There is an almost unmanageable amount of research on the successful implementation of projects in organizations. Different causes and conclusions for success or failure are drawn from these analyses. However, there is significant agreement on one point: the number of projects that turn out differently than originally planned is well over 50 percent. However, in everyone's opinion, the number of unreported cases is also very high. Why is this the case? Are the goals too ambitious? Is the budget too tight? Are the resources not available? Is the time frame too tight? Not enough support from management? Many questions and at least as many answers. There is certainly an approach that may not successfully eliminate all, but the majority of the causes of project failure: systematic, holistic and customized change management.

The crux of the matter with projects

Projects that are only implemented slowly and take much longer than planned. Projects where the costs turn out to be far higher than planned. Difficulties in implementation that nobody had foreseen; targets that are not achieved or are replaced by minimum targets. Projects that need to be restarted (reset); or even fail completely and are abandoned. Not to mention the loss of internal and external image, trust and motivation. We all know them: The "good reasons" from experience why the topic of projects has negative connotations for many.

The fact is: projects are everywhere and take place at all times and with a wide variety of content. In the past, they were the exception/the special thing, but today they have often become routine. Although this is actually a contradiction in terms:

"The term project is used very broadly today, almost inflationary. In some cases, there is even joking talk of projectitis."
~ Sven, 2016; Agile-Master.de.

For this very reason, perhaps a brief excursion to visualize the definition of projects:

"A project is a time-limited, relatively innovative and risky task of considerable complexity, which usually requires special project management due to its difficulty and importance."
~ Prof. Dr. Gerhard Schewe / Prof. Dr. Kai-Ingo Voigt; Gabler Business Dictionary.

It is even easier to simply state this: If an organization intends to transfer an existing state (actual) to a new state (target), this usually takes the form of a project. This means no more and no less than that a specific time, fixed resources and both a start and an end are defined for this task. Then the "target state = actual state" must be. Otherwise, the project has failed. Quite simple really. But why does it fail so often? What is going wrong?

A standard project recipe

Let's first take a look at the basic requirements for successful project work. You need:

• Project objective (description of target status)
• Project leader/manager/caretaker et cetera (one who is responsible)
• Project team (those who are to do the actual work)
• Project resources (financial, material, time, external, internal)
• Project planning (time, measures, activities, controls, budget)
• Commitment of those involved (see above) and the stakeholders (those who "want" the project).

If the "ingredients" are right, the quality is good, the quantity is sufficient, the process is known and the "recipe" is correct, then you can get started. And success (i.e. the new actual state) should actually materialize as planned.

With this basic equipment, we move from the rule to practice. After all, projects and project work have not just been around since yesterday, but have been going on for many years.

And that is precisely why things always go wrong, or at least not as planned.

An error analysis

The list of mistakes that happen in projects is long and extends to all parts, phases and processes of the project. Since every project is ultimately always very unique, the errors always occur slightly differently and with different effects.

However, and this is what we will focus on here, there is a fundamental and decisive reason for the lack of success in the above recipe - and therefore in most projects in practice. The focus of the project must be set differently.

The fundamental thing about projects, regardless of their type and content, is the Change. This means that all projects are first and foremost change projects. However, this in turn means that the focus of the project must be placed on the change process. In practice, however, this is often not done. The substantive issues (what, who, with what, perhaps even why) are at the forefront and are actively driven forward. The question is: how does it succeed? all Taking those involved along the path from A to B (actual to target) so that in the end the target actually corresponds to the new actual is often neglected or only taken into account when failure is detected at an advanced stage.

The recipe for success

Whether ERP projectM&A, restructuring, Process optimization, Digitizationbusiness model optimization, internationalization, organizational development or whatever the content of the project may be: they all aim to achieve a change and should therefore be viewed primarily as change projects. The focus must be on the change process. It is about all the questions around: How is it possible to get people to leave familiar territory (roles, behavior, rules) and take on the risk of new, unknown, unfamiliar territory?

The basic recipe listed above must therefore first be expanded to include the most important component: Change management.

But what does that mean in concrete terms? Can't change management be taken over by the project manager or management? Is it that complicated?

What constitutes effective change management

Good change management requires one thing above all else: Experience. Without many years of diverse and multifaceted experience in change projects, it will hardly work. On the one hand, because there is no one-size-fits-all formula for change management. Secondly, because you need the necessary "standing" with everyone involved (from top management to the store floor). And thirdly, because it requires a total focus solely on the change process, i.e. on concerns, fears, receptiveness, speed, motivation, frustration, resistance, and so on and so forth. In a word: on the soft facts of the process.

To do this, the change manager should have a number of skills that prepare him or her precisely for this. CapGemini Consulting comes in a broad Investigation from 2015 to the following characteristic:

Five important characteristics of the change leader (change manager)

• Spirit: It carries the vision of change into the company.
• Standing: He is calm, independent, experienced and has integrity.
• Willingness to engage in dialog: He communicates openly, clearly and fairly.
• Empathy: His leadership shows appreciation.
• Passion: He leads change out of passion.

And the following points must be fulfilled with regard to the personality of the change manager:

However, these basic insights are only the first step. Part two of this article puts this knowledge into practice and explains how professional change management works, what makes it different and how taking the right factors into account at the right time - namely in good time - has a positive financial impact on the success of the project.

Click here to go directly to the article: Why - and how - professional change management makes all the difference.

(Cover image: © kasto | Fotolia )