Project Justification: Anticipate Costs of Organizational Change or Anticipate Costs of Career Setback (Part 2 of 2)

As if it were not enough that you have to regularly justify your existence to your significant other, at some point you will have to complete a justification (feasibility study) for a project.  During this effort, you will conduct research and make estimates that will allow a decision-maker to determine whether the proposed project is worth completing.  Just how well you do this can be a blessing or a curse as far as your career goes.

The Importance of Organizational Change to Project Financial Return 
At the level of decision-maker, the favored projects are those with the highest financial return, many times expressed as return on investment (ROI).  Nothing kills ROI like costs, so the more you identify potential costs, the better your justification.  

Organizational change brought about by any project will increase costs and so effect the ROI of a proposed project.  If you do not account for these expenses, those high-level decision-makers who expect and plan for a certain financial return--and whose careers depend on financial success--may want to speak with you in a conversation that could be described as unpleasant.  Don't forget that these are the same people who make financial projections so accurate that,…