Project management is quickly becoming the most talked about organizational system since the formal rollout of quality management initiatives in the 1980’s that held that the maturity of any organization contributes to the success of quality. Today the same maturity and executive sponsorship is necessary to support project management. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that project failures continue to headline the news as organizations face alarming increases in the number of failed or failing projects. All too often, in spite of the lack of support from executive management, there is pressure by the same management to raise the bar on performance targets.
It is time to correct the problem:
First, stop the blame game. Do not define the project failure in terms of a particular person or a particular project.
Second, accept or acknowledge that a project is really in trouble. Stop the cover-up and spin control.
Third, fix the processes that have failed, keeping in mind that if the processes worked properly, a poor performing project manager would not be able to escape scrutiny as soon as the project began struggling.
Each of the three steps above depends on the other two. When blame is thrown around, cover-ups continue and process corrections become secondary. The result ---- the project that is in trouble will get worse and future projects in the pipeline will eventually have the same unfortunate results.
Remember, projects do not fail - processes fail
After the first two steps are accomplished, the organization can start recovering by improving the key processes that drive project performance. Start with the Project Scope Management process, then move to improve the processes for identifying and managing the various stakeholder’s roles and responsibilities. After sound processes are in place for managing scope and roles – including an appropriate Project Manager, the organization’s transition to solid project performance is improved by implementing a dependable process for managing project risks.
The lessons learned are clear. The sooner a failing project is identified, the better. There is always time to save a project from getting worse and more importantly, there is always time to implement process improvements that will turnaround the troubled project and avoid failure on future projects. Failure to act quickly and responsibly will increase the impact on the organization’s objectives and any chance of preventing failed projects in the future.
Time is money. However, if you have a project in jeopardy, we can help. Our services include a thorough analysis of the people and processes leading to the failure and recommendations for getting the project back on track - ensuring a successful outcome for the failed project. The recommended changes to people and processes will also ensure successful projects going forward.
If you are experiencing a failing project, use the Quick Submit Form on this page, or contact your Account Manager at PMO Resource immediately.
