Voices on Project Management

By Sree Rao, PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP

“Begin with the end in mind” is one of the recommendations from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. Extending that to program management, “Begin with exit criteria” should be one of the habits of an effective program manager.

Exit criteria are the specific conditions that must be met before a program/project can be considered complete. Defining exit criteria is one of the most critical aspects of ensuring a successful product, feature or project launch.

Exit criteria depend on the type of the program. For example, construction projects would have different criteria from software programs. My experience is in software development, and so the examples and insights I share in this post are about software programs.

I will discuss the importance of defining exit criteria and share some tips on how to create effective ones.

Importance of Exit Criteria

Exit criteria are a set of predefined conditions that serve as the benchmark for determining whether a feature is ready to be deployed to meet user needs and quality standards. Exit criteria can be set at various phases of a program, like going from the quality assurance phase to user acceptance testing.

By establishing these criteria early in the development process, teams can ensure that everyone involved in the project shares a common understanding of what leads to a successful outcome. This alignment helps prevent misunderstandings or miscommunications that could lead to program delays.

Clear exit criteria also promote accountability among team members. When each person knows exactly what is expected of them in terms of deliverables and quality standards, they can work more efficiently.

Additionally, having well-defined exit criteria allows teams to track progress more accurately and identify potential issues earlier in the development cycle, making it easier to course correct if necessary.

Creating Effective Exit Criteria

Determining the exit criteria depends on the type of program and the goals of the program. If it is a new feature development, then the exit criteria would be dependent on the success criteria for that feature. If it is a program to reduce bugs across the team, exit criteria would be different.

The best way to come up with exit criteria would be to think about what success would look like for that feature and then create exit criteria accordingly.

Here is how to create effective exit criteria:

• Collaborate with stakeholders: Involve key stakeholders such as product managers, designers, engineers, data scientists and testers when defining exit criteria. This ensures that diverse perspectives are taken into account and that the criteria reflect the needs of all parties involved. Once you set the criteria, ensure you get signoff from all the key stakeholders.
• Focus on user needs: Exit criteria should prioritize user satisfaction and the fulfillment of their requirements. Consider what features and functionality users expect from the product and make sure these are reflected in your exit criteria.
• Set measurable criteria: Define criteria that can be objectively measured and verified. For example, instead of saying "the feature should perform well," specify that "the page should load within three seconds for 95% of the users."
• Balance quality and time constraints: Exit criteria should strike a balance between ensuring high quality and meeting project deadlines. While you can set a criterion that there should be zero open bugs, in reality it might not be possible. Hence, establish criteria that accept a certain level of imperfection while still meeting user needs and business objectives.
• Regularly review and update criteria: As the project progresses, reassess your exit criteria to ensure they remain relevant and achievable. Don’t wait until the end to measure and evaluate.

Best Practices for Setting Exit Criteria

It is crucial that the exit criteria are both realistic and measurable. This means that they should be achievable within the given timeframe and resources, and there should be a straightforward method to measure whether each criterion has been met. Use S.M.A.R.T goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timebound) for exit criteria as well.

• Use prior data and metrics: If you already have prior data, then use that to guide your exit criteria. If you do not have prior data, then look for benchmarks within your industry to figure out what constitutes a good score.
• Prioritize: Prioritize your exit criteria based on their importance and impact on the program's success. Similarly, identify the likelihood of achieving that exit criteria.
• Limit the number of exit criteria: While the number of criteria depends on the complexity of the program, don’t create too many and cause analysis paralysis. It is more important to focus on creating a clear and comprehensive set of criteria that aligns with the program's objectives, rather than trying to hit a specific number.

Here are some sample exit criteria for a software user experience-related program. I intentionally kept it very generic:

Conclusion

Defining exit criteria is an important aspect of managing a successful program launch. I ran some programs without aligning on exit criteria at the beginning of the program and had to scramble toward the end, which caused a lot of stress—and in some cases program delays as well.

By setting clear, measurable and collaborative criteria, you can ensure that your team is aligned and working toward a common goal. Remember that exit criteria should prioritize user needs; balance quality and time constraints; and be regularly reviewed and updated throughout the development process. By following these guidelines, you can significantly increase the likelihood of a smooth and successful program launch.

by Dave Wakeman

In writing for Voices on Project Management, I like to tie everything back to a business outcome like business growth, innovation, or cost savings.

This month, I wanted to combine my focus on business growth with the new kid on the block, ChatGPT, to do some market research using a prompt to see what I came up with.

Here’s the prompt in case you’d like to steal it:

I want you to do customer research for me. Tell me 10 dreams, 10 frustrations, 10 wants, and 10 fears that my audience experiences related to business growth and innovation through the lens of project managers.

Format the 10 dreams, 10 frustrations, 10 wants, and 10 fears in a structured table. The x-axis should be numbered 1-10 and the y-axis should include frustration, want, fear, and dream.

This month, let’s look at the 10 frustrations:

1. Lack of clear vision or buy-in from leadership for growth initiatives
2. Scope creep due to shifting priorities during growth phases
3. Difficulty finding and retaining skilled team members for innovative projects
4. Siloed departments hindering collaboration and information flow
5. Unrealistic timelines imposed by leadership for innovation projects
6. Difficulty measuring the ROI of innovative projects with long-term impact
7. Lack of risk tolerance from leadership, hindering bold innovative ideas
8. Constant firefighting due to reactive decision-making instead of proactive planning
9. Difficulty adapting existing processes and workflows for innovative projects
10. Lack of recognition and appreciation for the challenges of managing innovative projects

Do we see any patterns?

I do.

These all seem consistent with a lack of strategy, especially a challenge around defining the ultimate strategic question: “What does success look like?” These also fit into the idea of business acumen, a topic I often cover.

Let’s think about what we can do to deal with these frustrations.

1. Make sure you are clear on your direction. In my strategy work, the essential question is, “What does success look like?” You must know the answer to this question because you can’t be successful without it.

A lack of vision around growth will be present because you lack direction. You can’t properly measure ROI without knowing what success look like.

All of us have likely been involved in too much firefighting. The root cause typically being decisions that are pushed off or left unmade because of a lack of direction.

2. Invest in your communications efforts. Buy in! Buy in! Buy in!

Am I right?

The time you invest in communicating the project’s scope, the place the project has in your business’s success, and the things you need to meet your timeline will help you set yourself up for success.

Poor communication is frustration’s foundation. You can only defeat this frustration by being clear, concise, and easily understood in your communications.

Your ability to achieve this is built from the answer to the ultimate question: “What does success look like?”

3. Manage up and down. Project managers have to manage in both directions to cut down on frustrations.

• Managing down will help you hire and retain key team members.
• Managing up will help you fight scope creep, gain buy-in, and fight unrealistic timelines.

Looking at ChatGPT’s list, the frustration of silos points to the importance of managing across the organization as well.

Your ability to manage up, down and around the organization is built on your direction and your ability to communicate effectively. Granted, you still aren’t guaranteed success.

My questions to you are: Do these frustrations track with your experience? Is there a frustration that you don’t see on the list? Or, is this list totally crazy?

Let me know below!

Then, next month we can look at one of the other columns.

By

Peter Tarhanidis, Ph.D.

Project management methodologies have evolved significantly over the years, with waterfall and agile emerging as two of the most prominent approaches. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, making them suitable for different types of projects and organizational needs.

• Waterfall is a linear, sequential approach to project management. It is characterized by distinct phases; each phase must be completed before the next begins with limited ability to revisit or revise previous stages. Waterfall is effective for projects with well-defined requirements and a clear path to completion, such as construction or manufacturing projects.
• Agile is an iterative, incremental approach designed to accommodate change and foster continuous improvement. It emphasizes collaboration, customer feedback, and small, manageable units of work called sprints. Agile is well-suited for projects where requirements are expected to evolve, such as software development or other innovative fields.

Surveys indicate:

• 51% of companies implement waterfall and 71% of companies utilize agile.
• PMI’s 2020 Pulse of the Profession® report Ahead of the Curve: Forging a Future-Focused Culture indicated that 11.4% of investment is wasted due to poor project performance.
• The Standish Group’s CHAOS report showed only a 31% project success rate.
• Harvard Business Review estimated a $3 trillion annual global financial loss, wasted resources, missed opportunities, and negative societal impacts due to project failures.

Given these statistics, you may ask which method is best for a given project. Many organizations find value in blending these methodologies to create a hybrid approach, leveraging the structured planning of waterfall and the flexibility of agile. This hybrid model can offer a balanced framework that enhances efficiency, adaptability, and customer satisfaction.

While waterfall's structured approach provides clear milestones and accountability, its rigidity can be a drawback in dynamic environments. Agile's flexibility and responsiveness to change make it ideal for such settings, but it can struggle with scope creep and lacks the clear, long-term planning of waterfall.

The hybrid approach seeks to combine the best of both worlds, providing a structured framework that remains flexible and adaptable. By relying on a competency and development framework, management can highlight the key components of hybrid—consistently applying best practices to mature success and project outcomes.

Key components of hybrid project management include:

1. Phase-based structure with iterative execution: Projects are divided into phases similar to waterfall, but within each phase, agile sprints are used to execute tasks. This allows for detailed planning and requirements gathering upfront, followed by iterative development and testing.
2. Defined milestones with flexible deliverables: Hybrid project management sets clear milestones to track progress and ensure alignment with overall goals. However, the deliverables within each milestone can be adjusted based on iterative feedback and changing requirements.
3. Customer collaboration and feedback loops: Regular interactions with customers and stakeholders are maintained to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments. This aligns with agile’s emphasis on customer collaboration and helps ensure the project remains on track to meet user needs.
4. Comprehensive documentation with adaptive planning: Initial project documentation and planning follow a waterfall approach to establish a clear roadmap. Throughout the project, adaptive planning is used to refine and update this documentation based on iterative insights and changes in scope.

Steps for implementing a hybrid model:

1. Assess project requirements and environment: Evaluate the project's nature and complexity, and the environment in which it will be executed. Projects with stable requirements and clear end goals may lean more toward waterfall, while those with uncertain or evolving requirements may benefit more from agile practices.
2. Define phases and iterations: Establish major project phases with clear objectives and timelines. Within these phases, implement agile sprints or iterations to manage work increments, allowing for continuous assessment and adjustment.
3. Foster collaboration and communication: Create a culture of open communication and collaboration among team members, stakeholders, and customers. Regular meetings, such as daily stand-ups and sprint reviews, can help maintain alignment and address issues promptly.
4. Balance documentation and flexibility: Ensure that initial project plans and requirements are well-documented but remain open to revising them as the project progresses. Use documentation as a living document that evolves with the project.
5. Monitor progress and adapt: Use waterfall’s milestone tracking to monitor overall progress, and agile’s sprint reviews to assess interim deliverables. Be prepared to adapt plans and strategies based on feedback and performance metrics.

The leadership required in hybrid project management has a blend of strategic oversight and adaptive facilitation to balance the structured rigor of waterfall with the dynamic responsiveness of agile. Effective leaders in this context must embody several key traits and skills to ensure project success:

1. Visionary thinking: Leaders must articulate to the team a clear vision of the project’s goals. They need to establish long-term objectives while accommodating short-term adjustments, maintaining alignment with overall project aims.
2. Flexibility and adaptability: Leaders must pivot between structured planning and iterative development. They must be comfortable with change and capable of guiding their team through unexpected challenges and shifts in project scope.
3. Strong communication skills: Open, transparent communication is essential. Leaders must facilitate continuous dialogue among team members, stakeholders and customers. Regular updates and feedback loops are crucial for maintaining alignment and addressing issues.
4. Collaborative mindset: Encouraging a culture of collaboration is vital. Leaders should promote teamwork, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued. This involves fostering an environment where team members feel empowered to contribute ideas and solutions.
5. Strategic decision-making: Effective hybrid project leaders must be adept at making informed decisions quickly, balancing the need for detailed planning with the flexibility to adapt plans based on real-time insights and feedback.
6. Risk management: Proactively identifying and mitigating risks through both structured risk assessment and iterative reviews is crucial. Leaders must be vigilant and responsive, adjusting strategies as necessary to keep the project on track.

By embodying these qualities, leaders can successfully navigate the complexities of hybrid project management, ensuring that projects are both well-organized and adaptable to change. The overall benefits of hybrid project management provide for:

1. Enhanced flexibility: Combining structured phases with iterative sprints allows for greater adaptability to changes in project scope, requirements and market conditions.
2. Improved stakeholder engagement: Regular feedback loops and collaborative practices ensure stakeholders are consistently involved and satisfied with the project’s direction.
3. Risk mitigation: The hybrid approach can identify and address risks earlier in the process through iterative reviews, reducing the likelihood of major issues arising late in the project.
4. Balanced planning and execution: It provides a comprehensive planning framework while maintaining the flexibility needed for creative problem-solving and innovation.

In conclusion, hybrid project management offers a robust framework that leverages the strengths of both waterfall and agile methodologies. By blending structured planning with iterative execution, organizations can achieve greater efficiency, adaptability, and customer satisfaction, making it a versatile approach for a wide range of projects.

Please share in the comments how your organization defined hybrid project approaches and any case studies that you would like to share.

References

1. PMI Pulse of the Profession®: Ahead of the Curve: Forging a Future-Focused Culture
2. The Standish Group: Benchmarks and Assessments
3. It’s Time to End the Battle Between Waterfall and Agile
4. Agile vs Waterfall: Which Approach Should You Choose for Your Project
5. Waterfall vs Agile Methodology: What’s Better for Your Project?

By Yasmina Khelifi, PMI-ACP, PMI-PBA, PMP

When you begin to work in project management, you have much to learn and need to build credibility and trust with stakeholders. You are alert to new things, new behaviors, and the need to continuously improve.

Yet you may become overconfident about your project management competencies as the years pass. You may develop comfortable routines. You may fall into what psychologists call functional fixedness, a cognitive bias that sometimes prevents you from thinking of novel or creative solutions to problems.

How can you get trapped in functional fixedness?
It may sound counterintuitive because we have more information at our disposal these days at work and on social media: reports, posts, or lessons learned from organizations or individuals.

When I studied at university, the information came from the internet, printed books, or professors. Nowadays, we have all the materials and content to learn new things. However, because we are overwhelmed, we narrow down the content based on our interests. And we may become entrenched in the same areas.

It is essential to remain open to other industries, knowledge, content, and people.

How do you escape functional fixedness?

• Seek reverse mentoring. Reverse mentoring (also known as upward mentoring) is a professional development practice where a less experienced or junior employee is a mentor to a more experienced or senior colleague. The goal is to tame your ego. You will gain new perspectives that will help you to interact with your younger team members. If you feel intimidated, you may begin with small steps: Ask the young intern to review your slide deck and ask you questions, or repeat your presentation in front of them.
• Listen to diverse voices. You may have a young intern or colleague close to retirement in your projects. Or perhaps you are a technical project leader who has to collaborate with the marketing department. All have valuable inputs to give you. All can help you discover new horizons. You may have former university friends who work in other industries; talk with them to understand their challenges and how they solve them.
• Take roles at work—or outside it—in different areas. You may not have a remarkably diverse workplace. Look for communities or activities you can get involved in to immerse yourself in a different environment. You can define what “different” means for you. Differences can embrace social, economic, or academic backgrounds, along with ages, countries, cultures, genders, etc.

On the contrary, you may be in a diverse workplace, but you don’t take the time to talk genuinely with your colleagues to learn more. Have one-on-one breaks with some of them to exchange information.

Regardless of your situation, once you experience a new situation (that you naturally find or intentionally look for), observe how you feel:

• What do you like about the situation?
• What do you find disturbing?
• What are you learning?

Making efforts to remain open will protect you from functional fixedness. What strategies do you use to embrace novelty?

Dave Wakeman

I recently wrote about a podcast I listened to that shared key qualities project managers have. This month, I return to the topic and share the qualities I think the best project managers have.

Here are the nine qualities I look for when I think about great project managers:

1. Business acumen: This is my first key because I recognize that a project doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The best project managers recognize that and can frame the project in a way that highlights the impact and the potential opportunities that the project creates. All in the context of the world around your organization.

2. Negotiation skills: Getting people on the same page, winning the resources you need, and overcoming objections are key to any project’s success. That’s why negotiation skills are right up there when I look for great project managers.

3. Communication skills: Spoken, written, physical…all of them. They matter to the modern project manager because there are so many ways to communicate, and getting your point across can make the difference between success and failure.

4. Empathy: Life is tough. Your job is tough. The world is tough. Having empathy can uncover a layer of the team you are working with that can help you get the project completed.

Don’t confuse this with not being driven. Knowing how to deal with people is a key driver of a PM’s success, and not recognizing the human element and pushing through no matter what is likely a reason you are struggling to get results.

5. Consensus building: I’m mining a similar vein to communication and negotiation skills, but to me consensus building is about pulling those two things together and having everyone involved in the project recognize that this might not be the perfect solution, but it is a workable solution.

That’s key because too much communication is one way, “my way or the highway” communications. And too much of our negotiation can feel like having to “win” every point.

Building consensus is a recognition that you must try and find the “win-win” more often than folks let on.

6. Calm under fire: I had a boss in my 20s that would come to me and say, “Dave, it seems like the more pressure we are dealing with, the easier things come for you.”

I agree.

This skill can be hard to train for, but being able to not get flustered or freaked out by the changes and pressure that come during intense moments of a project can be a key to your success as a project manager.

Where do you start? Planning as much as you can.

7. View PM as a key job: Some people fall into the role of project manager, and it is just a job that doesn’t carry much importance in the grand scheme of their thinking.

To me, the best PMs look at the job as a key role in the organization. You can be successful just doing the job, but the best PMs look at the job as a key role that deserves respect and expertise.

8. Broad knowledge, not just skill knowledge: Again, this runs next to business acumen in my thinking, but it is different.

To me, broad knowledge allows you to make connections from different parts of the world around you. In my strategy work, I might pull an example from watching sports to illustrate an idea to a pharma company.  I might use my experience in politics to show a sports team how a concept applies to them. Or, I might use an example from a novel to make a larger philosophical point.

The key is that you want to be gaining ideas and perspectives from as many points as possible.

9. A desire and willingness to learn: Desire and willingness are two different things.

A lot of people want to learn, but they don’t follow through.

A lot of people are willing to learn, but they don’t receive the opportunities.

You need to combine the two, because one thing that dominates modern project managers’ lives is that things are constantly changing.

You have to be prepared for that—and you can only do that by learning.

What do you think of my list? Have I missed something obvious? Are you going to put some of these things to work from this month’s list or last month’s list? Let me know in the comments below.