From Failure to Success

In the 10 years I have managed projects, I have taken over many troubled programs and projects. Including some that were so far gone that they in jeopardy of being cancelled. In every instance, we, as a team were able to turn those projects around and make them successful.

In this blog I won't go into the "hard project basics" like the project plan, the work breakdown structure or the QA plan. Project methodology is important and critical to a project's success. I am making an assumption that all talented project managers know these tools. My question is how you truly lead a project out of trouble when you have those "hard project basics" in place? You start with what I consider the basics of successful project leadership.

I would caution that you have to work quickly, but carefully... you likely only have this one chance to turn the program or project around. I approach troubled projects the way I approach all projects:

1) Stakeholders: Meet with the stakeholders. Start at the top. Are they all in agreement as to what the vision and success metrics are? If not, this is likely the root of your problem. Taking the time to clarify the vision and success metrics will save you a lot of time and money in the future. The stakeholders will all need to meet together and look each other in the eye and agree. This lays your foundation for a strong program and/or project.
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2) Team: Meet with the team, together and individually. Does your team clearly understand the vision and success metrics? If not, find out why they were unclear. Find out why they think the project is failing and what they think the team should do to turn it around. Let them be part of the solution. Lead them to the solution, don't just solve it for them! If people feel like they are part of a team that is turning things around, they will act like a winning team. Each member is part of the team and they have a responsibility to each other. This can be tough to instill, but it is important.

3) Clear communication and escalation paths
If the vision and success metrics are clear and the team understands them, how could a project be in trouble? Without clear communication and escalation paths a project can fall apart. I've been on projects where folks are "punished" for giving the bad news. That is exactly what you want your team to come tell you- what is going wrong? It is your job to coach them through the tough spots and remove road blocks so they can get their job done. If they don't understand how to escalate problems- you've just created a problem- a big one!
Communication is such an overused buzz word and an under-utilized reality. Think of how many projects you have been a part of. Has the communication between teams been good or strained? Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing? Clear, concise, actionable communication is imperative for the success of a project.

4) Celebrate Successes: This is important with all projects, but it is crucial with troubled projects. The team likely feels beaten down and unmotivated. Tell the team that them successes will be celebrated and then do it- big or small, successes should be acknowledged and celebrated Let the team feel the success- they will work harder and smarter. They need to know that what they are doing matters!

The question often asked at this point goes back to those "hard project basics"... what about the inter-dependencies, what about the contingency plans, what about the Gant charts? When managing a project it is your job to ensure all of these tools are in place- these tools are the foundation of managing a project. When truly leading and turning a project around, you need to call on the "softer project skills"... in the end, they are "harder" to do and make the difference between mediocrity and excellence.

3 steps for any successful strategic implementation!

Question: What are the steps for successful strategic implementation?
Answer? It depends on the program or project, but these are the first 3 steps that will make you successful in any implementation.

1) Is there a clear vision and goals? Do the stakeholders agree and can you clearly articulate this to the organization? If the answer is no, DON'T move forward with the project until this is clearly defined. It is imperative that the team understand the bigger vision and goals.
2) What are the success metrics? If the stakeholders can't articulate or agree on the success metrics, DON'T move forward with the project until there are success metrics. What is the strategy going to measured against? How will you know if it is successful? The team implementing the strategy needs to understand what the measures are to ensure they execute the project strategically.
3) Have you communicated to the team?: Clear vision and goals along with agreed upon success metrics give your team a compass to travel by. Ensuring that the vision, goals and success metrics stay front and center is your job as a leader. Be sure the vision and success metrics are on every document that is shared and that you start every meeting with this same information. Focusing on these will give your team a critical tool they need to determine the "right path". If something they are working on will not meet the vision, goals or success metrics, they know to question their path.

I know this seems simplistic, but it works!