Avoiding a Successful Project Failure Paul Flanagan Presented

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 ? n Contradiction in terms ? ? ? n. Have we experienced this? 2

Two Types of Failure n Technical • “It doesn’t work” n Effective • “There’s no payoff” 3

Avoiding Failure n Technical Failure n n n Use the PMBOK Good project planning Good technical execution Manage scope, cost, time, … Effective Failure n n n Address the people issues Early and often First thought – not a later bolt on 4

Manage The Triangle Cost Scope Time 5

Manage The Triangle Technology No Change Process Is An Island™ People 6

Research and Experience n n n Leavitt – 1965 Chaos Study – 1994, 2000 Kasser and Williams – 1997 2004 CIO Magazine Survey Beer – 1980 7

Why are people the issue? n They don’t like change! n n Specifically: They don’t like unknown or unanticipated change Prefer control • But will settle for involvement and warning n Their Reactions n n Apathy Passive Aggression Resistance Sabotage 8

Usual Solution: Coercion n Because I’m the Mommy; that’s why! n n Didn’t work for us as adolescents Still doesn’t work n Wess Roberts, Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun John Kotter: Leading Change n Makes the Project Manager n the Compliance Cop 9

Needed Solution: Involvement n Involve the people in shared success n n n Promote buy–in Need to inspire the people Successful change isn’t imposed. n It is grown by the affected people. 10

Secret to Involvement n Communication! n Key to Communication is – n Listening! n Active listening • Not passive • Includes others “in” 11

Communicate What? Vision n n For the project For the team No one succeeds unless everyone succeeds n Not the All Star Game – but the World Championship 12

How Do Leaders Communicate? F I S H Frequent Integrated Supportive Honest 13

What Messages? n n n About the business – Why? About the change – What? About the impact – WIIFM? About the schedule – When? When people are satisfied about the personal effects, they will accept the other messages. 14

Not Just Words Communication = Involvement n Adults learn by doing n Interactive exercises n Team efforts start small • Logo selection – making decisions • Presenting the old system – analysis, empathy n Skills are grown, not delivered 15

Key Project Team Skills for Success n n Communication Decision making Conflict management Analysis 16

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 17

Transformation To Leadership n n Doesn’t happen overnight Vision is paramount n n Goal Oriented n n Must believe in what can be, not what is No one succeeds unless everyone succeeds Key actions n n Inspire Involve Inform Influence 18

Some Project Leadership Tasks n n Ensure people tasks are in the WBS Don’t cut training and communication n Be sentry for people problems Keep your eye on the prize n n Not learning by “osmosis” It’s not about the BOK or the plan Marry every issue with a solution so all succeed. 19

Four Key Concepts n No Change Is An Island™ n No one succeeds unless everyone succeeds n Communicate, communicate! n Systems don’t change – People do! 20

Don’t Manage; Lead! To manage a project Lead the people! © 2004 Christopher Technology Consulting LLC 21

To contact us Paul Flanagan Christopher Technology Consulting LLC 1552 Lakeport Court Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757 -373 -1454 pflanagan@christophertechnology. com www. christophertechnology. com