Project Exhumation: Activate Those Project Zombies (Part 2 of 3)

Joe Wynne is a versatile Project Manager experienced in delivering medium-scope projects in large organizations that improve workforce performance and business processes. He has a proven track record of delivering effective, technology-savvy solutions in a variety of industries and a unique combination of strengths in both process management and workforce management.

 

In the first installment of this series you were horrified to find zombies in your midst. In fact they are making up a significant part of your workforce. These employees are not engaged in their work and would certainly not lift a finger to avoid problems or give an extra effort. To get their active participation in the future, you must involve them from the start.

After you have completed Step 1, planning the formal discussion activity, it's time to exhume the last project that the workers can remember. Beware, this can raise a stink.

Step 2: Conduct the Exhumation of the Last Project

Use a Contingency Diagram
Lead your focus group in a discussion centered around a contingency diagram, which is basically a flip chart or similar projection with the word Failure in the center. That's a positive spin, isn't it?

Ask them: "What will we need to do to FAIL in this project?"

Facilitate for Maximum Input
They might take a while, but the ideas will come. Prompt them by suggesting they think about their last project. (This is the exhumation of their last project.) Ask to think specifically about their previous project. An advantage of using the most recent project is that the pain is still fresh in their collective zombie memory and you want them to feel that again.

Somehow this always works best when you …

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