| "body"> | | | | size, scale, purpose, etc.) across the business AND, |
| Today, like yesterday and doubtless tomorrow; change | | | | each change project is governed by linear project |
| is coming down the pipe and most if not all who read | | | | thinking based on building just one thing in just one |
| this piece have been, are and will be impacted by | | | | empty space - hence, problems! |
| change. Depending on your rank and role; you may | | | | Today, multiple projects are targeting the same people, |
| conceive, approve, plan, execute or be the recipient of | | | | processes or functions in the same part of the |
| efforts to strengthen, grow, streamline, consolidate or | | | | business for many different reasons; each project is |
| simply improve what the business does and how it | | | | marching to very different orders, timelines and |
| does it. | | | | priorities; each is governed by linear thinking - hence, |
| Here's the bad news... The odds are stacked against | | | | problems! |
| you! Never in the history of corporate transformation | | | | Essentially, each and any project intent upon changing |
| have so many projects delivered so little, so late, so | | | | the business does so in a manner meant to meet that |
| poorly, at so much cost and with so much aggravation. | | | | project's specific objectives (this is a good thing) yet is |
| My research into why transformation projects fail to | | | | utterly ignorant of how this project might impact other |
| meet expectations so often focuses on certain | | | | projects or vice versa (this is a very bad thing). |
| aspects of corporate transformation / business | | | | Essentially, linear project thinking overlooks or ignores |
| improvement that are usually overlooked, ignored or | | | | the fact that other projects will be contemplating, |
| taken for granted. Here's one aspect; far too often, it | | | | competing or contending to make changes to the |
| sneaks up and bites transformation where it hurts! | | | | same part of the business while the project in question |
| Back in the 1960 -70's; business and government | | | | is underway. |
| began to move into the information age. Management | | | | Given that the business will not be keen to throw |
| needed a way to deploy new systems, new | | | | away very significant investments in linear (archaic) |
| processes and new ways of doing business. Project | | | | project management techniques and the very people |
| management techniques used in construction | | | | who come up with good ideas to improve the |
| engineering projects were well suited for these early | | | | business think of the improvements in linear terms; how |
| efforts to automate the business along vertical, | | | | does one start to address the issues associated with |
| functional lines and business grabbed the opportunity to | | | | linear project thinking, quickly and simply? |
| use what had worked before - in other environments. | | | | For starters, ask questions whenever a project comes |
| The very means by which these new ways of doing | | | | forward for approval. Ask questions like... |
| business were delivered became second nature, | | | | What other projects have, are or will be working in the |
| permeating corporate and individual thinking to such an | | | | same relative space in the business? |
| extent that it is ingrained in the corporate psyche. | | | | Has this project spoken to that project? |
| What worked quite well in the past is now the de | | | | Does that project know what this project intends? |
| facto standard. | | | | Does that project have anything that this project could |
| The thinking that governs construction/engineering | | | | borrow or reuse? |
| projects has been around for a long, long time. If one | | | | What did that project teach us about this project? |
| wanted to build a pyramid, dam, railway, etc. one used | | | | Will what that project is doing get in the way of what |
| linear project management techniques. One started | | | | this project wants to do? |
| with an empty space or obliterated whatever | | | | Has anyone asked the end user which project is more |
| occupied that space then built to spec, to budget, to | | | | important? |
| schedule. | | | | Has anyone asked whether what this project wants |
| If one had to build a pyramid, one used linear project | | | | to do might be changed, made redundant or even |
| thinking. One did not need to contend with or even | | | | eliminated by the next project coming down the pipe? |
| consider that lots of other pyramid building outfits | | | | Etc. |
| would be building pyramids for lots of different | | | | By simply instilling and insisting upon awareness of |
| pharaohs, each with different ideas and designs in | | | | what the rest of the business is up to in the minds of |
| exactly the same empty space where you are building | | | | those who approve, manage and execute projects; |
| your pyramid. In today's business world, there are no | | | | significant benefits to project(s) and business will |
| empty spaces where linear project thinking can truly | | | | accrue and very significant problems of conflict, |
| work as well as it does when things are being built in | | | | contention and general chaos will be reduced if not |
| real empty spaces. | | | | eliminated. |
| Today; multiple, concurrent change projects are each | | | | And that would be a very good thing, wouldn't you |
| building their very own pyramid (each of varying import, | | | | agree? |