Success for many projects is anything over 85% complete. Why 85% – you need to read on. Also, 4 out 5 successes is great but I’m talking major IT development project over 2 years. Many projects are just called complete based on a time period of 1 year (we did this at Toyota Motors, USA). Why? The reality is that there is always scope creep as stakeholders improve their business knowledge base and their expectations. The 2nd year starts a “new” project with all the new expectations and new goals (and partly for financial reasons).

We literally took all the completion requirement sheets, turned them over, took them off the table, and put a new, blank sheet of paper out to emphasize the past/old was done and now they could start asking what they wanted for the 2nd/next year. It was amazing thing to do and watch the shareholder expressions – but works! There is also a physiological and mental characteristic that says making something “old” and it becomes an accepted fact; you can do this mental switch by starting with a fresh blank piece of paper (this also works in training). And wait – for the other side to start talking about what “new” goals and requirements they want.

One very important aspect of completing a project is giving the staff a definite stopping point because they will continue to attempt to improve or correct software they don’t “feel” is complete. So many projects, phases, and major task points are just called by the lead analysis. On the other hand, you need to have a transition work path that pulls the staff away from the “completed” activities and forces them to devote all their time on the new, transition activities. This is why it is important that leads and project managers repeatedly and decisively call “completion”.

Yes, it takes some courage, experience, and firmness but that is part of being a leader.

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Topic: Is it possible that Project Management can ever reach a point where all projects succeed?