When to Pivot, Pause, or Pull the Plug on Transformation Projects Organizational transformation initiatives fail at an alarming rate—studies consistently show failure rates between 70-90%. Yet the most successful leaders distinguish themselves not by avoiding setbacks, but by making decisive intervention decisions when transformation projects begin to falter. This article provides a systematic framework for […]
Great project managers aren’t born, but it does take a certain sort as the saying goes. There will always be a balance between a project manager’s instinct and experience and the adherence to a flexible yet predefined project management methodology. All good project managers will possess a combination of acquired experience, a recognized qualification in […]
We live in a culture of yes. In the business world, we are taught to engage, be assertive and never turn down an opportunity. All of this behavior results in a whole lot of yeses (and time commitments). After all, saying yes is fun; it often feels a lot better than saying no. To further […]
One of today’s current buzz phrases in the management lexicon is that alignment of organizational goals should be aligned throughout an organization. Certainly, this is true, yet it’s often quoted without the real understanding of meaning or importance. A recent study by Capgemini and the IESE Business School, which surveyed 260 innovation executives globally, found […]
We all want to be positive, embrace an optimistic future, and focus on possibilities. This is especially true in managing projects and introducing change into an organization. We see the possibilities at the other end of the change, it can be exciting . . . however, the change can’t simply be declared and expected to […]
Talk to any transformation leader long enough, and the same story comes out. The project had a sponsor on paper. The kickoff deck named one. The steering committee charter assigned one. But somewhere between launch and landing, no one was actually steering the ship. The team made its hard calls in a vacuum, hit organizational […]
In their recent research report, 10 Best Practices in Organizational Change for Project Managers (August 29, 2011), Gartner focuses on the fact that project and program managers struggle with coordinating effective, organizational change practices. This struggle is compounded by an increasing rate of structural change from activities such as mergers and reorganizations, which is making change […]
Jesse Jacoby
David Baker
Daniel Lock
Steve Salisbury
