Are you prepared for Success?

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So.... 

....you've kicked off your project, 

     diligently documented it's initiation, 

         on-boarded key stakeholders, 

              assessed key risks and 

                  agreed a schedule...

But have you prepared for success?


"What?”, you say, “Success? Surely if we're successful we just ride off into the sunset high fiving each other while basking in the admiration of our colleagues and clients!" 
(actual quote).

Well, actually it might be a bit more complicated than that...and you need to think it through.


Allow me to paint few scenarios:

  • You are well within budget (It happens!). 
You're keeping a beady eye costs and monitoring performance and you KNOW the budget indicator is going to be green. Have you thought about how you'll communicate that? Have you thought of when you'll communicate that? Tell the wrong people at the wrong time and some chap in finance might effectively reset your baseline, take away that surplus or chuck in some unpredictable scope change you won't like. 
  • You deliver the whole shooting match exactly as spec'd. Hooray! 
But perhaps the strategy bods didn't realise just how effective the solution would be. Nissan published some award winning ads back in 2011, filmed like real world footage. They were impressive bits of film making but they look so realistic people thought they were actual news items rather than adverts. Some customers felt genuinely deceived and advertising regulators got involved. 
  • You're way ahead of schedule (it does happen, usually when you least expect it!). 
Now you've got a fully mobilised team. Do you want them to relax? Demob them to save cost? Or work on those nice-to-haves that were low down on your burn down list? How do you do that without putting a secure win at risk?
  • You're program is going amazingly well. 
Suddenly stakeholders who didn't give a hoot before suddenly want to 'get involved' or 'help with the communications' or 'allocate a little cost' to your numbers? What's your party line going to be?
  • If you are experiencing success, have you thought about how you can make sure those that have helped you get there, can be thanked and given kudos for the hard work they've put in? 
After all as a PM, let's face it, they are the ones who got you there! Do people know your team is a roaring success? How do you communicate it effectively? Can you use that for your wider team/portfolio/organisation?
  • You've had the best gig in the world! 
Now it's over. What are you going to do next? People's memories are short. You'll only have a short period when you can access their good will / kudos before you project becomes yesterday's news. What are you going to do?

You're a seasoned professional actively gunning for success. You are likely to succeed and have successful outcomes. So as well as  being prepared for risks and issues, you absolutely have to think success through beforehand.

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