The 7 Steps to Turning Round a Failing Project

When you’re brought in to rescue a project….

1: Get everyone to agree there is a Problem. 

Unless you get this agreement, you’ll have limited ability to do what you must do next, which is...

2: Pause the project. This buys the time and space to think it through and create your new plan - because you definitely don’t want to be implementing someone else’s wrong and failed plan, do you ?

3: Reassess the facts and reasons for the project in the first place. Things change – there’s no point trying to fix a problem that isn't what it was.

4: Measure the potential RoI accurately. The project may be pointless now, because peoples’ opinion of what is important changes (often much more often than they'll admit).

5: Measure the time and effort needed to succeed. Forget previous time and cost estimates, do your own. Even small technology changes can make a massive difference.

6: Compare this project with the current workload. This project may have been at the top of the pile when it started, but are there more important things to achieve now ?

7: Rebrand: kick off your new project with a new name. It’s not the same project is it? It’s not a repeat of a past failure, is it ?