The Anna Karenina Principle and The Secret Sauce

The Anna Karenina Principle and The Secret Sauce for Success HARRY ZOLKOWER, MPA, PMP, CSM

The Anna Karenina Principle applied to Project Management “Successful projects are all alike; every unsuccessful project is unsuccessful in its own way” - Harry Zolkower, 2018

Why Projects Fail § Poor communication § Unclear roles and responsibilities § Not having dedicated project team members § Poor project sponsorship

Why Project Failure Matters § 9% of every dollar is wasted due to poor project performance— that’s $99 million for every $1 billion invested (Source: 2018 Pulse of the Profession®) Scaled to encompass total global capital investment, around $1 million is wasted every 20 seconds —or $2 trillion every year (Source: Brightline Initiative. TM)

75% of projects failed before they ever reached implementation - Harrington and Frank (2015)

Why Project Management is Important § Corporate Strategy Development § Converting Corporate Vision into Reality § Catalysts for Strategy Development

Why Projects Fail § Lack of or failed communication § Unclear roles and responsibilities § Too many projects worked on simultaneously by the project team members § Poor sponsorship

Source: 2018 Pulse of the Profession - PMI

The Impact of Project Failure Too much money is being wasted on poor project performance, for many reasons: § 1) Organizations fail to bridge the gap between strategy design and delivery. § 2) Executives don’t recognize that strategy is delivered through projects. § 3) The essential importance of project management as the driver of an organization’s strategy isn’t fully realized 2018 Pulse of the Profession - PMI

Why projects fail § Poor Communication

Why projects fail… Communication § “Companies risk $135 million for every $1 billion spent on a project and new research indicates that $75 million of that $135 million (56 percent) is put at risk by ineffective communications, indicating a critical need for organizations to address communications deficiencies at the enterprise level. ” § “Ineffective communications is the primary contributor to project failure one third of the time, and had a negative impact on project success more than half the time. ” § “High-performing organizations (those completing an average of 80 percent or more of projects on time, on budget and within goals) create formal communications plans for nearly twice as many projects as their lower performing counterparts (which complete fewer than 60 percent of projects on time, on budget, and within goals). ” (Source: 2018 Pulse of the Profession®)

Why projects fail… Communication Recommendations: § Close the communications gap around business benefits. § Tailor communications to different stakeholder groups. § Acknowledge the value of project management, including project management communications. § Use standardized project communications practices, and use them effectively. (Source: 2018 Pulse of the Profession®)

Project Failure Unclear Roles & Responsibilities PMI categorizes Roles and Responsibilities under Project Human Resource Management. PMI defines “role” as: § “The function assumed by or assigned to a person in the project. ” § Responsibility is defined by PMI as “the assigned duties and work that a project team member is expected to perform in order to complete the project’s activities. ”

Project Failure Unfocused Team § Too many projects worked on simultaneously by the project team members

Project Failure § Lack of Project Sponsorship

Key Lessons of Poor Sponsorship § The absence of well-defined and clearly understood sponsorship responsibilities § Complex programs § Senior executives are more effective when they understand their role as executive sponsors and do not delegate this responsibility to lower levels. § Brings financial results, increases motivation and participation, and improves the impact of project-based work on the organization. - Englund and Bucero (2015)

Discenza and Forman’s Project Performance Factors 1) Business Value 2) Measured Results 3) Consistent Processes 4) Consistent Methodologies 5) Continuous Involvement By the Customer 6) Manage and Motivate 7) Tools & Techniques

Conclusion The Anna Karenina Principle “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. ” “Successful projects are all alike; every unsuccessful project is unsuccessful in its own way”.

References § Discenza, R. & Forman, J. B. (2007). Seven causes of project failure: how to recognize them and how to initiate project recovery. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2007—North America, Atlanta, GA. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. § Serra, C. E. M. , & Kunc, M. (2015). Benefits realisation management and its influence on project success and on the execution of business strategies. International Journal of Project Management, 33, 53 -66. doi: 10. 1016/j. ijproman. 2014. 03. 011 § Englund, Randall L. & Bucero, Afonso (2015). Project Sponsorship: Achieving Management Commitment For Project Success, 2 nd ed.