How to nail project implementation
Do you struggle to follow through with your ideas and deliver successful change? We’ve all been part of a project where you have a brilliant idea but then fall at the last hurdle and fail to implement and embed that solution in your organisation. The result? Frustration, blame, mistrust of your next initiative, wasted time, effort and money.
If this sounds familiar then you are not alone. Although statistics seem to show an overall improvement in the success of projects, a 2020 study titled ‘The State of Project Management Report” surveying organisations from around the world found that only:
29% of projects are completed on time
43% of projects are mostly or always completed within budget
40% of organisations mostly or always deliver the full benefits of their projects
Marketing Guru and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki summarised it best when he said:
“Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard”
Why is it so hard?
We live in a time where the necessity to adapt and improve at pace is greater than ever, and yet planned, coordinated & effective delivery of projects still remains elusive for so many. This is often for one of three reasons, either the organisation doesn’t have the skills they need to effectively implement, they learn the theory but find it difficult to apply this in practice, or they have the capabilities but lack the capacity to lead and embed the change required.
There are so many different aspects to successful implementation that need considering. Many of which get simplified to ‘project management’ but this means different things to different people and successful implementation of ideas requires so much more.
Implementation of projects can often take months, and sometimes years to deliver. The likelihood that everything else stays the same whilst you implement, (people, process, systems, operating environment) is very small. This means that an agile approach to managing your implementation, one that is flexible to changing circumstances but keeps an eye on the end results required, will give you the greatest chance of success.
We asked our contacts from across the public and not-for-profit sectors what they need to successfully implement projects and as you can see from the resulting word cloud, whilst project management and governance feature heavily, it is clear that boots-on-the-ground do-ers, facilitation, coaching, and problem-solving are also important considerations.
So how do we improve the likelihood of project success?
Implementation Managers to the rescue...
After analysing this feedback and our own customer requirements, we have been busy developing a new service offering that we are pleased to have already launched with a few select clients.
In addition to our consultancy offer we now have a team of Implementation Managers who are experienced project managers and agile practitioners. The role will compliment our consultancy offer and means we can support your project end to end. The Implementation Manager’s role will be to work with you to coordinate and deliver the final stages of your project, and leave you with a working and embedded solution.
We are so excited about our new offer, and we can’t write enough in one little email, so we have produced this info sheet for you to download. It explains all about our Implementation Managers. Including why we think they are so great, why you might need one, what they do, how it works, and how to engage one.
Implementation Manager Testimonial
from Annemarie Roberts, Director of Operations, Golding Homes
“I recently needed support to progress my new operating model and matching restructure. Less than a week after contacting Ad Esse they were able to place an Implementation Manager with housing sector experience to support me. She quickly developed relationships across my directorate and took all the stress and strain out of the tasks that needed completing. She was committed, professional and delivered independently and met my tight timelines. Without her support I wouldn’t have been able to meet my board deadlines to approve the changes. I’d recommend the Ad Esse Implementation Manager to anyone who needs expert resources, that will hit the ground running, to coordinate and deliver projects at pace.”
If you are interested in discussing your implementation needs, get in touch to arrange a call with one of our Directors.Â
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