Sante - yes, short response; but can we bring back to life something that is Rotten?
Rotten here I mean, "decomposing or decaying; putrid; tainted, foul, or bad-smelling" no fix.
I would be interested in a detailed answer
Saving Changes...
Rajeev SharmaPrincipal Consultant | Strategy, EA CoE | Digital Transformation, AI and Gen-AI| Tech MahindraGurgaon, Haryana, India
Whatever is the outcome of a project - rotten or a great success story, actually both need to handed over with project closer process.
1. Maintaining updated records/documents/contracts etc in repositories, closing all contracts
2. Compiling learning, success or failure outcomes, KPIs ...etc
3. During a project closer phase you have all opportunities to update stakeholders about challenges, risks or contingencies encountered due to which project is in a shape which they are seeing - good, bad or ugly ! Saving Changes...
Nian - indeed, but I would ask, can we always bring back the project from that state? understanding Rotten as "decomposing or decaying; putrid; tainted, foul, or bad-smelling" something with no fix.
I would be interested in your answer...
Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Before accepting any project I:
1. Thoroughly review the project plan to determine the project's state
2. Document the project’s state, and communicate it to the Sponsor and relevant stakeholders
This prevents the previous PM from mismanaging a project, passing it to me before its problems become evident, and then attributing its problems and possible inevitable failure to me. I've seen PMs bolt from projects they ruined more than once, so I never accept a project before assessing it – doing so would be as dangerous as purchasing a house without first performing a thorough home inspection.
...
1 reply by George Lewis
Dec 29, 2017 7:39 AM
George Lewis
...
Eric - thanks for your detailed response;
---- but can we always choose which project we own?
This is definitely a follow-up question.
Saving Changes...
Drake SettsuProject Manager / BloggerHi, United States
If it comes down that you have no choice to accept the project. You will have to highlight all the risks that you see in it's current state. Create a risk register to track all the risks. Publish the risks to inform the stakeholders and project team.
Take it from there and make that project work filling in all the gaps in requirements. Don't use an excuse if things go bad that I inherited a bad project. Take ownership and make it work. Saving Changes...
What means "rotten"? Scope creep, over budget, poor quality....?
Nevertheless, talk to project stakeholders first to get an ideas about the big picture, constraints and reasons from their perspective why the project is in trouble. Have in-depth discussions with the project team to further understand possible reasons (avoid group thinking). Work out a roadmap with actions to get the project back on track and where needed require decisions from stakeholders.
...
1 reply by George Lewis
Dec 29, 2017 7:36 AM
George Lewis
...
Peter - you are the first to ask about the definition... the answers should be based on what I meant by something that is Rotten? understanding Rotten as "decomposing or decaying; putrid; tainted, foul, or bad-smelling" something with no fix.
I just finished a project that i, at the beginning though it was "rotten". Rotten in the sense that the sponsor was not a business department. It was a project sponsored by the engineering, but with a great impact on the business side. Business agreed upon the project with the assumption that will not have impact on their customers. Although it was a project that would benefit the organization it hadn't the visibility of a "business" sponsored project. It was very challenging at the beginning, cope it the difficulties of leading a project to which the business personnel didn't see the advantages. I had the luck to have on the team two members that push forward. It's a long history but i found it at the end that it wasn't so "rotten" as i thought. It was a success for internal and external customers and a real case study of misconception. I learned that all the projects i manage must have the same care and opportunity.
...
1 reply by George Lewis
Dec 29, 2017 7:35 AM
George Lewis
...
Tiago - thanks for your detailed response; but can we bring back to life something that is Rotten? understanding Rotten as "decomposing or decaying; putrid; tainted, foul, or bad-smelling" something with no fix.
Flippancy aside, as others have indicated, do sufficient analysis to understand whether this is mission impossible or not. If it is not a viable project based on current expectations and baselines, influence and determine whether it can be made so. If not, decide whether or not you want to go down with a sinking ship as its new captain...
Kiron
...
1 reply by George Lewis
Dec 29, 2017 7:30 AM
George Lewis
...
Kiron - interesting answer....
The question is, can we always choose to receive a project or not.
Using your analogy Kiron, if the previous captain has drowned and you are now the Ship commander, you don't have a choice.
Saving Changes...
George LewisProgram/Project Manager| DXC Technology CompanyHeredia, Costa Rica
Dec 29, 2017 1:16 AM
Replying to Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
...
Make it successful.
Sante - yes, short response; but can we bring back to life something that is Rotten?
Rotten here I mean, "decomposing or decaying; putrid; tainted, foul, or bad-smelling" no fix.
I would be interested in a detailed answer
...
1 reply by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Dec 29, 2017 8:21 AM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
...
If there is no fix, then as Kiron stated, the PM need to decide if they want to go down with the sinking ship.
