Frank WintersPhotographer and ConservationistSandwich, Ma, United States
In your experience, what are the primary causes of project failure? I have my personal top ten list, what's yours? In particular, what can be done to improve the abysmal success rate of IT projects? If we solve this conundrum, let's move on to world peace! Saving Changes...
I would argue that if tracking is done by some superimposed set of cultural rules that, in fact, the trackee does not fully accept, then tracking is essentially useless. Garbage in, garbage out. Context also matters, too. For instance, I might have specific ideas about what numbers 1-7 mean to me in one context, but a completely different idea of what they might mean to me in another. Hence, if you are only keeping track of numbers, if you don't pay attention to context, you are getting bad data. Saving Changes...
I think honesty and self-reflection are the most one can hope for in a person. These are essential. We must always revise our vision of the truth. Saving Changes...
If stakeholders have conflicting concerns, then some are going to see failure where others see success. You are never going to be able to make everyone happy under such conditions. Saving Changes...
Estimates that include firm deadlines for certain things will necessarily be adhered to. For instance, I am taking a class right now asking for my participation in this forum, but I am lacking time, so my participation is minimal. Sorry. Saving Changes...
The only teams I have ever formally worked with had such conflicting vision amongst members that it was hard to get initiatives approved. The primary problem was differences in ethical frameworks. If people don't have the same set of virtues, they will conflict. Although many times these are cultural, it is key to figure them out and understand why they are the way they are and try to establish neutral arenas in which the team can work. Saving Changes...
If you have no idea what expectations are, then you are going to have no idea how to fulfill them. If new expectations arise, and yet they are not directly documented but instead perceived, adjustments can be made. But at some point a PM must decide when to cut off input. Saving Changes...
Some things I have learned.
? Without a definition of success, the only alternative is failure.
? Failure to plan means planning for failure.
? Work not defined in detail will yield an inadequate plan.
? An unused work plan is unspent success.
? Poor participation from the project Sponsor is a harbinger of problems to follow.
? Insufficient user involvement results in insufficient system value.
? Lack of quality is a symptom of project failure.
? A project without a leader is like a boat without a rudder.
? Poor project leadership will directly lead to poor project results.
? Uncontrolled changes directly correlate to an end date in motion.
? Inadequate resources lead to unanticipated results.
? Unregulated changes provide undesirable deliverables.
? Increases in project scope are inversely proportional to project success.
? Unrealistic objectives provide undesirable results.
