I’m always happy when a client decides not to do a project.
Why would I not want to do a project? I own a project management company, for Pete’s sake.
Because if the project isn’t feasible due to timing, resources, or budget, then it’s a positive outcome!
Recently, we were engaged to lead a large technically complex project. The organization had never undertaken a project of this magnitude before and knew they needed help. Our expertise in managing multi-million dollar projects was well-known, and we came recommended for our ability to handle challenging and uncertain projects.
Our role was to lead the discovery of the project with their subject matter expert and project teams, then send it to leadership for approval. In the project management space, we call this a feasibility study.
We began by reviewing all work done to date and identifying key project stakeholders. We collected requirements, prioritizing them accordingly. We assessed all potential risks with the project.
We asked how this would look once finished, in six months, and in five years. We questioned whether the full project is needed now, and what the risks might be of moving forward with some unanswered questions about its long-term impact on the company.
The feasibility results went to leadership, who stewed over it for a while. The final decision was to not proceed with this project, at least not for now.
Not doing the project allowed the organization to start work on other small projects, while still prioritizing the project portfolio to keep projects that need to be done moving forward.
If we weren’t there, money could have kept flowing towards an uncertain project outcome. If they had used a consulting firm to do this work, they would have been given a good overview, however large firms often miss small details and don’t spend time on the ground talking to the people that really need to be involved in the project.
In our experience, many times a full-scale project with all the bells and whistles isn’t necessary; often a simpler, initial version will work.
And according to the sponsor of this project, “It’s braver to not do a project, than to proceed with an important project with not enough information.”
With 20+ years project management experience, Barbara Kephart has led projects across industries like medical software, clinical trials, and cybersecurity. With experience teaching technical project management and stakeholder engagement, Barbara is dedicated to helping companies pivot, prioritize, and complete projects with Chief Project Officer-level expertise, project professionals, practical training, and hands-on management—without the executive-level price tag.