Success Factors Discovery
Join hundreds of others, discovering the foundations for repeatedly delivering successful projects, with Success Factors.
Prove It Works: The Power of Small Experiments
Prove It Works: The Power of Small Experiments Enjoy delivering highly successful projects. Connect with moments of inspiration. Introduction I want to share a simple idea that sits at the heart of learning by experimentation. I am working with an organisation that wants to transform how it operates. The goal is clear. The direction is clear. Start Small, Then Go Big Instead of rolling out a full solution immediately, we are starting small. We are bringing together a small group to shape an...
What is your project's need for speed?
What is your project's need for speed? Enjoy delivering highly successful projects.Connect with moments of inspiration. I am working on a project right now where the sponsor is adamant, they want a working version as quickly as possible. On the face of it, the expectation feels intense. Concept, design, testing, working version - in 8 weeks. My first reaction was the one you might be having too: That sounds unrealistic. The Behaviour I noticed I stepped into their shoes. "If we are slow, they...
How to think big and start small with projects
How to think big and start small with projects I was talking to a consultant doctor recently and they mentioned an NHS IT programme called a “Millennium” project. Because it’s been around since before 2000, and still hasn’t delivered the value it promised. It’s a familiar problem, especially in IT: It takes too long to build It’s too big when it finally arrives It delivers value too late, or not at all In most cases, the root cause is simple: Instead of starting small with a pilot, everything...
Why you should believe in yourself, this Christmas.
Why you should believe in yourself, this Christmas. As we come to the end of the year, we start thinking about 2026. Reflecting on how you believe in yourself could be the best present you can give this Christmas. my confidence story When I first started working as a project manager, I remember feeling stress from a lot of uncertainty, unsure how things would pan out. That feeling changed after I completed a few projects. I started to see the patterns. From then on: I felt calmer I trusted...
What I wish I’d known 10 years ago about projects
What I wish I’d known 10 years ago about projects Welcome to Success Factors Discovery, your weekly email connecting you to moments of inspiration. Enjoy delivering highly successful projects.This week: I share something I wish I had known 10 years ago, how to describe the different types of projects. 10 Years Ago In this week's email, I want to share something I wish I had known 10 years ago. At that time, I was a competent project manager. I had delivered different types of projects and I...
How to decide if your work is a project
How to decide if your work is a project Welcome to Success Factors Discovery, your weekly email connecting you to moments of inspiration. Enjoy delivering highly successful projects.This week: Why most struggle with this question, and what you can do about it. A Quick Story From a Managing Director Last week, I asked a Managing Director of a medium‑sized business to complete a project Complexity Assessment. His initiative scored just one point under the formal definition of a project. But he...
How to apply one of my all-time success factors - modularity
How to apply one of my all-time success factors - modularity Welcome to Success Factors Discovery, your weekly email connecting you to moments of inspiration. Enjoy delivering highly successful projects.This week: Understand what modular means for your project, and a free/quick tool to identify your modular options. 🔶 Quick Request: Can you help shape the future of project delivery?I am working on an online tool. Its aim is to make it really easy for you, me, all of us to apply Success...
Projects: How to choose the best solution
How to choose the best solution Welcome to Success Factors Discovery, your weekly email connecting you to moments of inspiration. Enjoy delivering highly successful projects.This week: A simple way to step back and compare your options. 🔶 First: Can you help shape the future of project delivery?I am personally working on an online tool. Its aim is to make it really easy for you, me, all of us to apply the core Success Factors on our projects.To work, I need to understand the challenges you...
Why So Many Projects Fail When You Think They’re Unique
The hidden bias that ruins Most projects Welcome to Success Factors Discovery, your weekly email connecting you to moments of inspiration. Enjoy delivering highly successful projects. This week’s focus: why thinking your project is unique might be your biggest mistake. Most project professionals have been trained to believe that every project is “unique.” The world's biggest project association the PMI defines projects as being "unique". The UK Government and most textbooks do the same. But...
How to direct change for successful projects.
why directing change is key to success Welcome to Success Factors Discovery, your weekly email connecting you to moments of inspiration. Enjoy delivering highly successful projects. In this week's email, I talk about not the project manager, but the person Directing the change. Typically this is a senior manager, some call this role the Sponsor. Getting this right is really key. Early in my career, I learned that most directors or senior managers have not had training on how to deliver...
Join hundreds of others, discovering the foundations for repeatedly delivering successful projects, with Success Factors.