This may be a little hard for a project
manager to understand. You can clearly
see if you met your goals.
Unfortunately, perception matters.
You can deliver each objective on-time, on budget and still some project
sponsors will not be happy with the results.
It can be well documented and clearly stated in the project plan, but
who reads those anyway?
If the objective of your project is to
improve customer service by creating a new system for tracking customer issues,
what that means to the various people involved in the project can be very
different. It is the project managers
job to clearly define and articulate exactly “what” will be accomplished.
As we know a project is made up of three
guiding elements; scope, schedule and budget.
Early in the project planning stages you and project team will meet
several times to talk through these three elements.
There will be many discussions, debates,
closed door meetings. At the end you
will hopefully have a solid understanding of what you will be accomplishing
(the scope), how long it is going to take (the schedule), and what you need to
get it done (the budget) – Your project plan.
You will likely have a few opportunities to
review this with the project team and the project sponsors. You will document this in your project plan,
and everyone will agree. You will
happily move forward thinking you have a good plan in place.
What happens is that during the duration of
the project? The project itself, will evolve. The schedule will change, the scope may
expand (most likely), and the budget will be adjusted. What was agreed to in those initial meetings
is now different.
If you have done a good job as a project
manager, you’ve met with the appropriate parties and re-set expectations. These are the areas you have control
over. This is the core of project
management. But just because you have
told them once, or twice, that the target has changed, doesn’t mean they
remember, or even get it.
The project team and the project sponsors
will most likely have their own ideas of how they will define success for your
project. They may expect that the new system you are putting in place will
reduce workload, be easier for customers to use, or make them coffee and toast
in the morning.
They create a vision in their head – maybe
based on what you’ve described – but most likely their vision is based on what
they “want” – not what you are providing.
So, how do you get in their head and reset
these unrealistic expectations?
Project Mantras
Identify the key points that you need to be
clear about. Think about scope. Think
about the words you hear from your sponsors.
What are you doing and not doing. You are looking for quick “tag-line” type
sentences you can repeat over and over.
“Changes to the internal processes are not being addressed in this phase of the project.”
“Remember, this is only phase 1 of our system update; this project is only addressing the online customer interface – so our customer experience will be improved by March. Improvement that will reduce internal workload are not being addressed in this phase.”
“Customers will have a new “look and feel” to the interface starting March 1.”
Now, repeat these, every chance
you get. Say them out loud, add them to
emails, make posters, write them on the bathroom walls. Keep these ideas at the forefront of
everyone’s mind.
Studies suggest that repeated
statements are viewed as more truthful.
In simple terms: frequency breeds familiarity, and familiarity breeds
trust. Not only will your project team and sponsors remember the
statements you repeat they are more likely to believe them.
You may have several project mantras. Repeat them over and over. Keep stating the obvious. Over time, your project team and project
sponsors will be saying them along with you.
Project success is perception, equally perception can mean failure. For more information on the action you can take, you may find the article “How to stop perception killing your project or PMO” of interest.
