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Mediation, facilitation and team building

INTRODUCTION

Facilitation and Mediation promotes listening and understanding. It encourages a mutual solution focus, and Mediation, in particular, repairs and rebuilds collaboration, communication and trust and will deliver better outcomes.

Below I have substantially used the term Mediation, because as well as being a facilitator I am qualified Mediation practitioner and although the skills and approaches and benefits are similar, Mediation is less well understood or used, possibly because it is seen as a sign of failure rather than a methodology for success.

Throughout, think about how these approaches can be used to set-up teams and support the thorough for forming, storming, norming and performing processes of establishing roles, goals and controls, plus rules, rituals and recognition.

FACILITATION

A facilitator is a person who helps a group of people to work together better, understand their common objectives, and plan how to achieve these objectives, during meetings or discussions. In doing so, the facilitator remains “neutral”, meaning they do not take a particular position in the discussion

MEDIATION

Business Mediation is an effective method for conflict resolution. It is successful between around 80% of the time. Parties discuss their disputes facilitated by an impartial third person(s) who supports them reaching a mutually agreed outcome.

It can be better than alternatives including court litigation, arbitration or ombudsman decision because is inherently less adversarial, less expensive, and less stressful and confidential allowing for a flexible process which may help to preserve relationships.

People are far more likely to stick to an agreement reached in mediation because people place a high value and greater ownership in outcomes they shared in creating

We can see here useful tips for teams, not least the Ikea Effect that people will be more committed to roles, goals and controls, plus rules, rituals and recognition if they have been participant in their creating.

WHY IS MEDIATION WORTHWHILE?

The problem with arguing is that it seldom resolves the problem and legal action may win a battle, but ultimately distract, disrupt and damage the relationships, undermining any future work together.

Any loss of confidence and trust is likely to be damaging to people and the delivery of projects, products and performance.

Mediation promotes listening and understanding. It encourages a mutual solution focus, and therefore repairs and rebuilds collaboration, communication and trust. Success in Mediation will often improve relationships, support agreement and deliver better results.

A COMMERCIAL PROJECT CASE STUDY

A client is unable to clearly define and document their requirements but expects that the supplier will provide a standard product that satisfies all their needs. The supplier provides services for many clients and markets and they all vary depending on country, currency, customers. They expect the client to be able to decide quickly and clearly the exact specification and configuration they require.

As time progresses costs escalate and discussion continues and frustration builds because time, money, and effort is being consumed but outputs and outcomes are behind schedule, ahead of costs and short of expectations.

The client sees their project, product or performance at risk and the supplier sees their profit margin erode and resources tied-up far longer than expected compromising other customers and contracts.

Both parties experience considerable stress upon their people and compromise to plans and operations.

SO WHAT CAN A MEDIATOR DO TO HELP?

There are four primary styles that are used by mediators today

1. Facilitative (does not give advice),

2. Evaluative (making recommendations or providing opinions),

3. Transformative (seeks to empower each of the parties in order to transform the relationship)

4. Narrative (to merge their experience into a new shared story with a better outcome)

CASE STUDY

An approach to a mediation between two commercial business over a dispute on the supply of services and the cost of work.

Note all cases are as different as the people involved in them and this is not a prescription per-se but instead an indicative structure. In reality any mediator will take time to understand the parties, the issues and the context and design an approach that takes account of these essential elements.

Below are the steps that might be taken.

Step 1 – Each partly writes down for themselves, privately [1] how the see the situation [2] how it has affected them [3] how it has affected the other party [4] what they want to achieve or do differently following the mediation

Step 2 – Each partly meets and gets 5 – 10 minutes uninterrupted to state their views human to human in a room (or if necessary Zoom call). If necessary use mediator/moderator to manage the time and content to keep things on-track (but allowing room for people to express their feelings)

Step 3 – Each partly then gets enough time to propose “new ways of working” and what action to take if we feel we are at risk of slipping back to old ways. A mediator/advisor can record all the positive suggestions for later review (at Step 4)

Step 4 – Privately each partly now reviewed their Step 1 assessment based on the discussion at Step 2 & 3, if necessary in private consultation with a mediator/advisor

Step 5 – A settlement is sought, either between the two parties face-to-face, or using an middle person as an intermediary (Note1)

Step 6 – A short note, charter, contract or agreement is drafted to “close” the matter, agree the positive future focus and move forward.

Note1: The middle person never recommend a figure but simply says higher or lower to each party until they are within a “comfort zone” Example Person-A settlement range may be £50k to £100k whereas Person-B settlement range may be £25k to £70k. The “comfort zone” is £50k to £70 and anywhere in this range would be acceptable. Note it may not be all about money. There are lots of offers or concessions that can be made instead of cash.

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

The process can go as quickly as the parties wish because they are the people who decide what needs to be discussed, decided and documented on the way to agreement. There is no waiting for court dates or other delay, disruption or distraction.

Key factors for success

1. Select the right Neutral.

2. Preparation, preparation, preparation.

3. Identify all “big picture” issues and contemplate impasse points.

4. Set expectations for the parties prior to mediation.

5. Do not underestimate emotions.

6. Be prepared to draft a Settlement Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding before the mediation concludes.

7. Advise the parties that a full mediation may advance negotiations but could require ongoing conversation to complete the settlement.

Success comes from managing the feeling and the thinking environment.

• There are five domains to consider for Feeling Environment: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, And Fairness. Certainty concerns being able to predict the future. Autonomy provides a sense of control over events. Relatedness is a sense of safety with others.

• The ten behaviours that generate Thinking Environment are: Attention, Equality, Ease, Appreciation, Encouragement, Feelings, Information, Diversity, Incisive Questions, Place.

In the event of an unsuccessful mediation, the parties can still go to court or arbitration. However, in this event, they do so being better prepared, having focused upon the real issues in dispute between them.

We can see here useful tips for teams: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, And Fairness is really important for people to want to participant and engage. The ten behaviours that generate Thinking Environment are critical to the quality, output and outcome of the group.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An experienced Management Consultant and Project Manager, used to working with people and teams in complex legal, regulatory, and technical environments.

• Management Consultant MBA

• PostGrad International Compliance Association

• PostGrad EC Competition Law

• APMG Change Practitioner

• PRINCE2 Project Manager

• Data Protection Officer (GDPR Practitioner)

• International Coaching Federation ICF Trained Coach

• IoD UK Business Mentor

• Chartered Management Institute Tutor for Level3,5&7

• Experienced team and change facilitator

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.

Follow me on a journey exploring new ideas and opportunities @timhjrogers #timhjrogers

Tim HJ Rogers

MBA Management Consultant + Change Practitioner

ICF Trained Coach, IoD Business Mentor, Mediator

PRINCE2 Agile-Scrum Projects, Programmes and PMO

Mob 447797762051 Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

FOLLOW *ADAPT CONSULTING COMPANY* https://www.linkedin.com/company/adapt-consulting-company

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations through #change. We understand #data, #technology and #process and support #people to drive #performance and #progress for #purpose, #profit and #planet.

Why you need project assurance to look at your contract (and not just a lawyer)

TYPICAL SCENARIO

The business gets to the end of the procurement phase, agrees the contract, budget and start-date and then appoints a project manger to coordinate the plan and resources and oversee the implementation.

THE POSSIBLE PROBLEMS

Very often the initial request for proposals or invitation to tender is less than perfect because at this early stage the client may know what they want, but not necessarily the best tool or method to achieve this. The procurement phase is really one of discussion rather than design.

The contact will doubtless outline what the supplier-vendor sees as the key issues, generally ignoring elements which are non-standard which “can be discussed later”. Moreover there may be all sort of assumptions and dependencies that both parties don’t fully appreciate.

The contract may be vague about the implementation and instead focus on the product with the consequence that whilst some elements may be fixed the variable cost may be unspecified and significant without an agreed mechanism to anticipate, manage and control.

The latter two elements combine where there is any ambiguity of who does what. For example the split of work between the supplier-vendor and client for training, testing, documentation, meetings, design and decision. At one extreme each party maybe expecting the other to resource this, with consequential impact on time, scope and costs if expectations differ.

CASE STUDY

Organisation A contacted for what they anticipated was substantially an industry standard off-the-shelf solution from supplier-vendor B. When it come to delivery a huge amount of time & materials costs was escalating and at 30% of the project they were at 90% of the budget.

Organisation A felt that they were being unnecessarily charged for work which was standard and should be included in the contracted costs, and certainly not escalating unchecked. Moreover it was impossible to reconcile these costs to a product delivered and working.

Supplier-vendor B felt that each installation was different according to the needs, standards, processes of the client and it was the clients responsibility to be clear, succinct and specific about their requirements up-front and the time in discussion, debate, design was rightly the clients choice and expense.

The contract was not specific about payment, complaint or mediation mechanisms. For example: Payment on completion or acceptance; Definition of “done” or other success or acceptance criteria; Need to project future costs rather than report historical past costs (Leading to uncertainty about end-costs).

The above is a combination of experiences rolled into one case study to illustrate and keep the parties involved confidential.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Lawyers are excellent at reviewing contract terms and conditions, as well as matters over data-protection, licence and ownership. However an experienced Project Manager or Project Assurance can be a useful resource, even if only for a few hours to review the contract, budget and project initiation document and make observations and recommendations.

Moreover a Project Assurance can also provide a useful independent and impartial review at any point during the project to help both parties get back on track.

Finally, mediation can be a good method to resolve issues and improve relations. Mediation is not a sign of failure, it is a sign of the commitment to work together and achieve a great outcome. Mediation promotes listening and understanding. It encourages a mutual solution focus, and therefore repairs and rebuilds collaboration, communication and trust and will deliver better outcomes.

WHAT IS PROJECT ASSURANCE?

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:

1. Client and scope
2. Risks and opportunities
3. Planning and scheduling
4. Organisational capability and culture
5. Supply chain
6. Solution
7. Finance
8. Social responsibility and sustainability
9. Performance
10. 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.

WHAT IS MEDIATION?

People are far more likely to stick to an agreement reached in mediation because people place a high value and greater ownership in outcomes they shared in creating

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Follow me on a journey exploring new ideas and opportunities @timhjrogers #timhjrogers

Tim HJ Rogers
MBA Management Consultant + Change Practitioner
ICF Trained Coach, IoD Business Mentor, Mediator
PRINCE2 Agile-Scrum Projects, Programmes and PMO
Mob 447797762051 Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

FOLLOW *ADAPT CONSULTING COMPANY* https://www.linkedin.com/company/adapt-consulting-company

Project Doctor and Project Rescue

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
KEY DOCUMENTS IN A PROJECT RESCUE
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
LESSONS LEARNED
PREDICTABLE FAILURE
WHAT NEXT?
CONCLUSION
ADAPT CONSULTING COMPANY

INTRODUCTION

As a project and change manager I do get asked to perform project rescues. Generally this is about 75% into the delivery phase when the sponsor starts to realise that they are paying for a lot of activity but not much is being delivered complete and OK. Moreover the strategy of more people, more time and more money seems to be making the situation worse.

KEY DOCUMENTS IN A PROJECT RESCUE

If invited to review, report and recommend I will generally look at the following documents rather like a doctor might look at the patient notes at the end of the bed.

PID – A Project Initiation Document [PID] contains the project description, document information, scope and exclusions, purpose, project objectives, interfaces, project deliverables, and assumptions.

CONTRACT – The contract is useful to compare to the PID and sadly in many cases the two do not align such that the expectations in the former are not obligations according to the latter.

As a professional mediator I see this a lot and am often asked to help both parties come to a workable solution that delivers the project rather than profit the lawyers.

DELIVERABLES – This may be part of the PID, Contract or Both, but ideally there should be a document that clearly states what will be delivered, the success criteria and acceptance process. For example not something vague like a “car” but a specific make, model, colour, specification.

BUDGET – I m always interested in where the money went and reconciling this to the expectations (PID) and agreement (Contract) and Ideally understanding the outcomes, outputs and deliverables.

Using all the above we have all the elements necessary to make an objective appraisal of [1] Where we are now; [2] where we wanted to be; and [3] How far we’ve got, and remain to go. We can the have a discussion about what we do, ditch, delegate, delay, de-scope in order to get back on track.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

What remains is ostensibly the Lessons Learned, usually structured interview with key stakeholders and participates [responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed] to understand the people, process, policies, politics, performance and progress that got the project to the point where a rescue is necessary.

The Lessons Learned may be simple as …

What went well and we should continue – usually weekly meetings.

What went less well and we should stop or change – usually constant changes, scope-creep and delay.

What was missing and needs to be introduced – usually more consultation and linking payment to success

There can be much more here, for example reference to quality or compliance standards like GDPR, ITIL, ISO27001 etc., which I would be happy to expand upon in a conversation about quality and performance standards, success criteria and acceptance process.

I can offer a variety of templates and guides with varying levels of detail and diagnosis for anyone interested.

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.

PREDICTABLE FAILURE

Whilst many firms spend ages writing risk tables and reports, the common reasons for project failure can be quickly googled and addressed by simply thinking ‘What usually goes wrong’ and making sure there is provision for this in the agreements and plans up-front rather than a risk report which is about as useful as a black-box flight recorder in preventing project failures.

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

WHAT NEXT?

This, of course, varies with every project.

For one organisation they faced a $1m a month penalty clause for late delivery so the focus was on de-scoping as much as possible to meet the legal minimum by the absolute deadline. Everything else got pushed into Phase 2. We succeeded, but it was ruthless.

For another organisation they sought and received a refund and credit value for unnecessary and unreasonable costs from the vendor and agreed ‘new ways of working’ to better define, document, deliver as well as test, accept and pay for the work being done.

For another organisation they parked what they had. Stopped the project and had a fundamental rethink about what their business really needed, aided considerably by the lessons learned from this bad experience.

CONCLUSION

It is worth having the “Key Documents In A Project Rescue” and possibly an interesting exercise to anticipate what might go wrong and checking what provisions are their to accommodate or address this in these documents.

If you dont follow, please do. Come and join me on our shared journey exploring new ideas and opportunities @timhjrogers #timhjrogers

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
PRINCE2 Agile-Scrum Projects, Programmes and PMO
Mob 447797762051 Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

ADAPT CONSULTING COMPANY

We offer #consulting, #coaching, #mentoring, #facilitation and #mediating to support individuals, teams and organisations through #change. We understand #data, #technology and #process and support #people to drive #performance and #progress for #purpose, #profit and #planet.

#agile #being #change #coach #data #datasharing #dpia #facilitation #feeling #gdpr #governance #jersey #lean #mediation #mentor #philosophy #pmo #policies #prince2 #privacynotice #procedures #process #processimprovement #programmes #project #psychology #publicsector #purpose #scrum #sixsigma #technology #thinking #timhjrogers #training #waterfall #workflow #workshops

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)

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

Ref
Category
Scenario (Description of Risk)
Business Impact (1-5)
Likelihood (1-5)
Gross Risk Score
Risk appetite:- Accept; Reduce; Avoid
Consequences
Vulnerabilities
Control measures
Responsibility
Assessment of control
Residual Business Impact(1-5)
Residual Likelihood (1-5)
Net Risk (Residual Risk)
Risk appetite:- Accept; Reduce; Avoid – Is risk within acceptable boundaries
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

Poor planning
Inconsistently defined resources
Unclear objectives
Lack of detail control
Lack of transparency
Lack of communication
Change of direction
Unrealistic expectations
Lack of monitoring
Unrealistic due dates
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.

Tim HJ Rogers

MBA Management Consultant + Change Practitioner

ICF Trained Coach, IoD Business Mentor, Mediator

Mob 447797762051 Tim@AdaptConsultingCompany.com

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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.

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.

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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

Support Arrangements
Roles to be Transferred
Key points for the Support Team(s)/ Knowledge Transfer
Customer Expectation Management/ Communication
Business Continuity/ Disaster Recovery
Training Requirements
Product List (including SLAs)
Supporting documentation
Security Aspects
Security Officer Sign Off
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

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