Project Sponsors Are Too Casual About Success
IT projects failing to deliver the business value the project sponsor expects is an indication of a casual approach to development and delivery of the capabilities required. Casual approaches exist in business environments lacking financial controls, minimal consequences for poor performance and weak leadership.
When the Project Sponsor’s attitude lacks gravitas, it creates a business environment in which a casual approach flourishes. |
Sun Tzu said:
“War is a grave affair of state.
It is a matter of life and death, a road to either safety or ruin.
It is a matter deserving of careful deliberation, which leaders cannot neglect.” |
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Business as Warfare
Many authors and thought leaders compare business to military warfare. The comparison is valid because in military warfare and in IT warfare, armies/teams are pursuing objectives designed to conquer an enemy.
In business warfare, the enemy is the business problem.
The prime directive in warfare is to conserve resources. In military warfare, the key resources are personnel (lives, health and wellbeing) and materiel. In business warfare, the key resources are money (the lifeblood of business), cash and capital.
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The Three Primary Paths to Victory or Defeat:
Victory by Brute Force. This path utilizes more resources than actually required to complete the mission. With a brute force approach, the army overcomes an enemy without gaining an in-depth understanding of the enemy. Victory is almost certain and it is certainly more expensive than necessary. People with money to burn and an abundance of resources follow this path..
Victory by Chance. Victory by chance is a tactical approach to battle. It utilizes a variable number of resources deployed during execution in response to the current situation. Like victory by brute force, the army pursing victory by chance engages an enemy without gaining an in-depth understanding of the enemy prior to battle. Victory by chance relies on the ability to adapt quickly to the enemy upon understanding the enemy in battle. This approach is reactive versus planned. It is a casual, trial-and-error method yielding accidental or artificial victory. Ironically, the victory by chance approach usually evolves into a victory by brute force when the team finally understands the enemy and must resort to a death march to complete the project. When the death march fails to deliver, the team relies on the chance the project sponsor will allow them to redefine success to ensure their success.
Victory by Design. Victory by design is a strategic approach to battle. It utilizes a deliberate, systematic approach based on gaining an in-depth understanding of the enemy prior to battle. Victory by design requires structure, discipline and planning. It is precise and cost effective. It is the most certain path to actual victory.
Sun Tzu said,
“All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.”
David Paul Taylor said,
“All men can see the tactics whereby IT struggled to complete the project, and none can see the strategy IT followed – because there is none. IT took a tactical approach, leaving victory to chance.”
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What path do your IT projects follow?
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