Comments on: Projects fail for the same reasons fad diets fail – it’s simple but not easy!

By: Andrew Moore

Andrew Moore — Tue, 27 May 2014 16:07:30 +0000

Michelle – I couldn’t agree more, but find that it’s such characteristics that separate the consistently high performers.

By: Project Management Lessons from Firefighting and More Links of the Week

Project Management Lessons from Firefighting and More Links of the Week — Sat, 24 May 2014 09:01:19 +0000

[…] Projects fail for the same reasons fad diets fail – it’s simple but not easy! – Adrian Dooley explains that project management needs a change in social attitudes to become more successful Project Accelerator […]

By: Michelle Symonds

Michelle Symonds — Thu, 22 May 2014 12:19:34 +0000

Andrew – your mention of professional assertiveness rings so true and is perhaps not raised often enough as contributing to project failure – or, rather, the lack of assertiveness on the part of the project manager. It can be very difficult to be assertive with strong minded, and often senior, stakeholders…

By: Andrew Moore

Andrew Moore — Tue, 20 May 2014 16:42:53 +0000

Spot on comment Adrian. We periodically return to this theme in our white papers and theme briefs. What is disappointing is that between papers little seems to change and the same reasons for project and programme failure still seem to prevail in business. For me breaking through the ‘social’ barriers you describe is about leadership and relationship management and, of course, no small amount of professional assertiveness – particularly when faced with strong-minded business stakeholders who may not necessarily be aligned with the project or programme in the right way. My personal gripe is the absentee sponsor, surely a barometer for the likely success or failure for any project or programme.