Friday, October 31, 2014

Right Solution, Wrong Problem

So you got selected for this great Director-level job, and you've been given the task of "implementing Project [or Portfolio or Program] Management.  It's our top priority this year". Straight from the horse's mouth, which is to say a very senior executive.  Yeah.  Congratulations, or something (h/t Glen Kessler, Washington Post). Now don't go all Messianic, and don't let your head swell.

First off, any organization whose top priority is to implement a fundamental supporting process is probably in big trouble.  Hopefully their top priority has something to do with the mission, or making money.  Is your sponsor really trying to snow you on Day One? Now this is not to say that PPFM wouldn't help; but we need to be very clear about what problem it is exactly that they think will improve through PPFM.  That will be your ticket to success.  

Here's your bedrock principle in the PPFM world: a PPFMO cannot be effective by trying to force an organization to change. It can only facilitate a change for which there is already a consensus (at least among the key influencers).  Remember "RTP" when you were preparing for the Big Test (whatever it was)?  Why wouldn't this be true in real life too?  Make sure that you Read The Problem; then your PPFM solution may turn out to be the right answer.

Unless you've invented an entirely new theory of business, you're not bringing to an organization that can afford to hire you anything that they don't already know about.
In the organization you are joining (or that has promoted you to this assignment), key people know perfectly well how to do alternative analysis, how to do scheduling, how to do budgeting and so on and so on.  You're not really there to show them how to do this.  You're there to implement something that until now they have chosen not to do.

So your number one question, beginning with the hiring interview if you get the chance, is to ask "what's different today?"
Until today, the organization has not needed or wanted to do structured decision-making or planning, nor hold people accountable.  Now it does.  What's different?
Be very skeptical of answers like "We want to be completely compliant with [XYZ standard]".   Really?  So what's changed to make that a priority?
Keep drilling until you get an answer that either makes sense or at least seems sincere.

"We had an inspection and they say we need to buck up our project management".  Sorry, not good enough.  Doubtless this sort of inspection has happened before.  What is different this time?  Perhaps the unit has a new manager, but unless there is something more behind it, the business inertia will overcome the new manager's enthusiasm.

What sort of answer would be acceptable?  One that sounds honest enough as to why they would feel a powerful need to make a change in the culture.

  • Our customers are losing confidence in us because it's obvious we are totally disorganized.
  • We are having a lot of turnover because our staff feels like they are just getting jacked around and they never can get anything accomplished.
  • Our investors are hesitant because they say they are nervous about our ability to deliver
The answer doesn't have to be totally, bet-the-company dramatic.  They can have a narrow scope as long as it is clear that the speaker really wants a real problem to go away.

  • "As the CxO, I am very frustrated that I never can find out what is going on.  I need better visibility.
  • We have work piled up in this one process and those guys just flounder back and forth from one thing to another as the senior execs yell at them.  I wouldn't mind waiting if I knew the work was going to get done eventually, and when".
Now you have an idea of what the scope of the PMO should be, at least initially. Solve a problem that people want to have solved, and they'll support you as you seek to extend your mandate to a more complete service.  Over-reach in the beginning and you'll remind people why they resisted this program management thing the last 4 times we tried it.

No comments:

Post a Comment