¿Qué hacer si tu proceso de gestión de proyectos no está dando los resultados deseados?

I believe in taking a step back and critically assessing your project management process when it's not hitting the mark. You can start by looking at your objectives, progress, and outcomes. Are the goals realistic? Does everyone understand and agree on the direction? I think it's essential to identify where your process might not be working. Don't overlook the importance of team feedback; those working on the project day in and day out have invaluable insights into what's working and what's not. This collective reflection can spotlight precise tweaks needed to enhance your approach. Making informed adjustments based on this reality check can dramatically shift your project's trajectory toward success.

1. Evaluate Current Process: identify weaknesses, bottlenecks, or inefficiencies. 2. Identify Issues: is it delays, budget overruns, or quality issues? 3. Collect Feedback: gather feedback to understand perspectives on what’s not working and where improvements can be made. 4. Revisit Goals: are objectives clear, realistic, and aligned with organizational priorities. 5. Provide Training: offer training or resources as needed. 6. Seek External Expertise: consider bringing in external consultants or experts for fresh insights and recommendations for improving your project management approach. 10. Stay Agile: embrace change and be willing to experiment with new ideas and strategies to drive better results. Dr. Carla

One thing I have found helpful, is to afford individuals to craft a reality check framework and then assess as follows, self, team and department or organization. Inside out approach, by using the framework.

I think this is the hardest part - starting the assessment small but keeping constantly going as adding learning and stakeholders. Often this step will lead to lots of re-engineering of dependant processes, the most important lessons I’m convinced are - honestly facing and accepting reality, - thinking outside own box, - involving the most critical stakeholders while - being brutally honest - to the leader and allowing by doing so for others - accepting issues as challenges and not individual failures - leading by thinking big - with the organisational success in mind This part involves more stakeholders than one might expect in the beginning. So the most important during the assessment is starting with and sharing a clear vision!

I generally will ask pointed questions to identify the reality of what is happening. Underlying issues not addressed, ensuring expectations are understood as well as observation of overall dynamics. Are there any personality issues, miscommunication, self evaluation and feedback from team. Were goals clear and measurable. Were milestones clear to everyone and assess client relationship and ensure everyone are clear of expectations with assumptions defined.

Hmmm, to avoid this being a dry contribution, let me add a twist. I'd run a problem solve using the G.R.O.W. framework - 1. What would Good like? 2. What's Really happening? 3. What Options do we explore to close the gap between Good & Reality? 4. What is our Way forward i.e. the 20% that will yield the greatest impact! The twist.. In the 'G' & 'R' categories, I'd overlay a bit of a framework (fishbone style). For example, in 'Reality' I'd ask: 1. What's happening with our people/culture? 2. What's happening in our leadership? 3. What's happening in our method & procedures? 4. What's happening in our leadership? MOST importantly, DON'T WORK ON EVERYTHING! Pick a couple of reasonable things, that'll make the MOST impact.

1. Take a step back and re evaluate where the process is failing and why? 2. Run a surveyto get feedback from the team to understand the issues and challenges they could be facing. 3. 3. Analyse the trend to pick common issues causing the failure of the process 4. Take the action from the feedback and implement them. 5. Effectively communicate changes to the team, ensuring everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. 6. Close monitoring of progress to check if there's any change. 7. Continuous assessment and feedback collection to improve the process every day is key.

Simply put, brainstorm with your team the top three obstacles (no more than three). For each obstacle, brainstorm the top three things you need to do to overcome it. Or, to use an expression from the Canadian Armed Forces, Soldier On! That means when your plan goes south, Adapt, Innovate, and Overcome.

I also recommend revisiting the RACI ….who is ultimately responsible and accountable for tasks and deliverables. Often this may require some candid conversations that can lead to clarity and alignment. I also find establishing regular (weekly) meetings help projects stay on track when members know they will expected to provide detail status updates.

I remember in my early days as a project manager obsessing over plans and the project governance processes in the belief that these would ensure a good outcome. Then early in 2003 I was faced with a high-stakes global programme that had to move crazy fast, with people I hardly knew and systems and processes I was unfamiliar with. That was when I learnt the importance of gaining real emotional commitment from those around me. Those whose knowledge and relationships I would have to rely on to get it done. What I discovered then and since is the more you engage people emotionally the easier it is to achieve good outcomes. So I believe assessing reality starts with the level of emotional commitment to the change.

Dedicate time to engage with your team members to understand the challenges within your project management process. This approach ensures you're not assigning blame but rather seeking insights into workflow, communication, and resource issues. Approach these discussions with curiosity, asking open-ended questions to uncover how processes can be improved. This collaborative problem-solving not only fosters a positive team environment but also encourages ownership and accountability among team members. By directly involving your team in the assessment, you gain a comprehensive view of the issues at hand, paving the way for effective, inclusive solutions that address the root causes of the project's shortcomings.

What is the most pressing challenge? What do we need to do right now? When you ask questions about "right now" it helps focus in on an issue at hand.

I would add that involving the team in the training plan also helps buy in and actively supports the transition to the new system or operating model I frequently see projects where this is either not addressed at all or addressed too late.

Creating the psychologically safe environment to get brilliant just in time feedback is really important so that you have the organisational honesty to share issues without fear of repercussion. At this stage, it's important to look systemically to identify the biggest wins.

Take the time to assess where the issue(s) are. Is the problem systemic or are there specific tactical issues? Is there a mismatch of expectations? Are the tools and processes in place or is there something missing? Is there an issue with a team member? Make sure you understand the problem before proposing a solution.

Be sure to speak with all stakeholders. You will need to evaluate the entire process from start to finish to determine where any/all deficiencies occur. Pay particular attention to data verification and communication throughout the process as these are two areas that often contribute to difficulty.

A tension always exists between persevering and yielding. Persevering can be dogged tenacity or blind stubborn pride, whilst yielding can be giving up or making a tactical and strategic recalibration. Choosing where I stand in the tension depends on what I am doing and its altruistic purpose. Whatever the situation, I always apply the US Marine Corps motto: ‘Improvise. Adapt. Overcome’.

For any improvement and change process, it is essential to involve your team: Insights from both operational and managerial teams are key to identifying pain points and refining strategies. Establish an environment where open conversations are encouraged, even if that means slowing down to get to the root of things. This ensures that, in the end, the changes to be implemented are practical, supported and successful. Recognizing the teams as primary stakeholders highlights their crucial role in overall business success and customer satisfaction. A team-driven change process, the courage to prioritize depth over speed, is indispensable for fostering continuous improvement and sustainable engagement, and achieving lasting business success.

To continue my above thoughts, evaluate where you are to the next milestone. Are you ahead, at or behind where you thought you would be or needed to be? Make specific action plans to address the immediate need to correct your position, look to the next milestone(s) to see if you can make up there or signal that the larger objective is at risk and develop plans to address that.

Projects are filled with Objectives: 1. The Project's Objectives (hopefully this is a VERY Short List). 2. Objectives that are really Goals. These are the tactical actions that should be SMART. 3. Milestones. The big picture accomplishments that focus the team on the path to completion. 4. Recovery Objectives. Projects derail and must recover. When projects derail I wonder if the team is truly aligned on the objectives. Alignment means the team is accountable and committed to achieving a shared vision. My experience as a PM and a Certified Alignment Practitioner tells me to ask questions about trust, collaboration, decision making, and accountability when projects are derailing. Aligned teams eat PM processes for lunch!

SMART is a great too. And, are you listening and open to input from your team? Are you being adaptive to what happens or doesn't go as expected? No matter how well you set objectives, if you aren't leveraging your influence with strong communication things may not go forward as expected. There is objective setting and then there's strategy and I've found that sometimes a good strategy is the missing link.

Start small - it's easier to implement change when it is introduced incrementally. Small wins will help buy-in gain momentum. The scope and scale of a Project Process can be vast so pick your targets; project control, resource management; portfolio visibility and stakeholder support or limit the changes to one part of the organisation if possible.

From my experience, the first two (Assess Reality & Identify Issue) are usually expected efforts that needs to be completed (without being asked) from management and leadership. When tasked to present or report an issue… I found more past successes when a list of recommended solution options was provided (ie. work-around, permanent fix, etc.). Of course, do it quickly as possible.

Whenever I inherit a sinking ship (Failed Change Agenda or a Failed and/ or derailed Project), I do the following as key steps ahead: A) Remove all negative framing & mindset of the Core Project Team. (Coach & Communicate to remove any fear of failure and/ or concerns about derailing). Nothing can be worse than playing a sport and believing you will lose. B) This is my sequence of events: Revisit - The Problem statement(s); Reimagine - The Solution(s); Revalidate - The Past Method(s); Re-Present - The New Business Case; and Reposition - The intended Benefit)s) & recipients i.e. employees or processes or financials or customers C) Fearlessly Get Going: Coaching & Mentoring Team Members with the new improved plan & actions for change

The smart move is to implement a "gate process" right up front. Set objectives at the palnning stage, have a gate strategy to set, go or no go, at particular points in the project to measure whether or not objectives are being achieved. Make a decision do we proceed with modifications to possibly meet objectives or, are the risks to great and abandon at this stage. The important requirement is to make informed decisions based on the evidence presented. Don't proceed just to save face.

With the issues identified, set new objectives aimed at overcoming these challenges. These should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). For example, if communication has been a problem, an objective might be to implement a weekly check-in meeting to ensure alignment. By setting clear objectives, you provide a roadmap for your team to follow, which can help to bring structure and clarity to the project management process.

Specific: Define clear targets. Measurable: Ensure progress can be tracked. Achievable: Keep goals realistic. Relevant: Align with project needs. Time-bound: Set deadlines for accountability. For instance, prioritize regular check-ins to boost communication! With SMART objectives, success is within reach!

First, open your eyes to the organizational context: - Are the goals aligned with those of the organization? - Do you have to work on silo barriers between different departments? - Are goals with a purpose that both the rest of the organization and the project team share? Second, think of the problem as a participatory MbO, the project team can: - Rethink how you're going to set your goals and what tracking system you're going to use. - Involve the necessary stakeholders to obtain the sponsorship, knowledge, resources and make the necessary commitments from the parties to set, follow and achieve the objectives. They are based on that culture of colaboration and self-management within and organization flexible framework, an agile org.

One thing that I’ve done is actually reconvene on the process be sure that everyone understands and contributes their position to the process and you may find out what isn’t working and try and correct it. you can also have other program managers, project manager sit in and observe the process during meetings, etc., so that someone else can give you a perspective and maybe chime in and help.

How many times have new processes, new tools or new software been launched (or imposed) to staff without explaining anything? Self-learning and the art to make do is widespread! But how much time and resources are wasted? In my opinion, the Human Resources that are part of the new projects, and should use these new tools must first be involved. Before starting any activity it is necessary to carefully analyze the process being implemented, with 1-2-1 interviews with the staff involved, but also with a brief Cap-Gap analysis. The hardest part is involving people, listening to their point of view rather than imposing a new model that risks being rejected. As usual, one size doesn't fits all (not even with baseball caps)! These my 2 Cents

Implementing any Change requires the following discipline & mindset from all leaders driving it a) Clarity of Purpose - Ensure enough communication on the why of change b) Be strongly firm when needed and harmonious like a symphony as per requirement. Shun all doubts and concerns when used to challenge the change and accept emotional consequences of impacted recipients as the business reality. Do not tell good to hear fake assurances & stories c) A big change will impact you too, so accept it without a fuss and be a role model for others d) Driving a big change is often like driving on a dark road with no street lights. You must trust your own headlights enough to keep driving. Staying on the path fearlessly is the essence

Introduce the change gradually to avoid overwhelming your team. If possible, start with a pilot program or implement the change in phases. This approach allows you to gather feedback, make necessary adjustments, and provide additional support where needed before rolling out the change across the entire project or organization. It also helps in identifying potential issues early on, minimizing the impact on project timelines and deliverables

I was once tasked with implementing a project management office, where one did not exist before. This change was not accepted by all in the organization at first. We had to prove the need and value of instituting a new PMO for our organization. It started when I needed to meet with all of the managers at first to gauge where we were on projects and resources. I quickly learned that the model was unsustainable. Unfortunately, we were not in a position to hire more PMs, so I instituted a plan to create what I called PM liaisons from each of the teams. It was a chance to level up our organization's PM knowledge while deputizing others to help with the gathering of project information. The effort lasted well beyond my time in the organization.

With clear objectives in place, the next phase is to implement changes. This involves executing the strategies designed to address the identified issues and meet the set goals. Implementation may require adjusting team roles, introducing new communication tools, or revising project timelines. It's vital to communicate these changes effectively, ensuring team buy-in and minimizing resistance. Regular check-ins and flexibility are key, allowing for adjustments based on real-time feedback and results. This proactive approach not only demonstrates leadership commitment to project success but also fosters a dynamic environment where innovation can thrive, directly impacting project outcomes positively.

Change management worst practices: 1. Impose your will. You are experienced and have seen this problem before and know just what to do. This is what great leaders do. 2. Stakeholders' concerns are really just barriers to progress in disguise. They will appreciate you later. 3. Decisiveness beats decision quality every time. Analyzing trade-offs is just a delay. See #1 above. 4. People don't need to know the "why" for a change. They just want to be told what to do. 5. Planning is overrated. Set aggressive expectations with consequences of failure. Your team will make it happen. 6. Training and orientation using the sink or swim method is exceptionally effective. 7. Measurement is useless and slows down the next pivot. What did I miss?!

Introduce new tools or methods gradually. Ensure everyone understands their purpose and usage. Provide training sessions and reference materials. Be patient and offer support during the transition. Smooth sailing ahead with careful planning and communication!

Review, analyze, decide, communicate, go! Action speaks louder than words. No need to have a meeting to plan a meeting. Time wasted in more meetings could be replaced with time spent for action.

In today's business environment, it is important to gather the necessary information, review and consume what the information is telling you and make a decision in a timely manner. Long drawn out decision processes only contribute to team burnout and lower employee satisfaction. Decisive decisions need to be made. The beauty of making decisions is that if you are wrong, you can make another decision to move the project in a different direction. Indecision is the enemy.

Now that we have learned, hopefully, instead of focusing on the final outcome, we could divide the journey into smaller steps and monitor the smaller progress, celebrate the smaller achievements and enjoy the results.

After implementing changes in your project management process, it's crucial to closely monitor progress. Are the new processes delivering the desired impact? Utilizing key performance indicators (KPIs) can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your adjustments. Keep a keen eye on metrics like project timelines, team productivity, and stakeholder satisfaction. Remember, improvement is often gradual and iterative. Be prepared to make further adjustments based on the data gathered. Staying agile and adaptable is key to navigating the evolving landscape of project management. By continuously evaluating and refining your approach, you can ensure optimal outcomes for your projects.

Progress must definitely be monitored continuously. Assuming that you have addressed everything successfully and walking away will often end in less than optimal results. Be diligent and make corrections whenever they are needed.

Todo proceso proceso de monitoring ha de partir de un cuadro de mando consensuado antes de arrancar el proyecto. Las partes implicadas han de tener consenso acerca los de los principales KPIs y es importante tener los OKRs definidos como comentamos anteriormente.

As just said in identifying issues it always needs a close monitoring while ongoing the progress of the process. Especially when it is very complex and many different people or units are involved. As well as said in identifying issues it needs a special role to be implemented. So this persons case is to only monitor the process to be able to stop or correct it just in time or asap.

Monitoring progress closely after updating the project strategy with necessary changes enables us to assess the effectiveness of those adjustments. This process allows us to fine-tune actions promptly, thereby avoiding significant delays. To accomplish this, it is crucial to identify which KPIs reflect the health of the processes we are addressing. This includes not only output measures but also in-process measures, such as process adherence. Utilizing these measures can prompt actions much earlier than if we were monitoring only output measures.

Iterative reflection is a vital part of a healthy project management approach. Think of it as a pulse check on your process—regularly stopping to assess what's working and what isn't. Use this time to reflect, learn, and adapt your strategies; embracing this cycle as a means to continually evolve and enhance your project's trajectory. This is not just problem-solving; it's cultivating a growth-oriented mindset that welcomes change as a pathway to excellence.

Lograr el diálogo abierto y honesto en el equipo es directamente proporcional al nivel de éxito del proyecto. El ambiente de proyectos crea un rápido assessment de fortalezas y oportunidades de cada uno, no hay tiempo para posponer esos diálogos, es un barco que se mueve muy rápido, depositado en que cada integrante sabe hacer lo que le toca por ello todos y cada uno deben aprender a dar retroalimentación oportuna y fundamentada No olvidemos incluir ambos aspectos: los que tienen que ver con lo técnico y los que tiene que ver con lo relacional. Lograr un ambiente en que te sientas seguro para dar cuanta información observes, requiere un gran cuidado del contexto. Sin duda, en el ambiente de proyectos conocerás a tus mejores amigos

The process does not manage the project . You do. Manage each departmental input to the level necessary to understand if they are likely to be on time and meet other specs. Some need closer management by you then do others. Keep a special eye on that critical path.

Feedback, feedback, feedback. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of honest feedback channels. It is likewise crucial to be humble enough to take feedback on board, both from clients and staff alike.

Agreed. Regular retrospectives to tweek your process by incorporating the lessons learned is an important part of maintaining relevancy as the organization evolves. You want to align with your organization constantly to ensure that your framework and processes are providing value without being cumbersome. Process for the sake of process isn't helpful for anyone.

Several years ago, I was asked a question by a Shingijutsu senior consultant for which I had no answer (at the time). "What are you doing to improve your process?" My, and my team's, entire focus was external on the continuous improvement of the operation. I had not considered that internal continuous improvement was also important. This became one of the most challenging, and rewarding, opportunities of my career. Never allow yourself to become complacent. There is always an improvement that can be made.

There should be pre- and post project discussion of expectations and alignment so you can have that discussion of what went well and what needs to be improved. If things aren't going well, it could be for a number of reasons and many times it has to do with unclear objectives and expectations. Self-reflect and then reflect with others - both are valuable inputs.

Regular and systematic reflection is one of the basic prerequisites on the path to a learning organization. For too long, an "efficiency fetish" has been upheld and too little thought has been given to the further development of the organization. Two approaches come to mind spontaneously: - Organizational ambidexterity refers to an organization's ability to be efficient in its management of today's business and also adaptable for coping with tomorrow's changing demand. - Learning organization: the fifth discipline (system thinking) or learning from the emerging future (Theory U)

Be patient. Ponder where lies the lacuna while remaining open to changes or modifications. Think and adapt new skills. Learning and implementation of learning is the go.

It may take some time getting involved people of the project together for reflection but it is neccessary and good invested time. In the communication within the team you will rapidly find out if the project is going and developping well or it is not. You can identify things that are not proper in a very short time plus you can communicate changes or new things directly and personal. That always is the best way to keep the involved team members in line and motivated.

In this situation humility is your best bet. It's time to go to your peers (past and present) and ask them to freely point out your blind spots, to isolate where you have room for improvement. Express openly that you aren't feeling satisfied with your present performance and that you need their honest feedback in order to grow to your full potential. This approach does take humility, but it's the best way to locate those trouble spots, behaviors, habits and weaknesses that are hindering your success.

I think the first step is to understand what results were expected. Were they defined and actionable? Were they assigned to specific individuals, and were they held accountable? Also, were the project management processes already in place focused on achieving those specific results? I often see a disconnect between the processes and the desired outcome driven by: - Lack of communication. - Misalignment on expected outcomes. - Disconnects between management and individual contributors. - Poorly defined outcomes/expected results. - No specific person accountable. - Changing goalposts. - Lack of accountability.

At times, there is a relaxed approach towards activities which are not in the critical path. If they do not receive proper attention, they would tend to enter the critical path. Hence required attention must be given to all the activities, of course, the approach being different for different activities.

When project management does not yield desired results, you can identify issues, set objectives, implement changes, monitor progress, and reflect, yet in a healthy process wasn't this already done? Clearly something was missed, and it is often due to relationships. As people on verticals and horizontals better connect, and cultivate healthier interactions, everything else improves. Information shared is more accurate, updates are more valuable and frequent, hand-offs between teams are smoother, contributors are better recognized, trust is improved, and team members grease wheels and remove obstacles for each other. While you may not be able to develop all relationships, you can improve strategic ones that will produce desired results.

Project Management approaches that assume "perfect knowledge" might fail in a VUCA world. Critically assess whether you possess all the knowledge to forecast precisely at the current stage. If that is not the case, for instance, when you are entering new fields (and hence need to gain insights first), apply agile approaches. This allows you to explore the field where you are working first and then exploit opportunities (i.e., define the most effective and efficient approach).

Predefined processes assume a one size fits all approach which creates a lot of rigidity. When was the last time you had every minute of your day go exactly as planned? I can't recall one. Then to expect a project that spans an extended duration & invovles several people processes & technology to go exactly as planned is to set ourselves up for failure. Unless related to compliance, regulatory, safety or security, project management processes should be treated as guidelines with appropriate gaurdrails in place to allow room to learn change evolve & grow. This shifts the project management style from reactive to proactive approach allowing us to anticipate and have conversations at the right time to adjust or course correct as needed.

Ask what the process is supposed to achieve in the eyes of those in it, first, making sure you've got the right foundation set up. If you haven't communicated the message clearly, which is usually the case, start with a clearly developed communication that illustrates the intended results and process to get them. Rather than impose a process, start with one that those involved create together.

As an executive considering the issues with your project management process, you understand this is an important strategic question which has costly implications. Most people traditionally ran projects using stage gated waterfall methods, where delivery is generally out at the end of the project, & is highly dependent on functional and non-functional requirements specified accurately. But it can work well, and you might have staff & reporting processes in use. The other option is to use some variant of an agile method using iterative prototyping to get to a minimal product. But recognize that puts a load on your team in demos, & may require changes in team skills. Your decision impacts your entire portfolio long term- choose well.

Remember that project management is dynamic, and what works for one project or team might not work for another. Be willing to experiment, learn from failures, and adapt your approach accordingly.