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Ambiguity Kills Projects
August 26, 2010 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Project Management Musings
Ambiguity Kills Projects
By Howard Vaughan
Ambiguity is the enemy of project success. Its one of the first things I instruct new project managers on. I call it the First Law in project management.
Its not hard to find ambiguity in projects. Look closely at the objectives, the requirements, the scope definition and the schedule. Are they each as clear and as accurate as they can be? Most importantly, do we know what “done” really looks like? This is a crucial principle of good project management and central to building a successful outcome. Each ambiguity is a potential source of conflict, rework and failure.
The antidote to ambiguity is clarity - here are a few items that must be on the ‘Clarity Checklist’:
- Are deliverables defined with clear boundaries?
- Are there detailed and explicit descriptions of inclusions and exclusions?
- Are completion and acceptance criteria clearly stated for each deliverable?
- Do we know what “done” looks like for each deliverable?
- Are tasks defined at an appropriate level of detail?
- Are most tasks in the range of 4-40 hours of duration? (a useful guide for most projects)
- Are task outputs tangible?
- Have the outputs been agreed upon by their owners and dependents?
- Is progress tracked at task level?
- Is evidence of progress validated before being reported upward?
Leaving ambiguity unchecked simply increases project risk. The pursuit of clarity is not always popular because it makes people have to think ahead a little harder. But its necessary. So put on your flak jacket and go on a mission: seek out ambiguity and eliminate it… before it compromises your project!
Howard Vaughan is an accomplished project management consultant, trainer, coach and speaker. He has created and delivered high impact solutions for dozens of companies seeking excellence in project planning and execution worldwide.
Find out more tips on project management and reach Howard through his website at http://www.pm-lotus.com
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Indeed ambiguity kills projects, yet it is an unavoidable element in pre-sales and sales activities and deliverbales: how do you manage, as a project manager, the “switch” between the ambiguity of the sales phase and the clarity required in project management?