Organizational leaders must have a reason to launch projects. The Standish Group conducted a survey of IT companies, and the results concluded that only 34% of all projects are completed. In my consulting work, I’ve learned that most organizations are often well below that mark regarding their project success. My experience suggests that projects fail mostly because of the following: (a) no business justification and mission alignment, (b) lack of leadership funding and support, and (c) lack of attention to a project management body of knowledge. In other words, we must have a definable reason to launch a project, the leaders must provide the resources, and a plan is essential. Consideration #1: Know Who You Are Avoid trying to be everything to everyone. Those who have studied business understand the importance of sticking to your knitting. I remember learning that concept while taking General Business at Montezuma High School in Southwest Kansas. Even then, it made sense to me. We should focus on what we do well. To do that, we must conduct a strategic plan to know our core competencies. All projects that we launch must leverage our skills, assets, knowledge, and competitive edge. For example, Apple is committed to innovation, and Disney World wants to make people happy. Before you launch a project, have the end result in mind. Consideration #2: Know Your Resources Do you have the people, capital, and knowledge to launch the project? American mechanical engineer, Henry Gantt, created the Gantt Chart, which project managers use today as a graphic schedule to plan and control work. In essence, the chart is a tool for resource optimization. We must make sure we are assigning the right person to do the right job at the right time. To make those assignments, we must have the people in place, and they must have the time and skills to do the work. If they don’t, the project is destined to fail. Consideration #3: Know Your Customer Many projects are launched to improve organizational efficiencies and to generate revenue, and these projects are often internal in nature. In other words, the customer is the organization itself. If that is the case, we must understand the culture, and determine how it will help or hinder the success of the project. If the customer is external to the organization, it is critical that we leverage our communications plan. As the project manger, we must get sign-offs from the customer to ensure we are on the right track. Project management is not for everyone. It is not enough to say that we have project management experience. We must have leadership skills to understand why the project is important, and how it will create value to the customer. In other words, project managers must have vision. Failing to have a plan will increase the likelihood of becoming part of the 34% group. Please feel free to share your success stories with me. You can reach me at jflores@jmbok.com or by calling 210-601-1996 and also you can visit my website at http://www.jmbok.com
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