Faster can be Safer

Achieving Efficient Project Delivery: Strategies for Speed and Success – Moving Fast Safely

Have you noticed the renewed requirement for speed in project delivery??? The pressures to move to green energy provision or the challenge of ensuring that our ageing infrastructure is dealt with as quickly and as cost-effectively as possible all require innovative thinking so that we can move safely and at speed.??

?Large organisations often move slowly due to embedded systems, processes and procedures. Working with pace can be a challenge.? There are legitimate concerns about health, well-being and safety but we must find ways that we can mobilise high-performance teams to work in new ways to get critical work done as fast as we can.

So how do we move safely and at speed?

?Introduction

In an era where agility and responsiveness are crucial, the ability to deliver projects quickly and effectively is a key differentiator. This thought piece presents a comprehensive approach to enhancing project delivery speed by focusing on a whole system approach:

First by ensuring that people in the team are happy, safe and well, they need to understand the purpose (the why) and be focused and motivated. They need to fully understand what they are doing and why the element of pace is critical.? They need to know that they are trusted and respected and that they will be looked after as part of this team.? It is not enough to optimise processes and employ excellence in strategic planning.? The key is harnessing the power of deep collaboration.?

You just know when you are in a high-performing mobilise where everyone knows the purpose of the mission and everyone knows why they are there. They know that they are respected and trusted to achieve great results.

We must not only accelerate project timelines but also elevate the quality and safety of their outcomes.

Efficient project delivery is a cornerstone of success in today's competitive business landscape. What are the essential elements required to improve the speed and efficiency of project execution while maintaining quality, safety and stakeholder satisfaction?

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Key Factors for Speed and Efficiency in the Delivery of Major Projects

Clear Project Goals and Scope

Defining and aligning project goals and scope among stakeholders is a fundamental step. A clear understanding of the project's purpose prevents scope creep and ensures that the team remains aligned throughout the project lifecycle.

The classic examples of this are “We are putting a man on the moon and bringing him home safely” NASA or the Olympic Rowing team “Will it make the boat go faster”

These verbal memes ensure that the culture of focus is embedded.? If we are distracted by something that does not add to the delivery of our mission we do not do it.?

Effective Project Planning

A robust project plan that outlines tasks, dependencies, and timelines serves as a roadmap. ?The more visual and engaging this is the better – and in multiple forms – video, infographic, slide deck, mission statement.? A very impactful project on a page ensures that everyone on the team knows exactly what the team is doing.??

?Effective planning minimises uncertainties, optimises resource allocation, and provides a structured path for the team to follow.? We always start with scenario planning – carefully getting a diverse team to consider what challenges we may encounter.? If we can plan for the many issues that may arise at the outset then we can overcome those faster in the moment.

Task Prioritisation

Using frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix or MoSCoW method aids in prioritising tasks based on urgency and importance. This approach allows teams to continually focus on high-impact activities that drive project success.? Everyone should ensure that there is nothing that they are doing that someone else could do better. ??Too often the senior team find that they get slowed down by a lot of ‘noise’ such as filling in holiday forms and signing off expenses – there are lots of digital tools now to remove these things that absorb minutes and when every minute matters it is critical to assess what people are spending their time on.

Task Breakdown for Manageability

Breaking down complex tasks into smaller sub-tasks enhances manageability and facilitates parallel execution. This approach increases efficiency and enables team members to work in tandem.? Working in new and different ways can radically speed up delivery. ?Think beyond your sector – who works with speed and safety – McDonald's, F1 Pit Crews and Scientists collaborating globally got us to a vaccine in one year and not 10-15

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-did-we-develop-a-covid-19-vaccine-so-quickly#Other-coronaviruses

Optimal Resource Allocation

Assigning tasks to team members based on their skills and strengths ensures optimal resource utilisation. Who is the best person for this task right now?? This prevents burnout, enhances productivity, and leverages the team's collective expertise. This way of working requires a team of people who are flexible and agile in their working and thinking and also trust and autonomy.? Psychological Safety is the foundation.

Some people thrive in this type of team and some people find this very challenging. So, if you want to mobilise a high-performing team the selection of the team members at the outset is critical.?

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Open and Effective Communication

Maintaining transparent, open and consistent communication channels fosters collaboration and prevents misunderstandings. Regular updates, status checks, and quick feedback loops keep everyone informed and aligned.? The communications should be engaging for all types of people – visual, auditory and even kinaesthetic and gustatory.? Communication should be genuine and memorable.? Communication must be two-way, not top-down.?? Communications should be continual and not just at the launch of a mission.

Celebration of success and consideration of ways that everyone knows what is going on and what milestones have been achieved.?

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Identifying and Eliminating Bottlenecks

Identifying bottlenecks in the workflow and addressing them promptly is essential for uninterrupted progress. Resource constraints, inefficient processes, or dependencies can cause bottlenecks.? How can you identify any challenges the team may have in the future? Can these be addressed on day one of project planning??? It is critical to ensure that you have cognitive diversity – ideas often come from the most unexpected sources.? We must always ask the essential question:

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“Who else anywhere else in any other sector or anywhere in the world may have already solved this”

We waste so much time working on problems that someone has already solved.

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Embracing Agile Methodologies

Agile methodologies promote iterative development, continuous feedback, and adaptability. They enable teams to respond swiftly to changes, manage priorities effectively, and deliver incremental value.?? Selecting systems and ways of working that everyone agrees with and can easily engage with is essential.?? The systems and ways of working should always enable people to move safely with speed and certainty – but caution must be there to ensure that the systems do not get in the way and start to slow the system down.

Leveraging Automation

Automating repetitive and manual tasks reduces the risk of errors and saves time. Automation allows team members to focus on higher-value activities, contributing to overall efficiency. Early consideration of digital systems, Robotics and AI are critical. What is the best practice to enable speed, safety, and certainty?? We must always be asking – if there is a better way to do this we must find it!

Streamlining Non-Value-Added Activities

Identifying and streamlining activities that do not contribute to project success eliminates wastage of time and effort. This optimisation enhances overall productivity and accelerates project delivery.? What are you or any of the team doing that they could stop doing? Regular use of the simple – Stop, Start, Continue tool is useful in team meetings.

Also, ensure that all the team are employed to challenge by saying “Why do we do that?” or “Why do we not use this tool – it looks faster and better?”

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Proactive Risk Management

Anticipating and addressing potential risks through effective risk management strategies mitigates potential setbacks. Being prepared empowers the team to navigate challenges confidently and maintain project momentum. Regular scenario planning and ensuring that you inspire the team with great examples from other sectors or countries can inspire different thinking.

Thorough Documentation

Comprehensive documentation of project requirements, decisions, and progress reduces ambiguity and aids in knowledge sharing. Well-documented projects are easier to manage and scale.

Nurturing a Culture of Innovation

Creating an environment where innovative ideas are encouraged fosters creative problem-solving. Team members should feel empowered to suggest improvements and novel solutions. An idea management system can help to democratise innovation.? Innovation as a discipline needs to be respected and supported for it to be successful.? You cannot expect people to stop what they are doing and innovate when there is a focus on pace.? ?You must identify people who have the capacity and capability to innovate and then give them the skills, the time and the autonomy to think in new and different ways.?? In the battle of today v tomorrow – today will win.? What can you do in your organisation or team to ensure that innovation can flourish?

The operational delivery world is in a tense loop with the innovation world and yet projects at pace require both.

Trust-Based Leadership, Avoiding Micromanagement

Leaders who trust their teams to execute tasks efficiently encourage autonomy and accountability. Micromanagement stifles creativity and undermines team morale.

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What do you regularly do to ensure that everyone in the team knows that they are trusted to get on with things?

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This simple diagram is so helpful for leaders to question their communications and procedures – are you creating an optimised and innovative high-performing team or apathy?

Continuous Learning and Professional Development

Investing in the ongoing learning and development of team members enhances their skills and perspectives. Learning new techniques and approaches can lead to increased efficiency and improved outcomes.? Everyone should have access to inspiring learning opportunities for continual improvement and inspiration.? Where possible this learning should be cascaded as when you are learning and know that you have to teach what you are learning your attention and focus increases.

Celebrating Milestones

Recognising and celebrating project milestones boosts team morale and maintains motivation. Acknowledging achievements reinforces the sense of progress and accomplishment.? The milestones celebrated should be small as well as large.?

“When given the choice between rewarding people through recognition versus money, recognition wins hands-down”

Dr Amantha Imber, The Innovation Formula

Be creative in the ways that you recognise people

Feedback and Retrospectives

Conducting regular retrospectives and seeking feedback from team members helps in identifying areas for improvement. Iterative feedback loops facilitate the continuous refinement of processes.? This can become embedded where individuals openly critique their performance in front of their peers.

The Red Arrows follow a simple and effective procedure.

All practice session displays are recorded to ensure nothing is missed and normally last between 15 to 30 minutes.

Following the practice sessions, the team go straight into debriefing, reviewing the recording of the displays as a group. This is really where the Red Arrows differentiate from other High Performing Teams. In an environment of trust, feedback and open communication the team review the footage, and they call out their own mistakes, faults and issues with the rest of the group. If required these are discussed in more detail and suggestions are made to rectify them immediately. There are no consequences for admitting fault, the only aim is to improve.

Defining Clear Acceptance Criteria

Project deliverables should have well-defined acceptance criteria. This clarity prevents misunderstandings and ensures that the team is aligned on what constitutes successful completion.? No ambiguity is allowed when working at speed.

Tailoring Strategies to Your Context

While the strategies outlined in this thought piece provide a comprehensive framework, it's important to adapt and tailor them to the unique characteristics of your organisation, industry, and projects. Flexibility and the ability to integrate these strategies seamlessly into your existing processes will yield the most effective results. Getting the right tone and style to calibrate with your culture will ensure that your strategies will be embedded faster.

Conclusion

Efficient project delivery is not merely about speed—it's about optimising processes, fostering collaboration, and consistently delivering value. By implementing the strategies discussed in this thought piece, organisations can navigate the challenges of modern project management with confidence, achieve faster results, and maintain a reputation for excellence.

Achieving Speed and Excellence in Project Delivery: The Path Forward

As the business landscape continues to evolve, the demand for rapid and high-quality project delivery will only intensify. Organisations that embrace these strategies and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement will not only meet these demands but also excel in an environment that rewards agility and efficiency.

What do you do to ensure your team is motivated and can work at speed without compromising on well-being or safety?

Let's go!