Change is never really “done.” The completion of a project may give us the illusion that we’re finished, but what happens next is crucial. A major factor in project failure is ineffective implementation and change management. To look at it in a more glass-half-full way: a major factor in project success is effective implementation and change management. This is why measurement and feedback is so important for any project. You’re not done yet.

At the end, you have to go back to the beginning. It’s a very cyclical process.

• What was our goal? What were we trying to achieve?
• What organic measurements will indicate that we’re successful? How can we track progress? If your goal was to institute new customer service policies, for instance, you could do a survey of customers and front-line employees to see how that’s working.
• Are we getting the results we want? Why? What’s working? Why not? What’s keeping this from achieving our initial goals?
• What modifications can we make to get back on track or improve results? If results are on target, how can we improve that and shoot higher?
• We’re implementing these new modifications. Is everyone clear on their roles and responsibilities?
• How can we measure the efficacy of these changes?
• And repeat.

The measurement/feedback loop is an iterative process; you get feedback, you make changes, you get more feedback, and you make more changes. All the time, though, you have to keep two things foremost in mind: one, what is our goal/objective? And two, who is the end-user and how are these changes impacting them?

The thought of a project never really being over is a nightmare for PMs! But it is actually a very positive thing: you can tweak and modify to ensure the project that you’ve nurtured grows up to be a useful member of society.