In this bulletin, we explore how to know when a project has finished and take a look at twelve ways to mess up a strategy.

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If you look at the differences between successful projects and those that lose their way during execution, or continue past their “expiry date”, you will probably spot the recurring presence of a clear and visible endpoint.

Losing direction during execution can be characterised by people having different pictures of what they're aiming for, even pulling in opposing directions, along with frequent changes of scope.  The challenge for these projects is often keeping afloat long enough to find the life-raft, let alone seeing the direction they should row to reach dry land.

Continuing past “expiry” typically involves a lack of clarity about how to finish a phase or activity.  Is there enough data to switch from parallel running? Would having another study provide enough  comfort to move on?  Could some “nice to have” requirements be added, as there are still 4 weeks until “go-live”?  Work continues until the money runs out, the opportunity is missed or “time” is eventually called.

Successful projects will encounter many of these same situations.  However, participants share a sense of purpose and can say with assurance “enough is enough”, or that a request doesn't fit.  This sense of purpose stems from beginning with the end in mind.

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Scrooge can mess up your strategy... but Santa can make it work!

Thank you to Laura Stone of Stone + Company for this timely article.

On the 12th day of Christmas, my consultant shared with me... 12 Scrooge-like waaaaays... to mess up my stra-a-te-gy!

Day 1
Scrooge: Expect that you and your team can do a one-time planning session and not need to follow up until next year.
Santa: Similar to working out, a consistent, period focus on your strategic game plan is paramount for maintaining strategic momentum. This includes monthly strategy sessions dedicated to your strategic game plan rather than just tactical updates or firefighting.

Day 2
Scrooge: Save money by short-cutting your planning process, budget and time investment.
Santa: Strategic thinking and planning is more important now than ever. A carefully thought-out collaborative plan saves thousands if not millions of dollars in wasted efforts, confusion and diluted focus. Consider this an investment that will pay big dividends throughout the coming months.

Day 3
Scrooge: Get right to solution mode and forget trying to understand the problem. It just feels so good to get into action...any action.
Santa: Focus on figuring out the root of the issue before going into fixing. Complex, multifaceted problems take time to understand because there are usually strong emotions and opinions wrapped tightly around them making it difficult to understand what is the central issue.

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Minimising the occurrence of costly project over-runs, reducing the risk of failure

A half day seminar on 9th February 2010, at the HealthTech Hub, Blackburn, UK

Defining, executing and delivering projects can be a challenge at the best of times, so what is it that sets successful projects apart? What are the common causes of project issues and variances?  How can we learn from them, to increase the effectiveness of our project delivery.

Benefits of attending

• Discover common factors that lead to project failure,
• Benchmark your project performance in the wider context of the biomedical sector,
• Learn key elements that differentiate successful projects,
• Identify practical steps that you can take, to reduce the risk of project failure