It is not that we don’t know that a given project is going south. The experienced members of the Project team can spot it quite easily. They can even see patterns and predict where the project can go! The problem is that very few say – we have a problem!
The fact is that everyone protects their little stake in the project. There is rarely someone who looks beyond their interest and shoutout – ‘we have a problem!’
For example, the stake of the consultants is to keep their billability up. Their KPIs are primarily billability. Similarly, Professional services managers care about profitability. The customer-side project team is often concerned about their employment. So, most of the project team is busy protecting themselves and their stake. Almost no one says – ‘Stop! We have a major problem!’
The point is not to be nice (like everyone else) and go with the flow! The point is to look beyond immediate short-term benefits and fix the root cause of the potential cause of failure.
We need more whistle-blowers! Do you have the courage to be one?
