Secret to Project Success

Everyday, when you learn something new, you get a feeling that you are uncovering some dark portion and feel that you have reduced a fraction of things which you do not know in this universe!

Today was a day of discovery for me on Project management - "Secret to Project Success". I have put forward my thought process after attending a training on "Steering Project Success" by Mr. Madhavan S Rao.

Eight years back, I have known of Technical Lead and to achieving expertise in specific technical area was the key. Three years back, I came to know of Project Lead with project management expertise. Both required a totally different set of skills. To achieve project success, my opinion was that the Leader should possess both the skills - be a Technical Manager as well as a Project Manager. Today's insight was the Leader should also play an additional role of Perception Manager.

Paradigm evolution seen for successful project execution,
Successful Manager = Technical Manager + Project Manager + Perception Manager

Managing perceptions is a key ingredient to success in projects. When I  went through the session, I could relate to some people doing this perception management subconsciously. I wonder if they have mastered this technique by experience, by Daily Self Introspection! It is mostly application of common sense or judgement. While I have seen, few others leaving this out. Each person applies this to the level they are comfortable. I feel, this is all about empathizing! Can we even apply a defined methodology is this? - was the answer from the workshop.

We have well defined course materials, established processes and books for Technical Management and Project Management. Project management takes into account the organizational processes and the project management processes. Project management processes are well defined in PMBOK by PMI.

The workshop gave a simple method to derive action points for perception management:

• List all stakeholders
• Assess the stakeholder perceptions
• List desired perception
• Frame perception management action points

50% of the effort of the Program Manager should be in actually attending the perception management action points. The trainer Mr. Madhavan S Rao has also authored the book "Steering Project success", where he specifies 7 mantras to derive the action points and real life case studies.

I was wondering if this could be the only way in managing customer perceptions including customer requirements. I have come across a book "Voices into Choices" by Gary Burchill and Christina Hepner Brodie, which gives a way to manage both requirements and perception. If focuses on "Images" apart from direct customer requirements. "Images" help you ground yourself in the personal experiences of your customer in order to better understand their unstated needs. The book specifies a way to capture voices as well as images. 

Both methods seem effective and the methods could be chosen based on the project scale.

Using a method to common sense and tracking the perception management action points is the "++ Factor" which is required in addition to technical knowledge and project management knowledge, for Successful project execution