The project appeared to have all the ingredients for success: implementing a consolidated campus network would generate a 30% reduction in monthly telecom bills; capital costs were less than $500,000; senior management endorsed the project and all the required resources; the work breakdown schedule was thoroughly documented; and the critical path had been identified.
Nothing should have gone wrong. Yet when the project was completed, it came in over budget and behind schedule. New hardware requirements for video connectivity and remote access were added at the last minute and although they were approved by the CIO, the change resulted in cost overruns of nearly $200,000. Early snowstorms delayed the fiber installation as union rules prohibited the phone company from removing snow from manhole covers. Equipment was delayed due to manufacturing and shipping backlogs which resulted in additional implementation delays. Even though management was kept informed of the delays and understood the reasons, by the time the network was finally live it was a bittersweet success at best.
No matter how much we plan, unforeseen events can create havoc with a project's budget, scope and timeline. And according to Chaos Theory, this is inevitable. For in our seemingly orderly world, one of the fundamental processes that pervade our universe is chaos. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche noted that "out of chaos comes order," and modern day theorists such as James Gleick believe chaos is the breeding ground of order.
If you extrapolate the philosophical and theoretical into the practical, it might be impossible to avoid chaos. So instead of trying to deny it, we should plan for it and even cultivate a controlled chaos to achieve the order we seek.
Ten years ago, a typical IT project consisted of a series of predictable events: identify a need, develop a solution, write and approve a business case, assemble a project team, develop a project plan, approve the budget and launch the project. A project was considered a success if it came in on time and under budget.
Today the pace of business has quickened and overall timelines have shortened drastically. The sequential events of yesterday have been replaced by the parallel events of today. Business cases often need to be written while solutions are being developed. Project timelines need to be created before all the tasks and resources have been completely identified.
This new fast-paced paradigm is a breeding ground for chaos. Project teams need to be able to respond to changing events quickly. Alternate solutions need to be ready in the event the proposed solution can’t be implemented or doesn’t work. Backup resources need to be identified in case key resources leave the company. Potential cost reduction opportunities need to be identified in the event business conditions dictate across the board budget cuts.
Project teams – and the managers that lead them – need to be more flexible and creative than ever before. As noted in an earlier post, my own philosophy is that a project manager should be like a sheepdog. Sheepdogs set up a boundary for the flock, allow a certain amount of freedom within that boundary and nip the heels of those who try to cross the boundary. Instead of trying to control the individual sheep, the sheepdog focuses on moving the entire flock to the stated goal.
When I lead a project or initiative, I seek the expertise of others, request their input into key decisions and give them control over aspects of their job. Like a sheepdog, I set the project boundaries, but allow a certain amount of controlled chaos to reign in solutions development and implementation.
A few years ago I was handed a VPN project that was in development and already behind schedule. In order to reap the anticipated cost savings, the solution needed to be implemented quickly. My job was to bring it back on track and implement it in the required timeframe. The short time frame necessitated creating a revised business case, engineering design and project plan in parallel.
Instead of trying to control every aspect of the project, I set the overall boundaries, then allowed a lot of chaotic movement within those boundaries and nipped the heels as needed to keep the team moving toward the goal.
I involved the project team in brainstorming various scenarios to develop risk-mitigation plans. We identified and documented the assumptions used, and worked to ensure project sponsors and senior management were aware of all timeline and budget risks.
During network planning sessions I cultivated controlled chaos and allowed a free exchange of ideas, sometimes playing devil's advocate to insure all options were reviewed. When discussions wandered off the track or became personal, I would nip heels as needed to bring everyone back into focus.
Even after an initial vendor decision had been made on hardware, I accommodated additional chaos to incorporate newly available equipment from a different vendor that brought added value, but required a redesign of ordering, shipping and configuration processes.
From the outside the project often appeared to be in total disarray. There were times when the proposed design changed on a weekly - and sometimes daily - basis. I had to meet many times with the project sponsors to assure them everything was OK.
I let chaos reign, but it was controlled chaos. Like sheepdogs, I constantly circled the team making sure that timelines were met, solutions were in scope and equipment was in budget. Ultimately, out of the chaos came order.
By both planning for chaos and cultivating controlled chaos the project team implemented a solution within 120 days of final budgetary approval that not only met all customer requirements, but also provided a scalable platform that would accommodate future growth. Nietzsche would have been proud.
