People-Dependent Project ROI & To What End

"Phrase Flipping" with Tim Creasey - a LinkedIn newsletter aimed at providing perspective-shifting, aha-sparking phrases that change agents can easily access to unlock change challenges. These phrases are designed to be simple, memorable, easily accessible and retrievable at a moment's notice or in a crunch! No advanced communications degree, neuroscience specialty or special simulation software required. Good, old fashioned, painfully practical tips and tactics for gaining traction captured in ready-to-deploy and easily accessible packages - phrases you can flip. Read the first edition for the newsletter foundation.

In Edition 2, we are flipping two phrases that help provide context by anchoring to intended outcomes: “People-Dependent Project ROI” & “To What End”

People-Dependent Project ROI?

Who you can flip it with

Sponsors, senior leaders, project managers and solution developers who are still skeptical about the value and importance of change management; Solution vendors overly focused on installation of the technical solution ?

What connection it makes

“People-Dependent Project ROI” puts the value of change management into the larger context of the expected value of the change itself – the Return on Investment (ROI) of the project. Change management is not something that runs alongside or outside of the project; it contributes to the portion of the project outcome that depends on people adopting and using the solution. The phrase “People-Dependent Project ROI” makes that connection explicit, and begs to be answered after some important introspection.?

When it comes in handy

“People-Dependent Project ROI” is helpful to build buy-in and commitment to change management by changing the conversation and the anchor of value. One of my favorite webinars we’ve ever delivered at Prosci is called “Stop Talking About What You Do and Start Talking About What You Deliver.” While the activities of change management (create strategy, build blueprints, develop plans, execute activities) are certainly important, true commitment comes when we show our stakeholder that change management helps them achieve what they already set out to achieve. I once watched a team use the Prosci CMROI Calculator to arrive at “62%” as the percentage of project ROI that depended on adoption. While this was admittedly just an estimation, they began using “62%” as a proxy to discuss the people side of change: Do we have the Awareness we need to get to the 62%? Are we on track to get the 62%? Do we have enough resources assigned for the 62%? The value of the people side of change now had a label - 62% - which gave the group a common language and traction. (note: a future newsletter edition will flip “name it to tame it” and likely bring back the 62% example)?

The people side of change is complex – and it can be difficult to conceptualize all of the moving parts that result in people adopting a solution to drive success. But even without a complete understanding of the human dynamics of change, a sponsor or project manager can evaluate the overall project value and estimate how much depends on adoption and usage. And with that concept of “People-Dependent Project ROI” comes a connection and the foundation for partnership and collaboration.?

Where it came from

The phrase “People-Dependent Project ROI” emerged from many years of Prosci’s work on the ROI of change management. Too often, the ROI of change management was considered something separate than the ROI of the project. To connect the two, Prosci first introduced the three human factors that determine or constrain project ROI as: Speed of adoption, Ultimate utilization, and Proficiency (SUP). These three factors emerged from some pretty heady and heavy analysis of the normal distributions of ROI estimates relative to actuals and how people (human beings) factored into the equation, but I digress. After Prosci introduced SUP, development shifted to a CMROI Calculator that used a weighted counter null hypothesis estimation for the percentage of the overall project ROI that depends on adoption, again a slight digression. The calculator was robust but hard to handle for non-experts. After the conceptual foundation was built, the next step was simplifying the message so it could be more effectively communicated to our stakeholders and partners on projects. The first time I asked what is now known as the “key question” from a large stage was in December 2014 in Las Vegas, as the closing keynote at the Gartner Business Process Management Conference. There a room of over 700 process professionals indicated 70% to 95% of the results of their most important projects depended on people by answering this question in an interactive poll:?

For your project, what percentage of overall results and outcomes depends on employee adoption and usage of the change??

The final turn of phrase came in a late night LinkedIn post, perhaps after a few bourbons. The quote subsequently made it’s way into numerous webinars and programs: We are not in the change management business; we are in the ‘delivering people-dependent project ROI’ business.?

Why it seems to work

Whenever we can take the “value of change management” conversation on to the turf of our audience, we build understanding and gain traction. People have an idea of the value their project is going to deliver – either a specifically calculated ROI or a generally understood effect for effort. And, they can envision or at least provide a range for how much of that benefit depends on people. “People-Dependent Project ROI” ties the conversation to their anchor and what they value, directly. Also, it’s a fun one to ask as a question and let your sponsor or project manager or team each give their own answer. While they are arriving at the number, they are at the same time convincing them to listen to whatever it is you have to say next as a practitioner in the “delivering people-dependent project ROI” discipline (i.e. change management).?

How can you use it??

This is where you come in! Have you ever flipped “People-Dependent Project ROI”? What were the results? How might you envision using it? Who might you use it with (don’t name names, but give us illustrative examples)? What challenges have you encountered that might be addressed with “People-Dependent Project ROI”??

Add to the conversation in the comments ?

Read more:

• 10 Musings on Defining, Clarifying and Positioning Change Management?
• The Bottom Line of Change Management: Results and Outcomes?
• Why Change Management on Prosci.com

To What End

Who you can flip it with

Anyone you are working with to go somewhere, together?

What connection it makes

Creates shared understanding on what we are trying to achieve and the desired outcome of our effort. It helps bring our view of the finish line closer together. It promotes alignment by establishing a shared flag on the horizon to move toward.??

When it comes in handy

“To What End” comes in handy when we are working together with someone else (a partner, a colleague, a sponsor, a team, a large group) to go somewhere (forward, an improvement, a physical destination, a goal or aspiration).?

“To What End” is really one of the more flexible phrases we’ll flip. It causes us to take a step back and say “what are we trying to achieve when we put effort into this?” which is essential if we are working with others. Collaboration depends on a shared understanding of what we are trying to accomplish. As Peter Senge so astutely observed, and I’ve paraphrased, empowerment without alignment only amplifies the chaos. Agreement on a common “To What End” is that first step toward alignment and partnership.?

“To What End” is one of the phrases my team hears more than just about any other - we use it everywhere. Writing a company wide announcement? To What End? Developing a new ? program on the Change Scorecard? To What End? Strategizing for a one-hour prospecting call? To What End? Launching a newsletter about flipping accessible phrases? To What End? Re-imagining the purpose of shared space in a global hybrid workplace? To What End? Picking out new bathroom fixtures? To What End??

Where it came from?

To What End goes back – way back. I’d imagine there is a philosophy text or two that explores a focus on the outcome. I began using it more often around 2015 to capture the expected outcome of collaborations. Early on, it was often in a 1:1 setting when I was trying to either better understand, or help someone more effectively articulate, an intended effect. I have since pulled it forward into numerous presentations (especially those to senior leaders about the importance of defining success) and more recently into a number of podcasts in various spaces (including podcasts on innovation and for physicians).

“To What End” also happens to be one of my Alignment Hacks. These Alignment Hacks have evolved since March 2020 as tactics and techniques for gaining alignment and closing common gaps that prevent progress. A number of the Alignment Hacks have shown up in presentations and webinars, but in November 2021 I had the privilege of recording a two-part podcast on Project Management Happy Hour serving up the Alignment Hack 12-Pack (Part 1 was released on November 23; Part 2 was released on November 30).

Why it seems to work

It is so easy to end up heads down and veering off track. “To What End” causes us to lift our heads up to look out on the horizon. And, when we are working with anyone else, then it’s important we are both moving toward the same spot on the horizon. In my experience, the initial response is often, “Umm?” followed by an emoji-worthy chin scratch. However, asking and answering “To What End” starts the process. Anchoring and re-anchoring to the purpose and intended effect promotes alignment and feeds collaborative progress.?

How can you use it??

This is where you come in! Have you ever flipped “To What End”? What were the results? How might you envision using it? Who might you use it with (don’t name names, but give us illustrative examples)? What challenges have you encountered that might be addressed with “To What End”??

Add to the conversation in the comments ?

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Tim Creasey | Chief Innovation Officer | Prosci

@timcreasey | https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/timcreasey

Tim Creasey is an author, researcher, and change expert who focuses on the people side of change with process, wit, and vigor. Tim’s work forms the foundation of the world’s largest body of knowledge on change management and his role as Chief Innovation Officer at Prosci gives him unparalleled insight into change management challenges, trends, and futures. Having spoken to thousands of change agents around the globe, Tim is authentic, knowledgeable, and unassumingly funny - equipping audiences with valuable data and actionable insights.

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