Newsletter [2]

Introduction

The purpose of project management is to provide a structured framework for endeavoring to ensure that project goals are realized. It is a discipline with its roots in ancient times. From the construction of the pyramids to a NASA space shuttle launch, project management skills have been employed. But powerful new tools and techniques have been developed to refine the process in just the last 50 years.ⁱ The most important tool is leadership, and developing the techniques to apply this tool will enable the project manager to inspire and guide teams to reach project goals. Practicing the discipline of project management can be complex. This is due to the polysemicⁱⁱchanging definitions and meaning) nature of the concept. Project management is a science, with its formal methods, processes, tools, certifications, metrics, and industry standards. Experts insist that it is also an art, where a good corporate project leader is fully engaged in the project vision, and in the organizational politics and people. In fact, the art of leading the people in the project is far more important than the science of the technical tools of the trade.

Project management is a rapidly growing field and is a very necessary part of our complex global society. Major projects all over the world now consume huge resources. Consider, for example, the completion in 2003 of the $22 Billion Three Gorges Dam in China, 18 years in the making. The classical skyline of the Golden Gate Bridge, four and a half years under construction, finished in 1937. Or the Empire State building, still an American icon, whose construction took only 16 months, was completed in 1931. These triumphs took immense project leadership skills!

Yet in contrast to gargantuan construction successes such as these, IT (Information Technology) projects are another story. According to a study by TechRepublic, an IT consultancy firm, nearly half of all IT projects end in failureⁱⁱⁱ and that bad news can get even worse. In an article by Steve Ulfelder, contributing writer for Darwin, an IT educational services Website, he asserts that "fewer than a third of IT projects are completed on time, on budget and with the promised functionality"^iv and some say a lot less. And along with these failures comes a very unfavorable impact to the bottom line.

Shortage of IT Experts?

Could this poor performance be due to a shortage of qualified IT experts? As of 2006, over 200,000 project managers have attained professional certification by the Project Management Institute ("PMI"), and this number may reach over 250,000 this year. The Project Management Institute, over 35 years in existence, is an organization devoted to project management professionalism and training.^v There are other such organizations in the world, together with many reputable colleges with in-depth project management courses of study. So more skill than ever would appear to be available to bring to bear on the myriad organizational, business, and political complexities of modern international projects. Nevertheless, although PMI has certified over 200,000 project management professionals and project managers have been trained in the latest automation tools, techniques, and strategies, many IT projects worldwide are still falling far short of required outcomes.

So why are so many Information Technology projects prone to such dismal failure? Let’s look at a few examples. A June 2004 article in the British IT magazine Computer Weekly shows that a study by the British Computer Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering warned that not only is the UK failing to produce qualified IT professionals, but also that "Their study found that less than 20% of all IT projects in the UK could be considered truly successful, and failed projects had led to billions of pounds being wasted on IT systems".^vi Now that represents serious losses.

Then there is a scathing and sarcastic article by Malcolm Wheatley, featured in the August 2000 issue of CIO magazine about government IT projects in the United Kingdom, entitled Her Majesty's Flying IT Circus.^vii The UK has been trying for years to upgrade and improve their governmental processes with new computer systems. Wheatley’s article tallies up the losses as the Britons tried in vain to install a new high-tech immigration system." That was when Siemens' £77 million [$115 million] computerization of the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) ran into the buffers".^viii

There's More

Even traditional British stoicism has a breaking point, and for more than half a million British citizens, that breaking point was sorely tested last summer by the introduction of a £120 million ($180 million) computer system at the country's Passport Agency. Processing times for passport applications stretched to eight weeks instead of the normal 10 days. As telephone calls went unanswered, over a million people in May 1999 alone, began turning up outside the agency's six regional offices to request their passports in person. ^ix

Then there's the social security "upgrade" debacle. The UK automated social security system by Andersen Consulting crashed within days of its debut in 1999, leaving 17 million pension contributions unprocessed. ^x Bigger still, during the post office employee benefit automation project that started in 1996, £1 billion ($1.5 billion) was spent before its cancellation in 1999. Fast on the heels of that monumental catastrophe, the vendor, ICL, a subsidiary of Fujitsu, was promptly awarded another government contract. ^xi

However, the British aren't the only ones losing money. According to a 1997 report from Meta Group, Inc. analyst Shawn Bohner, "more than half of all new software projects throughout the U.S. are at least 180% over budget, which has resulted in $59 billion in losses to corporations".^xii

There is also an intangible downside to all the money lost in these IT business debacles. To regain credibility and trust once lost is a hard-won battle. In the wake of these business disasters, managers and CEOs have an extremely difficult time urging their beleaguered employees to work smart, adopt best practices, and continuously improve.

Reasons for Failure

An analysis of project management methods and the skills required for excellence brings to light several reasons for outstanding IT failures. At the top of this list is a shortfall of leadership skills. "Heading the list: a failure to set clear objectives, a lack of senior management support and taking on projects that were technically overambitious," contends Malcolm Wheatley. Project management trainer Damian Artt, partner, Aspen Consulting, Inc., in his article It’s Not About Project Management . . . It’s About Project Leadership, vividly illustrates this point. He says:

"Think about every time you have been involved in a post mortem review on a failed project. Can you recollect one instance when the reason for the project failure was due to the Gantt chart program, or the resource forecasting tool? I can’t. I do remember failed projects being due to poor resource selection, over commitment at the offset, lack of team inspiration, poor expectation management, horrible communications, letting problems fester. All of these are of course leadership issues." ^xiii

As CEO of ANDA Consulting in Colchester, VT, Sue Young makes it her business to know why IT projects fail, and how to prevent it. Rather than blame breakdowns on technical problems, when asked why projects fail, she charges that:

"Business and technical problems boil down to people problems. Calling something a technical problem is a convenient label to say 'It's not something I can handle.' If the server goes down, 'it's a technical problem.' Well, you either fix it or get someone to handle it. It's a people problem. People solve problems. People create problems. 'It was a technical problem because the software was buggy.' Well, it was people who created buggy software or made the decision to buy the software. It's the extent to which we take responsibility for solving problems that gets them solved. The myth of IT is that it's about computers and technology. It's not – IT is about people." ^xiv

Getting Things Done

Gary R. Heerkens, in his book Project Management, strongly agrees with Sue Young. He says:

"The art of project management relates to the fact that projects are really about people getting things done. Project management requires a keen knowledge of human behavior and the ability to skillfully apply appropriate interpersonal skills." ^xv

In the Journal of American Academy of Business, Sharlett Gillard writes: "According to industry research firm Gartner, poor project manager competency accounts for the bulk - 60 percent - of project failures due in part to the complexity of the management role in product development." Gillard goes on to add this statement, "In essence, project management authority is a combination of the legitimate authority and personal influence exercised by the project manager." ^xvi

In Gillard's view, personal influence is of critical importance in getting things done. Nevertheless, some in the industry have raised the one-dimensional argument that only good training and experience in the scientific methods are necessary for efficient project management. Clearly, this ignores the critical human element.

If people are the root cause of project failure, then it follows that people must be at the heart of the solution for project success. This excerpt from the soon-to-be-published book, Global Project Management: Competencies, Skills, and Culture, by Dr. Al Zeitoun, PMP, with the International Institute for Learning, illustrates this point:

"The artistic side of the project manager as a leader is what allows project managers to be who they could best be. Projects do not succeed in creating the wow for customers and society only because the best technology was used; they succeed because the collaboration of minds towards a well-defined objective took place as directed by proper leadership. It is that side of the project manager that makes the miracle happen"^xvii

In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, the world-famous leadership-skills mentor John C. Maxwell emphasizes, "Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less. ^xviii And Eric Verzuh, author of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, describes a project manager this way: "There is no question that the best project managers are also outstanding leaders. They have vision, they motivate, they bring people together and, most of all, they accomplish great things." ^xix

Though IT projects are innumerable in today’s global community, let’s broaden our view and address projects beyond the ethereal IT world. I’ve managed several large-scale commercial aircraft modification projects, and one of the foremost reasons the majority of projects such as these are more successful than IT projects is that most of these IT-free project types begin with concrete objectives. As mentioned earlier, clear objectives are indispensable, and are the perfect starter kit for any project. You need to gather comprehensive customer requirements, in writing, approved by the stakeholders. Imagine Seattle’s Space Needle, the Eiffel Tower, or the St. Louis Arch being built without detailed blueprints! These are the clear objectives I’m talking about. But remember, it can only happen with leadership.

Great leaders are seen as great not because their job is easy, but because they lead their people through crises, and you can depend on seeing at least a crisis or two on each of your projects. From the crucible of my experience I have identified seven critical project problem areas, which I have listed below. But that’s not all; out of love for my fellow PM’s (and to not leave you simply hung out to dry), I have also included my Super Seven Leadership Skills that you can apply immediately to resolve these critical problems and get the job done. After all, problem resolution is one of the keys to project success. In addition, my Super Seven Leadership Skills are universal and applicable to any field of project management.

Seven Critical Project Problems

1) Unclear goals or customer requirements.

2) Poor communication of project goals and status.

3) Waning vertical enthusiasm - lack of executive support and poor risk assessment.

4) Poor teamwork; the wrong people for the job.

5) Waning lateral enthusiasm - project family dysfunction.

6) Unmet expectations of both the customer and the project team.

7) No post implementation audit.

Matt Klein’s Super Seven Leadership Skills for Project Success

1) Be an agent of change – the right change.
This project is being undertaken because something in the business needs to be changed or created. If you don’t know for sure what the customer wants on the front end, the outcome will definitely disappoint. In addition, your team will lack clear direction. Since the root cause of most project failures is attributed to unclear requirements, it is critical you get this one right. Create written requirements and then obtain stakeholder sign-off at the project outset. Begin with a clear goal in mind. You must know where you’re going so you can get there. Sticking to these goals will also help you work within the three project constraints of cost, quality, and time.

2) Build a communication plan – and use it.
Communicate the goals and inspire others to follow, regularly notify stakeholders of status through a communication plan. Use a variety of communication media: electronic, hardcopy, and verbal. If possible, set up a project status intranet Website. The project manager cannot work alone; you must share the vision/strategies to energize the project team.

3) Maintain executive support.
Knowledge of scientific methods and processes is essential, coupled with a technical knowledge of the essence of the project itself. Yet just as important is a firm understanding of the social psychology of human resources. Indeed, the project manager must use clear and effective communication to influence the organizational powers, those that must be involved to overcome obstacles and enable the project to be successful. Strong executive support will help sustain a project through tough times. Keep the executives on your side by reminding them of the benefits of this project, and show them with the results of your actions. In addition, a logical risk assessment and mitigation plan will ease tensions and build executive confidence.

4) Collaborate to best use diverse skills.
Political and interpersonal skills are needed to work with teammates at various organizational levels and from diverse backgrounds, often with conflicting agendas. Moreover, the experience to make decisions when only incomplete information is available, and knowing when to delegate, are vitally important. This is the fulcrum on which a good project manager strikes his or her balance. It is indeed this skillful and purposeful balancing act that makes or breaks a project and its manager. A great project manager is a great leader. Use your influence to choose teammates not only for their skills, but for their enthusiasm to participate. Conflict management skills will come in handy in the event of disagreements; be diplomatic and facilitate resolution with the project objective in mind.

5) Model positive leadership behaviors.
Be organized, tactful, enthusiastic, and encouraging, even under stress. Your team will go through up and down emotional cycles. Provide your team guidance and verbal encouragement for their successes, monitor progress against milestones, and redirect when necessary by reminding them of the end goal. Manage enthusiasm and expectations of the implementation team and the stakeholders by conducting regular status and work assignment meetings, which you will also use as cheerleading sessions.

6) Ensure that requirements are met.
At regular intervals and upon project completion, follow a thorough product inspection and testing plan, and then obtain stakeholder signoff. Especially critical is user/customer acceptance to ensure the final product meets requirements. At this point, the implementation team has expectations as well, so have a project completion party to acknowledge the success and to create a sense of closure.

7) Conduct a post-implementation audit.
Put metrics in place to gather data to see that the end-product is meeting the needs of the business. Be flexible; if the product requires previously unforeseen changes, make sure that a plan is in place to take immediate action to make corrections to ensure proper product performance according to the original agreed-upon requirements. However, entirely new revision requests outside of the original project’s scope should be viewed as a new project, and handled as such.

Balancing Art with Science

George Nassef, CIO at Hotjobs.com, was asked in a 2001 interview what competencies he deemed most important in a project manager, and he replied, "I'd choose technology and behavior. In order to motivate IT workers, you need an understanding of the challenges they face, in addition to an understanding of human behavior and how to motivate teams." ^xx

Most people understand intuitively that a doctor cannot be completely successful if he treats only the disease yet ignores the emotional component of his patient. Conversely, neither can every patient be cured with warm emotions alone.

In the same way, complete success will come only to those who combine the requisite technical skills in methods and processes with artful leadership to motivate their team, lead them to the achievement of goals, and maintain active support and involvement from key participants. Talented project leadership, not just technical wizardry, will guide people to overcome obstacles and ensure business and financial victory.

© 2006 allPM.com **********

Matt Klein has worked as an engineer and project manager for a major airline with twenty years experience in leadership, quality improvement, corporate safety and ergonomics instruction, managing major commercial aircraft modifications, as well as conducting enterprise-wide Information Technology upgrade projects. In addition, he has a BS degree in technical management, and holds an FCC Radiotelephone license, a California Real Estate license, and has worked as a health/fitness instructor certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. The following essay is an excerpt from his upcoming book, "The Angel on Your Shoulder Pocket Guide to Project Management (So You Can Get the Monkey Off Your Back)". Contact Matt at mattpklein@hotmail.com

Works Cited

I) Verzuh, Eric. The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1999.

II) Bredillet, Professor Christophe. “Killing the false gods of Project Management.� Project Management & Economics Group UTS / ISGI Gpe ESC Lille – Lille Graduate School of Management. (1999). 17 July 2004
http://www.pmforum.org/library/papers/cbwhitepaper.htm

III) Douglas, Drew and Lisa Wahrmund. “IT Project Failures Costly, TechRepublic Study Finds.� TechRepublic, Corporate Technology
Communications for TechRepublic. (17 November 2000). 18 July 2004
http://www.xephon.com/news/00111702.html

IV) Ulfelder, Steve. “Six Ways IT Projects Fail-and How You Can Avoid Them.� DarwinMag.com (2001). 17 July 2004
http://www.darwinmag.com/read/060101/dirty.html

V) PMI®. Project Management Institute Website 2004. 22 July 2004.
www.pmi.org

VI) Savvas, Antony. “Strong Personal Skills and Certification Are Key to Becoming a Successful Project Leader.� Computer Weekly (1 June 2004). 18 July 2004
http://www.computerweekly.co.uk/articles/article.asp?liArticleID=130869&liArticleTypeID=20&liCategoryID=2&liChannelID=30&liFlavourID=1&sSearch=&nPage=1

VII-XI) Wheatley, Malcolm. “Her Majesty’s Flying I.T. Circus.� CIO.com (August 2000). 22 July 2004.
http://www.cio.com/archive/080100_circus.html

XII) King, Julia. “Project Management Ills Cost Businesses Plenty.� Computer World (1997) 18 July 2004
http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/project/story/0,10801,9015,00.html

XIII) Artt, Damian. “It’s Not About Project Management… It’s About Project Leadership.� Aspen Consulting, Inc. 18 July 2004.
http://www.pmforum.org/library/papers/Damian_Artt_Leadership_Article.htm

XIV) Betts, Mitch. “Why IT Projects Fail.� Computerworld (August 2003). 16 July 2004
http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/project/story/0,10801,84266,00.html

XV) Heerkens, Gary R. Project Management. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 2002.

XVI) Gillard, Sharlett. “IT Project Management: A Conceptual View.� Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, p. 381 (September 2004) 30 July 2004.
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=59&did=000000653886191&SrchMode=3&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1092690477&clientId=8189

XVII) Zeitoun, Al, PhD. “The Leader Side of the Project Manager.� International Institute for Learning, Inc. (2003) 18 July 2004
http://allpm.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1122

XVII: Zeitoun, Al, PhD. “The Leader Side of the Project Manager.� allPM Today Newsletter. (July 2004) 29 March 2005
http://www.allpm.com/July2004.php

XVIII) Maxwell, John C. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc. 1998.

XIX) Verzuh, Eric. The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1999. XX) Brandel, Mary. “The Perfect Project Manager.� Computerworld (6 August 2001). 16 July 2004.
http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/story/0,10801,62777,00.html