I have been looking for examples of project failures, mostly in the UK. Tom “Bald Dog”, Varjan contacted my with reasons why he believes projects are failing. I found his points very interesting and thought I would share them with you.
Tom’s business cards describe him as “Balddog, Organisational Provocateur”, so that you have a mental picture.
Tom says that project management is often a failure on people. They are subject matter experts but they don’t always fully participate in the project team. It is uncomfortable to hear that we sometimes are the problem, but we should acknowledge our role in managing 71% of failed projects. *
Tom says project managers have “amazing documentation, Gantt charts, and spreadsheets to track milestones, critical paths, and they often go down for people.” However, Tom believes that project managers are able to “know what to accomplish and how to do so, but there are also commitment and accountability issues.”
Tom has been involved in many projects. He has been helping companies with business development, including how to manage their projects, since 1994. He has worked with British Telecom, Seagate, and Boeing. He also assisted with the challenges of Y2K in hospitals, and with about 150 other smaller companies. His journey took him from Hungary to the UK and Canada where he currently runs a consulting company.
Tom believes that many problems that result from failed projects are caused by the fact the project team is not a group of people with their own agendas.
He explained to me four main reasons why this is so.
There are expectations, but there are no clear consequences for not meeting them. There are no consequences for breaching commitments and accountabilities. These are accepted as factors that can delay the project. Tom states that when I manage projects, failing to meet commitments and accountabilities results in a specific number of shifts at the local agency for temporary labour doing hard labor. I don’t believe firing people, but I believe in punishing them if they break their commitments. He also stated that he believes in punishing people only if they can control their actions. They are punished for refusing fight.
Instead of rewarding the entire team, reward the individual. Tom explains that the project team should be awarded a lump sum of money. The project leader can then distribute the money among the team members as he/she sees fit. Individual rewards can lead to individualism and hinder teamwork. I usually offer equal pay to everyone. The Project manager takes twice.” Tom is wrong. Financial rewards for project teams can put people who don’t work on projects but still contribute to success of the company at a disadvantage. Although I agree with Tom that’rewards” can motivate a team, and at the conclusion of a project can help to achieve closure for those who have invested their time in it, I don’t think they are necessary. It is a time to celebrate a successful delivery. Personally, I prefer to do this with food. But, if you have the budget for cash bonuses, it might be something you should consider.
Although project managers are experts in their subject areas, they don’t know how to coordinate people to work together in a collegial and collaborative environment. Tom states, “They don’t know how to create an environment of energy, excitement and enthusiasm, passion, and dedication.” “We must understand that project management is only possible with people who are willing and able to play the game.”
Tom prefers to have “deep generalists” who are cross-trained, rather than narrow specialists. He says, “I want the project team to operate with the effectiveness and efficiency of a military commando.” “If someone is ill or in an emergency, anyone can jump in. While the time frame may be extended, there is no interruption to work.
This is it!