Leadership Lessons From Many Failed Projects

1. A bad idea executed perfectly is still a bad idea
2. A good idea poorly executed is of no use to anyone
3. A good plan now is better than a perfect plan later
4. If we’re all thinking alike … none of us are thinking at all
5. It's easier to resist at the beginning than at the end
6. No good decision was ever made sitting in a leather chair
7. Failing to plan is planning to fail
8. Avoid the "Just do it" mentality
9. We have a plan ... we are in the planning stages of that plan ... the planification if you will ... there is no such thing as a perfect plan
10. Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away
11. The sunk cost fallacy ... there are two states to any project ... too soon to tell ... too late to stop. Keep bad news covered up until you have spent so much money ... it's too late to cancel the program ... "we've spent too much money already"
12. Sunk costs are like entropy .. always increasing ... can never be recovered
13. Work expands to fill the time available
14. You can give a monkey a scalpel ... but that doesn't make him a surgeon
15. If you give a man a hammer ... every thing starts to look like a nail
16. Perception is reality ... if they know nothing of what you are doing ... you are doing nothing
17. Murphy's law ... shit happens ... expect it
18. There is risk and uncertainty in everything we do ... including doing nothing
19. The first myth of project management ... is that it exists
20. Experience isn't something that you get until just after you need it ... failure is a hard teacher .. she gives the test first and the lesson after
21. About the time you finish doing something .. you know just enough to start

The 3 biggest reasons projects fail

1. Unrealistic expectations
2. Unrealistic schedule
3. Unrealistic budget

Newtons 3 laws of projects

1. A project in motion tends to stay in motion ... even when the customer doesn't want it
2. A project at rest tends to stay at rest ... even though all of the customers want it
3. For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism

A change in momentum requires leadership and communication ... you have to take into account friction & resistance ... 

Don't Rush It ..

The 3 biggest things I see rushed in product development ... which are crucial to success

At the Beginning ..

• Strategy
• Planning

At the end ...

• Testing

We don't have time for testing ... we have to ship by the deadline!

Schedule ... Schedule ... Schedule ...

Excess & Waste ..

The 3 things I see done to excess ... which add little to no value

• Updating the status of the status ... reports & updates
• Excessive Emails
• Endless Meetings

We rush through the strategy and planning stages ... we just need to get it done .. we need to execute!

Have you ever been too busy driving ... to stop and get gas?

I don't know where we're going but we're making damn good time!!

JUST GET IT DONE!!

The Project Isn't Finished ...

You can't consider a project finished until you learn three things from it

1. What we did wrong
2. What we can improve
3. What we did right

What A Good Plan Looks Like

Commander's Intent is the description of the desired result and why it is important

How do you know if its a good plan, the project premortem or red teaming is a good way to test your strategy in a practice environment

Communication & Problem Solving

The talking football or a talking stick is a simple method to increase teamwork and communication

The thinking hats, how to solve problems faster at get better solutions