BUILDING STRONG PROJECT BACKBONES IF ONE LINK IS BROKEN, THE ENTIRE CHAIN IS BROKEN.

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BUILDING STRONG PROJECT BACKBONES IF ONE LINK IS BROKEN, THE ENTIRE CHAIN IS BROKEN

Transcript of BUILDING STRONG PROJECT BACKBONES IF ONE LINK IS BROKEN, THE ENTIRE CHAIN IS BROKEN.

Page 1: BUILDING STRONG PROJECT BACKBONES IF ONE LINK IS BROKEN, THE ENTIRE CHAIN IS BROKEN.

BUILDING STRONG

PROJECT BACKBONESIF ONE LINK IS BROKEN, THE ENTIRE CHAIN IS

BROKEN

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FAST REVIEW

WE LEARNED THAT THE SIX POINTS PRESENTED LAST CLASS AND ON P. 16-17 OF YOUR TEXT WERE KEY TO HYPOTHESES FINDING – NECESSARY BEFORE ANY COMPLEX PROJECT IS PLANNED OR UNDERTAKEN.

NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW TO UNCOVER HYPOTHESES, WE WILL UNDERTAKE THE NEXT STEPS OF THE JOURNEY TO COMPLEX PROJECT COMPETENCY.

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4 CRITICAL STRATEGIC QUESTIONS

1. WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND WHY?--THE MOTIVATING OBJECTIVES ARE OFTEN ILL-DEFINED, POORLY COMMUNICATED, TOO CONSENSUS DRIVEN (AS OPPOSED TO SUPPORTED)

--CATCH PHRASES AND BUZZWORDS TOO OFTEN REPLACE CONSIDERATION AND VALIDATION OF INTENT

RX: LEADERS ASK WHAT AND WHY FIRST, THEN HOW, WHO AND WHEN

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2. HOW WILL WE MEASURE SUCCESS?

• METRICS AND MEASURES FLESH OUT AND ANCHOR WHAT THE OBJECTIVES REALLY MEAN

• OVERLOOKING THIS QUESTION IS COMMON – LETS REVIEW OUR CASE STUDY AS PROOF BY EXAMPLE

• TENDENCY TO THINK WE ALREADY KNOW, OR THE PROJECT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED

• “IS DELIVERING CUSTOMER VALUE” A GOAL AS STATED? OR “ATTRACTING VENTURE CAPITAL”?

RX: OBJECTIVES ARE NOT NECESSARILY GOALS AT ALL; WE NEED TO ADD IN OUR MEASURES

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3. WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS MUST EXIST?• THIS CARRIES US INTO THE LARGER STRATEGIC CONTEXT IN WHICH WE DWELL

• IT EXPANDS OUR ANALYSIS TO INCLUDE SOME OUTSIDE FACTORS THAT MAY DISRUPT OUR PROJECT OR CREATE MISALIGNMENTS

• AWARENESS OF FACTORS BEYOND OUR CONTROL IS ESSENTIAL – THIS WISDOM ENABLES US TO DO A “PROJECT PRE-MORTEM” AND DEVISE WORK-AROUNDS AND PREVENTION TACTICS

RX – THIS INTELLIGENCE SUPPORTS STRONGER ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT HOW THE PROJECT WILL BE ABLE TO SUCCEED - SO WORK AT THIS ASSESSMENT!

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4. NOW, HOW DO WE GET THERE?• FIGURING THIS OUT PREMATURELY RESULTS IN A HALF-BAKED, UNSATISFYING AND

OFTEN FRUSTRATING IF NOT NEVER-ENDING PROJECT

• ALTHOUGH THE 4 QUESTIONS ARE ITERATIVE AND INTERCONNECTED, AND MAY NEED TO BE CYCLED THROUGH A FEW DISCUSSIONS, DON’T GIVE THEM SHORT SHRIFT

• NEVER, EVER LEAP TO 4 WITHOUT 1, 2, AND 3 DEALT WITH FIRST

RX – DO NOT RUSH THROUGH THESE ASPECTS OF PROJECT PLANNING, EVEN IF THE PROJECT HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE, UNLESS YOU WANT EXACTLY THE SAME RESULTS AS BEFORE.