Why Projects Really Fail
Poorly defined responsibilities can again be linked to poor communications. If team members don’t have well defined responsibilities and understand what those responsibilities are, they will do the things they think are important, or even worse, the things they enjoy doing and the project will turn into a nightmare.
The wise project manager makes sure everyone in the team knows what is expected of them, what they need to do, and when they need to do it by. I always liked to produce a Deliverables Checklist for each stage of a project, listing all of the project deliverables, with who is responsible for delivering each, when they are scheduled to start and when they are scheduled to be delivered by. Then review and update it weekly with the project team.to ensure everyone knows what is expected of them. Poorly defined responsibilities is just another symptom of poor project management.
The Project
David's work on the new chapters has slipped a bit, I think he underestimated the amount of work involved. I've told the publishers and put back the completion date but the danger is now that they will run out of stock of the old version before they can get the new one into print. They'll either have to print more of the old version and delay the new or it will be 'out of stock' and we will loose sales. Project life is never easy.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Friday, January 23, 2015
Lack of Stakeholder Ownership
Why Projects Really Fail
Project stakeholders are defined as anyone with a vested interest in a project. They can have a positive interest (they will benefit from the project) or a negative interest (they see some disadvantage from the project) but they are still stakeholders. They can help or hinder a project and as project managers we neglect them at our peril.
But if the stakeholders don’t actually care about the project or take any responsibility or interest in it, then why is the project being carried out? This 'cause of failure' is closely linked with poor communication and top management support. A wise project manager communicates with all the project stakeholders (including the negative ones) and makes sure they understand the reason for and are committed to the project. It would seem that a lack of stakeholder ownership is a sign of an unnecessary project and just another symptom of poor project management.
The Project
David has now got his own copy of InDesign and is taking over editing the material directly, rather than giving me the changes to edit. I can see the advantage to him in this and will do my best to give him any support he needs, but the timescale was already quite tight so I hope he can cope with a steep learning curve.
Project stakeholders are defined as anyone with a vested interest in a project. They can have a positive interest (they will benefit from the project) or a negative interest (they see some disadvantage from the project) but they are still stakeholders. They can help or hinder a project and as project managers we neglect them at our peril.
But if the stakeholders don’t actually care about the project or take any responsibility or interest in it, then why is the project being carried out? This 'cause of failure' is closely linked with poor communication and top management support. A wise project manager communicates with all the project stakeholders (including the negative ones) and makes sure they understand the reason for and are committed to the project. It would seem that a lack of stakeholder ownership is a sign of an unnecessary project and just another symptom of poor project management.
The Project
David has now got his own copy of InDesign and is taking over editing the material directly, rather than giving me the changes to edit. I can see the advantage to him in this and will do my best to give him any support he needs, but the timescale was already quite tight so I hope he can cope with a steep learning curve.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Poor Leadership
Why Projects Really Fail
Poor Leadership was the sixth most common cause of project failure reported in the original study I am basing this series of blogs on and it is another absolute project killer. If the project manager is not providing good leadership then the project will fail, no question. No one on the team will be motivated and they won’t care if the project fails. In fact those with any sense will get themselves off the project as fast as they can.
The wise project manager knows how important it is to provide a lead for the team and rally them when they need rallying. The wise project manager encourages the team and is supportive, without seeking to take the credit for the team's achievements. Poor leadership is simply poor project management.
The Project
David and I have decided to add two new chapters to the second edition of the book (Feature Driven Development and Managing Large Agile Projects) along with updating the existing content. It will increase the size of the book and the price slightly but I think it will be a significant improvement in coverage of the subject. Two weeks to our deadline, should be getting interesting.
Poor Leadership was the sixth most common cause of project failure reported in the original study I am basing this series of blogs on and it is another absolute project killer. If the project manager is not providing good leadership then the project will fail, no question. No one on the team will be motivated and they won’t care if the project fails. In fact those with any sense will get themselves off the project as fast as they can.
The wise project manager knows how important it is to provide a lead for the team and rally them when they need rallying. The wise project manager encourages the team and is supportive, without seeking to take the credit for the team's achievements. Poor leadership is simply poor project management.
The Project
David and I have decided to add two new chapters to the second edition of the book (Feature Driven Development and Managing Large Agile Projects) along with updating the existing content. It will increase the size of the book and the price slightly but I think it will be a significant improvement in coverage of the subject. Two weeks to our deadline, should be getting interesting.
Friday, January 09, 2015
Lack of Top Management Support
Why Projects Really Fail (continued)
Lack of top management support was always one of my big bug bears and it’s just poor stakeholder management. I've been there and had to deal with it. If there is no top management support for a project then why does it exist? How can it be critical to the business if top management aren’t supporting it?
The answer was usually that it was someones' 'vanity project'. A wise project manager will recognise this very early in a project (if not right at the start) and insist on a senior management project sponsor (who really will champion the project), then work with them to obtain organisational support. If they can't get this they must recommend cancelling the project due to the high probability/high impact risk of project disaster. This is not as easy as it sounds if the person asking you to manage the project is your boss, but hey, the reason we love project management is the challenge. If we wanted an easy life we would be line managers! Failure to do this is just poor project management, the lack of top management support is a screaming symptom of an unwanted or unneeded project.
The Project(s)
For reasons outside of my control I have had to cancel the on-line course development project for Cassel. This is really disappointing as not only was I enjoying the experience, but I have now had to let a customer down. They have been kind enough to leave the door open for me if the circumstances change in future.
The only positive I can take from this is that I can now concentrate on my other project: working with David Morris on a revised version of Agile Project Management in easy steps, which he will be taking over after this release. We are due to complete the work on this by the end of January so it's quite tight, but hey, didn't I just say that's why we love being project managers.
Take care and enjoy your projects.
Lack of top management support was always one of my big bug bears and it’s just poor stakeholder management. I've been there and had to deal with it. If there is no top management support for a project then why does it exist? How can it be critical to the business if top management aren’t supporting it?
The answer was usually that it was someones' 'vanity project'. A wise project manager will recognise this very early in a project (if not right at the start) and insist on a senior management project sponsor (who really will champion the project), then work with them to obtain organisational support. If they can't get this they must recommend cancelling the project due to the high probability/high impact risk of project disaster. This is not as easy as it sounds if the person asking you to manage the project is your boss, but hey, the reason we love project management is the challenge. If we wanted an easy life we would be line managers! Failure to do this is just poor project management, the lack of top management support is a screaming symptom of an unwanted or unneeded project.
The Project(s)
For reasons outside of my control I have had to cancel the on-line course development project for Cassel. This is really disappointing as not only was I enjoying the experience, but I have now had to let a customer down. They have been kind enough to leave the door open for me if the circumstances change in future.
The only positive I can take from this is that I can now concentrate on my other project: working with David Morris on a revised version of Agile Project Management in easy steps, which he will be taking over after this release. We are due to complete the work on this by the end of January so it's quite tight, but hey, didn't I just say that's why we love being project managers.
Take care and enjoy your projects.
Saturday, January 03, 2015
Scope Creep
Why Projects Really Fail
Unless it is an agile project (where the objectives are expected to change), scope creep or slow death by a thousand change requests will grind any project into the dust. Wise project managers recognise when this is starting to happen and blow a very loud whistle.
It comes down to a simple binary choice. Freeze the scope and implement the project as is and see if there is sufficient business justification for a follow on project to implement the additional requirements; or cancel the project and consider starting it again once the objectives can be agreed. Failure to do this is poor project management, the changing objectives merely a symptom of this.
The Projects
Effective Project Management on-line training course (for Classle): I'm starting to get the hang of things now (particularly Audacity for recording the audio) and I am now onto Module 4 (Planning). Great fun.
Agile Project Management in easy steps: I'm doing this revised version jointly with David Morris and I'm currently waiting for David let me have the next batch of updates now he is back in New Zealand.
Meanwhile have a happy and successful New Year.
Unless it is an agile project (where the objectives are expected to change), scope creep or slow death by a thousand change requests will grind any project into the dust. Wise project managers recognise when this is starting to happen and blow a very loud whistle.
It comes down to a simple binary choice. Freeze the scope and implement the project as is and see if there is sufficient business justification for a follow on project to implement the additional requirements; or cancel the project and consider starting it again once the objectives can be agreed. Failure to do this is poor project management, the changing objectives merely a symptom of this.
The Projects
Effective Project Management on-line training course (for Classle): I'm starting to get the hang of things now (particularly Audacity for recording the audio) and I am now onto Module 4 (Planning). Great fun.
Agile Project Management in easy steps: I'm doing this revised version jointly with David Morris and I'm currently waiting for David let me have the next batch of updates now he is back in New Zealand.
Meanwhile have a happy and successful New Year.
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