Imagine you’re a marathon runner. You’ve trained for months, you’re mentally prepared, and you’re eager to hit the pavement. But there’s one crucial piece of information missing: where is the finish line? Without knowing where to stop, you might end up running aimlessly, wasting your energy and potentially veering off course.
The same principle applies to project recovery. Before you dive headfirst into rescuing a troubled project, you need to define clear exit criteria. In other words, you need to know when you’re done.
This might seem obvious, but it’s often overlooked in the chaos of a project crisis. Without a clear understanding of what success looks like, you risk focusing on the wrong things, wasting precious time and resources on activities that don’t contribute to the ultimate goal.
So, how do you define these crucial exit criteria?
1. Understand Your Mandate:
First, clarify your role and responsibilities. What are you authorised to do? Are you expected to simply stabilise the project, or to completely overhaul it and deliver all the original objectives?
This is like understanding your role in a relay race. Are you running the first leg, just getting things started? Or are you the anchor leg, responsible for bringing it home to victory?
2. Align with Executive Expectations:
Next, align with the expectations of executive management. What are their priorities? What outcomes are they hoping to achieve?
Think of this as understanding the race strategy. What’s the overall goal? Are you aiming for a fast time, or simply to finish the race?
3. Define Measurable Outcomes:
Once you understand the expectations, translate them into concrete, measurable outcomes. This could be anything from achieving specific performance metrics to delivering certain features or meeting a revised deadline.
This is like knowing the exact location of the finish line and the qualifying time for your race.
4. Ensure You’re Empowered to Succeed:
Finally, make sure you have the authority and resources to achieve those outcomes. Do you have the necessary decision-making power? Can you access the required resources and support?
This is like ensuring you have the right shoes, the proper hydration, and a clear track to run on.
Defining clear exit criteria is not just a bureaucratic exercise; it’s a strategic imperative. It provides focus, clarity, and accountability. It allows you to:
- Prioritise your efforts: Focus on activities that directly contribute to achieving the defined outcomes.
- Manage stakeholder expectations: Communicate a clear vision of success to the client and the project team.
- Measure progress effectively: Track your advancement towards the finish line and make necessary adjustments along the way.
- Know when to celebrate: Recognize when you’ve achieved your goals and mark the successful completion of the recovery effort.
So, before you embark on your project recovery journey, take the time to define the finish line. It will make all the difference in ensuring a successful and fulfilling race.