In the article “Why did your project fail”, Cepra and Verner (2009) discussed the reasons why up to three-fourths of software development projects fail at the beginning. The scholars analyzed 70 failed projects and discovered the four most frequent factors of failure. These are delivery date impacting the development process (1), project underestimation (2), lack of attention to risks – not re-assessed, controlled, or managed through the project (3), and omission to reward the staff for working long hours (4). Interestingly, among the analyzed 70 projects, 76% suffered from the first two factors, 56% from the first three, and 46% had all four factors present.
Then, in “Why good projects fail anyway” Matta and Ashkinas (2003) emphasize the importance of micro-planning and foreseeing some obstacles that may come from within disorganized teamwork. They suggest arranging the teams following rapid-result initiatives. These short-term tasks are useful to reach the bigger strategic goal determined within the previous planning. Importantly, these short-term tasks are distinct from the traditional approach to deadlines in a way that they are intended to significantly enhance the speed of the project implementation pace.
Remarkably, in “What great projects have in common” Dvir and Shenhar (2011) identified seven common characteristics of highly successful projects. The authors said that a great project: entails creating a great competitive advantage (1), begins with a long period of project definition (2), creates a revolutionary project culture (3), and requires a highly qualified project leader supported by the top management (4). They also mentioned that great projects maximize the use of existing knowledge (5), have integrated development teams with fast problem-solving capability (6), and have a strong sense of partnership and pride (7). Dvir and Shenhar (2011) were talking about projects like IBM, Kepler, Boeing, Atlantic Crosser, and others.
Finally, Grenny et al. (2007) in the article “How project leaders can overcome the crisis of silence” discussed the importance of overcoming the crisis of silence through five crucial conversations. The first conversation is finding out whether the project is planned based on facts. The second conversation is determining whether the project sponsor is providing support. The third conversation is finding out whether the project participants are faithful to the implementation process. The fourth crucial conversation is determining if the team is honest in assessing the risks and ongoing progress. The fifth conversation is discussing if the team members are pulling their weight.
References
Cerpa, N., & Verner, J. M. (2009). Why did your project fail? Communications of the ACM, 52(12), 130-134.
Dvir, D., & Shenhar, A. J. (2011). What great projects have in common. MIT Sloan Management Review, 52(3), 19.
Grenny, J., Maxfield, D., & Shimberg, A. (2007). How project leaders can overcome the crisis of silence. MIT Sloan Management Review, 48(4), 46.
Matta, N. F., & Ashkenas, R. N. (2003). Why good projects fail anyway. Harvard Business Review, 81(9), 109-116.