The success of complex projects is not reliant on domain knowledge alone; skilled project leaders who understand complex environments are critical to success.

Domain knowledge and experience of ‘where the bodies are buried’ offer valuable insight for project success, however, the success of exceptional program and project managers often has very little to do with domain knowledge of the technology sector.

In complex, multi-business organisations or department programs, strong domain or sector knowledge alone will not deliver a program successfully. This is especially true for organisations where project delivery maturity levels are low or there is significant complexity and scale.

Classic cases of this may be in large government agencies with federated departments and/or large corporates with low success rates in implementing organisational change.

If this is the case, then why is there such demand for specialist or domain knowledge in PMs, even when, at times, it is at the expense of project outcomes?

What is Needed is not What is Thought to be Needed

We see it all too often: a request for specialists in XYZ over a strong general project manager or the ‘available’ in-house subject matter expert (SME) is selected as PM because of their domain knowledge over the priority of strong PM skills.

In some cases, typically smaller projects, this works if the supporting structures are in place. In larger programs or where there are limited or no supporting structures, it rarely succeeds as a strategy. The resulting cost of project failures can be astronomical.

What Does ‘Good’ Look Like for Exceptional Project Managers?

We recently explored the importance of distinguishing between the roles of project managers and program managers.

The project manager is required to define scope, schedule, budget, work products and outcomes: Best practice sees these clearly articulated and agreed to by the appropriate governance. The PM is also responsible for driving the process for each phase of the project, such as initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, controlling and closing. They follow a structured approach to methodology.

The project manager should be able to clearly communicate the vision, demonstrate integrity, build a strong team through energy and empathy, while remaining cool under pressure, when problem solving and when delegating.

These are often underrated soft skills that are applicable across any project.

What a Project Manager Shouldn’t Be

If the above is an illustration of what a good project manager should be, then what should a project manager not be?

The project manager should not be responsible for designing the solution, owning the business benefits (although they do manage those responsible), nor are they hired to be the most knowledgeable SME in the room. Any focus in these areas will distract them from delivery.

What About Program Managers?

Good program managers have similar attributes to the above, but they are applied through a different lens. A program manager is less focused on the PM 101s and more focused on the return on the investment and strategic alignment of work being performed in their programs.

Again, they are not focused on specific nuances of the industry or the technology; they draw this out from their team. A program manager’s soft skills are senior stakeholder management, clear articulation of the vision and building great teams to achieve a common goal.

Achieving the Balance of PM and SME Expertise for Complex Environments

In complex or low maturity environments, the people management skills of a PM or program manager become critical. SMEs or domain specialists are typically not as exposed to the level of complexities or the various shades of grey in these types of environments. Successful navigation of these elements is learned through hard work and making mistakes. The scars from projects past should not be ignored as they are critical for project success.

Getting the Brief Right

What is key to defining the right program or project professional to lead? To deliver complex technology projects successfully some considerations include:

  • The business environment – is it a mature delivery environment or is it a low maturity environment where governance is a four-letter word?
  • The delivery history (or DNA) – What is the track record for successful delivery?
  • Cultural environment – Does everyone play nice or are there political challenges?
  • The technology – Is this a large complex technology implementation?
  • The impact on users – There is always impacts on users, it is just a matter of how many and how much?
  • Organisational change management maturity – Is OCM embraced or resisted?
  • How much change is happening concurrently?
  • Ownership – Is the sponsor clearly defined and understands their role and do they have the power to influence the organisation as a whole?
  • Benefits – Business case and benefits are clearly outlined?

These are the top-line questions but as you work through them, the type and style of leader needed will become clearer.

Budget

As stakeholders understand the requirements, it usually becomes clear that the resource required is more expensive than originally budgeted for and, sadly, sometimes the dollars available rule the quality of the leader selected. What is very often not considered in the equation is the opportunity cost of failure.

Cost of Failure

Failed projects, or projects that are completed but run over time and over budget, cost more than money. They risk losing employees, reducing morale, tarnish reputations and will impact the internal and external brand of an organisation. A specific dollar value is hard to place on this.

What is always clear is the cost of the right leadership is often a very small when compared to the cost of failure of a project.

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To speak to our team about how we can help your business deliver better projects, please contact us.

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Quay Consulting
Quay Consulting is a professional services business specialising in the project landscape, transforming strategy into fit-for-purpose delivery. Meet our team ...