Project Lessons Learned Increase Success by Avoiding Failure

Project Lessons Learned Increase Success by Avoiding Failure

What you would attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

Vol II, Issue 2 - 2Q2008 - Increase Success by Avoiding Failure

Increase Success by Avoiding Failure
12 Steps to Risk Reduction

It's human nature to begin a project with dreams of success. With an implementation, project
teams plan that each step taken will be successful, each attained goal building on preceding
successful steps. But this is only part of the total equation for a working system. Equally
important is the plan to avoid failure.

Avoiding failure, that is, risk reduction, is separate from planning for success. In a world where
only good things happen, you need only plan how to move forward. In real life, however, most of
our large errors blindside us because we had our sights set on looking forward to success and
weren't aware of potential downfalls. Any large project is as much an exercise in risk aversion as
it is in task accomplishment.

Successful project managers anticipate what can go wrong. While they cannot identify every
possible misstep, spotting just a few reduces the risk of complete failure. (Uncertainty
management here is a must). Avoid potential risks by incorporating the following into the
company culture.

Don't do things for the wrong reason. Identify the benefits that will result from your
project, then make sure every project-related action is directed toward achieving those
benefits. Remember, benefits supersede company politics.
Own the project. All managers own the project. They will be credited for its success, or
blamed for its failure.
Failure is not an option. No one should believe that the project will be terminated. Doubt is
not tolerated.
Warn off the disbelievers. IF successful results are truly important to your company,
naysayers must be silenced. Remove those who won't support the project, or it that's not
possible, make their future success with the company dependent on the system's success.
Cast implementation details in concrete. Set believable dates and do not change them.
Promote the implementation loudly and often, leaving no room for anyone to believe that
the company will tolerate missing the deadline.
Keep the project under control. The longer and larger a project, the greater the likelihood
of failure. Nine months is usually the extent of management's attention for any
implementation effort.
Designate a single leader. Shared leadership is divided leadership.
Don't demonize your vendor. Never use your software vendor as a scapegoat. You will
need his goodwill as well as his technical support for the long-range success.
Keep functional managers accountable. For example, an ERP implementation is not merely
a "computer project," it is a strategic business project and must be approached as such.
Make business objectives the primary drivers of the project. Investing in technology for
the sake of technology does little more than drain company assets. Business objectives
must be the primary drivers.
Don't let technology jargon intimidate system users. When system users do not
understand what is being explained about the system, they will lose their enthusiasm for
making the system work.
Do not over-modify. Perfectionists try to customize the system down to the smallest detail,
they will only succeed in building a fragile house of cards that is certain to crumble at the
inopportune time.

To keep the project in-hand, periodically reassess where it stands, especially in regards, to
potential problems. Also verify that the project team's attention is focused on the right goals.
Remember the two important and mutually dependent goals: success and not failing.

NOTE: All managers own the project. They will be credited for its success, or blamed for its
failure.

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned are snips of knowledge
regarding mistakes in project development,
management, control and/or finance. They
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