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Know Thy Organization
Amy Schwab
(July 3, 2008)
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A situational assessment of your project’s surrounding environment — not just the project itself — is a critical step in deciding the best way to proceed. You need to understand the true nature of the organization in which your project will live — not a textbook ideal — in order for it to thrive. Here are three key elements of such an assessment.
Following “Know Thy Project” (June 26, 2008), this is the second article in a two-part series on situational assessment of project methods and environments
All project management methods carry tacit and explicit assumptions about the organization in which the project will exist. But too many project methods carry hidden assumptions about the organization's ability to make timely, purely rational (or financially motivated) decisions, provide key resources at key points of the project, and deal with politics and hidden agendas. Often, it is assumed that a strong sponsor or champion will cut through conflicting interests, mandate compliance, and clear the way for the project to simply march through to success. When these conditions fail to emerge, many blame the ‘stupid’ organization for failing to live up to an ideal of a healthy functioning organization that is required for the method to work.
This is why situational assessment of your project’s surrounding environment — not just the project itself — is a valuable tool.
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