Don’t worry about your competitors, worry about your customers.

As part of my BeTheBusiness mentoring I have been working with a small business on-line retailer for children’s toys. My client was keen to talk about competitor analysis.

Competitive analysis in marketing and strategic management is an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and potential competitors. This analysis provides both an offensive and defensive strategic context to identify opportunities and threats.

After some dialogue we agreed that sales and success comes from understanding, serving and delighting your customers, and for a small business this need to be the focus.

Squabbling over market-share is something for the big-boys and whilst there is value in knowing how you intend to be better, cheaper, faster,  nicer than the competitor, the person who decides and buys is the customer.

The best way to find out what customer value is to ask them. We agreed surveying between 100 and 1000 of his target-audience in a shopping mall would be the simplest way to ask and find out what customers value.

We also discussed what will he do to ensure that the experience is fun and memorable for everyone he meets (so that they might remember, recommend and buy) and what he can do to be special, different from everyone else.

If you are a micro-business it is really important to specialise in order to be unique and valuable.

Here is an example….

Company 1 provides food

Company 2 provides pet food

Company 3 provides pet food for dogs

Company 4 provides pet food for Dachshund dogs

Of these Company 4 is likely to be remembered and have a following (amongst Dachshund owners) and if you are a micro-business that is probably plenty enough business to be unique and valuable.

The number of Dachshund (Miniature Smooth Haired) registered in the United Kingdom witnessed a significant increase in the last decade, with annual registration numbers rising from 2,857 dogs in 2011 to more than 14,800 dogs in 2021. Food will be your main regular expense, perhaps £40-50 per month depending on what brand you buy (plus, of course, treats for training and rewards).

So 15,000 dogs x £40 Month x 12 Months = 7.2 million pe year market, even 1% of that is £72k

The point is not about Dachshund, but knowing your niche. £72k per annum may not be enough, but at least understanding the customer, need, product and market will help you make then right choices.

The point for a micro-business is that you cannot win against the giants on price, so you really need to do it on personality of yourself and your product. Be special and memorable, be specialised and valuable.

As an experienced mentor I can act as your sounding board. We will meet regularly to discuss business challenges and develop your leadership skills, making the most of access to online resources and support to make your connection a success.

The programme will offer you new experiences and fresh perspectives vital for long-term business improvement.

Free and impartial resources

Developed from real business experiences

Created for busy people

Accessible from wherever you work

Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.’ Mentoring is development driven, looking not just at the professional’s current job function but beyond, taking a more holistic approach to career development.

Mentoring is non-evaluative, while coaching is based on measuring performance change. Due to the personal nature of mentoring, a mentor will more often than not draw on their personal experiences and expertise to help their mentee. This could be in the form of sharing a story that taught them a valuable lesson, or a challenge they overcame in their career. 

If interested get in touch. I love drinking coffee and exchanging ideas, so if you are curious please feel free to message me.

Tim HJ Rogers

MBA Management Consultant + Change Practitioner

ICF Trained Coach, IoD Business Mentor, Mediator

https://mentor.bethebusiness.com/p/p2/members/19012071

Mob 447797762051 Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations through #change.

#jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes

Projects and Pizza Delivery

MANAGE DELIVERABLES AND DATES NOT TASKS AND TIME

One important thing to consider in project management is “is it done” and for this you need deliverables and dates.

If you order a pizza you expect your chosen item to be what you asked for, and delivered within the target time.

Any commentary that the chef is having a bad day, the oven is too hot, or commentary that “..we’re 90% there, we are really optimistic about this..”  is something for the restaurant to concern themselves with but should not be part of the customer experience.

Yet somehow software vendors not only provide this minutiae but use it as an explanation and justification for additional or unexpected costs. My advice is to avoid time and materials pricing where-ever possible and either get a quote or indicative pricing with an agreement that the client be notified if at any stage the costs (or time-scale) are likely to be more than 20% above what was agreed.

Most important: Payment on delivery. And by delivery, I mean delivery of a working product (or edible pizza) that meets the pre-agreed specification and acceptance criteria.

By doing this you can be clear on, what you are getting, when you will get it, and how much it will cost with at least a “warning” and an opportunity to re-think. Rather than endless promises, invoices, and still no delivery.

In summary every PROPOSAL should be clear about…

PURPOSE (why / acceptance criteria)

PRODUCT (what / specification)

PRICE (how much / price)

PEOPLE (who for / customer)

PLAN (when)

I have more than 30 years’ experience delivering projects, programme and change and have gathered many tools, templates and tips for every type and scale of project. I love drinking coffee and exchanging ideas, so if you need anything please feel free to message me.

Tim HJ Rogers

MBA Management Consultant + Change Practitioner

ICF Trained Coach, IoD Business Mentor, Mediator

Mob 447797762051 Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations through #change.

#jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes

Reverse engineering risk

As a project manager I am used to completing risk logs and risk reports. Some are simple, others complex and generally involve updating a spreadsheet of the following columns

RISK DATA

  1. Ref
  2. Category
  3. Scenario (Description of Risk)
  4. Business Impact (1-5)
  5. Likelihood (1-5)
  6. Gross Risk Score
  7. Risk appetite:- Accept; Reduce; Avoid
  8. Consequences
  9. Vulnerabilities
  10. Control measures
  11. Responsibility
  12. Assessment of control
  13. Residual Business Impact(1-5)
  14. Residual Likelihood (1-5)
  15. Net Risk (Residual Risk)
  16. Risk appetite:- Accept; Reduce; Avoid – Is risk within acceptable boundaries
  17. Gap – Are there any deficiencies where measures are concerned?

ROOT CAUSE

Sometimes it is more columns with more detail. Sometimes less. However writing risks down does not resolve them. It is helpful to understand and acknowledge them but sadly the majority of projects fail because of …

A lack of definition (of scope, goals, acceptance criteria)

A lack of funds (sufficient to meet capital and revenue demands)

A lack of resources (to discuss, define, document, and deliver)

PREDICTABLE FAILURE

Indeed, instead of looking at possible risks and guessing the consequences it may be more helpful to look at common failures and see what we can do to avoid them. Effectively reverse engineering risk management

  1. Poor planning
  2. Inconsistently defined resources
  3. Unclear objectives
  4. Lack of detail control
  5. Lack of transparency
  6. Lack of communication
  7. Change of direction
  8. Unrealistic expectations
  9. Lack of monitoring
  10. Unrealistic due dates
  11. Poorly assigned roles

LESSONS LEARNED

Typically the Lessons Learned Report, from previous projects or previous stages is a useful resource

Lack Of Preparation

Example: Skipping or rushing a formal project kickoff meeting with all involved can lead to you being ill-prepared for project tasks or goals.

Inadequate Documentation And Tracking

Example: There isn’t a way to measure project success when important documents are not kept or are not easy to locate.

Poor Leadership

Example: Poor leadership can develop when leaders are not fully engaged because they have too much on their plate.

Failure To Define Parameters And Enforce Them

Example: Project scope creep resulting from project requirements can change planned deliverables as work progresses.

Inexperienced Project Managers

Example: Organizational structures to support good project management and the people who perform it simply do not exist in many companies. Plus, some companies lack a formal project management methodology.

Inaccurate Cost Estimates

Example: There is often a challenge with costing work on a project that has not been done before or is outside the normal type of work created.

Poor Communication Across Teams

Example: Teams are not aligned on project goals because they don’t know how or when to communicate updates.

Culture And Ethics At Odds

Example: Mismatched work ethics, geographic time zone issues, and language barriers can cloud the common goal and affect outcomes.

Poor Resource Planning

Example: Project failure can occur when there are limited resources or there is an inability to get the resources in place to get the job done due to budget and time constraints.

Disregarding Warning Signs

Example: Project Boards o Project Assurance meetings acknowledge the risks but do not make decision or take actions to change the circumstances that give rise to them.

MY TOP 2 TIPS

FOCUS REWARD ON DELIVERABLES AND DATES, NOT TASKS AND TIME

Instead of paying for tasks and time (where everything takes ages and the costs go up unchecked) instead focus in the deliverable and the date. I want x by dd/mm/yyyy and I will only pay when is it delivered and passes the acceptance criteria. This does not deny the vendor payment, but instead focusses attention on the deliverable and the date.

The use of acceptance criteria avoids scope-creep or endless enhancement that adds time and cost but is seldom adding value. It would be better to have Version 1 compete and then go for Version 2 if necessary that forever be working on Version 0.1 which simply never gets finished.

Linking payment to completion (delivered and passing the acceptance criteria) means the vendor has skin in the game. Otherwise the reality is the vendor makes more money by being slow or incompetent.

Linking payment to deliverables with a schedule also clarifies what is fixed-price and what is variable, avoiding problems later if there is a debate on what is included or excluded, fixed or variable.

FOCUS RESOURCES ON ONE SUCCESS AT A TIME

Competing demands from other projects and business activities can have massive impacts on project productivity as project estimates are often underestimated or do not consider these ‘other’ commitments and distractions when projects are in the planning stage. Furthermore Context Switching (where someone is involved in multiple projects) can also lead to as much as an 80% loss in productivity:

1 project: 100% working time available per project

2 projects: 40% working time available per project. 20% lost to context switching

3 projects: 20% working time available per project. 40% lost to context switching

4 projects: 10% working time available per project. 60% lost to context switching

5 projects: 5% working time available per project. 75% lost to context switching

Problems generally arise when things get delayed and instead of one-thing-at-a-time we are attempting everything all at once. Doing many things at the same time is problematic and everything suffers and nothing gets complete.

Whilst it is appealing to remedy lateness by saying “we can catch-up by doing everything in parallel” often the inter-dependencies of issues (often impacting the same small team of people) make this problematic.

I have previously posted that projects ae like targeting a 26 mile marathon on 4 hours and taking 3 hour to get to the half-way point. It should be obvious that the second half is going to take at least 3 hours. You cannot get back on track by doing the remaining 13 miles on 1 hour!

The secret to marathon running is consistent pace and steady momentum which comes from having a plan, clear milestones and incremental success mile by mile. The same is true in project delivery, incremental progress, rather than an avalanche of tasks at the eleventh hour.

I have more than 30 years’ experience delivering projects, programme and change and have gathered many tools, templates and tips for every type and scale of project. I love drinking coffee and exchanging ideas, so if you need anything please feel free to message me.

Tim HJ Rogers

MBA Management Consultant + Change Practitioner

ICF Trained Coach, IoD Business Mentor, Mediator

Mob 447797762051 Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations through #change.

What is the role and value of Project Assurance and how can it safeguard your people, process, project and product.

Project Assurance is the process of critically assessing the health and viability of a project (at the risk of over-simplifying it, think of it as an audit function). Quality assurance in project management is a process of verifying quality standards through inspection to ensure that the outcome meets standardization and quality requirements for a product or a service.

The two are often best combined and provided externally and independently to offer objective and impartial assessment for the benefit of client / customer and vendor / supplier.

The Association for Project Management (APM)’s identify ten areas in a project organisation which assurance can increase the likelihood of success:

Client and scope
Risks and opportunities
Planning and scheduling
Organisational capability and culture
Supply chain
Solution
Finance
Social responsibility and sustainability
Performance
Governance

There may be10 areas, but each may be viewed differently according to one of these three perspectives: 

Business assurance…
measures project performance against its projected benefits to the organization. Is it an effective use of the company’s resources, for both finances and manpower?

User assurance…
considers the intended recipients of the project outcome, be it a product or service, and if they are being met.

Specialist assurance…
measures how suitable the delivered solution is for software and technical requirements.

Project Assurance can offer a view on process and product, outputs and outcomes and ostensibly as a coach guiding the conversation, rather than client or vendor making decisions it can facilitate a better communication, coordination, and collaboration in design, documentation and delivery of products and projects.

I have more than 30 years’ experience delivering projects, programme and change and have gathered many tools, templates and tips for every type and scale of project. I love drinking coffee and exchanging ideas, so if you need anything please feel free to message me.

Tim HJ Rogers 
MBA Management Consultant + Change Practitioner 
ICF Trained Coach, IoD Business Mentor, Mediator
Mob 447797762051 Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com 

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations through #change. 

#jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes

Replacing RACI with observations from racing

Replacing RACI with observations from racing

RACI is an acronym that stands for responsible, accountable, consulted and informed. A RACI chart is a matrix of all the activities or decision making authorities undertaken in an organisation set against all the people or roles.

Responsible: person who performs an activity or does the work.
Accountable: person who is ultimately accountable and has Yes/No/Veto.
Consulted: person that needs to feedback and contribute to the activity.
Informed: person that needs to know of the decision or action

The problem is the theory does not match the reality 

THE STEERING GROUP OR PROJECT BOARD
In theory Accountable, in practice Consulted or Informed

The project board is primarily a decision-making body. Their role is to keep the project moving forward by solving problems that can block its progress and helping the project manager see a clear route to successful completion. Throughout a project, the project manager may put recommendations to the board

Generally project updates are simply that, an information update, they are seldom decision points and even more rarely time for discussion, design and decision. They tend to be a very short and perfunctory note on plans, progress, problems and performance. 

THE DESIGN AUTHORITY AND/OR PROJECT ASSURANCE
In theory Accountable or Consulted, in practice Informed

A design authority is a body put in place to manage, track, and fulfill project progress more holistically. The design authority evaluates all elements of a project—cost, skill and resource requirements, potential security concerns, feasibility, and more—from every angle

Project Assurance is the process of critically assessing the health and viability of a project (at the risk of over-simplifying it, think of it as an audit function).

Often the reality is that Design Authority are too senior and too busy to take time and look at details and their role is either to “review” (often without adequate information and time to make a considered appraisal) or “comment” generally on the recommendations or assurances of the project or delivery team rather than the technical detail of the product, service, function or artifact.

THE PROJECT OR DELIVERY TEAM
In theory Responsible, in practice Responsible + Accountable

If the above roles are in any way weak or inadequate the project or delivery team becomes Accountable. This is clearly expedient since separating “doing” from “reviewing” demands extra work and a feedback loop of Plan > Do > Check > Review necessitating the time, effort and expense of dialogue and delays in coming to decisions. 

But the risk is that the project or delivery team vision, action, outputs or outcomes become misaligned to the expectations and aspirations of Design Authority or Project Board.

An often used analogy: You want to fly the family to Edinburgh and the project or delivery team pick the easiest solution is to fly to Prestwick and then catch a train. The project mission, vision and end-goal appears satisfied but the time, cost, process, output and outcomes may fall short of stakeholder expectations.

In a previous article I talked about avoiding scope-creep and the regular scenario where the project or delivery team simply delete or delay key features in an effort to hit a deadline, often compromising quality and consensus in favour of pace. Whilst it can be satisfying to arrive on-time, if your luggage is at a different destination and will take a eek to arrive the holiday may be somewhat compromised. 

The superficial success of achieving deadline can be undermined if the product falls short of expectations. Imagine your joy at the delivery of your new car, and the frustration that the seats and wheels won’t arrive for another 6 weeks, in what the supplier calls Phase 2, but you strongly feel was part of the initial requirement.

A VENN DIAGRAM OF DO, DECIDE, REVIEW, GUIDE

The stakeholder roles and expectations are key here. Maybe instead of RACI we need new terms and recognise that all are responsible, accountable, consulted and informed in different ways throughout. All the roles will make recommendations and take decision, check with others and inform on plans, progress, problems and performance, within their sphere. The result is more like a venn diagram than distinct boxes separating do, decide, review, guide.

Doer 
Reviewer
Receiver
Spectator
Owner

What’s the link with Formula1? Well Formula1 racing is more complex than RACI but more honest and realistic about the inter-dependencies and sometimes competing interests. I am interested in exploring these roles, albiet I should up with different headings.

DOER / DRIVER / MECHANICS / PIT-CREW
All these people do, decide, review, guide. It is a team effort not just the person in the cockpit but everyone around them. 

REVIEWER / STRATEGY TEAM ON PIT-WALL
These people take a wider view, using the information from the above team to inform decisions and directions which are fed back as decisions on tyres, pitstops, and on-track strategy.

RECEIVER / SPONSORS
All the above are the product or service which is sold to the sponsor(s). They are the customer, client or recipient. Clearly they are not the only beneficiary; everyone gets paid, the media get a story and the fans an experience. However the sponsors also do, decide, review, guide sometimes even to the selection of drivers and marketing as well as the funding for the project.

SPECTATOR / FANS, FOLLOWERS, MEDIA 
This group have a strong influence and whilst ostensibly passive as spectators they can be very active and vocal about drivers, owners, bosses and strategy and have in impact on all.

OWNER / TEAM BOSS
From here is is clear the boss isn’t really in command and control, but instead someone who need to manage and reconcile all these factors. They will be acutely aware of how their choices affect all the groups and interests outlined above. 

I think this is a more interesting model to replace RACI.

Tim Rogers
Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com Mob 447797762051 
We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations. 
#jersey #timhjrogers #prince2 #agile #waterfall #pmo #projects #lean #training #programmes


Documenting and Delivering your Project

Success comes from being clear about what you want and need, and ensuring you get it. Assurance comes from being able to monitor and report progress and performance against the plan.

INTRODUCTION

In this article I want to explore how we discuss, decide, define and document what we need and ensure we get it. I use the term “what we need” loosely, but will explore business requirements, Specification Or Solution Design and various other artefact and steps from concept to completion.

To keep this simple I am going to talk about buying a car, but the concepts and documents can be adjusted to suit any project or change from technology delivery to expedition destination: are we clear what we want, and will we know when we get there?

Here is a summary, I will explore each point in turn below, noting the people, process and product that may be involved in each stage or phase.

*Business Requirements

First decide what you want and need. If buying a car is it a VW Camper or a Ferrari, what are the functions and attributes we are looking for? Does it need to tow a caravan and accommodate a dog and 3 children? Do we have a budget? Do we have a preference for diesel, petrol or electric? What about ownership considerations: parking, servicing, maintenance, resale value?

*User Stories

This is where we think about people and use of the item. If buying a car: will it be used for shopping; will it be used for foreign travel; will it be used for kayaks or caravan? Should it have a radio; wifi; maps; connect to your phone? Understanding how you, your partner, teenage children might use the car may influence your choice.

*Moscow

The acronym MoSCoW represents four categories of initiatives: must-have, should-have, could-have, and won’t-have, or will not have right now. Some also use the “W” in MoSCoW to mean “wish.” If buying a car: what is essential and what is optional, and what is unnecessary?

*Functional Or Technical Requirements

Aside from the business or user requirements, what people want, there may be some other compliance or technical requirements. Perhaps if buying a car emissions need to be below a certain limit, or electrical charging needs to be compatible with a particular style of charger. In business these compliance or technical requirements are often related to security, environment, data, compatibility and regulatory demands. They are additional to the customer requirements.

*Specification Or Solution Design
So now that you have moved through the steps of discuss, decide, define and document you are clear about what you need and can see what’s on offer. You might run an Invitation to Tender, a Request for Proposals, look at brochures or simply go to some car dealerships and see what’s on offer. The vendor, supplier, dealer or development business will offer a document, guide, specification, or similar for you to review, reflect, accept or reject.

*User Acceptance Testing

User Acceptance Testing can be as simple as a ‘test drive. For a car a pre-delivery inspection (PDI) is the final check carried out by the dealer on a car before they hand it over to you. During the PDI, the car is examined to make sure it is working with no mechanical issues and is ready and safe to be driven on the road. There may be a warranty or guarantee period to consider as well as payment and insurance.

*Hand Over And Close

For our car example there may be a difference between when you take possession (drive off the forecourt) and when you take ownership (when all the payments are made). If buying a house there may be a Snagging List of issues to be addressed after possession but before final payment. A Snagging List is a new build’s supplement to a property survey. It is a list of all the issues or ‘snags’ with a new build property, usually defects like damage to paintwork or small unfinished jobs throughout the property

In the following sections I will explore each of these areas in a little more detail noting the people, process and product that may be involved in each stage or phase, but still keeping it generic.

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

Business Requirements are a shopping list of “things” to be delivered, as opposed to tasks to be done. The term deliverable or product is term usually used. The PRINCE2 definition of a product is “An input or output, whether tangible or intangible, that can be described in advance, created and tested

The deliverable or product may be a Car, Computer or Cup. It is something for which you can agree success criteria and judge if it is acceptable. Often it is reviewed, signed, and approved to ensure it is valid.

Sometimes for intangibles like software or knowledge it is a document that gets delivered, like a Delivery Note, your MBA Certificate, your Driving License, your Passport, or your Exam certificate. There is clear evidence or achievement to the agreed standard.

When compilating the shopping list include all the stakeholders to ensure that all the needs are considered: customers, clients, colleagues. Perhaps include key functions like compliance, technology, HR, marketing. Perhaps also  include end-users, manager, support and the people who will be active owners, participants and users.

A facilitated session is a good way to progress discuss, decide, define and document.

USER STORIES

User stories are often expressed in a simple sentence, structured as follows:

“As a [persona], I [want to], [so that].”

As a [type of user], I want to [perform some task] so that I can [achieve some goal].

As a cyclist, I want to track the location of my friends so that I can join them on rides.

Many teams use a structured approach for defining acceptance criteria. Here is a simple template to guide the writing of acceptance tests:

Given that [some context], when [some action is carried out], then [a set of observable outcomes should occur].

Given that the cyclist wants to ride with friends, when they check the map view then show them the location of other cyclists in their social network.

Asking key people to create ‘cards’ of their User stories may be a great way to get requirements from a variety of stakeholders in different departments.

Again, a facilitated session is a good way to progress discuss, decide, define and document.

MOSCOW

Whether you have Business Requirements (a shopping list) or User Stories (a functional description) it is inevitable you will need to prioritise and compromise. The acronym MoSCoW represents four categories of initiatives: must-have, should-have, could-have, and won’t-have, or will not have right now. Flagging each item M, S, C W can be useful to clarify scope boundaries and priorities.

FUNCTIONAL OR TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Like the Business Requirements Functional Or Technical Requirements may also be a shopping list, perhaps listing standards (like ISO 27001), qualifications (like ACCA 3 years post qualified), or compatibilities (import and export to Excel using ODBC file format.)

SPECIFICATION OR SOLUTION DESIGN

An invitation to tender (ITT) is the initial step in competitive tendering, in which suppliers and contractors are invited to provide offers for supply or service contracts, the ITT is one process in IT procurement. An ITT document specifies all requirements of the organization, including goods, services and timelines, as well as the evaluation process that will be followed.

A request for proposal (RFP) is a business document that announces a project, describes it, and solicits bids from qualified contractors to complete it.

The response from the vendor, supplier, dealer or development business should outline proposals, price and plan so that it is clearly understood what will be delivered, at what cost and when.

The proposals may include additional detail much like an architects drawing, which explains how the proposed solution might work. This could be a flow diagram, wiring diagram, technical specification or similar which can be very useful when assessing the security, data or compliance elements of a product where how it operates is as important as what it does.

USER ACCEPTANCE TESTING

You should aim to make your accept or reject decision based on evidence.  Indeed, the whole process is made easier if there is clear, concise, and complete documentation.

The PRINCE2 definition of a Product (or Deliverable) is “An input or output, whether tangible or intangible, that can be described in advance, created and tested

This needs to be planned and coordinated…Who, What, When, Where, How and Why.

Who will decide what tests need to be done?

Who will do the testing?

Who will gather the results?

Who will manage any necessary fixes and retests?

Who will decide if the item should be accepted or rejected?

You may want to grade the passes and fails.

Priority 1 (P1) – A complete business down situation or single critical system down with high financial impact. The client is unable to operate.

Priority 2 (P2) – A major component of the clients’ ability to operate is affected.  Some aspects of the business can continue but it’s a major problem.

Priority 3 (P3) – The clients’ core business is unaffected, but the issue is affecting efficient operation by one or more people.

Priority 4 (P4) – The issue is an inconvenience or annoying but there are clear workarounds or alternates.

Priority 5 (P5) – The issue is a background or planned task and will be addressed when time permits or on the planned date.

This grading is taken from ITIL Service Desk, but it illustrates the concept which you can tailor for your circumstances.

HAND OVER AND CLOSE

Here are some things to think about at project close or hand-over

  1. Support Arrangements
  2. Roles to be Transferred
  3. Key points for the Support Team(s)/ Knowledge Transfer
  4. Customer Expectation Management/ Communication
  5. Business Continuity/ Disaster Recovery
  6. Training Requirements
  7. Product List (including SLAs)
  8. Supporting documentation
  9. Security Aspects
  10. Security Officer Sign Off 
  11. Acceptance from Support Team

Since this article is principally focussed on being clear about what you want and need, and ensuring you get it I won’t go into much detail here, except to emphasise the benefit of a formal process for passing ownership, responsibility and control.

You may want to accept even with minor issues.

The solution is acceptable if ….

There are no P1 major issues

There are less than 3 significant (P2) issues, each with a plan to resolve within 20 days

There are less then 5 minor issues (P3 to P5)

This could be done by ink-on-paper signature or using a meeting and minutes to confirm arrangements and agreements.

In this article I aimed to explore how we discuss, decide, define and document what we need and ensure we get it. I hope this has been useful and welcome feedback. If you would like to discuss please get in contact.

ABOUT IOD UK RAPID RESPONSE MENTOR PROGRAMME


Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.’ Mentoring is development driven, looking not just at the professional’s current job function but beyond, taking a more holistic approach to career development.

Mentoring is non-evaluative, while coaching is based on measuring performance change. Due to the personal nature of mentoring, a mentor will more often than not draw on their personal experiences and expertise to help their mentee. This could be in the form of sharing a story that taught them a valuable lesson, or a challenge they overcame in their career. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Rogers is a Commonwealth Triathlete, World Champs and GB Rower, and now  consultant, coach, IoD mentor and mediator. His public sector work included project manager for the incorporation of the Post Office and Ports of Jersey, and project director for the Health and Social Services Governance Review. He has also supported start-ups and SMEs be successful with 4 clients subsequently winning IoD Director of the Year. He now focusses on coaching people and teams delivering change.

Tim HJ Rogers
Ex-Athlete, now Change Practitioner, ICF Coach, IoD Mentor, Mediation Practitioner 
Helping people and organisations achieve their goals.

ICF Trained Coach IoD Business Mentor, Mediator, Management Consultant, Change Practitioner Mob 447797762051 Tim@ThinkingFeelingBeing.com Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations through #change. We #consult, #cocreate and deliver #projects, #programmes, #progress and #performance using #tools, #templates and #training

Some simple steps will ensure you have clarity and control over project and change communications.

Managing your Stakeholders

Some simple steps will ensure you have clarity and control over project and change communications.

By Tim HJ Rogers
ICF Coach, Mentor & Mediator

STEP1 …

UNDERSTAND WHO THEY ARE.

Internal stakeholders refer to stakeholders that form part of the organisation:
The project sponsor;
The project management office;
Company directors;
All other employees and officers of the organisation who own the project;
Centralised company functions;

Contractors include all contractors, suppliers or fabricators that support the project outcomes. They are involved in executing the project in all stages from Initiation to Implementation.
Technology suppliers;
Engineering consultants;
Managing and engineering contractors;
Equipment fabricators;
Equipment and raw material suppliers.

External stakeholders include all interested and affected parties external to the organisation.
Local communities;
External investors;
Government at the various levels
Organised labour, such as unions;
Media;
Industry peers;
Local businesses;
Any other interested and affected parties.

STEP2 …

UNDERSTAND THEIR TYPE

STEP3 …

UNDERSTAND POWER / INFLUENCE

The diagram below shows the different approach you should have for the segregated stakeholders.

Stakeholder management is important since it is the lifeline of effective project relationships. This needs to involve establishing a sound relationship and understanding how their work is contributing to project success. You need to establish trust and maintain relevance.

High power – High interest: these stakeholders are likely to be decision makers and have the biggest impact on the project success. You need to keep these stakeholders close, to manage their expectations.

High power – Low Interest: these stakeholders need to be kept in the loop with what is happening on the project. Even though they may not be interested in the outcome, they yield power. These type of stakeholders should be dealt with cautiously because they could use their power in a negative way if they become unsatisfied.

Low power – High interest: keep these people adequately informed, and talk to them to ensure that no major issues are arising. These people can often be very helpful with the detail of your project.

Low power – low interest: monitor these people, but do not spend time and energy with excessive communication.

STEP4 …

UNDERSTAND COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES

D personality types tend to communicate in one direction. D DISC profile communication styles may have trouble understanding others viewpoints, especially if they involve feelings without the backup of facts. They don’t tend to be interested in ‘why’ someone feels a certain way but prefer ‘what’ they have decided to do about it.

I personality types often get distracted easily by the environment. I DISC profile communication styles are very open and discuss their feelings. They are not shy to offer their opinions and feedback, but only if they know, it won’t cause conflict. They are very animated when they talk, especially when agreeing with you.

S personality types are easy-going and appear outwardly calm. S DISC personality communication styles are not easily excited or animated. They have strong opinions but often keep them quiet. S styles ask questions about specifics and tend to say “let me think about it” when they are asked to come to a decision.

C personality types appear reserved and reasonably quiet. C DISC personality communication styles may appear very critical and overly diplomatic.

STEP5 …

ANTICIPATE THEIR NEEDS

Things to think about

  • What information do they want?
  • What is the best way to engage and communicate with them?
  • If they hold a positive view, how to capitalise on these attitudes to benefit the project?
  • If they hold negative views, what will win their support and approval of the project?
  • If their negative views persist, how can their opposition be managed?

Map your stakeholders and your engagement strategy on a spreadsheet with the following headings

  • Role
  • Who
  • Interest
  • Role/Influence
  • RACI
  • Current Hot Topic
  • Power/Interest Approach
  • For/Against
  • DISC
  • Preferred Comms
  • Comms Frequency
  • Last Comms
  • Comms Contact

STEP6 …

HAVE A CONSISTENT MESSAGES

It is important to be consistent in messaging

As useful approach for each topic …

One PHRASE or sentence that you can say in a lift, or as a sound-bite for TV or media

One PARAGRAPH or summary that you can say to offer more information, context or detail, usually a follow-up to the above.

One PAGE or detail that you can explain to demonstrate thinking, feeling, consultation, usually a follow-up to the above.

One PACK or similar data-bundle or report to detail thinking, feeling, consultation, usually a follow-up to the above

The above can be maintained in excel and is a useful briefing tool so that all senior management say the same things consistently and repeatedly. This can be updated at the weekly project update meeting or the monthly meetings to reflect new, updated messages or themes.

STEP7 …

HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

These are simple steps will ensure you have clarity and control over project and change communications.

If you would like more details please contact

Tim HJ Rogers
Ex-Athlete, now Change Practitioner, ICF Coach, IoD Mentor, Mediation Practitioner
Helping people and organisations achieve their goals.

ICF Trained Coach IoD Business Mentor, Mediator, Management Consultant, Change Practitioner Mob 447797762051 Tim@ThinkingFeelingBeing.com Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

We #facilitate and #support the #thinking, #feeling and #action needed to #resolve and move forward. #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring and #mediating to support people through #change #timhjrogers #coach #mentor #mediation #jersey

The existential who am I and what is my product?

THE EXISTENTIAL WHO AM I AND WHAT IS MY PRODUCT?

As a coach, consultant and mentor there are some conversations that are worth reflecting upon and sharing, albeit anonymised for the person, business, product and circumstances. The aim is not prescriptive (this is what you should do) but instead descriptive (this is what we discussed). The purpose is to freely share some ideas that may be useful to others.

Inevitably for any solopreneur their business, product and process reflects their personality, purpose and ambition. A good number of my coaching / mentoring clients are people setting up and / or scaling up their business and thinking about their role and goal.

In one such conversation we discussed the following…

  1. The idea of their product as a tree with the potential for different branches, going in different directions and bearing fruit. The metaphor explored the ideas of gardener, tree, trees, orchard etc.
  2. The difference between “advice” and “information” using the metaphor of a London Underground Map as a list of possible destinations and routes without being prescriptive and allowing the traveler to pick their own journey.
  3. The pros and cons of getting it right first time (and the risk of procrastination in pursuit of perfection) and an agile, but possibility non-linear approach (which may wander, but explore further and more deeply).
  4. The pros and cons of “unthinking” automation (running on tram lines) or “manual” intervention (freeform ad-hoc), noting that sometimes what people want is “clear thinking in a confused environment” and that notwithstanding the love of self-driving cars people still like to be in the driving seat and having some sense of control
  5. The idea of those books which at the end of each chapter say Option1 Turn to page 77 Option 2 Turn to page 140. We noted that these have an author and structure, but that it is the reader who through their choices decides the story.
  6. At each point we talked about the PERSON and PRODUCT, the roles, contribution and value of each.

The conversation was longer and deeper than the above might suggest, but I feel there are some ideas above that may be useful to others in their thinking, which is why I have shared this.

ABOUT COACHING

Coaching is a process that aims to improve performance and focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than on the distant past or future. Good coaches believe that the individual always has ideas and opportunities to resolve whatever is holding them back but understands that they may need help to define their goals, set their path, and achieve their success. Coaching is about listening, reflecting, asking questions and unlocking YOUR potential.

ABOUT MENTORING

Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.’ Mentoring is development driven, looking not just at the professional’s current job function but beyond, taking a more holistic approach to career development. Mentoring is non-evaluative, while coaching is based on measuring performance change. Due to the personal nature of mentoring, a mentor will more often than not draw on their personal experiences and expertise to help their mentee. This could be in the form of sharing a story that taught them a valuable lesson, or a challenge they overcame in their career.

Tim HJ Rogers
Ex-Athlete, now Change Practitioner, ICF Coach, IoD Mentor, Mediation Practitioner
Helping people and organisations achieve their goals.

ICF Trained Coach IoD Business Mentor, Mediator, Management Consultant, Change Practitioner Mob 447797762051 Tim@ThinkingFeelingBeing.com Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

We #facilitate and #support the #thinking, #feeling and #action needed to #resolve and move forward. #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring and #mediating to support people through #change #timhjrogers #coach #mentor #mediation #jersey

Getting your ideas clear, concise and communicated.

SUMMARIZING YOUR  BUSINESS PLAN

There are many variations of name as well as content to the Lean Canvas, Business Canvas or similar. Broadly each attempts to summarise a proposition succinctly on one page

Typically it aims to articulate the key elements of a business for investors.

  1. Value proposition: What problem do your customers have and how are you going to solve it for them?
  2. Customer relationships: How will you communicate and build rapport with your customers? Each instance of communication should further promote your product or brand as a solution to a particular problem.
  3. Customer segments: What people and organizations do you create value for? List them out.
  4. Channels: At what points do you interact with customers to deliver value? How are they purchasing your product? It should be easy for customers to say “yes” to your solution!
  5. Key partners: What individuals, businesses, or other entities do you rely on to deliver your product to customers? These might be distributors, suppliers, etc.
  6. Key activities: What activities are absolutely essential to create, deliver, and promote your product? Those are your key activities.
  7. Key resources: What resources do you need to create, deliver, and promote your product? If it’s not essential, it’s not a key resource.
  8. Cost structure: How much will you spend on key resources, partners, and activities? That’s roughly how much it will cost you to run your business.
  9. Revenue streams: How will customers purchase your product and how much will it cost them? Is it a one-time purchase or subscription-based?

Here is business canvas applied to Google.

  1. Key partners, e.g. Adsense network partners
  2. Key activities, e.g. manage massive IT infrastructure
  3. Key resources, e.g. IT infrastructure, intellectual resources
  4. Value Propositions, e.g. free search engine, targeted ads
  5. Customer Relationships, e.g. dedicated sales for large accounts
  6. Customer segments, e.g. internet users, developers
  7. Channels, e.g. global sales and support team
  8. Cost structure, e.g. sales & marketing costs, admin costs
  9. Revenue streams, e.g. ad revenues

Here is lean canvas applied to Uber.

  1. Problem, e.g. difficult to find a cab when you need it
  2. Solution, e.g. guaranteed fast pick-up from your location
  3. Key metrics, e.g. apps installed, journeys booked
  4. Unique value proposition, e.g. taxi service, but cheaper, easier and safer
  5. Unfair advantage, e.g. high brand awareness
  6. Channels, e.g. friend referrals
  7. Customer segments, e.g. young, internet-savvy Londoners and tourists
  8. Cost structure, e.g. marketing, PR
  9. Revenue streams, e.g. 25% of fare based on route and idle time.

I find using such a structure, and keeping it to one page of A3 is challenging but worthwhile thinking tool for solopreneurs and small businesses, as it is also for innovation teams and product development.  There is no correct way to do this and I encourage clients to customise to suit their own needs.

A3 LEAN CANVAS (BUSINESS)

This was my canvas when I started my business. It is not perfect and many things have changed along the way, but it has helped me gather my thinking and sometimes is a prompt to check performance and progress.

THE POWER OF TESTIMONIALS

As much as it is important to be clear about your message to the world, success is generally based what people (customers, colleagues, clients) say about you. I think it is really useful to ask “What would a good testimonial say”, this them really helps to focus on what the customer wants, needs, values and will say about you. Even better, once you are up-and-running seek testimonials and feedback.

What Clients Say…

  • Tim’s style, manner and pragmatic approach has been very valuable. His contribution will have a positive and lasting effect on the way we work as a team. [AH 2020]
  • Tim’s approach will always help you explore and reveal more options and solutions. Tim knows how to motivate and guide you to find and achieve your goals. His ideas and way of thinking are built to help you eliminate any challenges you might face. Happy to have worked with him and would warmly recommend to anyone. [Cosmin Saltan 2020]
  • Tim’s passion and commitment has helped drive through a number of process improvements. He regularly seeks to challenge the norm, is innovative in his thinking and actively seeks to help others identify solutions to issues and problems across all business functions. Tim is a pleasure to work with and someone I trust to deliver. [MH 2017]
  • It’s great working with Tim, it took me a few sessions to understand that there was almost nothing he couldn’t help on. He’s encyclopaedic on concepts that aid all areas of working life. His ability to be a head of the conversation creates a clear and effective pathway for any idea or challenge that is presented to him. He helped me with understanding the potential of myself, improved how i communicate and manage information, whilst maintaining a deep integrity for detail and complexity. Like with all excellent educational experiences my first thought is, how I wish more people can access it. He’s helped specifically in two areas, to present a systems approach methodology to a governmental group, and to rationalise my ideas for a small food business that I am a director of. [IH 2020]
  • Tim Rogers (Adapt Consulting) is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable business partner. He is able to distil complex matters into simple tasks. He is practical with advice and responsive to business needs with a clear focus on helping achieve the businesses objectives. [RW 2020]
  • Tim Rogers independent and external view provided an excellent sounding-board and some practical challenges to the delivery of the IT Strategy and the development of the Service Delivery Plan and related Key Performance Indicators. What was particularly helpful was the use of a coaching and collaborative style that kept us in the driving seat, but allowed us to call on Tim’s experience at strategic intervals. We believe this allowed is to achieve on 6 weeks what might otherwise have taken 6 months. [MO 2020]

HELPING PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS WITH TOOLS, TIPS, TRAINING

The above can easily be done alone in a room, but my experience is that it is best developed in partnerships with colleagues, clients, customers or maybe a coach or consultant since this provides the necessary challenge and ensures clarity and coherence.  

About Coaching

Coaching is a process that aims to improve performance and focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than on the distant past or future. Good coaches believe that the individual always has ideas and opportunities to resolve whatever is holding them back but understands that they may need help to define their goals, set their path, and achieve their success. Coaching is about listening, reflecting, asking questions and unlocking YOUR potential.

About Mentoring

Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.’ Mentoring is development driven, looking not just at the professional’s current job function but beyond, taking a more holistic approach to career development. Mentoring is non-evaluative, while coaching is based on measuring performance change. Due to the personal nature of mentoring, a mentor will more often than not draw on their personal experiences and expertise to help their mentee. This could be in the form of sharing a story that taught them a valuable lesson, or a challenge they overcame in their career. 


Tim HJ Rogers
Ex-Athlete, now Change Practitioner, ICF Coach, IoD Mentor, Mediation Practitioner 
Helping people and organisations achieve their goals.

ICF Trained Coach IoD Business Mentor, Mediator, Management Consultant, Change Practitioner Mob 447797762051 Tim@ThinkingFeelingBeing.com Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

We #facilitate and #support the #thinking, #feeling and #action needed to #resolve and move forward. #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring and #mediating to support people through #change #timhjrogers #coach #mentor #mediation #jersey 

The best advice I’ve had, and the best advice I can give.

THE BEST ADVICE I’VE HAD, AND THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE.

A satirical look at the challenges of project and change management communications

Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or exposing the perceived flaws of individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement

When it comes to communications, meetings and documentation here is the advice I have been given….

*On emails…

Try not to use emails, instead post documents on Sharepoint, Teams or other platform so that everyone sees the same document and can pull information when they need it rather than have lots of emails pushed upon them. However, try to avoid people having to lookup or login to find information. People are too busy to do that, but one tool everyone uses is email or chat so that it the best way to engage people.

Try to avoid sending too many chat or email messages, perhaps a weekly update rather than lots of separate messages. However, try to keep each email short, perhaps one subject per email rather than dealing with too many things that might confuse. Better to have 3 short emails on different points than one long one, covering many issues.

Don’t send emails. Meet people. You’ll have far more success if you go and talk to someone. However people are busy and very often a problem can be fixed in a quick email rather than calling meeting. People are busy, don’t waste their time unnecessarily if an email will do.

Do not cc people on emails. If there is an action for them add them to the top-line recipients otherwise do not include them in the email. However when using email, be clear who is expected to act and what are they expected to do, and importantly make sure other relevant stakeholders are kept informed for the purposes of communication, coordination, collaboration and consensus. If a someone is being asked to do something that affects another stakeholder you really should alert that stakeholder, by copying them in on the information. 

*On documents…

Try to avoid bureaucracy, too much paperwork, documentation, agendas and minutes. People don’t have the time or interest to read them. Instead, have face to face conversations or meetings which are better for communication and engagement. But, make sure things are written down, have a structure to meeting and clarity on decisions and actions.

Avoid meeting minutes that are simply a transcription of what was said, but instead focus on the purpose, key points, decisions and actions. Be clear about the output and outcome of the meeting. However, stick only to what was actually said, don’t try to summarise, draw conclusions, include key facts or outline next steps but instead only what was actually said, everything else just confuses people.

Often documenting business requirements, specifications, design decisions actually takes more time than the product they describe or define. Try to avoid time wasted on such things but get on with the task. However it is critical to delivery of the right product at the right price to be clear on wants, needs, expectations, costs quality and success criteria which should be written down as a baseline against which to measure success or future change. Time spent on this is seldom wasted.  

*On meetings…

Book meetings in advance so people have a focus, target or milestones to be ready for that meeting. But try an avoid having meetings booked too far in advance, indeed often it is better to wait for something to be complete and ready and then call the meeting, so as to avoid wasting people’s time with pre-arrange meetings and milestones for which they are unprepared.

It is really important to have fixed, routine meetings for governance, to review plans, problems, progress and funding. However, it does not always make sense to have the meetings at a regular interval and it may be better to delay them until there is good news or a significant milestone to report.

Do not circulate documents before meetings or have long agendas, people don’t have the time to read them. Instead, set-up the meeting and discuss the issues in the meeting with everyone there. To make most effective use of people’s time and ensure they understand the issues, have had the chance to consult and are ready to make a decision make sure you have given them all the information that they need at least a couple of days in advance of the meeting.

If you want to engage people in critical decisions you must invite them to a meeting and given them an opportunity to express their views. The path to getting things done starts with discussion, definition, decision and documentation to delivery and done. However debate isn’t helpful and it is often better to present a recommendation and seek comment, perhaps via email, than use people’s time in a discussion which may provoke more questions than answers.

*On managing and monitoring…

If people are falling behind because they are busy or stressed, put more pressure on them to perform. They must be held accountable, they must deliver. Failure is not an option. Delay is not acceptable. However, try to understand that people are doing the best that they can and demanding more of them doesn’t help, indeed it damages the relationship which is counter-productive to getting things done. 

If acting as a project manager try to manage the process not the product. Leave the experts to develop the artefacts. The project manager role is to provide the resources, direction, support to get things done not to be the author or manufacturer of every item. However, it is important to be active and engaged with the problem, to own it and take responsibility for it, the content, quality, scope and delivery of it.

Keep your sponsors and stakeholders informed of plans, problems, progress and performance against agreed measures, like budget. Do not store-up issues and surprise them, but instead communicate succinctly and frequently. However, senior people are often very busy and telling them something is or may be late, expensive, or defective is simply negative and annoying. Instead own and manage the problem, be positive, and report at a future date. 

Do not micromanage partners, suppliers, vendors or third-parties with details of deliverables and dates. They know what they need to do, so simply leave them to get on with their task. They are, after all, the experts in their product or service and will know best how and when to deliver this. However, it is your responsibility to ensure everything is done on-time, on-budget, to-specification with low-risk and high-communication. You must ensure everyone understands, agrees and sticks to the plan and delivers accordingly. 

There is a lot of wisdom in this advice and if you follow it you will be well served.