Managing Change: What I’d tell my younger self

In my early twenties, when I’d not been involved in the world of project management for very long, I remember standing in front of a bunch of people and declaring:

“project management is easy – you just plan the work and then work the plan”

A bold statement from a green, slightly naive, but well intended guy! Twenty years later however, if I were to write a letter to my younger workplace self, it would be to tell him that he was really onto something!

Over the ensuing two decades, during the course of managing many complex change and transformation projects, I’ve deployed a number of excellent methods and approaches. Each new one promised to deliver improvement versus the last. But, whenever I consider what really drives success in a programme I always come back to a handful of basic steps that must be done properly. Getting these six elements ‘right’ is unglamorous but, like building the foundations of a house, they underpin the viability of everything that follows.

1. Scope
2. Outcomes
3. Approach
4. Plan
5. RAIDs - Risks, Issues, Dependencies and Assumptions
6. Costs and benefits

What do I mean by ‘done properly’? For me, each of these six basic components must provide appropriate clarity for all stakeholders across the project. They must provide a reference for the inevitable challenges that will be made downstream. Investing the time upfront ensuring definitions, dates and grey areas are properly considered is undoubtedly time well spent and will set up any programme for successful delivery.

There are of course many other areas that require focus when delivering a project or programme. Stakeholder maps, governance plans, delivery approach and structure are all important. The six basics above however provide a solid platform for success; if they are not in place, then no amount of brilliant stakeholder engagement and governance will help deliver a successful programme.

It is important to point out that these six basics should not be considered a ‘once and done’ process. I’ve seen many projects launch with these basics in place and still not deliver the desired outcomes. They must be revisited and refined regularly to reflect the inevitable emerging realities.

I personally like the technique of having these six elements printed out and with me at all times. I tend to print out very little during the course of my day to day but when I meet with sponsors, business owners and other important stakeholders, these hard copies are invaluable. Wherever we meet, we refer to these hard copies and keep checking that the project is progressing and that we are getting to the right destination in the right way – i.e. keeping those six elements alive.

So, whilst the last twenty years has seen me (hopefully) learn more about the finer arts of stakeholder management, complex governance structures and delivery models that work, in that letter to my younger self, I would encourage myself to keep that slightly naive, well intended simplicity because, whatever the scale of the project, focusing on the six basics really does make the difference.

Dave Chatham

Partners in Change Consulting