The project psychologist - Part 2 – Planning of a transformation

The behavioural considerations that impact the transformation during the planning of a transformation.

Planning and structuring transitions are core competencies of program managers. Planning serves to set and communicate delivery expectations, but the process itself also influences stakeholder behaviour. Let’s explore these psychological aspects in more detail.

Creation of a Plan

The process begins with the initial planning, which can be either very conservative or highly ambitious. Both approaches affect how stakeholders perceive the plan and how they contribute. A highly ambitious plan may discourage involvement if stakeholders doubt its feasibility, while a conservative one can sap energy from the start.

The key is to strike a balance—ambitious yet realistic. Setting clear expectations and communicating them effectively is critical. When presenting the plan to stakeholders and the project team, simplicity is essential. A common mistake is spending too much time creating overly detailed plans with complex dependencies, which are often viewed as incomplete or difficult to explain. This can alienate stakeholders instead of gaining control.

A better approach is to identify recognizable milestones with clear business benefits, keeping the number of milestones limited. The way you communicate the plan is crucial for its acceptance. A passionate presentation by a sponsor can energize the team to put in the effort needed to achieve the milestones.

Monitoring and steering

Monitoring and steering a plan also involve psychological factors. Status discussions—whether the project is red or amber—are common. Many project managers prefer reporting an amber status, even when there's a serious risk of delay, to avoid the stigma of failure. Unfortunately, this often results in last-minute surprises, leaving little time to correct course.

Creating a safe environment where project managers feel comfortable reporting red statuses is essential to avoid such situations. On the other hand, some managers are overly cautious and report red too soon, which can lead to unnecessary interventions or misinformed decisions. This can also lead to a lack of accountability, as individuals may feel they've already "warned" others about potential failure.

A more effective approach is to treat dashboards as storytelling tools, not just neutral monitoring devices. Experienced program managers use dashboards to narrate a project’s status and guide the team toward the right actions.

Adapting the Plan

Plans inevitably change. However, constant adjustments, while reflecting reality, can confuse stakeholders and erode trust in the plan over time. A better strategy is to schedule periodic plan reviews, allowing the team to reset and revise the plan as needed. Involving the entire team in this process helps maintain their support and alignment with the new direction.

Discipline is also crucial. The program team should understand the broader impact on customers and the organization if the plan is not followed. Small deviations early on can snowball into bigger issues later. Following the plan with discipline ensures that the team stays on course and learns to minimize deviations.

This concludes the second article in our five-part series. The first article is about the Why of transformations. In the upcoming articles, we will continue exploring the behavioral factors that influence transformation and change management.