Project execution is an uphill battle. Ensure success by devising a blueprint from executive commitment to follow up.
- Executive commitment – start with executive commitment. Otherwise, you might as well hang up your hat, as it is really unlikely to succeed. Provide a compelling case to senior leaders on why your particular initiative should be pursued. Put your energy here before anything else!
- Choose your initiative leader carefully – since leaders make or break success, it is important to choose carefully. Find a leader who is willing to go the extra mile to keep executives up-to-speed, and one who will share success and accept blame. A good leader will create success; whereas a so-so leader can kill even the best of teams.
- Explain the why behind the initiative – team commitment will also make or break success, especially as team members have multiple conflicts on a daily basis. Make sure your team understands why the initiative matters.
- Develop a plan – even the best of teams will fail if they don’t have a well-thought out plan. Make sure you look at the critical path, assign task owners and understand sequencing.
- Follow up – last but not least, follow-up. Check in with team members. Find out what issues might occur. Ask about them. Find out how you can help avoid potential pitfalls. Don’t leave it to chance; follow-up!