Have you asked your team why the project may fail?
Before you kick-off a new project, have you asked your team why the project may fail?
Have you ever been involved in a project where everyone appeared to be fully supportive of the initiative, positive and happy to be engaged. But then if things didn’t quite go as well as planned, fingers start to get pointed and questions are asked about what went wrong and why. Often the reasons for problems or ultimate failure are known from the outset, but the team working on the project didn’t feel it was their place to either question the authority from above or didn’t feel comfortable in being negative about the project that the rest of the team seemed to be behind.
At AICOR we’d encourage you to gather your team before any large project, create a safe environment and actively ask why the project may fail. It’s not designed to create a negative spiral and demotivate team members, but instead allow for an open forum to provide everyone the opportunity to share any reservations or concerns that they may have.
Once the possible reasons for failure have been identified, two key things should happen:-
Consider whether the project is still viable and question whether it should proceed. Were the infamous rose-tinted glasses being worn when the idea was conceived, and should the plug be pulled?
If the answer to the first question is still to proceed, create a risk register, and document all the concerns raised and identify steps that can be taken to reduce the risks (if possible). The risk register should be regularly reviewed, asking for more items to be added if needed, and checked if any of the potential issues were starting to come to fruition.
The safer the team feel in raising their concerns or doubts at an early stage, the more likely they are to continue to share their thoughts and feedback throughout the duration of the project. By having their views or concerns heard can also help with motivation and your employees will feel far more valued.
A word of caution, this shouldn’t be seen as an attempt to stifle entrepreneurial flair and innovation. Sometimes it takes visionaries to see the potential in an idea and just because the rest of the team can’t yet see the same vision, it doesn’t mean that their concerns shouldn’t be shared.
If you need help or assistance in running sessions to achieve the above, then it doesn’t need to be a laborious task. At AICOR we can help facilitate such sessions if you require outside assistance, and often an external member of the party can also look at the project from a fresh perspective. Contact us to today to find out more. www.aicor.co.uk
