The ability of senior leaders to execute on business strategy depends largely on whether employees are encouraged to speak up about project failures. A simple dynamic -- called "organizational silence" -- causes 85% of failed business programs and projects, according to a research study by The Concours Group and VitalSmarts. The study points to five key conversations that, if held quickly and effectively, can decrease project management failure rates by 50 to 70 percent. Free report on request.

The results show that failures can be both predicted and prevented with surprising reliability. That's because most projects fail for reasons that are widely perceived but rarely discussed. The best predictor of the future of a project is the quality of just a handful of high-stakes conversations that must occur along the way -- but tend not to. When even one of these five crucial conversations fails, a silent crisis plays out in a deceptively simple dynamic that produces failure 85% of the time.

The five crucial conversations address the problems of:

• Fact-Free Planning. A project is set up to fail with deadlines or resource limits that were set with no consideration for reality.
• AWOL Sponsors. A sponsor doesn’t provide leadership, political clout, time, or energy to see a project through to completion.
• Skirting. People work around the priority-setting process.
• Project Chicken. Team leaders and members don’t admit when there are problems with a project but wait for someone else to speak up first.
• Team Failures. Team members perpetuate dysfunction when they are unwilling or unable to support the project.

According to the Silence Fails research report, executives can predict and prevent the failure of high-stakes business initiatives by creating a culture where the five conversations for flawless execution are held quickly and well. For example, the report advises senior leaders to:

• Develop a business case for change. The five crucial conversations are so common that most leaders have stopped seeing them. Rapid change can be made, but not if these issues are seen as "soft".
• Measure behaviors. Leaders who are serious about improving how their employees address these conversations regularly measure how people are currently behaving.
• Invest in skills. Most project managers and team members lack the confidence to address these politically sensitive issues because they don’t know how to hold the right conversation.
• Hold senior management accountable. Senior leaders should hold management accountable for creating a culture where these conversations are held often and well.
• Make heroes of early adopters. Executives should highlight and reward people who take a risk and hold these crucial conversations.

About the market research study

Register for and request a free copy of the report at the link below. Select "Silence Fails Imperative".

The Concours Group and VitalSmarts study, "Silence Fails", shows how business leaders can substantially improve their organizations' ability to execute on high-stakes projects and initiatives. The most important implication of this research is that CEOs and other business leaders have the potential to shape success and prevent failure by creating a culture where the five conversations are held quickly, reliably, and effectively.

The study collected data from more than 1,000 executives and project management professionals across 40 companies and a wide variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, airlines, financial services, government agencies, and consumer products. While most of the 40 were Fortune 500 multinational organizations, about 10 percent were smaller, regional firms. Some organizations had sophisticated project governance, management processes, and policies, while others had far less developed approaches. The analysis encompassed more than 2,200 projects ranging from $10,000 IT projects to billion-dollar organizational restructuring efforts.

» Story on Analyst Firm Website

» Comments   Digg this    del.icio.us Tweet This