Author: Lisa Anderson

Why Organization Can Make or Break Your Project

Written by Lisa Anderson on August 18, 2010. Posted in Articles. 6 Comments on Why Organization Can Make or Break Your Project

While working closely on multiple client projects lately, I noticed that organization (being organized) can make or break a project. I also find that it is an underutilized and underappreciated skill. So if your organization has this skill, leverage it to stand out in the crowd and deliver consistent and reliable project results.

Why does it matter? It tends to be those projects which are organized that are not only realistic and achievable (as this is becoming a significant problem in today’s business environment) but also those that run smoothly without the constant need for firefighting. After all, if the project is organized, each step is defined and each person knows which steps are required and so it’s quite unlikely the project team will have unexpected, significant events occur. It’s for this reason that organized projects can be unappreciated as there is no drama – no fires, few unexpected roadblocks, minimal drama

So, what are some of the keys to success in organizing a project? I’ve found the top three to be as follows:

Segregation and Categorization. Segregation and categorization can yield substantial results. A friend and colleague and I spent what most would think is an abundance of time brainstorming on how to segregate and categorize – everything (processes, systems, data, people’s traits etc.). It is a really interesting process as, by the end of our session, we had developed something that greatly exceeded our expectations in that a razor-sharp focus and path forward emerged. We considered it to be a bit of a fluke the first time; however, when a trend emerged, we realized our discovery was a gem.
By segregating and categorizing we were able to slice and dice the data in various ways to look for patterns, trends, and innovative combinations. We found it to be quite interesting that even when we didn’t expect a result, one emerged. This is by no means a single case, as I’ve seen value in segregating and categorizing in meaningful ways for a very long time. It has emerged as one of my secrets to success across a wide range of categories. For example, I was able to organize information in my mind through this process to succeed in school. Also, I can attribute much of my success in my career to this skill, as the need for synthesizing information is rare yet vital to the success of a project. It also helps in a diverse set of topics from corresponding with friends and family to planning travel.
Sequencing. Sequencing’s impact on a project’s success is more obvious when the sequencing of tasks is a core project management skill. Yet this skill traces back to organization. Can your project team determine which order to perform tasks in order to achieve the optimal result? Have they reviewed the impacts of various sequencing options for those tasks which are on the critical path and for those which are important? Do they understand the importance to resource loading? For example, on one client project, we found that slight changes in the sequencing of steps would result in exponential efficiencies gained or lost. Who wouldn’t choose the former?
Lists. Another key element of organization is the ability to develop and organize lists. If it were as simple as it sounds, no one would forget anything and all projects would run smoothly. How often do you see that occur? Not often! Although not easy to implement, the concepts are quite simple. Create the list as you go. Find a way to track ideas and action items as soon as they are brainstormed. It doesn’t matter yet as to the sequence or how to categorize them. Don’t get hung up in those details which can deter from developing the original list. Once you have a solid list of items, you can then go to the next level of detail to organize the list for easier execution.
Don’t get caught up in using software to capture your lists unless it truly helps; not hinders your process. The most organized people I know typically use the pen and paper method. Perhaps it’s because there are no distractions and it’s visible – similar to one of the core concepts of lean. Just capture as you go and organize later – it’s as simple as that. By performing these two steps in this vital order, I’ve found it delivers significantly improved results when it comes to executing the lists.

Since organization can not only make or break your project, it can also simplify and makes it easier to succeed. Why not give it a try? In my experience in working with hundreds, if not thousands of projects, those that are organized have an 80% greater chance of success!

Don’t forget to leave your comments below

Where have all the Project Managers Gone?

Written by Lisa Anderson on July 21, 2010. Posted in Articles. 4 Comments on Where have all the Project Managers Gone?

It seems unbelievable that my clients would be struggling to find and retain excellent project managers in today’s economy – after all, aren’t we still emerging from a recession? However, once there are multiple data points with a clear trend line, it seems prudent to face reality. I have no doubt that those companies who find and/or retain excellent project managers will have a secret weapon to succeeding during this turbulent, “new normal” economy. Why and how?

First, let’s address why. Execution is one of the three keys to delivering bottom line business results consistently. In today’s volatile “new normal,” it is even more essential. For example, customers are more concerned with making decisions as they don’t know what to expect – sales and profits can be significantly different from month to month or even day to day in today’s stormy environment. Thus, many times, they are afraid to commit to a decision; even a simple one.

Cash flow is a consistent concern, and they can be worried about not having enough orders to keep their employees busy one day (should they sweep the floors? Send them home? Lay them off?), and are then overwhelmed with a backlog of orders the next week. Also, since everyone is concerned about cost, the customer suddenly expects more for less; therefore, service is vital. Quality must be an assumption. All of this adds up into an increased need for flawless execution.

In my experience in leading and participating on hundreds of project teams in multiple industries and globally, flawless execution requires excellent project leadership. And, unfortunately, I can count on one hand the number of excellent project managers I’ve worked with on the hundreds of projects. Some are acceptable. Others are good. But few are excellent. And, to make matters worse, excellent project leaders who execute flawlessly are typically underappreciated by executives. After all, they resolve issues before they are visible and so they often go unnoticed. It seems easy!

Thus, how to find and/or retain excellent project managers is critical. Let’s start by defining an excellent project manager. Which qualities are essential?

Communication Abilities
As is common place understanding for effective leaders, communication skills are vital. However, I’ve found that achieving effective communication skills is not as simple as it sounds. You must have a good enough understanding of the details to be able to effectively communicate the whys, yet in a high enough level format to be clearly understood by multiple levels of management (typically one of the two is missing as it is unusual to find both). You must have enough passion or interest to take the lead with your communications. Being a cheerleader is not enough – you must be able to provide constructive communication and contribute ideas as well as provide positive support.
The Ability to Synthesize the Data and Tasks
You can be the most effective communicator; however, if the project team discovers that you are unable to synthesize the data and tasks to understand the scope of the problem or situation on a quick enough basis, you will quickly lose respect. This does not require that you perform all the tasks yourself or that you understand the topic upfront, but it requires that you are able to ask effective questions, see trends and connections and draw conclusions. Otherwise, you could easily spend countless, expensive hours discussing a $70 issue.
Execution Ability
Blocking and tackling. Follow up. Ask for status. Provide thoughtful ideas. Help overcome roadblocks. Have a rigorous focus on priorities. Manage the critical path relentlessly. Last but not least, this is impossible to achieve without excellent leadership and teamwork skills. Otherwise, no one will follow.

So, now that you’ve identified these skills, you need to find and retain them. First, open your eyes. During the last few years, I’ve seen some of the best resources go unnoticed or unappreciated. Forget about the fancy three-ring binder reports and interesting conversations about sideline activities and take a step back and see who is delivering results in your organization. It might surprise you. Once you find this person, retain him/her. It all depends on the person – some appreciate a simple thank you. Others appreciate interesting work. Yet others appreciate the recognition of their value and autonomy in decision-making (sometimes it’s as easy as supporting their decisions – how hard is that?).

Next, depending on what you find within your organization, search for this talent in the market. Executive recruiters say it’s a tough market to find this type of talent (surprising but true), and so you have to be diligent. Do not settle or hire the less expensive resource and hope for the best. It will not deliver the results required to succeed in today’s “new normal”. Typically, relationships and personal connections are your best source. Do not give up! If you are the leader with access to excellent project managers, you will be able to leapfrog your competition and deliver exceptional bottom line results.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below

A Slam Dunk to Executive Commitment

Written by Lisa Anderson on June 23, 2010. Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on A Slam Dunk to Executive Commitment

There’s no doubt that executive commitment is a critical ingredient to meeting and exceeding project results. As a former VP of Operations and a global business consultant, I’ve been involved with or led hundreds of projects. A common ingredient to those that deliver the expected results, on time and on budget, is executive commitment.

So, why is executive commitment important? The obvious answer is that without it, nothing will occur. However, it can be less clear than it sounds. Typically, executives say they support “good-sounding” projects/initiatives; however, they don’t support them when it comes to allocating time, money and resources. Or, it can be as simple as they will not help the project team tackle roadblocks as it might conflict with their political success, etc.

In my experience, it appears to the project team that the executive has changed his/her mind; however, that’s rarely the case. Think about it this way: in today’s economy, what executive wouldn’t want as many projects implemented as possible which have the potential to improve the business? If the executive thinks there is no downside to voicing support and achieving 50% of these projects, why wouldn’t he/she do so?

However, this is not effective executive support. In my experience, although partial support can sometimes “work,” it not only doesn’t work in the long term most of the time, it also discourages and demoralizes the project team. Instead, a project team that delivers bottom line results needs full executive commitment – 100%. So, what are the keys to success for the project team to obtain full executive commitment?

Present in Terms of Results
It is common to become absorbed in describing projects in terms of tasks and what’s of interest to the project team. It’s easy to get caught up in the silo-view – describing what will help your particular business function or how the project will make it easier for your team. However, this is less likely to obtain executive commitment. Instead, focus on business outcomes.
Executives care about how the project will affect bottom line results. It is vital to explain how the project will improve the company’s condition, meet a business objective, etc. Are there intangible benefits which are important to the executive? Make the benefits clear. Tie them to profit, cash flow, etc. Ideally, present a return on investment.
Focus on the Pragmatic
In today’s environment, pragmatic is back in style! Is it tangible? Reasonable? Attainable? Can it be achieved within a reasonable period of time?
When businesses had excess cash (remember those days?), it was more accepted to discuss projects that were lofty in nature which seemed to move the business in the right direction. Now, these are quickly dismissed. Instead, focus on tangible improvements. Time is of the essence and resources are scarce; they cannot be wasted on potential projects that have a 20% chance of delivering pragmatic results.
Specify what Support is Needed
In today’s environment of lean resources, one of the keys to success in obtaining executive commitment is to present the entire picture, including the support required (time, money, resources) to deliver your idea or project. Discuss potential roadblocks and political challenges upfront. Full disclosure in the beginning is best. Have you provided a picture of the project’s benefits vs. other tasks/projects? Make a compelling case, and remember to communicate your needs and how they relate to achieving the project results.

Executive commitment is the number one key to successfully delivering any project. It is up to you to obtain full commitment upfront; once the project has started, it is always at least twice as difficult to achieve it.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below

A Hidden Key to Project Success

Written by Lisa Anderson on May 26, 2010. Posted in Articles. 6 Comments on A Hidden Key to Project Success

In my experience in working with multiple companies across multiple industries and globally, I’ve seen many projects succeed while others fail. Although there are countless types of projects, ranging from a new product launch project to a system implementation project, there doesn’t seem to be a pattern of success among the same type of project. Instead, I’ve discovered that one of the hidden keys to success is vision.

I’ve rarely seen this skill valued to the degree that it dictates project success. I consider this bad news and good news. The bad news is that it is one of those skills where “if you don’t see it, you typically don’t value it” which leads to a circular loop. On the other hand, the good news is that there is an opportunity to utilize this hidden key to success and dramatically improve bottom line results. So, what is vision? Read on!

Seeing the Integration Points and Impacts

This is a tough one to explain yet it never fails to drive project success. All projects have multiple integration points among departments, companies, cultures, people, processes, systems, etc. The integration points are where two items intersect. Being able to see the integration points, understand them and understand their impact is a key to success.

One integration point is the intersection of business process and systems. So, if your company is focused on improving inventory accuracy (a business process), it is vital to understand all system integration points that could affect inventory accuracy. For example, one of my clients found that understanding the down-the-line system impacts to inventory of not only all system transactions such as shipping, receiving, inventory movements, and work order entries but also the timing of the transactions and the way the transaction is performed was the key to improving inventory accuracy levels from the 60%s to the high 90%s.

In my experience, it takes a rare skill to be able to see across types of integration points. For example, some people understand systems but not how cultures intersect. Others understand cultures but not processes or cross-functional impacts. Therefore, the key to success is to be able to identify this skill, or the degree to which this skill exists in each team member, and leverage it.

Seeing the Optimal Sequencing Pattern and Impacts

In which order should you perform your project tasks? Sometimes it doesn’t matter yet other times it can make or break the project. Understanding the trade-offs associated with different sequencing options can drive project results. For example, in a change management project, we found that although each sequence of steps could deliver the project objectives, the optimal sequence delivered significantly more value to the organization. Why not take the extra time to deliver a significant return on investment?

Seeing Potential Roadblocks

What an underappreciated skill! If you have a resource who is expert at seeing potential roadblocks with plenty of time to resolve them without incident (or to build them into the plan upfront), you have a gem! Yet in my experience, these employees are overlooked as they resolve the problems before others see them. Unfortunately, it typically takes a while after they leave to see the impact since they resolved roadblocks for the foreseeable future; thus, when the process breaks down, no one can figure out what went wrong (and most likely do not relate it back to proactive removal of roadblocks).

Thus, this is a tricky one. The key is to ask questions and keep your eye out for those who are addressing roadblocks. When you find your gem, value them! Also, it is possible to focus on developing this skill in your organization. Although a training class usually cannot teach this topic fully (although problem solving and decision making training sessions cannot hurt), if you combine this type of class with mentoring, you can achieve amazing results. It can take significant time out of your leaders’ already swamped schedules; however, if you can successfully avoid a $1,000,000 roadblock (which is not uncommon), isn’t it worth the investment?

Practice improving your ability to see (vision), and emphasize and value this skill with your project team. You’ll not only deliver significant project results but you can utilize this skill in your personal life as well to achieve amazing results – why not give it a try?

Don’t forget to leave your comments below

Top Three Causes of Project Failure

Written by Lisa Anderson on April 28, 2010. Posted in Articles. 7 Comments on Top Three Causes of Project Failure

So much of an organization’s success is tied to project success! Can you think of any significant organization initiative or improvement that didn’t tie to at least one project? I’ve worked with many organizations, across diverse industries and globally, and I cannot think of a single example. Therefore, what could be more important than figuring out how to ensure project success?

I did a quick survey of clients and business contacts to find the top three causes of project failure. If we address these, we’ll greatly increase our chances of success. The survey identified the following as the three most common stumbling blocks on the path to project success:

Lack of a Clearly Designated Project Leader: It’s amazing how many times this seemingly simple issue arises. There are many reasons – the project team is a group of peers and no one is assigned or assumes leadership. No one wants to assign a project leader because everyone already has a full-time job and is swamped (especially in today’s business environment!). Each department assumes the other department will lead the project.
However, there is nothing more important to project success than the project leader. There are countless reasons. A few of the most vital include: the project leader must clearly articulate the project’s goals The project leader must facilitate the development of the project plan with clearly designated tasks, milestones and accountabilities. The project leader must proactively address roadblocks and ensure the team completes the tasks on time and within budget. Finally, the project leader must communicate progress to the appropriate parties.

Undoubtedly, your project will derail without a clear project leader!
Lack of Clear Expectations and Goals: Following on the heels of no clearly designated project leader is no clear expectations and goals. Even the best project leader cannot succeed without clear expectations and goals. What is the objective of the project? Why is the objective important to the organization? How does each project team member add value to achieving the goal? Is the goal clear? Is the timing understood?
For example, for one client, the end goal was clear (inventory reduction); however, the project team didn’t have clear expectations and goals at first. Thus, the branches had no incentive to share inventory figures, which was a main component in reducing inventory. As a result, progress was largely at a standstill until the project objectives and metrics were clarified.
Communication Challenges: Communication challenges are common yet can deter even the best projects. Even in the best of circumstances, it is easy to suffer from miscommunication and confusion. Did you play the game of telephone as a young child? Just in case you haven’t, I’ll explain – the game starts with a person who communicates a message to the next person. And it continues until the message has gone around to the last person in the circle. By the time it gets to the last person, it never resembles the original message! Thus, it can be a lot of fun to hear the mixed up messages your friends come up with after 10 to 20 interchanges. And this is when each person is trying to convey the correct message. So, imagine what occurs when organizational confusion and politics get involved.
Aside from typical communication issues, there is also a plethora of other communication challenges, ranging from cultural and language communication barriers to functional communication barriers (such as sales people communicating with technicians and finance folks talking with R&D). These can pose a serious roadblock. For example, I’ve worked with many project teams containing numerous team members where English was a second language. Typically there have been two or three different primary languages. Even with an excellent project leader it can be complex to ensure that communication is clear and that everyone on the team is aligned with the path forward. Otherwise, it can be easy to run around in circles – even well-intentioned ones.

It is vital to communicate, communicate, and communicate. I’ve found that you have to repeat important project communications multiple times. Try saying it in different ways. Try different communication vehicles. Ask team members for their understanding. Send reminders. Follow-up. Never stop communicating.

According to my clients, if you can mitigate these three most significant causes of project failure, you’ll be one of the few to succeed – on-time, on-budget, and on-expectation. Why not become the organization to “get it right” – and pass your competition by accelerating project results?

Don’t forget to leave your comments below