What to do differently on your next project
- Kerrie Smit
- Jan 22, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 3
Are you looking to improve the success of your next project? If you've ever found yourself asking, "What would we do differently next time?" after a project wraps up, you're not alone. Common wisdom and wide-scale studies repeatedly point to the same key areas for improvement in post-implementation reviews.
What would you do differently next time?
What would you do differently next time?
Better engagement of senior leaders
Improve change management planning
Dedicated resources for managing the people side of change
More personal communications with employees
Let's look at why these same topics keep coming up, and, more importantly, how you can actually do it differently on your next project.
Better engagement of senior leaders
Senior leaders are more than just project sponsors; they are the change champions and a critical element of success. They need to be engaged proactively to secure buy-in from their peers and networks, and ensure alignment within the project team. This means we must seek out sponsorship at the right level of the organisation and empower them to be effective.
With the rise of agile methodologies, we've sometimes seen a Product Owner trying to fill the sponsor's shoes. Ideally, your change sponsor will be someone with the organisational seniority and accountability for both cultural outcomes and budget.
To improve sponsor engagement, consider:
Creating a sponsorship plan that includes education about the project and coaching on how to improve effectiveness in the role.
Meeting with your sponsor earlier and more frequently to encourage alignment around the vision and objectives of the project.
Engaging sponsors in conversations about managing resistance with stakeholders. When a consistent approach to resistance is agreed upon and implemented early, it helps the project team build commitment.
Proactive Planning and Dedicated Resources
Change management planning is often cited as an area for improvement because we rarely start early enough. Without sufficient time, key deliverables—especially systems training—can become a project within themselves. There simply isn't enough runway to research, develop, test, and deliver the interventions needed for employee adoption.
A great way to fix this is to apply a standard change management process to all projects. This helps project and business resources become accustomed to change management practices and allows for better change assessments of each impacted stakeholder group. Involving employees from the very beginning is a fundamental change principle, yet it still regularly needs improvement.
Similarly, having dedicated resources for managing the people side of change seems like a no-brainer, and yet it remains a perennial wish. Studies show a 50-70% improvement in technology adoption when behavioural change management is a key part of the implementation. When you consider the many reasons organisations implement changes—revenue, efficiency, customer satisfaction—a 50% increase in effectiveness is a massive multiplier.
The business case for dedicated change management resources writes itself. Just remember to budget for it and engage your change management team much sooner than you think is necessary.
More personal communications with employees
Communications are a frequent target for criticism, ironically because they're the most visible part of a change project. It's easy to be criticised for doing too much or too little.
However, one top recommendation for improving a project's communication is to make it more personal. Posting on internal channels and sending out mass emails doesn't guarantee your message gets through. Instead, consider using more face-to-face communication to build awareness of the "why" and create the right level of urgency.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to build an engagement plan that enlists the active involvement of middle management in having personal conversations with their teams. This two-way communication builds buy-in and ensures that information is understood, not just received.
Your Shortcut to Project Success: Doing it Differently Next Time
We all want our project implementations to be successful. By focusing on these four key areas—sponsorship, planning, dedicated resources, and personal communication—you can avoid the usual pitfalls. So, on your next project, or during your next post-implementation review, ask yourself these questions and apply these tips. By doing so, you'll be on the pulse and well on your way to great success!
Agencia Change is a specialised change management company that offers comprehensive change management and communications services online. For more information https://www.agenciachange.com/explore or book a call with one of our experienced consultants.
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