The Impact of Project Success and Failure on I'T' Professionals

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The Impact of Project Success and Failure on I.T.
Professionals

• Mr. Eric Kordt
• Eric.Kordt_at_mac.com

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BACKGROUND
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What WE KNOW

• PROJECT LEVEL

• INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

• 71 of all projects fail to some extent (Standish
  Group, 2004)
• Social context of projects is frequently cited as
  being complex, unstable and/or highly politicised
  for projects which fail (Wallace et al. 2004)

• 3 of IT professionals use alcohol and
  non-prescription drugs to manage
  depression(Beyond Blue, 2007)
• 9 of IT professionals suffered moderate or
  severe symptoms of depression (Beyond Blue, 2007)

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RESEARCH
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Attribution theory
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BARt Simpson

• Category Support Worker
• Gender Male
• Age 20 29
• Role Support Technician
• Employment (Current Role) 1 2 yrs
• Employment (Overall) 1 2 yrs
• Qualification Certificate

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HOMER simpson

• Category Line Manager
• Gender Male
• Age 30 39
• Role Manager (Project or Team)
• Employment (Current Role) 1 2 yrs
• Employment (Overall) 7 9 yrs
• Qualification Degree

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MONTY burns

• Category Executive Manager
• Gender Male
• Age 40 49
• Role Director
• Employment (Current Role) 1 2 yrs
• Employment (Overall) 7 10 yrs
• Qualification Postgraduate

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Question OneWho or What Caused the Outcome
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Success Me
Me
Not Me

• Influence
• Stakeholders
• Management
• Skills
• Provision

• Support
• Executive Management
• Teamwork
• Project Management
• Experience
• Planning

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Failure Not Me
Me
Not Me

• Influence
• Lack of Initiative

• Support
• Lack of Executive Support
• Influence
• Lack of Authority
• Lack of Communication Channels
• Management
• Inability to plan
• Inability to requirements achieved

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Question TwoWill the Outcome Happen Again
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Success REPEAT
Repeat
Fluke

• Project Management
• Experience
• Knowledge
• Retention
• Influence
• Stakeholders

• Environment
• Unstable (e.g. conflict, staff turnover)

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Failure REPEAT
Repeat
Fluke

• Knowledge
• Lack of Retention
• Influence
• Lack of Communication Channels
• Lack of Flexibility
• Project Management
• Inability to Plan

• Knowledge
• Retention

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Question ThreeDid the Outcome Impact You
Outside the Project
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Success All Round
All Round
Just this project

• Confidence
• Recognition
• Team
• Morale
• Environment
• Organisational benefit

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Failure All Round
All Round
Just this project

• Confidence
• Lose of Confidence
• Skills
• Development
• Impact on professionalism
• Environment
• Negative
• Lose of organisational benefits

• Confidence
• Not sole source of failure

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Question FourCould You Control the Outcome
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Success It was me
Controllable
Uncontrollable

• Influence
• Stakeholders
• Management
• Skills
• Provision
• Management
• Delegation
• Motivation

• Influence
• Lack of communication channels
• Lack of flexibility
• Resourcing
• Lack of time

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Failure It was somebody else
Controllable
Uncontrollable

• Influence
• Management
• Stakeholders
• Management
• Delegation

• Influence
• Lack of Authority
• Lack of Flexibility
• Lack of Stakeholder Influence
• Resourcing
• Lack of Personnel
• Lack of Time

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QUESTION FIVEWOULD YOU PARTICIPATE AGAIN IN A
SIMILAR PROJECT
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Success Motivated
Motivated
Unmotivated

• Confidence
• Morale
• Recognition
• Career Progression
• Skills
• Development
• Environment
• Contribution to Organisation

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Failure Motivated
Motivated
Unmotivated

• Confidence
• Potential for improved outcome
• Career progression
• Skills
• Potential to develop skills
• Knowledge
• Retention

• Confidence
• Inability to volunteer for participation
• Influence
• Inability to contribute

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What Does It Mean
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psychologists
Optimistic
Pessimistic

• Optimists
• Increased Job Satisfaction
• Increased Performance
• Increased Levels of Success

• Pessimists
• Increased risk of depression
• Decreased Productivity
• Decreased Task Persistency

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Practitioners
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IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTIONERS Individual

• IMPLICATIONS

• Confidence
• Provide feedback consistently and often to
  individuals
• Recognise contributions of individuals, even
  during project failures
• Offer incentives for performance, even after
  project failures
• Where possible allow individuals to volunteer for
  particular projects
• Influence
• Ensure individuals have channels to communicate
  to both management and stakeholders
• Ensure management listen to the communications

• Skills
• Provide individuals the opportunity to train
  effectively before starting the project, and
  provide continual training opportunities
• Recognise that skills contribute to individual
  confidence

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Implications For PRACTIONERS project

• IMPLICATIONS

• Project Management
• Ensure teams have specific objectives
• Ensure responsibilities are delegated
• Resourcing
• Ensure resources are utilised effectively (e.g.
  effective planning)
• Ensure sufficient resources are all allocated
  (esp. time)

• Team
• Ensure teams have a strong leader
• Understand what motivates individuals and how
  they communicate
• Provide tools to facilitate collaboration and
  information sharing

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Implications For PRACTIONERS organisational

• IMPLICATIONS

• Environment
• Ensure are project participants are cognisant of
  the projects objectives and benefit to the
  organisation
• Knowledge
• Ensure knowledge capture tools are simple and
  linked to knowledge areas that concern the
  organisation (i.e. knowledge at risk)
• Visible to staff
• Component of career development and succession
  planning

• Support
• Ensure that executive management is empowered to
  support projects
• Offer counseling opportunities, particularly for
  line managers and executive managers after high
  profile project failures