Project Success: What is Critical?

 

By Mike Adams, PMP®

VP Education - PMI Otowi Bridge

I recently read a question on the projectmanagement.com discussion forum by a student asking for insight from project managers about what are the most important factors in project success.

Responses were interesting, thoughtful, and thought provoking. I began to reflect on my experiences as a project manager and on projects I’ve seen, both successful and unsuccessful. In my career, I’ve managed construction projects, and technology projects alike. I’ve worked on many teams, with many types of personalities.

Through all of that, I’ve observed a few constants. A few things that seem critical to project success. Comments touched on all of them, but one stands out for me. The common thread, the thing without which nothing else works seems to be masterful communication. A successful PM needs not only the ability to succinctly communicate details, but they also need to be facile with interpersonal communication. They must be able to communicate in a way that causes buy-in from others. I’ve seen many PMs rely on the application of authority in an attempt to force the success of their project. This can produce results for a short window in a crunch, but it carries significant costs.

Eighteen years ago, I was a laborer on a construction site. The contractor was smart, knowledgeable, and driven. He could focus on the goal of his project with LASER like precision. He was capable of pushing himself for ten, twelve, fourteen hours of hard labor in service of crossing the finish line early. He expected nothing less from his employees either. Nothing got in the way of his forward progress, except his disregard for those who worked for him. I joined his team, because I knew he was good, and I wanted to learn from the best. A few months later, I left his team, because I couldn’t tolerate being shoved around the job site by a human bull dozer.

Stories like his are common among skilled, intelligent, and ambitious people. My construction boss maintained incredible focus on the successful completion of his project, and he knew what was needed. He knew how many lengths of rebar we needed, how many yards of concrete would be used, how many labor hours and of what kind. He knew which days of the week we needed to work, in order to accommodate the inspector. He knew how long the work day needed to be. He had experience with dozens, if not hundreds of projects just like this, and he knew how to get across the finish line. The only thing missing in all of his skill, calculating, and planning was how to keep everyone motivated. How to make sure his crew learned the necessary skills for ongoing future success. How to manage his project, so that his crew would be loyal, and want to work with him on the next job.

A few years later, I found myself confronting the same challenges. I was hired to build an art studio with a crew of three, including myself. I talked at length with the property owner, and drafted plans for his final approval. I estimated how long the job would take, and wrote up a bid. He accepted my bid, and I brought on two other workers to help with the project.

I had no idea that I had already made a critical mistake by failing to include my team in the early planning and scheduling phases of the project. I completely trusted my own sense of how long it should take. My ego had to be in charge of everything, and I didn’t question whether others would know how to do the work required, or if they would work as fast or as hard as I anticipated. I failed to acknowledge my own desire to win the bid no matter what, and I laid the groundwork for my own failure.

As the project proceeded, I watched helplessly as it fell behind schedule, I became increasingly anxious, upset, and irritable. I began micromanaging my employees, asking how long this task took, or how many nails had been bent. What specific task where they going to do next, and how long would it take. I pushed everyone to work an extra thirty minutes here, or sixty minutes there. In a short time, they would see me approaching and they would tense up. They would roll their eyes, and take a deep pained breath. In the end, my project was a month over schedule and ten thousand dollars above budget. My client was unhappy, and I was incredibly embarrassed. This was a terrible experience, and one that I would repeat a few times before I finally learned the importance of including my project team in the early phases of project planning and scheduling.

Every answer by other PMs on the PM forum question are indeed imperative. But in my experience, none of them will lead anywhere without a dedicated, well-functioning team. This is why including the team in the early phases of planning and scheduling is so important. It allows them to visualize the project and develop a sense of ownership. They have the opportunity to inject a sense of scheduling reality into theoretical timelines that we PMs imagine are possible. Inclusion of the project team necessarily creates a more robust identification of project risks, a more accurate estimate for project duration and a more complete definition of work packages.

My experience indicates that project success is caused by good leadership, and that good leadership doesn’t require or rely on authority. Good leadership requires relationship, respect, and inclusion. Look for my soon to be released article exploring humility as a process, which can be applied by anyone to produce great results, but especially a project leader.

In the meantime, please share some of your experiences with the most critical aspects of project management. Let me know if you agree, or if you disagree with my assessment, and please do share why.