..unless you change, This was the startling revelation given by Mike Watson and Steve Hill during their presentation of Project Success Planning at the latest event held by the North West Branch of the APM.
In a world characterised by success, it is a sad fact that only 25% of IT related projects are actually completed successfully. Looking at the various pressures placed upon projects and project managers by stakeholders, it is hardly surprising.
The majority of project managers, suggest Watson & Hill, have a limited appreciation of the project world. Concerned with the business and technology issues, and aware of who their suppliers are and what they can do, restricts their ability to cope with a changing need.
Advances in technology means that many implementation activities are becoming easier and hence the need for a traditional Project Manager is diminishing. The need, according to our speakers, is for project managers to expand their perspective to include the cultural and political needs of their stakeholders as well as gaining greater knowledge of how their suppliers can add value to a project, in the best cases through aligning goals.
Watson & Hill suggest that only by changing behaviour can the necessary transformation be made. With over 30 years of managing programmes/projects in the IT industry our speakers have plenty of experience upon which to draw. Supplementing a company’s existing approach, they use this knowledge to develop teams that have the competencies to succeed. They have concluded that by concentrating on a set of critical success factors dramatically improves the chances of success.
The evening certainly provoked plenty of discussion with the audience and whilst much of the content was familiar to some the speakers were keen to point out how often they come across projects where effort was not given to the appropriate priorities.
So the message is clear! If you continue to focus on a limited project view, then your opportunities will continue to decline. Whether sponsor or project manager, you owe it yourself to make the change today!!!
