I wish you a Happy
New Year and hope that 2014 brings
each of you new challenges and opportunities! I would like ''Project
on track'' to be the theme of 2014 and
therefore would like to start a series of articles on how to make sure your
project is successful. Let’s start from “Top
10 Organization Challenges that Limit Project Success” by Tom Mochal which
I would like to share with you.
I met Tom Mochal at 8th International PMI PolandChapter Congress, which took place 2-3 December 2013 in Westin Hotel in
Warsaw. Tom Mochal is the founder and president of TenStep Inc., a global
company that specializes in consulting and training in business methodologies. He
is also the author of „Lessons in People Management” and „Lessons in Project
Management”.
1. Active Projects Congestion
Problem: Very often there are
too many projects opened as sponsors think that if a project is important needs
to be started.
Solution: The best way to
finish a project quickly is to staff it optimally. Fewer projects in portfolio
means more stuff completed by the end of the year, so prioritize your projects
and start when you have resources.
2. Enhancement Distraction
Problem: Too many operational
enhancements (small projects between 2-20 hours) might consume resources to be
used on more important projects.
Solution: Squeeze enhancements
to smaller percentage, so you have more resources to work on projects.
3. Support/Operations Overload
Problem: Similar to
enhancements support/operational work takes too much effort.
Solution: As projects is what
get you to the future state make operational work as efficient as possible.
Live with lower, but acceptable level of service!
4. Resource Allocation Fog
Problem: You don’t know where
resources are assigned and it’s crucial you understand when people have
capacity for more work.
Solution: You need just
minimal capacity of tracking people and work, so do not make it complicated. A simple
high level s/sheet (updated monthly) to track resources by project, operations
and support will be sufficient!
5. Can’t Change
Problem: Very often people give
up when they struggle with change. Usually is a result of a lack of governance
and sponsorship.
Solution: Do not implement change
unless you have senior management support!
6. Mismatched PMO Expectations
Problem: Managers want PMO to “make it happen” and PMO cannot
“make it happen”. You are only as
much of successful as your sponsor is!
Solution: PMO provide
information to managers who provide governance! Governance is management not
PMO responsibility. This mismatch of expectation leads to dysfunction.
7. Lack of Accountability
Problem: No one meets their
commitments – it’s organisational wide: PMs, team members, managers. No one
really cares.
Solution: Start a change
initiative. First, people need to
understand their commitments – document them! Managers must hold staff and each
other accountable for meeting commitments. Add to performance review process – otherwise meaningless!
8. Project Manager Isolation
Problem: Both sponsors and
line managers do not support Project Managers!
Solution: Change the culture!
Make sure everyone in organisation understands project management at practical
level! Ensure everyone knows their role!
9. Conflicting Roles
Problem: Roles and responsibilities
are not clear – it applies to people and committees! Committees compete or
overlap.
Solution: Document roles and
responsibilities and rationalize across roles to minimize the confusion and
overlap.
10. Throwing PMs under the Bus.
Problem: Blaming project
manager for all project ills!
Solution: Stop it!
Delivering projects, not operations/support work, is what get you to the
future state – projects move a company towards goals/strategies. Project
management enables projects to be more successful. Make sure the project
management and other processes in your organisation work together for optimal
results.
