Is An Island™
People
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Research and Experience
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Leavitt – 1965
Chaos Study – 1994, 2000
Kasser and Williams – 1997
2004 CIO Magazine Survey
Beer – 1980
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Why are people the issue?
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They don’t like change!
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Specifically: They don’t like unknown or
unanticipated change
Prefer control
• But will settle for involvement and warning
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Their Reactions
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Apathy
Passive Aggression
Resistance
Sabotage
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Usual Solution: Coercion
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Because I’m the Mommy; that’s why!
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Didn’t work for us as adolescents
Still doesn’t work
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Wess Roberts, Leadership Secrets of Attila
the Hun
John Kotter: Leading Change

Makes the Project Manager
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the Compliance Cop
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Needed Solution: Involvement
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Involve the people in shared success
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Promote buy–in
Need to inspire the people
Successful change isn’t imposed.
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It is grown by the affected people.
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Secret to Involvement
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Communication!
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Key to Communication is –
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Listening!
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Active listening
• Not passive
• Includes others “in”
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Communicate What?
Vision
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For the project
For the team
No one succeeds unless everyone succeeds
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Not the All Star Game –
but the World Championship
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How Do Leaders Communicate?
F
I
S
H
Frequent
Integrated
Supportive
Honest
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What Messages?
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About
About
About
About
the
the
the
the
business – Why?
change – What?
impact – WIIFM?
schedule – When?
When people are satisfied about the
personal effects,
they will accept the other messages.
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Not Just Words
Communication = Involvement

Adults learn by doing
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Interactive exercises
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Team efforts start small
• Logo selection – making decisions
• Presenting the old system – analysis, empathy
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Skills are grown, not delivered
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Key Project Team Skills for Success
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Communication
Decision making
Conflict management
Analysis
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Necessary Role Change
Project Manager
Project Leader
“You can't manage a man into
combat; you must lead him.
You manage things;
you lead people.”
Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, USN
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Transformation To Leadership
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Doesn’t happen overnight
Vision is paramount
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Goal Oriented
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Must believe in what can be, not what is
No one succeeds unless everyone succeeds
Key actions
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Inspire
Involve
Inform
Influence
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Some Project Leadership Tasks
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Ensure people tasks are in the WBS
Don’t cut training and communication
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Be sentry for people problems
Keep your eye on the prize
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Not learning by “osmosis”
It’s not about the BOK or the plan
Marry every issue with a solution so all
succeed.
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Four Key Concepts
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No Change Is An Island™
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No one succeeds
unless everyone succeeds
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Communicate,
communicate,
communicate!
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Systems don’t change – People do!
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Don’t Manage; Lead!
To manage a project
Lead the people!
© 2004 Christopher Technology Consulting LLC
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To contact us
Paul Flanagan
Christopher Technology Consulting LLC
1552 Lakeport Court
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
757-373-1454
[email protected]
www.christophertechnology.com