Telecom & Technology Consulting
No matter a CIO’s expertise or track record of success, every project has the potential to creep in the wrong direction or progress slower than anticipated. This occurs more often than is generally believed, especially within mid-sized and large enterprises. And the stalling or drifting of the project can be so subtle that even the most attention-detailed CIOs and project managers may not realize what’s happening.
Once they become aware of the situation, timelines and deliverables can be completely misaligned with initial project expectations. These are the ramifications of Project Drift, which can result from a number of initiatives including technology selection, vendor selection, project enhancements, service rollouts, and others.
Before you can implement solutions for this problem, you first have to detect if there’s even something to address in the first place. However, Project Drift isn’t easy to pinpoint, since it washes over a project slowly, bit by bit over time. It’s this gradual, perhaps granular, process that allows Project Drift to occur without leaders and managers even noticing. Meanwhile, you may be losing control of the project while believing everything’s going as planned – it’s the blind curve in the otherwise clear and straight road.
The key is to avoid Project Drift before getting caught in it. Be aware of outside forces that are out of your control. For example, a vendor may introduce an upgraded software release that you’re now essentially forced to implement. This could significantly increase the overall project timeline, alter the internal communication plan, and necessitate more rounds of user training.
Also carefully consider the ramifications of requested enhancements. Some requests, on the surface, can seem basic or inconsequential to the timeline. To illustrate the point, a stakeholder may suggest adding a button to improve functionality or usability. However, what may appear to be a simple add-on could require further enhancements within the user flow, which can add more time to complete the task than expected.
This is why whenever enhancements are requested, you should hold a meeting with all relevant stakeholders to go over the request and talk through any potential ramifications on the scope of work. By doing so, everyone will be aware of contextual impacts, and then – as a group – decide on next steps. Should you put the enhancement on hold until the first phase is completed? Or is better to implement the requested enhancements and concurrently update the timelines, scope of work, and deliverables to accommodate the enhancement?
On a related note, be sure to keep track of key business stakeholders and if their opinions, preferences, or requirements shift from their original feelings based on the project plan. By definition, when a stakeholder changes their mind, the switch will inevitably cause the project to drag and, in turn, take longer than expected. A change of heart can also require additional resources, modification to the technology requirements, and overall deliverables.
As we know, the majority of project plan changes can originate beyond the confines of the IT department. Accordingly, the CIO and project managers will have limited, if any, control over what changes do and don’t get implemented. That said, you can minimize the negative impact that Project Drift can make on the initiative if you remain keenly alert to interactions with stakeholders.
Keep in mind, however, that you and your team aren’t merely order takers; as the technology experts, you do have a say in what does or doesn’t get implemented. Don’t by shy to renegotiate – timelines and deliverables naturally affect each other, so objectively point out in initial meetings how changing course mid-stream will likely alter not just the anticipated timeline, but also the budget and project resources.
When everyone’s on the same page, you eliminate surprises and, in turn, reduce the possibility of irritated stakeholders. Most importantly, the project gets completed on time, on budget. Clear communication is the key.
