What are the most common mistakes to avoid during program transitions?

Documentation helps, as well as other tech friendly options for ensuring the message is retained and passed across. My team at Afrimash favored video recordings from former teammates as well as quite elaborate SOPs focused on passing across the program updates. Understanding the motive or scope of the program is very crucial, a lot could be lost in official reports and documentation. Some teams end up tracking down the initial team that ran the pilot just to get key details. Documentation involves a lot more than paper work, with the advances in office tools, we should explore additional ways to ensure the program scopes and deliverables are well stored and made available for the next phases or teams. Sustainability helps a great deal.

LA grande erreur dans un projet ou programme est de nommer l'ancien chef de projet/programme dans l'équipe ou comme parties prenantes. 1 - Il va avoir un avis très négatif sur ce que vous faites (lui aurait fait mieux ou pas pareil) 2 - Si vous réussissez, cela indique que vous êtes meilleur que lui (il va mal le vivre) Morale : si vous récupérer un projet ou un programme mené par une autre personne avant vous, allez la voir, prenez son avis, son rex. Mais ne la mettez ni dans les parties prenantes, ni dans le Copil, ni bien entendu dans l'équipe projet.

A mistake to avoid during program transitions is relying solely on documentation. While documentation is crucial, neglecting the importance of guided direction can lead to confusion and inefficiencies in the transition process.

Plan carefully; transitions without clear goals and timelines are recipes for chaos. Communicate openly because everyone hates being left in the dark. Involve all key players - it's like a group project; everyone must be on the same page. Remember the human side; change is hard, and people need support. Provide training because nobody likes feeling clueless about new systems. Listen to feedback – it's gold. Be flexible; rigid plans don't survive in real life. Manage expectations; overselling leads to disappointment. Post-transition, take time to reflect and improve. Remember, your team's culture is critical; align transitions with it. Keep it smooth, and everyone wins!

Relying solely on documentation may result in overlooked gaps in operations post-program closure. Receiving teams must understand broader goals beyond project completion. Clear communication is crucial to prevent misunderstandings about program closure and maintain awareness of the program's status. Consider introducing an internal newsletter to spotlight program closure, express gratitude to contributors, and importantly, identify new process owners. Offer clear guidance on accessing program documentation, including lessons learned. Active participation of the senior leadership team in this communication ensures that their functional units receive the message through their reporting lines.

**Poor Stakeholder Engagement:** The East Side Access Project was a lesson in the importance of stakeholder engagement. I learned that identifying key stakeholders and understanding their concerns early could prevent resistance later. Regular meetings and transparent communication channels were instrumental in keeping stakeholders informed and involved, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration.

Stakeholders including sponsors, top management and cross functional department heads are key elements during transition program. They have great influence and a clear cut stakeholder management strategy should be put in place before staring the transition program. Identification of stakeholders, consultation with stakeholders, taking feedback from stakeholders, stakeholders communication policy including mode and frequency of communication should be well researched, documented and implemented during the transition program. Any lack of preparation may make or break the entire transition program.

To ensure transitions, in programs it is crucial to avoid mistakes. Engaging stakeholders effectively is vital as SpaceX demonstrated. Communication breakdowns as faced by Boeings Dreamliner project should be prevented. Risk management protocols must be in place like NASAs, to anticipate & prevent unforeseen setbacks. Change management in transitions by Airbus, and clearly defining project scopes in Lockheed Martins F 35 program helps prevent scope creep. Adequate resource planning inspired by Toyotas model & continuous talent development (unlike Kodaks oversight) are of importance. Boeing's 737 MAX crisis stresses the importance of compliance. Testing and robust data management practices as done by Tesla contribute to seamless transitions.

Stakeholders play a crucial role in the success of any program transition. Poor engagement with stakeholders can lead to resistance, lack of support, and even project failure. To mitigate this risk, organizations should prioritize involving stakeholders throughout the entire process. When in the process of transitioning, I always pay utmost care to the following salient:- 1. Identifying Key Stakeholders 2. Actively involve stakeholders in the decision-making process. 3. Clearly communicate the benefits of the transition to stakeholders 4. Identify potential sources of opposition and develop strategies to mitigate resistance, ensuring a smoother transition process. 5. Provide comprehensive training to stakeholders to adapt to the changes.

Repeated communication works well for stakeholders engagement. Note that the main activity of our stakeholders is something else, and not change management, so they mostly get so engrossed in their Business as usual that they tend to forget about the changes coming up. Hence it’s the Program Management responsibility to keep the focus

**Unrealistic Expectations:** Setting realistic expectations was crucial during the 2014 Belmont Stakes Triple Crown Opportunity Program. I had to balance ambition with practicality, ensuring our goals were achievable within the constraints we faced. This involved rigorous risk assessment and contingency planning, ensuring we were prepared for various scenarios.

Setting realistic expectations is one of the pillars of program management and I know we have all been guilty of falling into the pitfalls at some point in our careers, either from inexperience or pressure of the business. The key to this is taking yourself away and taking the step back to see the bigger picture which is usually the role of the program or portfolio manager. By doing this you can ensure sufficient resources are allocated as well as ensure that the business pressures are controlled and reduce the pressures which land on the project team's feet, often being one of the causes for errors and cutting corners.

I have seen many program transitions that were hindered by poorly defined and managed expectations. Surprisingly, most these were due to unrealistically LOW expectations. An organisational track record of failures, cancelled projects, wasted time and resources, unrealised benefits, lack of confidence etc can mean that expectations of a program are incredibly low. Do not always assume expectations are unrealistically high. Expectations tend to grow with a track record of success. Manage both success and failure carefully in order to maintain realistic expectations.

**Insufficient Resources:** Underestimating resources can be a critical oversight. Effective resource management was vital in my projects at MTA. It was not just about having enough resources; it was also about optimizing their use. Regular reviews of resource allocation and performance helped us stay on track and address any shortfalls promptly

This is the most critical one, rest all can be aligned in some timeframe, subjected to team composition. And resources don't mean only money, apparently money can't buy something's and for everything else there must be xxxxcard with an upper limit preset...

When I was leading a team at Reliance Communication to transition it from CDMA mobile operator to a universal operator (offering both CDMA and GSM services) initially I faced the resource crunch and our initial program delivery was not meeting the management expectations. During review I clearly discussed resource crunch issue with stakeholders and sponsors. The demand was immediately addressed and large no of team of engineers from other departments were moved to our team within a week. Within a month our team delivered spectacular results and we were not only cleared all backlogs but successfully delivered the program one month before the actual scheduled. Every PM should ask for all resources required for delivery of program.

One of the most common obstacles to success. Across multiple programmes I have been involved in, cost budgets and benefit cases are agreed and signed off at the outset, but costs are invariably cut (by up to 50%) during the transition period,with benefit cases remaining largely unchanged. Program Managers must continuously test the Sponsors full commitment to the program and immediately flag the impact of resource shortfalls on the benefit case.

**Inadequate Monitoring and Evaluation:** The importance of monitoring and evaluation cannot be overstated. During my tenure at MTA, I established frameworks to assess progress against key performance indicators regularly. This approach allowed us to not only track the effectiveness of our initiatives but also to identify areas needing improvement quickly. For instance, in implementing the Trapeze/Signature Rail system, continuous evaluation was critical in ensuring the system met our operational needs and adapting our approach based on real-time feedback.

Feedback and fully engaged resources along the entire value chain were the key to reaching steady state in half the expected time for a new SAS implementation.

Setting up reminders at strategic frequency for both upcoming change events and already missed updates or outliers is a good way of monitoring. Note that the monitoring should also be in a planned manner and tracked.

One thing you should avoid is lack of registration. A well-registered project/program helps a lot when it comes to transitioning to another team/manager and/or transitioning after completion to the operational team.

Ignoring four practices, typically, leads to value being left on the table(1)Tailoring transition approach to program context-minimizing impact to business as usual; governance structures to address multi-stakeholder complexity; accounting for regional/cultural nuances(2)Plan the work and work the plan-develop common understanding of engagement model and ways of working;address critical cross-stakeholder dependencies and stress test high-risk/high-volume use cases in foundational learning sprint to accelerate later(3)Execute transition with rigor-transition progress visibility;effective governance and escalation management(4)Ensure appropriate OCM interventions-leadership advocacy;change network;communication and training #programmanagement

When managing a program transition, it's crucial to steer clear of a few common pitfalls. First, don't overlook the importance of clear communication. Misunderstandings can cause serious issues down the line. Also, avoid assuming that everyone is on the same page. Regular check-ins are essential to ensure alignment. Another mistake is neglecting the impact of change on the team. Transitions can be stressful, so it's important to support your team emotionally and practically. Lastly, resist the urge to rush. Hasty transitions often lead to overlooked details and future headaches. Take your time to do it right.

Effective change management is pivotal to program transitions, promoting that people, processes, and technology align with the intended future state. It helps reduce resistance by involving employees, maintaining communication, and aligning changes with strategic goals. Training and adapting to new roles are supported, preserving productivity. Neglecting the shift in organizational behavior can lead to transition failure, as unprepared employees may resist change, leading to low morale and inefficiency.

Beyond the mentioned subheads, several additional factors contribute to the success of program transitions. These considerations complement the key areas discussed above: Cultural Alignment: Ensure that the transition aligns with the organizational culture. Legal and Compliance Issues: Failure to comply with regulations can result in penalties and reputational damage. Scalability: Plan for scalability to accommodate future growth. A transition that meets current needs but lacks scalability may become obsolete quickly. Security Measures: A lack of security measures can expose the organization to data breaches and compromise sensitive information.