turning around troubled projects by harry mingail 561-749-0336

Copyright © 2008 by Harry Mingail of www.harrymingail.comExtracted from 2 day webinar workshop from www.performancewwi.com

How BA’s and PM’s Anticipate and Turnaround Troubled Projects: Tips and Techniques



Harry Mingail25+ years as a freelance consulting

Toronto and Florida residences

VP, Director, Manager, Program/Project Manager, Management Consultant

11 years training, many seminars, rated Excellent (95%) as a trainer (presentation skills, communications, negotiation, time management, project management, strategic, getting results without authority, planning, business analysis, managing competing priorities)

Computer Science, Math, Bus, PMP, CBAP, Six Sigma

Write, Workshops,Speak (try “Harry Mingail” in www.google.comwww.amazon.com books written“Project Management Entrepreneuring”“Business Information Technology Strategic Planning”

Training, writing and problem-solving are my favourite things to do

Self portrait drawn by Harry

http://www.google.com/�

http://www.amazon.com/�



Step 1. What’s wrong . What’s right?

Step 2. Let’s do something about it!

Step 3. Let’s make it happen!

Three Steps - Highlights Only in Our 1 Hour Together -




2. Let’s do something about it!

3. Let’s make it happen!

Think of your projects

What is a troubled project?

.

When can trouble start?

1. What’s wrong . What’s right?



A Checklist of Potential Challenges - Trouble? -

Competing prioritiesTime pressuresFunding pressuresLack of stakeholder understanding/ability to communicate requirementsLack of stakeholder availability and involvementPolitical pressuresWeak project sponsorWeak project managerMisalignment with strategy Lack of proper project justificationLack of leadership in projectWeak teamworkWeak product skills and knowledgeChanging organizational and project prioritiesDwindling management supportMiscommunicationsInadequate vendor responsesInterdependent projects not fulfilling commitmentsMisalignment with strategy Lack of stakeholder collaborationOrganization is frequently in firefighting modeFixation on first estimates/wrong planning detailFailure to properly plan for reviews and approvals

Scope changes and creepToo many risks have manifested themselvesToo many issues have manifested themselvesExceeding budgetExceeding schedule Exceeding people resourcesConflicting prioritiesPoor quality interim and final resultsWeak vendor contributions and contract problemsIrrational reluctance to sign-offRational and justified resistance to sign-off because of poor project deliverablesRational and justified resistance to sign-off because of poor project budget/schedule performanceDifficult circumstances surrounding premature closing of project before planned results deliveredResistance to changes created by project resultsInadequate vendor deliverable versus contractLack of established effective closing proceduresIrrational resistance to lessons learned continuous improvement assessmentsPeople resources unavailableInadequate planning processes Inadequate life cycle processesPlanning analysis paralysisContinuous improvement not integral




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"The measure of health is the disposition to find good everywhere.“

…Ralph Waldo Emerson


KEY POINTThe Cup Is Usually Half Full



How many of you have an objective “Project Management Health Check Scorecard Measure”




Data, Process & (Location)

ArchitectureApplications Architecture

Conceptual Process ModelInteroperability Model

Technical ArchitectureTechnical Models

Technical Reference ModelsStandards

Business Strategy/Architecture


An External Factor



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Strategy and Portfolio Management – Vital Project Foundations -


An External Factor



1. Initial

2. Repeatable

3. Defined

4. Managed

5. Optimizing

Check Your Organization’s PMMMFocus on process improvement

PM processes measured/controlled, quality includes PM

Enterprise use of PM practices, project + project = quality

Methodology implemented, training, reviews

Ad hoc, informal, success by heroism


An External Factor



Your Current State Analysis Do the “Dirty Dozen” Checklist

1. Create an assessment plan2. Identify and obtain all documents and files to conduct the review3. Identify the project team members4. Identify the stakeholders for review meetings5. Hold a project kick off meeting with all parties involved6. Hold individual meetings with all parties7. Analyse all project data8. SWOT9. Root cause analysis10.Draft assessment report11.Factual accuracy review of assessment report with stakeholders12.Finalise assessment report and recommendations

Do It Quickly




Your Current State AnalysisDocument Checklist

Business Case or Mandate Project Objective/s Project Charter or Initiation

Documents Organisational Chart Work/Product Break Down

Structure Last Few Project Status Reports Project Schedule/Plan Financial budget/plan Financial tracking sheet actual

vs plan Business Requirements High level roadmap Benefits map

Scope definition Process Models Project Logs

Issues Risks Decision Change Dependency

Resource plan Resource tracking sheet actual vs

plan Project Management

process/methodology & metrics Last 3 steering committee meetings Communication plan Quality Plan




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Use BA Elicitation Techniques to UncoverRoot Causes

Face-to-Face♦ Brainstorming♦ Focus groups♦ Interviews♦ Observation♦ Prototyping♦ Workshops

Other♦ Document analysis♦ Interface analysis♦ Surveys/questionnaires



Create Your Project’s RootCause Fishbone Diagram

Category 2

Category 4Category 3

Category 1

Factors and/or categories of factors

Topic Name

FactorFactor

Factor

Factor

Factor

Factor

Factor

Factor

Factor




Danger DangerExcessive Groupthink

Overestimation of the group (illusions of invulnerability, illusions of morality)

Close-mindedness (rationalizations, stereotypes about the outgroup)

Pressures toward uniformity (self-censorship, the illusion of unanimity, direct pressure on dissenters, self-appointed mindguards).

Defective decision-making processes




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TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

Sample Gap Analysis Format1. What’s wrong . What’s right?



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How to Establish Your Leadership Credibility

Your expertise strengths and weaknesses?

Can you learn it?

Can you recruit it?

Can you get it some other way?

Other?




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PMBOK

1 Primary Plan + 8 Subsidiary Plans




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PM’s Need to Empower The BA “Workpackage”




Build Your Stakeholder Poster

YOUR PROJECT




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Consider Multiple Views

Problemto be

analysed

The Problem


Balancing is a key PM professional responsibility


How BA’s and PM’s Anticipate and Turnaround Troubled Projects: Tips and TechniquesOne Sample View

- What Executive Stakeholders May Want -

•Respect business needs•Cost controlled (low)•Objectives achieved•Not oversold•Not over-committed•Well managed•Effective controls•Milestones achieved•Other?




Filters Influence the Way We Make Decisions

Actions I take

Conclusions I draw

Beliefs I have

Assumptions I make

Meaning I add

Data I selectI observe data and experience

Understand Your Stakeholders’ Filters




Very Importantto

Collaboratively Establish a

Shared Vision

•Evolve team vision to drive team behavior•Create project vision to drive project behavior•Facilitate product vision to drive project evolution

A shared vision is not an idea… it is, rather, a force in people’s hearts, a force of impressive power.

Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline

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People

Process

Data


Make It Happen – The “BA” Model



People

Process

Data




Focus on Performance Not Status




Initially - Daily Standup Meeting

What did you do yesterday?1

What will you do today?2

What’s in your way?3

• These are more than status sessions for the manager• They are team member commitments in front of the team

Each participant answers 3 questions(primarily about critical path)

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Avoid Grizzly Meetings

• A meeting is a project. • Restrict to one hour or less• Start and finish on time• Set the tone for the project• Be realistic on completion dates but expect on-time

completion (see next slide)• Exception management – only raise issues that need to

be escalated, use issue & risk processes to introduce new topics

• Allow some general conversation, preferably when discussing next weeks planned work, but keep the group focused

• If there is conflict, stop and address it, do not ignore it.




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Focus on Achieving on Business Rules - Important BA “Data” -

♦ Directive that is – Specific– Actionable– Testable

♦ Under the control of the business

♦ Supports a business policy

♦ Ideally written




“Less is More” in a Project Scorecard

Overall Project Rating

Project Operations and MaintenanceOccupancyServiceBudgetAnnual Site Visit

DevelopmentSchedule

FinanceProject Financial HealthDebt Coverage

YB G

GG G

GR Y

NRNR NR

GY Y

YNR Y

GYR

Trends = Improving = No Trend = Declining

Project Performance Rating – Projects are assigned ratings from “Blue” to “Red” based upon their overall performance. “NR” means not rated either due to inadequate or no reportable activity.

YY R

Q3 ‘05Q4 ‘04 Q1 ‘05 Q2‘05

Level Trend

Y

G

G

NR

B

G

G

Y




People

Process

Data




• Effective collaborative workspaces need:

• Common area for collaboration and community

• “Caves” for privacy• Phone calls

• Emails

• Web surfing

• Other individual tasks

• Open “drafts” of information

Collocate Team Members

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Not always possible but it trivial?

Cultivate Two T’s

#2 Transparency

#1 Trust 3. Let’s make it happen!

Forcing Collaboration

AccommodationAvoidance

Cooperativeness

High

Low

Asse

rtiv

enes

s

High

Compromise

Deal with Inevitable Conflicts3. Let’s make it happen!

Leaders as role models

Manageteam norms

Free flowinginformation

Manage changeeffectively

Introduceclear rules

Support values that oppose

politics


Checklist of Keys to Minimizing Negative Stakeholder Behaviors



Deal With Stakeholder Dynamics

Characteristics• Willing to solve problems• Focus on • Performance• Results• Share information• Constructive feedback• Smoother consensus-building• Wiling to take risks

Key Questions in Relationship• Will we continue progress?• Will we continue goal focus ?• How doing in relation to goals?• Continue to ask tough questions?• Will we mask disagreements?

Characteristics• Collaboration• Interdependence• Communication-Open, Fast• Spirit, Trust, Flexibility• Shared leadership• Clear expectations• Feedback is informal• Commitment to meet goals

Key Questions in Relationship• How can we get better?• What’s next?• Will we stagnate?• Acknowledgement for my efforts?

3. Norming

4. Performing


COLOR RED BLUE WHITE YELLOW

1. Loyal to tasks

2. Committed

3. Visionary

4. Logical

5. Leader

6. Focused

7. Responsible

1. Loyal to People

2. Committed

3. Quality Oriented

4. Sincere

5. Honest

6. Purposeful

7. Moral

1. Tolerant

2. Patient

3. Cooperative

4. Accepting

5. Objective

6. Balanced

7. Listener

1. Positive

2. Forgiving

3. Friendly

4. Optimistic

5. Trusting

6. Appreciative

7. Open

You Must be Able to “Read” Your Stakeholders


Apply Situational Leadership

4 Development Levels– D1: Low competence, High commitment– D2: Some competence, Low commitment– D3: High competence, Variable commitment– D4: High competence, High commitment

Development Levels of Followers

HighLow Moderate

D1 D2 D3 D4S1: Tell S2:Sell S3: Participate S4: Delegate

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species




Build on Personal Strengths

• Applying it to Others:

• Each person is unique and has unique strengths and weaknesses – whole persons

• Great managers recognize that trying to standardize human behavior is futile, and don’t waste their time trying to change people dramatically

• Rather than focus on weaknesses, they build on the personal strengths of their team members and help them become more of “who they already are”

• Applying it to Yourself:

• Find out what you don’t like doing and stop doing it• "The point is to feel authentic, self-assured or creative”• More info: http://www.marcusbuckingham.com

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9.5 Author’s Experience – 10 Vital PeopleQualitiesI strive for and value in others the following qualities in order of priority:

1. Trustworthy2. Genuine3. A giver, not just a taker4. Conscientious5. At least moderately intelligent6. Innovative and positive problem-solver7. Hardworking8. A team player who cares about fellow humans9. Willing and able to learn10. Happy with the gift of their existence

After that, the rest is easy.

Extract from Harry book “Project Management Entrepreneuring”



People

Process

Data


Make It Happen – The Process



Waterfall vs. Agile – Delivering Incremental Value

Req’mentsDesign

CodeTest

ReleaseIteration 1 Iteration 2 Iteration 3 Iteration 4 Iteration 5 Iteration 6 Iteration 7 Iteration 8

Release #1

2 wks2 wks 2 wks2 wks 2 wks 2 wks

Waterfall

Agile

2 wks 2 wks

Release #3Release #2




Agile Principles Help You too Achieve “Wins” Momentum

Key Agile principles are:• Focus on Customer Value – Align

project, product and team visions to deliver better product quality – faster and cheaper.

• Small Batches - Create a flow of value to customers by “chunking” feature delivery into small increments.

• Small, Integrated Teams - Intense collaboration via face-to-face communication, collocation, etc; diversified roles on integrated, self-organizing, self-disciplined teams.

• Small, Continuous Improvements –Teams reflect, learn and adapt to change; work informs the plan.

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Core ProjectTeam

BA

BA

TesterProductOwner

Developer

Designer

Developer PM

ReleaseManager

CapacityPlanner

Prod.

Architect

TechOps

BusinessSponsor

DBA

Security

ProductOwner BA Designer Developer TesterTraditional Silos

Integrated Agile Team

The Core Project Team ideally consists of 5-9 (7

plus or minus 2)members.

PM

ExtendedProject Team

Agile Structures Enable Wins Momentum





Step 2. Let’s do something about it!

Step 3. Let’s make it happen!

The Three Steps Related to BABOK (Highlights Only)



50

"The measure of health is the disposition to find good everywhere.“

…Ralph Waldo Emerson

1. Have a positive outlook. 2. Be a realistic but positive problem-solver.3. The Cup is usually more than half full.

turning around troubled projects by harry mingail 561-749-0336

Technology

whats wrong

turnaround troubled

harry mingail of

day webinar workshop

projects step

techniques harry mingail25

project prioritiesresistance

time management