Challenges to Principle 1: Build Vision

Trust me, building vision is the most important activity at the beginning of every project. Actually, you want to build vision before the actual start of the project. It is important and it is time consuming. And it is an investment in project success you do not want to forgo. As project leader you must plan for sufficient time to build vision.

Make sure that everyone in the project knows the direction of the project from day 1.

What can be really frustrating is when you understand the importance of vision building and work on a project where things do not work out as described in this book. Three typical challenges are detailed here.

11.7.1.1 No Leverage or Control to Build Vision Challenge(s):

You are the

◾ assigned project manager and come aboard the new project when the project vision and objectives have already been defined. They have been predetermined and you do not have the authority to question and/or modify

them even though you realize that the objectives do not fulfill the SMART criteria.

Neither the project vision nor the project objectives are clear or mutually

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understood and endorsed by the key stakeholders. However, you are expected to start the project anyway.

Likely Sources:

Option 1: The project sponsor may lack an understanding of the significance

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of a clear vision and SMART project objectives that are mutually understood and developed jointly with the key stakeholders and the project manager.

Option 2: The project sponsor or project authorizing organization is

unwill-◾

ing to modify the project objectives. It rejects any changes because it believes that would signal organizational weakness.

Option 3: The project sponsor or the project authorizing organization does

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not want to qualify the project vision and project objectives because they, too, do not know the answers.

Possible Solutions/Mitigations:

You may be only the assigned project manager, but this does not imply that you need not speak up for good and effective project management and leadership prin-ciples. A project leader does not just swallow whatever is served without questioning it. This is especially so when the new project leader identifies that the project vision and objectives are not clearly defined and mutually understood. Not stepping up to the occasion is a lack of leadership. It takes effective leadership to lead a project to success. And it starts the very first day of the project. Now is the time to act.

Regarding the three options of likely sources, the following mitigations may help clarify the situation for the better:

Option 1: Explain to the project sponsor or project authorizing organization

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the significance and value of a clear and mutually understood project vision and objectives. Outline their benefits to the sponsor and the whole organiza-tion. The ideal scenario would be to conduct a vision workshop with the key stakeholders. If the sponsor does not want to get involved in clarifying the vision, it is your responsibility to do so as the project leader. Meet with the key stakeholders and find out about their needs and understanding of the vision.

Consolidate the findings and present them to the stakeholders and the spon-sor. Lay out your understanding of the situation and how you plan to move forward.

Option 2: A project and a project team require a clear direction. This is

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reflected in the project vision and objectives. If both the official project vision and objectives allow too much room for interpretation, you have to find out

what the project sponsor had in mind. Knowing that the sponsor does not want to change the wording of the vision or objectives, you may want to con-sider building a prototype with the purpose of clarifying your understanding of the situation. Present the prototype to the sponsor and the key stakeholders.

At some point they have to tell you what they expect you and your team to deliver. Once you receive feedback on the prototype, the direction and require-ments become clearer. You may not even have to change the official wording of the project vision or objectives. You thus help the sponsor save face.

Option 3: If the sponsor does not know what the project vision and objectives

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are, a vision workshop or building a prototype are two examples of what could help clarify the situation. Explain the value of a joint approach to building the vision. In some situations, the project sponsor may have only a faint idea about a project vision and objectives and no expertise to qualify them. This is what the team is for. Offer to coordinate the effort of defining the vision and objectives.

11.7.1.2 Project Environment Not Open to New Ideas Challenge(s):

The challenge of leading a project in an environment that is not open to new ideas is at least twofold: the environment is hostile to new content or the organization rejects any new forms of leading and managing a project.

Likely Sources:

Option 1: There is a lack of understanding about the negative impact of

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tility to new ideas on the project and its environment.

Option 2: People are skeptical about new ideas because they are afraid of them.

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Option 3: People resist new ideas because they want to keep the status quo

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for personal reasons.

Possible Solutions/Mitigations:

Option 1: Develop first a project motivation and then a vision statement. This

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addresses the impact of the absence of change and identifies the potential benefits of change. Pay special attention to the added value of project results.

Then contrast the findings with the status quo. The greater this gap is, the more obvious it should be to embrace change.

Option 2: The first thing to do when you are dealing with people who are afraid

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of new ideas is take their concerns seriously. You want to know where their fears are coming from and try to understand them. Developing a project motiva-tion statement should help you identify the most prominent ones. Building the vision statement then is a process of developing a way to control and overcome the key concerns and letting the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

Option 3: It is simply not possible to please everyone in your larger project

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environment. You just cannot do it. And it would be futile to try to prove otherwise. This calls for prioritizing the stakeholders and their needs and how they relate to the project vision and objectives. Similar to option 2, pay special attention to those you find to be most important to the success of your project. Involve them in your project effort and win the support of these skeptics. The key is to show them the potential value of the project. If you identify obvious disadvantages of the project to them, identify ways to overcome them.

11.7.1.3 Superficial, Not-Thought-Through Vision Challenge(s):

The vision of the project is vague at best. It is not concrete with respect to a clear direction for the project. As such, it leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

Not too surprisingly, there is neither a mutual understanding nor support of the project vision and project objectives among the key stakeholders of the project.

Consequently, the project objectives do not meet the SMART criteria.

Likely Sources:

Option 1: You did not spend enough time to define the project vision.

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Option 2: Stakeholders do not understand the significance and value of a

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commonly agreed-upon vision and objectives.

Option 3: There is a lack of an overall vision beyond the project.

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Possible Solutions/Mitigations:

Option 1: Given that building project vision is the most important

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ity at the beginning of a project, you should plan sufficient time to qualify it. This should be self-explanatory by now. Building vision usually cannot be accomplished overnight. It takes time and a joint team effort. If possible and adequate for your project setting, invite the key stakeholders to a vision workshop and define the project vision and objectives. It is an investment with great returns.

Option 2:

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You need to show to the key stakeholders the negative impact of a project

− vision that is only vaguely defined and not understood or supported by all key stakeholders. You and your team are expected to deliver and meet the project requirements. This is difficult if not virtually impossible to do if the project vision and objectives are too vague. Especially with respect to the project objectives, you want to meet the SMART criteria and leave little room for interpretation.

You may also consider digging a bit deeper into the real reason for

− the lack of understanding of the significance and value of a com-monly agreed upon vision and objectives. Are the key stakeholders not used to a clear vision and project objectives, do they simply not want to be concrete about the project vision and objectives? If the lat-ter is the case, find out the drivers behind this motivation. They could become severe stumbling blocks if you do not recognize and deal with them early.

Option 3: You may think that if there is no vision beyond the project you are

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in trouble right from the beginning. It is a difficult situation. Your job, how-ever, is not to save the world but to help secure project success. Every project has an end date. If there is no vision of what is going to happen once you have delivered the project it is not good, but is it really your first and foremost responsibility to solve this issue? No. Stay focused on your project. Explain to the project sponsor and key stakeholders the value of following a vision that goes beyond the immediate project. It provides a framework and orientation point for the project.