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People SIG Insights No.1 Project Success is Subjective? To raise awareness of the People aspects of Project Management

People SIG Insights No.1 Project Success is Subjective? To raise awareness of the People aspects of Project Management To act as a catalyst on people issues within the PM Community. Background and context. Materials were created at a People SIG workshop on 25/10/06 and enhanced on 5/12/06

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People SIG Insights No.1 Project Success is Subjective? To raise awareness of the People aspects of Project Management

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  1. People SIG Insights No.1 Project Success is Subjective? To raise awareness of the People aspects of Project Management To act as a catalyst on people issues within the PM Community

  2. Background and context • Materials were created at a People SIG workshop on 25/10/06 and enhanced on 5/12/06 It represents the thoughts of the attendees on the 2 days who were Donnie MacNicol, Nina Downes , Pauline Leech, Bob Newman, Brenda Hales, Paul Erricker, Andy Taylor, Anwen Owen, Paul Girling, Irene MacDonald and Steve Thomas • The slide pack aims to create discussion and debate • You can freely use the materials but intellectual property remains with the APM • We positively welcome your feedback • Please email donnie@teamanimation.co.uk

  3. No.1 Project success is subjective? Basic premise is that for PMs to be successful they must focus attention on managing people’s perceptions. • Projects are complex precisely because they involve so many people • No two people are alike • People judge project success by their own subjective criteria • PM training focuses on objective criteria to judge project success – we want to create a new focus on people and the importance of their perception.

  4. “Working with” change, resistance and complexity “For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”H. L. Mencken

  5. Perception versus Reality Split into groups Come up with a list of the ways of measuring project success

  6. Project Success - Perception is Reality Success and failure depend upon perception Personal egos skew reality Sustainability is success in the long term Success or failure is claimed too soon Success is judged by what is said on the stairs Cannot define success – its too complex Reality is different for each stakeholder Everyone is looking for different hill tops Success is not just meeting requirements of contract Success is relative to expectation Not same factors of success in a project as in the organisation Human factors are key to success Success is personal as well as corporate Perception of key stakeholders Success is time dependent – feels different Success is changing all the time Traditional success in PM is Time/Cost/Quality Stated criteria vs. actual criteria It is impossible to satisfy everyone Should not try to please each stakeholder Project success is more subjective than objective

  7. Stakeholders and Success Our Belief is that the perception of success in projects is primarily defined by the stakeholders • Who do we need to include in stakeholder management planning? • Who does stakeholder management planning? • Who actually manages this plan?

  8. Stakeholders and Success Our Belief is that the perception of success in projects is primarily defined by the stakeholders • Who do we need to include in stakeholder management planning? • Who does stakeholder management planning? • Who actually manages this plan? Who do you think are the stakeholders for this event?

  9. NAO/OGC 2005 ReportCommon Causes of Project Failure • Lack of clear link between the project and the organisation's key strategic priorities, including agreed measures of success • Lack of clear senior management and Ministerial ownership and leadership • Lack of effective engagement with stakeholders • Lack of skills and proven approach to project management and risk management • Too little attention to breaking development and implementation into manageable steps • Evaluation of proposals driven by initial price rather than long term value for money (especially securing delivery of business benefits) • Lack of understanding of and contact with the supply industry at senior levels in the organisation • Lack of effective project team integration between clients, the supplier team and the supply chain

  10. Dimensions of success to manage with stakeholders • Time • Cost • Quality / Scope of Deliverables • And what else?.......

  11. Dimensions of success to manage with stakeholders • Time • Cost • Quality / Scope of Deliverables • Business Benefit / Value • And what else?.......

  12. Dimensions of success to manage with stakeholders • Time • Cost • Quality / Scope of Deliverables • Business Benefit / Value • Stakeholder Perceptions • Stakeholder Relationships • Learning / Development (personal / corporate) • Reputation in Market • Health / Wellbeing of individuals • Social responsibility • How well did the project follow the process? • And what else?.......

  13. Subjectivity - Reframing

  14. Subjectivity - Reframing

  15. Subjectivity - Reframing

  16. Subjectivity - Reframing

  17. Subjectivity - Reframing

  18. Changing Views Through Time • Scottish Parliament Time 1 Brilliant conception for the budget Time 2 Cost/Time Over run Time 3 End User Satisfaction Time 4 Unsafe Structure and maintenance! • Sydney Opera House • Channel Tunnel • NHS Computer Project

  19. The Complexity of Success We need to accept the complexity of Success and work with it, not pretend it isn’t there.

  20. Recognising, valuing and marshalling the subjective views of customers and stakeholders “The major barrier to interpersonal communication is our very natural tendency to judge, to evaluate, to approve or disapprove the statement of the other person”.Carl Rogers

  21. Areas for development • Have you recognised subjectivity in your project? • Interested in providing a case study from your own experience? • Please email your thoughts to donnie@teamanimation.co.uk

  22. Summary • Traditional PM measures of success are inadequate • Project success is subjective • Success is based on peoples perceptions - inherently complex • Perceptions and so success criteria will change over time So, what are you going to do differently?

  23. Final thought “In times of change learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” EricHoffer

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