I’ve heard plenty of horror stories from customers about IT projects that went sideways. Many of these projects have similar roots. They started as IT or technology projects and were managed that way. While this may seem like a logical approach, most IT projects involve an influence that can never be underestimated – a user. One who can inflict mass hysteria on an average IT project that fails to correctly anticipate and compensate for its impact. I doubt that swapping data centers or server hardware would impact your user community if done correctly. The same cannot be said for a mobility project.
Mobility, by its very nature, involves additional risks that a typical technology refresh or upgrade doesn’t encounter. Your user community is mobile, so they aren’t sitting at neatly appointed desks in a nicely air-conditioned call center or business office. They are in a hostile communications environment with no guaranteed connectivity, and they are face-to-face with the customer. Any impact on this team has ramifications to not only the entire company, but also to your customers and your reputation. Now throw in new devices – phone and data plans, a new application and a few new processes – and you can see the big (ugly) picture.
Your mobility project will influence many diverse departments back at the office as well. Systems will be accessed, data will be transmitted, and processes will be automated that will likely have an immediate bearing on office staff. The office staff will also try to understand the new approach. This can lead to misunderstanding, frustration and a lack of general support and adoption. All of these moving pieces have to be managed well to pull this off. Bring in the program manager.
Am I a bit daft to suggest that you need a program manager to be successful? This isn’t a new revelation. I’ve whined about planning in the past. I’m not suggesting you need a program manager – I’m insisting you need a program manager.
For a mobility project to be successful you need more than someone managing milestones and a project plan. You need someone managing the entire process of moving from one approach to a new approach.
A program manager is just like a project manager on steroids. Complete with all the project-based skills but also possess the talent necessary to manage the various customers of the mobility effort. Remember, from some of my past posts, experience has shown mobility projects to be the first time many companies actually assemble a cross-functional team to address a large problem.
With this large, disparate team comes differing viewpoints, priorities, fiefdoms, etc. This can create conflict, increase project risk and demand constant vigilance to insure things don’t spin out of control. A typical project manager manages the project with very little regard for the project participants. It’s not their job. A program manager manages the success of the overall program and insures that all the various competing factions are engaged, focused and delivering the required bits and pieces. A program manager is a people person.
Consider your mobility situation. If you managed the milestones of a typical project plan and made sure each item was delivered on time you may think that may be enough. Not so fast there, Sport. I can deliver stuff on time that nobody wants nor can use. You’d be able to check the box that shows I delivered it but without that over-watch role that the program manager fulfills, you may meet the plan dates but still have a turkey on your hands. And what about the users? The stakeholders? The ancillary parties that will be affected? Who is managing your executive team? How are you communicating the coming change to your field staff, office workers, executives and customers?
Yes – I’m using extremes to illustrate my point but can you see how easily things can spin out of control? Stockpile this nugget of wisdom to become smarter about where to focus your energy, what to look out for, and how to be prepared for whatever comes your way. I know how hard it is to find a single person who can do both project and program management well. (And they aren’t cheap either.) Consider splitting the people-management and milestone-management between two people. Just make sure both people can communicate effectively and can work well together or you’re in for a whole new list of challenges.
Tags: Brian Philbin, Business Mobility, Business Process, Mobility - General
