Seven Tips for Managing Complex, Fast-moving Projects

Let’s face it, complex projects are tough.

According to many pundits, observers, and my own observations, rarely are complex projects outstanding successes. But, rarely are they complete failures too. For many organizations, the results are somewhere in between. But that’s not good enough.

Organizations have spent billions on sophisticated PPM tools, training and developing project managers, developing and implementing methodologies, standing up PMOs, and providing critical coaching to their staff, all with the singular purpose of improving project success. Unfortunately, based on many surveys and reports, they don’t seem to be getting the best “bang for the buck” for their investment.

In my experience, which includes being a practitioner, consultant, and executive, I have identified seven tips that can boost your chances of project success when managing these demanding initiatives. As you will read, the first tip is the most important with the other six coming in a very close second. So, here they are.

Tip No. 1:  Make sure the project has an engaged sponsor 

The Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Boston Consulting Group have found that having an engaged sponsor is the top driver of business success[i]. Having support from a respected sponsor is extraordinarily valuable because they help organizations bridge the gap in communications between implementers (the PM and team) and influencers, resulting in increased support and collaboration. Sponsors also remove roadblocks, help drive transformational change, and most importantly, communicate the ways in which the project’s outcomes will result in business success. 

Tip No. 2:  Assign the most capable, knowledgeable and savvy project manager you can find 

Many years ago, while attending a conference in India, I heard the former CEO of Infosys remark “The most important input to quality in project management is the project manager.” Sure, processes, tools, and a common language are important. But it’s the person “leading the charge,” one who has that particular set of leadership, management, and business skills, as well as a strong track record (managing complex projects), who is key to success. And, when assigned, the organization must ensure that the project manager is provided with the authority to make decisions, and, that everyone involved knows what that decision-making authority is. (Among other things, that’s what the Project Charter spells out).

Tip No. 3: Establish clear goals and success criteria

Is it possible to complete a project on time, at cost, and one that meets the requirements and still be considered unsuccessful? You bet. I know. I’ve managed a few. The reason? The benefits were not delivered, the business case was not realized, and the key stakeholders are dissatisfied. It’s the benefits, what the stakeholders expect, that form the basis for investing in the project in the first place. It’s the benefits that are the success criteria.

Projects are more than the sum of their individual deliverables. A benefits management and realization plan will help ensure that when completed, the stakeholders will be more than satisfied with the results. Remember, it’s the stakeholders who determine success, not those delivering the project.

Tip No. 4:  Establish a governance structure that drives decision-making down to the lowest possible level 

Projects need governance, but they don’t need bureaucracy of the sort that slows down decision-making. An organization should examine and implement the type(s) of governance structure that will work best for its culture, the governance team, and the project manager. This will ensure that only those decisions that cannot be handled by the project manager are escalated to the sponsor, governance committee, or both. Speeding up decision-making speeds up project completion.

It is also important for all stakeholders to know what the decision-making authority of the project manager is, what the escalation procedure is, and who has final decision-making authority under the circumstances. Project managers should also encourage decision-making among their core team members. What good is it if the project manager has more independence to make decisions from their managers but continue to deny that same type of independent thinking among their team? It’s not good at all. Micromanagement, except in the most extreme cases, has no place in today’s practice of project management.

Tip No. 5:  Start with the right approach to support project delivery 

Low-uncertainty projects are best executed using the predictive or traditional life-cycle approach to project management. Often called the “waterfall” model, especially by software engineers, it has been used widely, and successfully, over many decades. It works, but not in all cases. As we have witnessed with the rise of Agile, using the waterfall approach is not ideal for projects whose end product, service, or result cannot be precisely defined at the outset.

Therefore, it is important to identify the characteristics of the project at hand to determine what particular life-cycle approach should be used, and the execute the project accordingly. In certain circumstances we can, and should, use a “hybrid” approach which combines both the waterfall and Agile frameworks. Not all project managers have experience in managing agile projects (Agile is a philosophy supported by innumerable frameworks, with Scrum being the most popular), and those that don’t have such experience should receive the necessary training so they will be effective if they are assigned to a project that would be best managed using an Agile approach.

Tip No. 6:  Encourage, if not require, wide-spread use of standardized practices 

Whether one is using the waterfall approach, an Agile approach, or some combination of the two, managing a complex project should be done by employing a systematic, structured approach. This includes the application and use of various life-cycles, phase gate reviews, sprints, retrospectives, tools, techniques, templates (e.g., WBS, RBS, OBS, Risk Register, RACI charts, etc.), project reports, and key deliverables. When the use of standardized practices is embedded in an organization, it reduces overall project risk, enhances productivity, and leads to better outcomes. Even the many permutations of Agile have some structure and approach to executing projects. Agile is not a “free for all” and definitely not a license to ignore a systematic approach to getting the job done.

Tip No. 7: Maintain an agile mindset and understand organizational change management 

Project managers introduce change to an organization through the very projects they deliver. For some projects, the change is not altogether significant; for others, the level and magnitude of change can be overwhelming. Witness the incredible speed of change occurring in many organizations’ digital initiatives as a direct result of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Project managers should understand the magnitude of change being introduced into the organization resulting from their project, as well as the process of organizational change management. They should then work with the appropriate stakeholders to develop transition plans to help make the change process successful. The project manager should also be receptive to new ideas regarding project goals and objectives and consult the governance committee if scope changes are significant enough to re-baseline the project.

Other than playing craps, the number seven that I’ve used here has no magic or importance to it. I didn’t set out with any number in mind. I identified some key tips based on my experience and wrote down seven thoughts. These are my seven tips; you may have more or less, or disagree with some, or even all, that I have identified.

It’s not altogether important that we agree, but it is important that, as project professionals, we work together and continue to discuss how we can get better. Toward that end, I’m very interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter. After all, we’re all in this together! 

[i] PMI and BCG, Executive Sponsor Engagement: Top Driver of Project and Program Success, PMI, October 2014