I've spent years perfecting the art of getting approval for IT initiatives. But what I've learned is that approval is just the beginning. The real challenge lies in execution. Research shows that IT project failure rates remain high, and in my experience, many of these failures occur because initiatives get stuck in limbo, never officially dying but never really moving forward either.
So, what goes wrong? In my experience, the problem lies in the fact that approval creates permission, but not momentum. It's a point-in-time event that doesn't change existing obligations or shift priorities. I've seen this play out time and time again, where an initiative gets approved, but then nothing happens. The vendor milestones slip, the department lead routes around the project, and the business units stick to their existing plans.
Read also: Big News: Google Workspace Revolutionizes Office Productivity with AI and Ultra-Fast Charging Revolution: UK Hub Sets European Benchmark.
The key to success lies in establishing clear ownership and accountability below the sponsor level. The executive sponsor may be accountable in the governance sense, but it's the operating layer that needs to be accountable in the daily work sense. I've found that the most reliable predictor of post-approval failure is ambiguous ownership. When nobody is accountable, the initiative stalls.
According to a report by Reuters, IT project failures can have significant consequences, including financial losses and reputational damage. Meanwhile, an article by The Verge highlights the importance of clear communication and accountability in IT project management.
To avoid this, I've started asking the question: who would lose something measurable if this initiative stalled for sixty days? If the answer is nobody, then the initiative is already in trouble. It's time to re-evaluate the approach and establish clear ownership and accountability. The first thirty days after approval are critical, and it's essential to watch for changes in the day-to-day operation of the business. If nothing changes, the initiative is likely to fail.
In my experience, the failure that follows a successful approval is quiet and easy to miss. It looks like normal organizational complexity, with meetings, documents, and status updates. But in reality, the initiative is drifting, and the gap between reported progress and actual organizational behavior is widening. By the time the gap becomes undeniable, it's often too late to recover.
So, what can we do to avoid this silent failure? First, we need to recognize that approval is just the beginning. We need to establish clear ownership and accountability, and ensure that the initiative has the necessary resources and priorities to succeed. We need to watch for changes in the day-to-day operation of the business and be willing to adapt and adjust as needed. And finally, we need to be honest with ourselves about the initiative's progress and be willing to restart or re-evaluate if necessary.
So, what goes wrong? In my experience, the problem lies in the fact that approval creates permission, but not momentum. It's a point-in-time event that doesn't change existing obligations or shift priorities. I've seen this play out time and time again, where an initiative gets approved, but then nothing happens. The vendor milestones slip, the department lead routes around the project, and the business units stick to their existing plans.
Read also: Big News: Google Workspace Revolutionizes Office Productivity with AI and Ultra-Fast Charging Revolution: UK Hub Sets European Benchmark.
The key to success lies in establishing clear ownership and accountability below the sponsor level. The executive sponsor may be accountable in the governance sense, but it's the operating layer that needs to be accountable in the daily work sense. I've found that the most reliable predictor of post-approval failure is ambiguous ownership. When nobody is accountable, the initiative stalls.
According to a report by Reuters, IT project failures can have significant consequences, including financial losses and reputational damage. Meanwhile, an article by The Verge highlights the importance of clear communication and accountability in IT project management.
To avoid this, I've started asking the question: who would lose something measurable if this initiative stalled for sixty days? If the answer is nobody, then the initiative is already in trouble. It's time to re-evaluate the approach and establish clear ownership and accountability. The first thirty days after approval are critical, and it's essential to watch for changes in the day-to-day operation of the business. If nothing changes, the initiative is likely to fail.
In my experience, the failure that follows a successful approval is quiet and easy to miss. It looks like normal organizational complexity, with meetings, documents, and status updates. But in reality, the initiative is drifting, and the gap between reported progress and actual organizational behavior is widening. By the time the gap becomes undeniable, it's often too late to recover.
So, what can we do to avoid this silent failure? First, we need to recognize that approval is just the beginning. We need to establish clear ownership and accountability, and ensure that the initiative has the necessary resources and priorities to succeed. We need to watch for changes in the day-to-day operation of the business and be willing to adapt and adjust as needed. And finally, we need to be honest with ourselves about the initiative's progress and be willing to restart or re-evaluate if necessary.
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