#302 – THE PROBLEMATIC PROJECT – IGNORANCE, CURVES, SPIRALS, AND SLOPES – MALCOLM PEART

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A project with a problem…not a new phenomenon and more likely than not ‘business as usual’ for most, but how do we address the problems on our projects?

Theoretically there’s the risk register and plan with a predetermined set of mitigation actions and designated owners who, although being potential scapegoats, are expected to manage risks magnificently while still dealing with the rest of their, hopefully, nonproblematic scope.  Problems plague projects despite alleged prior preparation and proper planning.  But it’s the way that people behave and interact that can make all the difference when resolving the problem and keeping the rest of the project on-track. Continue reading

#301 – SHUTTING THE GATE SYNDROME -MALCOLM PEART

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Puttin’ wood in t’ole after ‘oss ‘as bolted“… this is actually English, it really is, and it’s a Yorkshire phrase meaning ‘shutting the gate after the horse has gone’.

How often are we wise after the fact?  How often is more time and effort spent focusing on the gate rather than retrieving the horse?  There is a tendency to try and find the person responsible for not closing the gate, requiring more people to check on gate closing, writing procedures for closing the gate and this is coupled with hours of pointless and misdirected discussions by every man along with their barking dogs.  But what about catching the horse that now runs free and ensuring it can’t bolt again? Continue reading

#299 – NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS: WHO’S RISK? – MALCOLM PEART

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It is said that ‘no news’ is ‘good news’.  However, in todays media driven environment the news we are exposed to is inevitably about doom and gloom and is not ‘good’ for those affected.  The ‘headlines’ that reflect crises, uncertainty and disaster are certainly ‘bad news’.  But it’s good news for those journalists and reporters who thrive on pestilence.  Even positive news can be turned into a negative vibe through the casting of doubt and anecdotes of failure elsewhere; optimism can quickly become pessimism and pessimism sells. Continue reading

#298 – RISK OF ELUSIVE ELEPHANTS IN DECISION MAKING – MALCOLM PEART

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This is not an article about an endangered species plundered to near extinction as trophies for big game hunters or being poached for its aphrodisiacal ivory or describing a mythical elephant’s graveyard…it’s about those metaphorical elephants that frequent rooms in political corridors of power, boardroom suites and project offices around the World.  Although these elephants are known to exist they are either not immediately recognised or conveniently avoided. Continue reading

#297 – MICRO-MANAGEMENT: MACRO RISK? – MALCOLM PEART

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Micromanagement is rarely praised but is sometimes very necessary.  When new operations commence and procedures are being developed, or there is a high degree of complexity, it is essential to get things right and ‘micromanagement’ comes into its own.  Training new people can require micromanagement until they get up to speed, understand an organisation’s processes and procedures, and develop any necessary experience.  Also, if there is a need for greater control over an operation requiring accurate performance metrics then micromanagement will be the order of the day. Continue reading