Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Implementation Without Proper Orientation (Part 3 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.

 

So many things can steer employees away from the efficient performance of assigned tasks: project scope changes; corporate culture obstacles; staffing changes from layoffs/turnover; organizational changes. These changes keep employees afloat in a sea of uncertainty. You want them to maintain focus on project activities and objectives. They need orientation--but what do you give them? Disorientation! Unclear objectives, incomplete instructions, inadequate procedures.

In practice, what happens is that workers can't obtain certain information on a timely basis. They make incorrect assumptions about what is best for the project. They seek refuge in organizational silos, making collaboration difficult.

In the previous two articles in this series, we saw how orientation can act as an anchor in choppy seas, how it can be strong sails to maintain speed and direction to deliver the main product. What we didn't cover was the actual deployment of the orientation.

Roll-Out Strategy
Critical to the success of any orientation program is the roll-out strategy. Whenever possible, you should present orientation yourself, so that workers can be "sold" by your enthusiasm, positive outlook and confident body language. (If you are laughing hysterically at this point, it is time to upgrade your platform speaking skills.)

Of course, there will be larger projects where you cannot …

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