In my last blog, I had mentioned about “Mindset Matters”. The article focused on the importance of positive mindset on finding solutions. Execution is considered to be the first and an important step towards improvement. After identifying the solution the more important aspect lies in “Executing the solution”. Effective execution occurs when the right things are done efficiently. If you do not have thinkers inside, you can use consultants to give you the solutions. You have to execute them yourself.
Stephen Levine has rightly said, “Buddha left a road map, Jesus left a road map, Krishna left a road map and Rand McNally left a road map. But you still have to travel the road yourself”.
This is all about execution. In your endeavor to travel the road, you might come across small hurdles. Some of them may go against your prescription based on the value system. Do not forget you have to succeed; you have to create an execution engine which delivers first time and every time. First time delivery is important to go on to the second part “Every time”.
I am sharing some of my experiences in delivering first time” and also on the approach towards delivering “Every time”. I suggest the following framework:
1. Tactical approach:
Let us assume you are in a situation where project is in deep red state. You have lost the customer’s confidence. Customer has an image of the problem. The image may not be right in entirety. But it is customer’s perception. Since the project is in red, your own management generally, may also be watching each step cautiously. Small successes are important here. Concentrate on small successes. This will help getting customer confidence back. This will help in generating a ray of hope and positivity in the mind of customers. This will also bring back management’s confidence in project team. Sometimes, your long term approach may not be gelling well with the short term actions you need to take to get small results. Let us say you have a customer nominee who has set a mind set. It is important to take him to confidence. Eventually, your success will help you change his mind set. At this stage do not work towards changing his mind set. Work towards getting quick fixes. Concentrate on low hanging fruits. Needless to say you have to win long term battle. Keep on doing what is required for long term success.
2. Strategic Approach:
I am assuming you have simple solutions which maps with the problems. That is the first step for proceeding. This will tell you to find a solution which will work. There are two key aspects for strategic success:
a. Long Term solution success:
During the execution process, attention to detail is required. Ideally this is PM’s work but if you sense that the PM needs help, then you need to step up and coach him. Let the PM understand the philosophy behind the solution. He accepts this one and pushes for success. You need to ensure that your monitoring system is fully aligned with the solution. During the course of execution there may be a need to course correct based on the feedback received from the monitoring system. If these simple steps are followed, the success will greet you.
b. Internalization:
I have personally tested the success going through the above framework. Let me also confess that I have also slipped back on few occasions. I have realized that once solution is achieved then process has to be internalized. You cannot keep on having close watch regularly. You need to step out but keep a watch through certain control system till there is an evidence of internalization. You may continue using the dash board you used for successful execution. If you think appropriate, the dash board can be tweaked.
The success Mantras are: stay focused, ensure attention to details, coach the people, slowly pass control and make them expert.
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ReplyDeleteThere are lots of quotes on Success. But the best one and the fact I heard from one of my mentors goes like "Success is accumulation of small wins over period of time". Your opinion about something or someone is the count of good or bad experiences you have had over the period of time (and recent experiences weigh more).
ReplyDeleteKnowingly or unknowingly the brain maintains a stack of good and bad experiences. And at any point in time, the larger stack wins your opinion inclination.
If we want to be successful on such troublesome projects, couple of steps I may suggest are:
1. Stop the blame game. In any argument, both the parties will have loads of reason to prove they are right (or the other way). So the blame game does not achieve damn anything
2. Shift the focus. "Systems Thinking" is very much necessary here. Instead of looking at the problem and trying to solve it, try to identify the contributors to the problem through out the system and resolve them. The pain in neck need not be always your sleeping position, but may be lack of overall exercise.
3. Change the leader - not because they fail, but because they are not in a position to look beyond problem. You need a fresh look at the situation. If you can not change the leadership, then at least provide them a companion.
4. Empower the team to take decisions, not just the developmen team but team as in whole including custoemr representatives.
5. Support the team moral. A team with low moral is not any more or different than a dead meat. Management needs to support them and have them small project decisions. Let them taste the success and they will be adicted. As they say, "If you are facing in right direction, to reach the destination all you need to do is keep walking". So help them face in right direction.
6. Remove negative energy and add some fun to work. Come up with crazy ideas that will get the team in. A monotonus work environment is like a grave yard. Celeberate crazy Fridays and Lazy Mondays. Identify the energy points within team. Charge low energy nodes by having them leave early. Mandate no over-working. Support the transition.
7. Have a candid talk with customer to resolve the issue. Kashmir issue is not so big that it cannot be solved. The big-daddys from both sides just dont want to solve it. So get the customer to a level of solving the problem. And put it in black and white if needed.
There is no magic bullet out there. But yes, it works most of the times.
I feel we should go for a blended approach - partially strategic and partially Tactical, since both the Customer Expectations and the Project team morale/contribution/sentiments are important. IT is a people driven Industry, but should have strong processes laid and followed to avert such crisis situations.
ReplyDeleteExecution Team should think beyond and re-strategize the approach of Implementation regularly. This way they can show improvements and help get back the customer's confidence.