Do 70% of Projects Fail?
This tends to stir up a lot of emotion in the change and project management profession. The main reason is that there is little hard evidence and no agreed definition of “failure”.
That said, if you have been around large projects and programmes for a while you’ll know that most take much longer than planned, go over budget and / or often deliver well short of expected benefits.
Just the other day I learned of another IT project that has spent more than double its original budget (£100m more) is 7 years late and as yet has delivered little real value to the organisation.
Whilst a slightly more extreme example it highlights how large projects can go, especially where technology is involved. There is no shortage of smart people and expensive consultants involved in this case.
These projects can put organisations back many years, can cost jobs, and can ruin reputations and in some cases even cause companies to fail.
Go deeper and you’ll find the solution…
In many cases the technology takes the lion’s share of the blame. It wasn’t fit for purpose, too many bugs etc. Often the conversation stops there…
And yet when you dig a little deeper you’ll see there’s always an underlying element…insufficient buy-in.
People weren’t sufficiently committed to the outcome. If they had been they would have made it work, they would have worked around any shortcomings, they would have found a way.
I’ve seen incredibly capable technology fail monumentally…because people let it fail.
I’ve also seen highly motivated and committed teams pull a rabbit out of the hat and create something amazing from very average technology.
In the first one, problems become “showstoppers”. In the second they are challenges to be solved…the mindset is different so the result is different…night and day different.
It’s the difference between being “supportive” of the project vs being truly committed to making it a success.
Most organisations don’t go beyond the first one. They assume that getting people to “supportive” is enough, it isn’t.
Take the next step…
If you want to make a lot more progress with a lot less effort, focus on what really drives human behaviour.
I can show you how, it’s what I do. I help managers, leaders and consultants to apply the science of human behaviour in a way that’s easy to follow, practical and accessible. So anyone can do it and get great results.
Get in touch to find out more or start by downloading the FREE leaders guide to Business Transformation Success.
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