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.

Tool: a device or implement used to carry out a specific function. That’s it. A hammer is a hammer; a software program is a software program. Both are devices intended to carry out a specific function. We can tend to put too much emphasis on having the newest and shiniest tools and not on training the people who are actually going to be using them. A tool is simply something that enables the project to be pushed forward; new and shiny is fine, and in fact, they can be vital in certain projects. But other times, the best tool for the job is low-tech.

When you purchase a home, you consider how it affects your spouse; your children; the neighbors you’re leaving and the ones you’re going to be joining; the brother-in-law who will be sleeping on your couch; the bank through which you obtain your mortgage; the contractor who fixes the roof that will leak as soon as you close. All of these people are stakeholders; the key ones are those who have a big say, a lot of influence, or will be impacted in a major way, such as your spouse. In a business project environment, stakeholders are those who will be affected, directly or indirectly, by the project. Who are the key players? And what must they agree on to ensure a project has an optimal chance at success?

Identifying Key Stakeholders

When you throw a rock into a pond, it creates a ripple effect. When you throw a bigger rock, it creates a bigger ripple. Those ripples are the stakeholders; as your organization or project grows, it will affect more people, and identifying them becomes critical – and difficult! Again, think about who will be affected, directly – the IT Director who will be instrumental in implementing software upgrades – or indirectly – such as a branch customer service representative (CSR) who will be dealing with the end customer and who will see, use and benefit from the operating with the upgraded software.

In her 2012 report, Price Waterhouse Cooper’s Eve Mitchell discusses the waterfall, or traditional, project management approach versus the agile approach, which are generally considered to be mutually exclusive. But, she notes, “organisations who would consider they are guided by waterfall principles unwittingly [are] also employing agile practices.” The point is not that you should employ either one of these approaches strictly but realize that each has its benefits and a hybrid approach, such as that presented by the COE, may be most beneficial.

What makes a team effective? Is it having one or two exceptionally intelligent members? Is it the average intelligence? No. As it turns out, neither of these factors is really predictive of a group’s efficacy, according to researchers at MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and Union College. What determines success is the collective intelligence in conjunction with the right dynamics. The group can only rise to this level, or beyond, when there is effective communication, coordination, and the right blend of personalities. This is why it is so crucial to find the best brains for your project.

The “best” brains are not necessarily the ones with the highest IQs. They are the ones with high EQs that can work collaboratively, listen, respond, and work towards a common goal. We typically walk right into the middle of a project crisis, and we don’t have prior knowledge of employees, managers, and executives. The first thing we do is ask questions to steering committees, business leads, tech leads, stakeholders…