identifying and addressing common project challenges

Identifying and addressing common project challenges

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Agenda

• What is a project?

• The role of strategy, tactics, and measurement

• What makes a good project

• A framework for identifying the 6 major project challenges

• Solutions for the 6 major project challenges

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WHAT IS A PROJECT?

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Projects vs. operations

• Projects are not ongoing

• Projects improve operations

• Operations has metrics, not projects.

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Projects improve operations

Operations

Operations

Projec

t

4%

8%

Strategy + Tactics

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Project components

• Strategy

• Tactics

• Measurement

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Strategy

A strategy is a framework to establish and evaluate tactics with regard to a goal of improving operations.

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Tactics

Tactics use best practices and strategic direction to improve operations.

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Measurement

• Project metrics vs. strategic metrics

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

Strategy

Tactics Metrics

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

Strategy

Tactics Metrics

Project ProjectProject

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

Strategy

Tactics Metrics

Project

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

Project ProjectProject

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Projects vs. strategy, tactics, and measurement

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The good project

• Good action is choosing the mean between extreme.

• Projects are acting.

• Good projects exhibit the mean between extremes.

• Projects are composed of strategy, tactics, and measurement

• A good project has the proper amount of each.

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Framework

OptimalStrategy DecisivenessTactics MomentumMeasurement Scope

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The good project—storytelling

• Narrative structure (beginning, middle, and end)

• Pace (reliable plot development)

• Duration (not too long or too short)

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Framework

Optimal Excess LackStrategy Decisiveness Overthinking DirectionlessTactics Momentum Churning StalledMeasurement Scope Paralyzed Uncertain

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Framework

Excess Indicators SolutionsStrategy

Overthinking

•Lengthy strategic phase•Nothing looks “real”•“We did this already.”•“When are we going to start?”

•Force the action.•Break the tactics into phases.•Set “arbitrary” time deadlines for each phase, especially that involve presentations.

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Framework

Excess Indicators SolutionsTactics Churning •“This project will

never end.”•New items look like items from several rounds ago.

•Draw a line.•Create a punchlist of “final” changes.•Defer some things.•Start a “phase 2” list of items that won’t be completed this phase.

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Framework

Excess Indicators SolutionsMeasurement

Paralyzed •Reports are unreadable.•Reports are unactionable.•No one agrees on what to report.

•Revisit the goals and look for measurable outcomes.•Create KPIs from the goals even if they seem hard to implement.•Create aggregated “arbitrary” KPIs.

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Framework

Lack Indicators SolutionsStrategy

Directionless

•Tactical churn•“What are we doing?”

•Stop and restart•Change project teams•Try a different project first.•Break up the project into phases.

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Framework

Lack Indicators SolutionsTactics Stalled •“Where do we start?” •Get a little

momentum.•Go back to the deliverables list and pick 1 thing to start on. Be sure it’s short and easy.•Turn everything into a deliverable, e.g. notes.

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Framework

Lack Indicators SolutionsMeasurement

Uncertain •“Why are we doing this?”•We can’t tell management what we’re doing and why.•All choices look equally good.

•Look at the goals and ask “how do we know if we accomplished that goal?”.•Start from non-project-related numbers and work backwards.

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CONCLUSION