How to deal with project mistakes

The project shuddered to a standstill. He’d made a million-dollar mistake. He offered his resignation. The project manager refused. Editor Adeline Teoh on how project mistakes should be handled.

Reflection on project reform—Jacob Silver

Reflection on project reform
With reasons for project failure remaining unchanged since Harvard Business School first published the common causes, organisations are faced with situations where the focus is less about what the causes of failure are but rather what the early warning signs are and what are the response mechanisms. It’s imperative that as project managers we put in place tools to recognise the early warning signs of project failure and implement strong processes to reform projects that are on the path to failure.

This paper examines the process of change that a large and complex relocation project went through during the early stages of project failure. The paper discusses several failed attempts at change and the eventual process that got the project back on track and allowed the team to achieve immediate and ongoing success. The tools used to improve success include critical reflections, the discovery of common themes through the use of affinity diagrams and the use of personality traits to assign roles. The key lessons learnt were shared and this allowed the team to continue its success and ultimately restore faith with their client and secure future business.

Author: Jacob Silver
Review status: Postgraduate assignment (University of Technology Sydney)

Building resilience from failed projects

Driven by their need to withstand an increasingly uncertain and complex future, organisations are looking to build resilience. But, asks Elmar Kutsch, what does that mean?

7 pain points in IT projects (and how to ease them)

According to the Standish Group, only 34% of projects in the IT sector are successfully completed. How can we assuage the pain points in IT projects to lift this number? Kanika Sharma lists 7 problems and their solutions.

Why PMOs fail

In many organisations, there is a wide gap between what the PMO is doing and what the business expects. This misalignment has serious consequences for both the PMO and the business, writes Ian Needs.

No such thing as a pristine project

Anyone can write a lessons learnt report for a project, but to really make your achievements and failures count, lessons need to be sustainable. Editor Adeline Teoh on fresh starts and lessons learnt.

When opportunity knocks

By quietly listening for the opportunities in your life, and learning to recognise them in all their different forms, you can find plenty of avenues for self-improvement, says Michelle LaBrosse.

Why PPM and PMOs fail—KeyedIn Projects

Why PPM and PMOs fail
There is a wide gap between what the PMO (Project Management Office) is doing and what the business expects it to be doing. This misalignment has serious consequences for both the PMO and the business.

If you are concerned about setting up your PMO, then maybe you should be—the failure rate is very high with approximately half of all PMOs closing down within three years or considered implementation failures.

Fortunately, it’s not all bad news. A select few PMOs are maturing to add great value to their businesses. What do these best in class PMOs do to separate themselves from the rest? With the right knowledge and an effective game plan you can make a huge difference to your PMO strategy—both strategically and tactically through the use of Project Portfolio Management (PPM).

Author: KeyedIn Projects
Review Status: N/A