Myth #2: Putting Everything Into The Project Now Is Our Only Chance For Success – Part #4 (Lesson 8)
Have you heard the one about the Minimum Viable Product?
Please do not think for one moment that the previous article suggested that large projects and programs should all be replaced with small projects that are easier to do.
At the basic level, ‘Minimum Viable Product’ (MVP) describes a product/service/etc. with just enough features to satisfy users/customers and provide feedback for future development.
From a business and technical perspective, it is up to you to decide how best to partition up what gets delivered to the business and when. This may be in phases/stages, based on geographical rollout, or big-bang all-at-once.
What I am saying is that you should go into every project with a very clear understanding of what this MVP would look like.
Clearly, the aim should always be to deliver the full scope of business needs.
From a planning, expectation setting, and contingency perspective, understanding and agreeing the default fallback position (in the form of an MVP) is useful early on. That is not to say that a project should be limited to only delivering the agreed MVP, unless, of course, time to market is your key Critical Success Factor.
What the MVP does is allow everyone involved to understand what the core essentials really are. And it ensures that, as an absolute minimum, those capabilities are built, tested, and proven to work well.
In the event that challenges arise to prevent the desired scope from being completed, the project team can deliver the MVP, successfully providing the agreed business value. The team will then be able to progress with resolving any outstanding issues without the pressure of the whole transformation being delayed weighing on their minds.
Focus on outcomes and pursue excellence, not perfection
This article series only scratches the surface of the challenging process of appropriately scoping a project, setting it up for success, and then ensuring that it delivers the outcomes that the business needs.
What would happen if you and your organisation were to adopt this approach?
- How would this impact the overall success of ALL your projects?
- How would regular Guaranteed Project OutcomesTMaffect your reputation?
I hope that you are starting to understand why challenging some of the myths that surround delivering projects can help you to avoid project failure, gain control of your transformation initiatives, and become a ‘Boardroom Hero’.