Anticlue

If you are the project manager of a project which has absolutely no benefit, it is time to jump from the train before train wreak. Seriously, let's look at this scenario:

The new department head wanted a new system, because she loved using it at her old job. Operationally she requested and received funding was ready to go. After the planning was done and during execution, the project manager realized that there was an enormous risk to adoption with the physician community. It was not conveniently interwoven into the workflow. As the rollout continued, resentment from the floor towards the system came to light. Staff repeatedly mentioned the cumbersome nature of the new system. When asked about the benefits, the department head related how it benefited her old job. Several staff whispered on how those benefits where already achieved due to workflow and process improvement changes, without the system. The anticipated increase was a lot of squeeze for little juice. During training, the pm and the sponsor tried to rally the adoption of the system, but the value just wasn't there. The physicians were very vocal at the executive level for wasting money on a cumbersome painful system, with limited integration. After rollout, adoption issues continued to plague the project team. The concept wasn't valid in this environment and as the staff had said stated the anticipated benefit realization, did not occur.

Unfortunately, in an environment without a good governance process this tale is far too often heard. Everyone's time and effort is of value. If you hear about a project like this tale, in a leadership role, investigate it. If the conclusion is that the project has no value or benefits, be politically savvy, and try to get the project to a state that it has value -Credible realistic value. Because honestly, at the end of the day, a project with absolutely no value disheartens staff, wastes money and time, and causes credibility losses, all of these are reasons not to move forward with such an endeavor.

So how do you help this project? As a pm, I would take some time with the sponsor to review the assumed benefits from the business case. Take the time to check the current state of the benefits, to establish a baseline. After wards discuss the findings and how to achieve the assumed benefits, then detail about in a benefits realization matrix the desired goals. Once this matrix is agreed to by the sponsor - communicate it upwards and out to the stakeholders. If there are still no benefits, and a political nightmare, as the pm I would have an honest collaboration with my boss on what I see occurring. I'd request help for the current situation. Most good managers and directors will see the problem and help bring it to resolution.

Further Readings on Taming Chaotic Project Management:

• The Top Ten Characteristics of a Chaotic Project Management Environment


• Find out how many active projects are in flight.


• Establish your organization's current and desired need of Healthcare IT


• Collaborate on Prioritization Decision Criteria


• Have a defined and approved process to accept work.


• How to stop running the daily meeting marathon


• Using the WBS to define deliverables


• How to know when you have a project and when you do not


• 8 Training Tips on how to develop project schedules


• Introduce a Scope Change Management Process


• Introduce a Benefits Management Process


• Top 5 benefits to a project dashboard


• Growing up from a functional to a matrix model

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