Performance Improvement Initiatives: Boosting the Success of Your Project

Companies often struggle with taking a project from concept to execution. According to an article written by Booz Allen Hamilton titled “Performance Improvement Initiatives,” a staggering 40% of these projects fail to deliver on their promises. But there is good news for companies interested in boosting their success on project implementation. Making a few changes on how you approach your projects can improve your implementation success rate.

For example, companies can improve their success rate by strategically planning implementation, partnering with front line employees, assembling a team of employees to monitor the plan’s success and responding quickly to challenges.

Struggles with Implementation
Successfully implementing a project is one of the most difficult challenges. This is because once ideas move from the concept phase to implementation; there are many opportunities for challenges. For example, current processes, employee functions and technology capacity can all create issues.

Companies can also experience issues with communication; resulting from disorganized leadership. And if your company operates in silos (where employees aren’t fully aware of their connection to other business units) this can pose an additional set of problems.

The solution to these issues is using a systematic approach to bringing your project from concept to implementation. Booz Allen Hamilton’s article suggests focusing on implementation in a strategic order to drive up project success.

Successful companies use a three pronged approach; focusing on the order of implementation, controlling front-line employee behavior and developing successful project management techniques.

Focusing on Implementation Order
The first step in designing a successful implementation strategy is focusing on which steps need to occur to implement your project. Carefully develop each actionable step, to understand any potential issues with project implementation plans.

Once you’ve created a list of actable steps, carefully evaluate each step to determine which actions should happen first. To make your implementation plan most effective, talk with affected business unit leaders. Discuss any potential challenges that may occur during a given step. And if challenges are present, discuss what solutions are needed before implementation. Then, move the actionable item further down the timeline; allowing the business unit manager to resolve the issue while your are working on other steps.

Your plan also needs to be flexible to change. During the implementation process, changes will occur – threatening to put a halt to your project. Design a plan that is flexible enough to accommodate these changes – allowing you to work around the issue. This will assist in avoiding delays on your project delivery date.

This process allows you to identify possible issues, such as staffing or technology capability challenges, and create a plan for resolving those issues without bogging down the entire implementation process. It also allows communication to flow between those managing the project, and the business units affected by the implementation plan.

Front-Line Employee Behavior
Anticipating your front-line employee behavior will allow you to design rewards for desired behavior. Since front line employees play an integral part in a company’s success, you need them to be on board with the project.

Determine what steps are needed to get these employees up to speed on the project and how to motivate them to achieve the desired result.For some employees, this may involve monetary compensation like a cash bonus tied to performance. While other employees are motivated by winning extra vacation days or having public recognition of their achievements. Exam your group to determine which types of rewards are most appealing.

On the flip side, you’ll also need to consider consequences for undesirable reactions to the project. Anticipate these behaviors and devise plans to deal with these issues if employees decide to be resistant to change – and how to ensure compliance for new procedures or protocols.

Project Management
Busy executives don’t have time to monitor the daily implantation of a project. For this reason, it’s important to designate a project manger or entire team devoted to implementing the project.
The team should have a project manager, capable of driving action and delivering success. Avoid choosing leaders that are easily persuaded or distracted. Instead, select a leader who has excellent negotiation skills and a proven record of driving results.

Also, choose project team members that represent different business units of your organization. This will allow you to gain collective insight into any project challenges. These individuals can also assist in working across business unit borders for successful implementation.

Making a few simple changes to how your company approaches project implementation can allow your business to increase the percentage of successful projects. And once you’ve modified current strategies, you’ll become more efficient in project implementation and enjoy the benefits of increased performance.

Resource:
Eser Becer, Brian Hage, Matt McKenna and Herve Wilczynski. “Performance-Improvement Initiatives.” Booz Allen Hamilton.

Mark Jordan is the Managing Principal of VERCOR, an investment bank that creates liquidity for middle market business owners. He is the author of “Driving Business Value in an Uncertain Economy,” “Selling Your Business the Easy Way,” “Enhancing Your Business Value…The Climb to the Top,” and co-author of “The Business Sale…A Business Owner’s Most Perilous Expedition.” For more information, contact him at 770.399.9512 or email him.