Or: When Freelance Artists Determine Project Management
When starting a digitalization project, one assumes that the vendor managing the implementation is well organized. Right?
One also assumes that all project managers follow the same methodology. Right?
After all, they have already “successfully” completed hundreds of projects. Right?
And there you have it—one of the most serious mistakes in such projects: an assumption (or even several)
One thing I learned quickly: If you make an assumption, you have already lost.
Basing the expectation of functional and efficient project management on assumptions without examining them in detail is
This blog is dedicated to the chaos that prevails at most software vendors when it comes to project management, where the vendor unleashes its “freelance artists” on customers.
If you do not want your project to end up looking like this, you need to be fit in project management yourself!
The “One-Eyed Man Among the Blind”
Let’s be honest. When you have just spent a lot of money on a digitalization project, you expect to get a competent and experienced project manager.
After all, the vendor company has been around for decades with hundreds of installations. They have experience, they said.
They have an implementation methodology, they made clear to us.
We ourselves, as a client company, only do something like an ERP implementation once every 10 to 15 years. So we rely on the vendor.
But does that also mean we are then “abandoned”?
Unfortunately, the ignorance and also the incompetence of many customers are exploited by vendor companies to put on a “big show”.
They present themselves in the best light as the “master of all masters”. But when the project starts, reality quickly sets in.
It does not look as rosy as sales just described it. And there was nothing about it in the glossy brochures either.
In the end, it turns out that the project management also only represents the “one-eyed man among the blind” and at some point you wonder whether the trust was not a bit too intense.
The following example from a real customer project clearly shows that you are abandoned when you rely on others.
So you should never be the blind person who wants to be led by the one-eyed man. That goes wrong far too often.
Most of the time, the vendor’s project manager is only the one-eyed man among the blind!
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Not a “Cheerful” Guessing Game of Professions, but a “Sad” Guessing Game of Consultants
Once upon a time. That is how fairy tales usually begin. In this case, it is more likely the current situation with one of my clients in implementation.
If you ask me, I have quite clear ideas about how to manage a project and which tools should be used and how.
Oddly enough, in far too many companies, as in this case, the “freelance artist” seems to prevail.
Is it due to the incompetence of the bosses, the personnel situation (we take anyone, no matter what they can do), or the Peter Principle (everyone is promoted until they reach the level of incompetence or skip it)?
In Germany, this is also called “putting the fox in charge of the henhouse”. And man, have I seen many “foxes” in projects in my life.
If you as a customer are not able to distinguish the fox from the gardener or “believe” that it will work out, you have a problem.
It is therefore important to have the ability to choose the right “piglet”. Otherwise, there will be a huge “mess” in the project!
As described in this case. Where you ultimately ask yourself which project manager you would prefer!
Project Manager A – is introduced at the beginning.
He is an external employee of the vendor (already questionable). He prefers to run his projects totally “agile” (as it turns out, probably more chaotic). Task management does not exist (emails in MS Outlook® are sufficient). He has nothing to do with project management platforms or even SharePoint.
Project Manager B – replaces Project Manager A after a short time, who is called back to another customer (where suddenly everything goes wrong shortly before go-live). He thinks nothing of project plans based on MS Project®, for example. He rejects the proposed one and comes up with an MS PowerPoint® with “drawn” arrows and milestones and an MS Excel®-based project plan that is maintained at “discretion” and does not even contain all future project steps and tasks.
You have to “force” him to work with the vendor’s SharePoint platform, which in turn leads to tasks being barely maintained, and after about 8 months, only about 60 of these tasks have been created. 40+ of them are open and without further comments.
There is no agenda for meetings including objectives, so no goal controlling either. He is not interested in the contractually agreed specification. Rather, he suggests answering it again and then working with these answers (all more negative for the customer). Apparently, sales “exaggerated” a bit, especially regarding the capabilities of functional mapping in the standard.
In discussions, the project manager is always right and the customer’s fears and the concerns of the project management there are simply dismissed.
All in all, a total chaotic person who thinks he is the genius of all geniuses in the field of project management.
Project Manager C – replaces Project Manager A after about 8 months, who is recalled by the board to a particularly important project abroad. What capabilities are supposed to lead the project to success can already be questioned after the previous description.
But now comes the surprise. He finds managing tasks essential for the project. Protocols are important to him directly during the meeting. The specification is not an issue at all and suddenly we agree on just about everything when it comes to successful project management.
Why not like this from the start.
One really wonders: “How the hell can it be that in the same company, in the same project, 3 project managers appear who have 3 different approaches, where, from my perspective, only one of them can ensure the success of the project in a controlled manner.”
Therefore the question: Which “piglet” would YOU prefer? A, B, or C?
The “Small” 1 x 1 of Project Management Is Actually Quite Simple
Successful project management requires:
- Experienced project managers who demonstrably practice methods (references)
- Support from the right project management tools (have them presented)
Important: Do not believe anything, but verify everything. If you yourself are “blind”, find someone who helps you see better.
More on the topics mentioned can also be found in previous blog posts, such as
When Agility Leads to Chaos or Task Management by Excel® or Outlook® Is Not an Option.
Best to buy my book directly or schedule a free consultation. I will help you better recognize the “one-eyed” and then put the right glasses on you.
The reference guide for your digitalization project. Already >480,000 downloads!
Conclusion: Successful projects require truly experienced project managers including tools that should be thoroughly examined BEFORE the decision.
Image sources: Shutterstock
