How to Avoid Car Crash Projects

In uncertain times you need things to go right more often than not and projects are certainly no exception to this rule.

In the last 20 years we have seen the rise and rise of the term project management. It was popularized on TV in shows like The Apprentice but has its roots in businesses who needed to make big changes and to coordinate and communicate with large teams of people to get the job done.

Today there are different types of role that are essentially types of project manager. My discussion here applies to all of them so no matter if your title is project manager or scrum master, or if you are using agile, waterfall, lean, six sigma, Kanban or one of the myriad of project methodologies available to modern project managers these principles still apply.

The need for project managers has never been greater. As projects get larger and more complex it is imperative that projects and programmes are overseen by appropriately qualified and experienced people.

In this blog we’ll talk about some of the most common reasons for projects going wrong. This is based on Fifth Step’s experience of performing project rescues for organisations over the last 8 or 9 years. Unlike other blogs, I’m not just going to talk about the symptoms and the cause, I’m also going to talk about ways that your organization can stop those things happening and outline some pointers if you’re experiencing them right now.

Poor Scope Definition and Scope Creep

This is one of the most common reasons that projects fail. For example, at the beginning of the project the goal is to deliver a solution to a single location. Once the project gets under way the scope begins to creep, perhaps slowly or perhaps with a little more pace, perhaps the scope is increased to include a second location.

You will be amazed at how perfectly rational and intelligent people can sometimes convince themselves that a change in scope isn’t actually going to change any of the other project parameters (time, resources, budget).

If the project manager doesn’t maintain a strict change management approach, then the scope will expand without the appropriate increase in resources.

At this point I’m tempted to twist an old adage. This is one that I encourage all project managers to keep in mind when faced with any change in project scope.

The CFO says, “Can you imagine how much it would cost if we had increased the project resources by that amount?”

To which our project manager should reply “Can you imagine how much it will cost if we don’t?”

What should you do if you are facing project scope creep right now?

There are several steps that you should take:

1. Understand your resource shortfall
2. Communicate this shortfall to your project sponsor or project stakeholders
3. Be tenacious and creative, find ways to mitigate and overcome the shortfall without putting the project at risk

Poor Risk Management

All change includes an element of risk and an often mis-understood aspect of a project manager’s role is actually to control, mitigate and where possible remove risks that the project faces. Obviously, no one-person can do this all alone for all projects, so they should ensure that the whole project team is working with them to achieve these out comes.

The types of risks that projects face are of course different for different projects. A construction project will face very different risks in comparison to an office relocation project and they will both experience different risks to a software build project. This is why is it important to have not only an appropriately qualified project manager but one that has the experience to undertake the project.

When if comes to risk management, what remains common for all projects is that risks need to be identified. They need to be documented (a risks and issues spreadsheet if that’s all you have) and communicated (ensure that others are aware of the risks and are able to take steps to avoid them becoming issues), as well as mitigated or avoided completely. Less experienced project managers may feel their job is largely done once they have communicated the risk. More experienced PMs know that you have to actively ensure that the risk is avoided (asking for help and guidance from project sponsors and stakeholders where appropriate can often help in this goal).

The mental picture that I encourage project managers to have is that of a lane closure on a motorway/highway. The work crew don’t just rely on a sign a few miles from the lane closure to warn drivers, they rely on lots of signs. Then they have flashing lights and traffic cones that control the flow of the traffic safely in the lanes that remain open. Project managers have to find and use equivalent methods to help ensure the safe running of the projects under their control.

Classic examples of poor risk management can be identified when a project runs into an issue. If you have members of the project team saying things like “I thought this might happen”, or “I said to Jane last month that this would be an issue”, then there is a risk understanding and management issue

Poor Project Management

Let’s face it, not everyone is cut out to be a project manager. It can be a very rewarding role, but it is a high-pressure responsibility that requires a lot of experience, dedication and hard work. Anyone knows that the wrong person in the wrong role is not going to be the most productive member of the team.

It is vital that organizations and project teams alike provide the support for their project manager. Ensuring that they have the right training and tools is very important, but it is also vital to have a means of replacing project managers or providing additional support. Not doing this can allow projects to become undermanaged, running out of control in some areas.

It is all too easy to blame a project manager when they need to be replaced, in my experience though, it is more an organizational failure than something that can be blamed on the PM themselves. All too often when Fifth Step is asked to rescue a project in distress, we may be told that the PM was given the opportunity to run a project that was bigger than what they had run before. What is telling is that when we ask what additional support or external mentorship they were given to help them the answer is often none.

What should you do if you are facing poor project management right now?

If you are the project manager, ask for help and support. This can come in different forms including internal or external mentorship. Fifth Step offers this as a service to support project managers grow and improve in a supportive way. That sometimes isn’t possible with an internal mentor. Some organizations recognize this approach as a form of training, and it can be funded from a training budget rather than being a cost to the project.

Your Project is Derailing – What do you do?

When a project is going wrong it is sometimes tempting for project managers to quit or knuckle down to try and sort the issues out. Instead I recommend a slightly different priority that allows others to help resolve issues where they can and where they can’t, they are at least informed about what is going on. Communication forms a far larger part of project management than some project managers are led to believe. Whilst a project is running along without an issue then limited communication may be enough but when there are issues then over communication is a better approach.

My suggestion for any project, project manager and project team experiencing issues is the CUA approach:

• Communication is key
• Understanding is critical
• Action and focus is imperative

Some projects require project rescue specialists, project managers who can work with your team to provide the expertise and guidance to get the project back on the rails and running again in the shortest possible time.

Starting a big Project

At the start of a big project, the choice of project manager is an important stage. Our clients tell us that in the case of large and complex projects and those that are business critical, the choice of PM is even more important.

Fifth Step’s project managers not only have the experience and expertise to help ensure the successful outcome of your project, they also have the support, expertise and wisdom of the entire Fifth Step team.

If you would like to know more about Fifth Step and our services, please visit our website fifthstep.com or you can find us on LinkedIn and Twitter @FifthStep.