Delivering Projects To Promise | Joseph Dolphin | TEDxSGRR

Key Concepts

• Deliver to Promise
• Benefits Management (Identification, Validation, Enablement, Realization)
• Change Management (People, Process, Technology/Infrastructure)
• Project Governance Plan
• Acceptance Criteria
• Scope of Work
• Requirement Volatility
• Project Objectives
• Project Blue Book (Lagging Indicators, Best Practices)
• Earned Value Analysis (SPI, CPI)
• Problem Management (Defining the Problem - Current State vs. Future State)
• Fantasy Principle (Creative Imagination)
• Knowledge Management

I. Sales Professionals and Making Promises

A. The Problem: Misalignment with Stakeholder Needs

• Sales professionals (or anyone making commitments) often focus on the how (e.g., which tree to plant, when to plant) rather than the why (stakeholder needs).
• Example: Planting trees. The city government's drivers are reducing air pollution, improving greenery, and improving citizens' lives. The contractor focuses on the trees themselves, missing the bigger picture.

B. Solution: Understanding Benefits Management

• Benefits Management: Integrating stakeholder needs and drivers as benefits.
• Steps:
  1. Identification: Identify the benefits (e.g., reduced air pollution).
  2. Validation: Validate the feasibility of achieving those benefits (e.g., 10,000 trees might not be possible due to budget or weather). Some benefits may need to be dropped.
  3. Enablement: Actions taken to make the benefits possible (e.g., planting saplings).
  4. Realization: Achieving the actual benefits (e.g., the saplings growing into trees). Planting saplings only enables the benefit; the government needs to maintain them to realize the benefit.

C. Solution: Understanding Change Management

• Change Management: Addressing the impact on people, processes, technology, and infrastructure.
• Example: Citizens need to be aware of the tree-planting initiative and avoid damaging the saplings.

D. Summary

• Those making promises need to understand benefits management and change management to align with stakeholder needs and ensure successful delivery.

II. Delivery Challenges and Solutions

A. The Problem: Project Delays and Overruns

• Many projects (e.g., infrastructure projects) experience delays and budget overruns.
• The initial enthusiasm ("OMG - Oh My God") needs to be translated into effective delivery.

B. Solution: Organize, Manage, and Govern (OMG)

• The "OMG" acronym should be revisited to mean "Organize, Manage, and Govern" during delivery.

C. Key Tools and Processes

1. Project Governance Plan:
   • Explains how the project will be delivered, addressing the gap between the contract and the actual execution.
   • Includes elements like defining the number of review cycles and acceptance criteria.
   • Example: Defining the number of back-and-forth reviews for deliverables.
2. Clear Scope of Work:
   • Define requirements clearly and concisely to avoid confusion.
   • Example: Instead of a lengthy explanation, state "dig a hole, plant a tree, fill the hole" as the three requirements.
   • Requirement Volatility: Use metrics to track and manage changes in scope.
3. Project Objectives:
   • Define measurable objectives that are understood by the project team.
4. Project Blue Book:
   • Document what went well (best practices) and what went wrong (lagging indicators).
   • This knowledge can be inherited by similar projects to avoid reinventing the wheel.

D. Monitoring Progress: Earned Value Analysis

• Use methods like Earned Value Analysis (EVA) to report project progress quickly and accurately.
• SPI (Schedule Performance Index) and CPI (Cost Performance Index) provide a concise overview of project status.

E. Philosophy for Success

• "What gets measured gets improved, what gets improved gets noticed, what gets noticed gets rewarded, what gets rewarded gets institutionalized."

III. Equipping People for Success

A. The Problem: Chaos and Burnout

• Lack of clarity, long hours, and frustration lead to employee turnover.

B. Solution: Investing in People's Skills

1. Problem Solving:
   • Focus on defining the problem accurately.
   • Problem Definition: The gap between the current state and the desired future state (like a speedometer showing the difference between current and desired speed).
2. Creative Imagination:
   • Develop creative thinking skills.
   • Fantasy Principle: Applying fantastical concepts to real-world problems.
   • Example: Gulliver's Travels (giant and dwarfs). Roger Federer increased the size of his racket (within limits), applying the "fantasy" of size change to improve performance.
3. Knowledge Management:
   • Integrate knowledge sharing and acquisition into the appraisal system.

C. Final Thought

• Quote from Richard Branson (Virgin Atlantic): "Train them so well that they can leave, treat them well enough that they won't have to."

Synthesis/Conclusion

The key to delivering on promises lies in understanding stakeholder needs, managing benefits and change effectively, implementing robust project management practices, and investing in the skills of the people involved. By focusing on clear communication, measurable objectives, and continuous improvement, organizations can increase their success rate and create a positive work environment.