Also in its this year’s study the Project Management Institute (PMI) again assesses the actual trends that will influence our profession Profession Projektmanagement and its development now and in the near future.
It also shows that the success ratio of projects is decreasing again since 2008. Fewer than 2/3 of projects meet their goals and business intent, and about 17% fail outright. This means in plain figures that from every $1 billion of project volume $ 135 Mio. is burned money, not yet counted the collateral at business benefits like missed market opportunities, bad efficiency, losses at the bottom line etc.. But the research also shows that companies with a “mature” project organisation manage to realise their project objectives and benefits at 90% on average, whereas such that work in a “do more with less” business environment only achieve in 34%.
This actually is not a new insight, and it is not only promoted by PMI plausibly. Good project management definitively is an invest in a strategic business asset, not only a commodity or a part-time work ! And if the necessary know how is not (yet) available within the company it is eonomically reasonable to get some experts on board – for an important project, or for implementing an organisational structure, processes, and tools which enable for good project management. The price for good project managers can’t be by far as high as for burned money in insufficient projects !
Visit also the PMI Community Blog and the PMI Website about the topic.
Enjoy reading and receive lots of (new or well known) inspirations. To download the study please click on the PDF icon:
P.S.: In my article from last year you still can access the 2012 study. A comparison of the forecasts and the reality is always interesting 😉
I recently read a exciting article in Havard Business Review Magazine. In an extensive research Heidi K. Gardner proves, that nearly always the Leadership behavior in teams gets worse if pressure comes from above: the Project Manager becomes risk averse, approaches reduce to proven instead of optimal, creative or innovative ideas are thwarted demotivatingly. In this environment of tension a top project manager has to demonstrate that he resists the pressure and so backups his team – for outstanding results that make the difference.
Although this survey only covers one industry sector the “misuse” of project managers also in other industries for tasks not belonging to the profession, especially in technical contributions and business development, appears to be the rule rather than the exception. This might also explain why many troubled projects significantly improve when the well skilled, but overwhelmed by “PM on the side” project manager is relieved by assigning an additional project manager who is dedicated to deal exclusively with the management of the project (including the project’s recovery).