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If You Need to Run a Project – You’ve Already Failed

#noprojects

Evan Leybourn

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THIS IS A (POTENTIALLY) CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC!COME WITH AN OPEN MIND

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PART ONEUNDERSTANDING

PROJECTS

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WHAT EXACTLY IS A PROJECT?

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service

or result.

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A BRIEF HISTORY

“Invention of arts, with engines and handicraft instruments for their improvement, requires a

chronology as far back as the eldest son of Adam, and has to this day afforded some new

discovery in every age.

…

I shall trace the original of the projecting humour that now reigns no farther back than the year

1680, dating its birth as a monster then, though by times it had indeed something of life in the

time of the late civil war. I allow, no age has been altogether without something of this nature,

and some very happy projects are left to us as a taste of their success; as the water-houses for

supplying of the city of London with water, and, since that, the New River — both very

considerable undertakings, and perfect projects, adventured on the risk of success.

In the reign of King Charles I. infinite projects were set on foot for raising money without a

Parliament: oppressing by monopolies and privy seals; but these are excluded our scheme as

irregularities, for thus the French are as fruitful in projects as we; and these are rather

stratagems than projects. After the Fire of London the contrivance of an engine to quench fires

was a project the author was said to get well by, and we have found to be very useful. But about

the year 1680 began the art and mystery of projecting to creep into the world.”

- Daniel Defoe, An Essay upon Projects (London: Printed for Thomas Ballard, 1698).

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A BRIEF HISTORY

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A BRIEF HISTORY

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A BRIEF HISTORY

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BUT WE HAVE A PROBLEM…

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PROJECTS FOCUS ON THE WRONG THING

What is measurable not what is valuable

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PROJECTS ARE TEMPORARY (PRODUCTS AREN’T)

Products don’t end when the project does –

don’t artificially constrain them & lose key skills

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PROJECTS FAIL

The definition of insanity is to “do the same thing

and expect a different result”

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THE CONTINUOUS CULTURE

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PART TWOINTRODUCING #NOPROJECTS

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CONTINUOUS CHANGE IS THE ALTERNATIVE!

The approach and structure to successfully deliver value

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THE ALIGNMENT OF ACTIVITIES TO OUTCOMESMEASURED BY VALUE,

CONSTRAINED BY GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND (OPTIONALLY) SUPPORTED BY CONTINUOUS

DELIVERY TECHNOLOGIES

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CHANGE THE QUESTION

Not “how much will this cost?”,

but rather “how much is it worth?”

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KNOWING WHEN TO STOP

Trim this

Save this

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PART THREEOUTCOMES TO ACTIVITIES

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THIS NEEDS AN ADAPTIVE MINDSET

“The tactical result of an engagement forms the

basis for new strategic decisions”

- Helmuth Moltke the Elder (1800-1891)

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OUTCOMES OVER OUTPUTS

Outcomes are valuable, planned, slowly changing and define a

common direction for all work

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WORKING PRINCIPLES

Common, agreed, and prioritised constraints that shape all activities

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VALUE DELIVERY TEAMS

Dedicated, stable cross-functional teams that contain the

required skills to deliver an outcome

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THE ACTIVITY CANVAS

An activity is any discrete piece of work that is undertaken

as part of a change

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HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH?

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IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THE WORK IS

As long as there is a level of unpredictability in the outcome, the

teams are trusted to make operational decisions, and value can be

continuously created, a #noprojects approach works

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION

http://noprojects.org/

Join #NoProjects on Slack

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Thanks for listening

Any Questions?