| Everyone has their list of reasons for why projects | | | | trying to address the problems, but often they are |
| are distressed or ultimately fail. As humans we are | | | | focusing on symptoms and not the root causes. |
| notorious for trying to identify the one thing, the | | | | Consider what happens when a Doctor is called in to |
| magic silver bullet, that if fixed will solve all our | | | | assess and treat their patients: |
| problems. If it were only that simple! Typically, | | | | The Doctor is brought in because the patient is |
| projects do not fail because of one specific reason or | | | | having symptoms that they are not comfortable with |
| root causes. It is usually a combination of factors | | | | or treating themselves. Moreover, the Patient is not |
| that conspire to put a project in peril. | | | | always aware of the underlying issue(s) that must to |
| I have been in the Information Systems field for | | | | be addressed to stop the symptoms and bring |
| twenty-two years. Eighteen has been as an IS | | | | permanent healing. Doctors learn to discern the |
| project manager. In one of my most recent roles I | | | | difference between a root cause and a symptom by |
| served as a special forces type problem solver. The | | | | studying and experience. They use their experience |
| issues I encountered then (and now) are normally | | | | to develop action plans to control the immediate |
| fixable in and of themselves. However, for the team | | | | symptoms and resolve the primary root causes . |
| members on a struggling project, recognizing what | | | | How do they do this? |
| and how to fix the problem(s) is not always so easy | | | | They first and foremost are able to do so by |
| or clearly understood . It is an important element that | | | | knowing their subject matter. Then once they |
| has to be taken into account when I start to triage | | | | engage the patient they proceed with asking detailed |
| the situation. | | | | questions and listening to the answers, studying the |
| Much like a small cut that is not cleaned out will likely | | | | patient's history and observing the patient's physical |
| become infected and if not adequately addressed | | | | appearance. All of these steps come together to |
| can actually become life threatening. If the cut had | | | | allow the doctor to rule in/out specific medical issues, |
| simply been washed out, the infection would probably | | | | conclude more more tests are needed, and/or defer |
| have not occurred. The cost to repair the cut is | | | | to a specialist. |
| minuscule in terms of time, money, and resources. | | | | What is a fever? Upset stomach? Numbness in |
| However, if allowed to grow unchecked it becomes | | | | extremities? Are they problems or symptoms of |
| extremely expensive in all aspects. Resolving | | | | underlying issues? I think everyone would agree they |
| problems early is always the simplest and least | | | | are symptoms of underlying issues . Issues that must |
| expensive course of action. | | | | resolved or there is substantial risk the same |
| In the information systems world the next step in | | | | symptoms will continue, worsen, and/or recur! |
| the downward spiral of most troubled projects is the | | | | Relative to IS projects, what are frequently missed |
| team members continue experiencing the same | | | | deadlines? Growing project costs? Frequently |
| symptoms over and over. As a result they begin to | | | | recurring mistakes/issues? Bad client relations? Are |
| lose their perspective and if not addressed it will | | | | they problems or symptoms of underlying issues? |
| cause a loss of focus on the stated project | | | | It is my experience they are only symptoms of |
| objectives, and finally if it goes unchecked will | | | | underlying issues which are putting the project at risk. |
| become totally discouraged. At that point, product | | | | Further, if the underlying issues are not resolved, the |
| quality WILL NOT be the priority of individual team | | | | risk is high the same symptoms will continue, worsen, |
| members. Survival mode takes over and protecting | | | | and/or recur later! We would not allow it to happen |
| themselves until another project comes along will be | | | | to our bodies. The question for information systems |
| their focus. | | | | project teams is why are so many projects allowed |
| This is a disease process that can/will ruin a project | | | | to degrade to point an outside resource is needed? |
| and ultimately the client relationship! | | | | I have developed a list of six root causes I believe |
| Occam's Razor is a principle attributed to the | | | | are the genesis of most (not all, most) struggling |
| medieval philosopher William of Occam and most | | | | projects. Others will have their valid list items and |
| often applied to the hard sciences. The principle | | | | that is great! I will never pretend to have cornered |
| states we should not make any more assumptions | | | | the market on the problems experienced on all |
| than the minimum required for the situation. In other | | | | projects. Care must be taken to assess the true |
| words, there are usually a large number of possible | | | | cause and not some downstream byproduct. |
| explanations for why something reacted as it did. | | | | As with the field of medicine project management |
| However, the simplest of those explanations is | | | | has a lot of Science that is available to the |
| probably why the issues began. Getting caught up in | | | | practitioner. However, identifying and correcting the |
| a cycle of breaking down and analyzing the | | | | root causes of problems undeniably are very much |
| symptoms and making more of what is not there is | | | | Art forms. Which means there may be common tools |
| a dangerous trap. One that will certainly delay the | | | | and techniques available to help with any project |
| identification and eradication of the real root causes! | | | | problem solving process, but the real trick is learning |
| When I begin to assess why a project is in distress, I | | | | when to throw out conventional wisdom and do |
| conduct a root cause analysis (RCA) of some degree. | | | | what has to be done in a way that creates as much |
| Most of the time, I am called in to help because the | | | | of a win-win as possible for the individual project. |
| projects are showing symptoms of spiraling out of | | | | I invite you to visit my blog to study the list of six |
| control. Typically, it has reached a point where the | | | | root causes I have identified and provide any |
| problems are no longer being adequately managed. | | | | comments you have about the subject. |
| Many times people thought they were seeing and | | | | |