The Future of Oilsands Projects – Productivity Improvement & the Role of Communication
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Mobilizing armies of skilled labor from diverse locations and cultures, moving large equipment into remote locations in harsh climatic conditions and managing to budgets while costs are escalating make oil sands projects among the most challenging ever undertaken. Perhaps the most critical success factor in managing such complex projects is establishing and developing productive relationships. This key factor is very difficult to measure yet is cited repeatedly as the number one reason for project failure. Consistently, project managers’ expectations of, colleagues, teams, subcontractors, workers and project partners are substantially different from what they actually think is expected of them. Such misalignments result in expected tasks not being completed in the way required for project success, tasks being completed in a sub-optimal sequence or excessive time invested on “low return” tasks. These misalignments cascade into scheduling conflicts, delays, cost overruns, personnel turnover, increased stress, safety and legal issues. The take-away: New methods have been developed for the gathering and analysing of expectations from both the expectation originator’s and expectation receiver’s point of view. This enables the diagnosis of misalignments critical to project success, and facilitates the timely conversations required to align expectations and to keep projects on track before they become critical variables. Resource and competency gaps are exposed and addressed. High achieving managers can be identified. A culture of communication, alignment and accountability can be measured and developed.
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The Future of Oilsands Projects – Productivity Improvement & the Role of Communication
- 1. The Future of Oilsands Projects – Productivity Improvement & the Role of Communication
- 2. My Track Top 10 Productivity Improvement Areas & the Role of Communication The Project Management Technology Sword Tracking & Aligning Expectations - AlEx Methodology Case Study – Large Construction Project ROI for Oilsands
- 3. 3 Top 10 Improvement Areas Labour Management Project Planning & Work Face Planning Construction Management & Support Engineering Management Supervision & Leadership Communication Contractual Strategy and Contractor Selection Constructability in Engineering Design Modularization, Prefab, Pre-build
- 4. “In summary, future oil sands projects are going to be more complex due to both a set of external and internal factors interacting dynamically with each other. This means that the industry’s ability to manage sociopolitical, economic and technological fluctuations over a project’s life will be critical. This is not an advocacy for throwing out the tried and true project management disciplines but learning how to use them in far more fluid circumstances”
- 5. PM’s Two edged Technology Sword Efficient Overwhelming
- 6. Cliff & Tom Are Not On The Same Page!! Cliff’s Expectations of Tom What Cliff Thinks Tom Expects of Him 12 22 4 13 What Tom Thinks Cliff Expects of Him Tom’s Expectations of Cliff
- 7. Expectations Gaps Are like Pot Holes
- 8. You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure…. How can we align peoples’ expectationsto produce: Clearer criteria to measure individuals/groups performance Removing expectationsthat are redundant & non strategic Identifying roadblocks to project advancement Creating an accountability framework Greater focus & less self serving actions
- 9. Expectation’s Originator Starts Originator & Receiver Decide – Agree, Discard, Disagree Receiver details what will & will not be delivered Originator assesses Receiver’s need for help & support Originator provides agreed help & support The Alignment Process
- 10. AlEx™ Expectation Alignment Tracking Identifies: Distractions that impact workloads Misaligned expectations which reduce flexibility, risk rework and cost overruns Factors that reduce cross functional competitiveness Misalignment with organizational principles and strategies Productivity issues between managers and their staff Quality of interpersonal communication Integrate New Team Members Performance Tracking & Management Recruitment & Talent Management
- 11. Epoxy How do you respond to those that say, “ This is why we have all this technology available so that all those involved have access to what everyone else is doing? But, somebody has to feed the technology. More reporting what’s been done comes at a price. Time and declining utility Unfortunately technology has become a two-edged sword….efficient yet overwhelming. It produces so much data that it dilutes information and makes sense making difficult. This then hobbles a team’s ability to cope with problems, delays and change and what they need to do. Teams are most productive when they are bonded by the following curing process: Sustainable Trust leads to Healthy Conflict which leads to Solid Commitment which builds Owning Accountability which enables Keeping Focused under the pressure of delays and problems
- 12. What do you get from better alignment? What is actually expected of me How my performance is really measured What I can stop doing What I need to focus on What information and resources I can use to achieve my goals How I am going to be supported and coached
- 14. Unresolved
- 15. AgreedFocuses on key issues before they cause entrenched discord, like “clash identification” in BIM ” AlEx™ is the “human cousin to BIM” Dick Ortega President, Alternative Mechanical
- 16. Uses & Benefits of Aligning Expectations
- 17. Competency Development - Priorities 96 Critical Expectations to get lower level managers taking on more responsibility
- 18. Large Construction Project – Case Study Symptoms Escalating change orders, RFI’s (Requests for Information) and building decisions awaiting government regulatory agency approval had pushed a $500 million hospital project into crisis.
- 20. Owner groups changing specifications
- 25. Coached key players to generate expectations for each component(within and between groups)
- 27. Under & Over Channeling
- 28. Alignment Tracking: Progressive DIs
- 29. Initial Component Alignment Indices
- 30. Current Component Alignment Indexes
- 31. Architects & Owners: Tension Ratings
- 32. Expectations Status after 9 mths
- 33. General Contractors & Subs TBDs Filters Tension = All Group Focus = Inter Acc Grp = Same Expect. Type = MEO & OEM Decision = TBD General Contractor Sub Contractor
- 34. Turner - Subcontractors Filters Tension = 5 & 4 ONLY Group Focus = Inter Acc Grp = Same Expect. Type = MEO & OEM Decision = TBD General Contractor Sub Contractor
- 35. Cross Hairs - Targeting on what counts OAC’s as a percentage of total expectations – 11:2489=.44% RFI’s /design issues expectations as a total percentage of total expectations 116:2489=4.6% CO’s as a total percentage of total expectations 128:2489=5.1%
- 37. Setting up structured alignment sessions within owner, general contractor and architectural firms
- 38. Aligning the change order process across the three projects
- 40. Reduced schedule blocks and re-work;
- 41. Project now back on track for 2012 completion
- 42. Litigation among the 17 organizations was avoided
- 43. Reduced conflicts by improving the way we communicate with each other
- 45. The ROI for Oilsands Projects Better definition of stakeholder expectations –especially of external stakeholders can yield big paybacks Managing scope changes – Early definition of all stakeholder expectations can avoid expensive surprises Change in environment – methodical and efficient way to incorporate new and discard old project expectations can mitigate costs by: Improving response time, Discarding activities quickly Refocusing project teams to the new realities
- 46. The ROI for Oilsands Projects Improved resource use & better support – Early definition of resource expectations all the way down the chain of command can avoid costly delays and expenditures. Improved communications –Identifies managers and other stakeholders who are especially strong or weak at communicating with their teams. Poor project processes and controls – Expectation Alignment tools also make accountability for task execution highly visible. Expectation Tension Ratings may also reveal important tasks that are not necessarily on the critical path but can have huge ramifications to project schedules or budgets. Develop Cohesive teams –Expectation Alignment addresses these issues by facilitating the alignment conversations that reveal experience gaps early enough to develop people and avoid later termination. Develop pragmatic contracting strategies – Reveals owner expectations and other stakeholders are not captured in specifications and contracts yet play a significant part in them being effective
- 47. Summary …….where delays are millions of dollars per day, the alignment & tracking expectations can make the thousands of daily decisions more accurate, is strongly beneficial and has been shown to result in very tangible savings.
- 48. AlEx™ The Line of Sight to Success Thank you
- 49. Increased sales 10%-15% in 30 weeks Owner Increased Customer Sat. Ratings (4th – 1st) Sales Gross Revenues Up from $20m to $30m Research AlEx™ Prevented Restructuring Failures Closing Rate Improved by 66% Executive Team Employees Delivered Building OTIF & No Legal Issues Customer Relations Isolated Hi Performing Teams Factors Marketing Business Partners Increase Revenue 14% in 6 months
- 50. VP’s Change of Strategy
- 51. Over Channeling Inside Groups Managers AlEx™ Priorities Content Who do you need To Be On The Same Page? Between Groups Direct Reports Under Channeling
- 52. AlEx™ Alignment Process 2 4 1 3 Introduce Components & Process DevelopStrategic Components Select Key Players &/or Focus Groups Mission & Strategy Coach Participants &Collect Their Expectations 6 Key Component Prioritization& Implications Use CrossHairs Reports todevelop problem definitions AlEx 5 7 9 8 Alignment Process Brief, Train, Coach Rapid Improvement Cycles (Based on Tracking TBDs, Discards, Complete & Unresolved Expectations) Integration &Transfer Capability Knowledge Skills Capacity Develop Metrics & Rewards per Component
- 54. ASAP
- 55. “Right Away….”
- 56. “I’ll Try To Get To It………”
- 57. “Later….”
- 58. “By The End Of Next Week
- 59. “We should…”Specificity, Specificity, Specificity!
- 60. Aligning Expectations is a Two Way Street My Expectations of You What I Think You Expect of Me What You Think I Expect of You Your Expectations of Me
- 61. Managing Effective Transition BackwardLooking ForwardLooking Evidence Based Measuring Transition Leading Metrics Lagging Metrics OpinionBased
- 62. Increased sales 10%-15% in 30 weeks Owner Increased Customer Sat. Ratings (4th – 1st) Sales Gross Revenues Up from $20m to $30m Research AlEx™ Prevented Restructuring Failures Closing Rate Improved by 66% Executive Team Employees Delivered Building OTIF & No Legal Issues Customer Relations Isolated Hi Performing Teams Factors Marketing Business Partners Increase Revenue 14% in 6 months
- 63. Key Components Example Competency Development Leadership Business Development Performance Assessment Management Team Working Delegating Risk Management & Planning Value Delivery
- 64. Component Definition: Respectful Communication Using all available resources to accurately and effectively relate ideas and positions to associates and colleagues. Manage the tensions created by the conditions, people and conflicting objectives. Respectfully listen to others’ contributions, allowing them to engage and own their contributions. Respond with thoughtfulness, taking into consideration the contributions of others. 16
- 65. Component Definition: Team Integration This is the effective working between one of more team’s so that a team‘s effort adds to the impact of another teams effort. So optimizing resources and maximizing outcomes is a natural outcome. It is based on every one recognizing that "we are all in this together." Welcome the talents and contributions of all members into the team environment. Manage communication, decisions and actions so all are committed to agreements. - Raise the bar by consistently sharing knowledge, advising, mentoring and developing associates and colleagues.
- 66. Originator Initiates Discussion Originator Coaches Receiver Originator & Receiver Decide:Agree Discard Unresolved Real Alignment Originator Rates Performance Receiver Agrees Evidence
- 67. This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value too us. - Western Union internal memo 1876
- 69. How to avoid being crushed? 10 No major project is completed on time, within budget, with the same staff that started it, nor does the project do what it is supposed to. It is highly unlikely yours will be first. ---scope definition, estimating and project control 9 What is not on paper has not been said. --- management of change 8 Conditional promises are forgotten, and only the promise is remembered. ---- understand the estimates and get the charter right 7 Project purpose statements will be seen differently by everyone ---- role clarity and communication 6 Carelessly plan and it will take three times longer than expected. Carefully plan and it will only take twice as long. --- pay as much attention to schedule as cost 5 If Users don’t believe in the system, a parallel system will emerge. Neither will work very well. --- Get operations and construction involvement early and consistently 4 Measurable benefits are real. Intangible benefits are not --- business rationale and KPI’s 3 Weekly project reporting is detested because it vividly exposes people’s lack of progress. --- impose structure, procedures and management of change 2 The least used and most valuable word in a project manager’s vocabulary is “No”. ---- scope definition and progressive resistance to change 1 Diplomacy is the art of letting other people have your way. --- Command and control, and communicate, communicate, communicate
- 72. Doing different things Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) 1 day’s delay @ 40,000 bb/day = ≈ $3.6 million dollars. What can we do to improve on-time and in-full performance? (OTIF) Steam to Oil Ratio(S.O.R) How do we build-in agility to project planning and execution to take advantage of innovations in mid-project?
- 73. 20 People =380 Channels to Manage Four Blocker Problem 2 People 4 People 8 People 20 People
- 74. “If everything is going according to plan…… First. Team Glue consists of compounds like trust, constructive criticism and holding each other accountable. And like glue needs “curing”. It needs controlled heat, and a blend of team members to initiate and harden commitments, just like using high-performance adhesives when you need strong bonding. The second factor compounds the problems of over-reliance on traditional project management processes. It’s the number of lines communications and deciding which are needed under pressured dynamics. Just take a 100 person project, potentially you could have 9,900 possible communication links. Regardless of matrix, project or siloed command structures, you still need a way of managing the myriad number of cross functional, organizational and contractor expectations. And if not surfaced and managed will negatively impact project execution. How do you respond to those that say, “ This is why we have all this technology available so that all those involved have access to what everyone else is doing?
- 75. Over Channeling Intra Group Problems Controlling AlEx™ Not Embedded Distracting What indications of misalignment do you need to test? Inter Group Issues Poor Delegating Under Channeling
Notas do Editor
- Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) 1 day’s delay @ 40,000 bb/day = ≈ $3.6 million dollars. What can we do to improve on-time and in-full performance? (OTIF)Steam to Oil Ratio(S.O.R)How do we build-in agility to project planning and execution to take advantage of innovations in mid-project? The next time a big project is heading for going over budget and not meeting its deadlines, what are you likely to do? Where does Project planning and execution go from here? I know there are many SAGD people attending today. So what makes a SAGD Project Successful? Every day of delay in 40,000 bb/day SAGD module costs about $3.6 million dollars. So it’s safe to say getting it done on time is critical. There are some crucial things we can do to improve on-time performance.Optimized Steam/Oil Ratio – while the “S.O.R.” is dependent on a number of factors such as reservoir quality, layout and technology, is there anything we can do in project planning and execution to more quickly assess and possibly adopt innovations mid-project that could have a big payback? What is the most critical aspect of successful project planning and execution? Communications? But how can we manage what we don’t measure? Today I’ll introduce a methodology we call Expectation Alignment that addresses this major opportunity to improve. Introduce Nick’s top 10 Project Management Communication Issues. (You can refer to PWC and Jergeas as references) Technology – is more better? (very short 20 seconds) AlEx Methodology Today I’ll introduce a methodology we call Expectation Alignment that addresses this major opportunity to improve and help your other systems and process work better Case Study Use concluding section of White Paper to define the ROI for oilsands
- Questions to ask yourselfHow many of these are issues for you when you look at current and upcoming projects?How many of these could be improved by getting and keeping people on the same page?How many of these have you introduced greater controls and technology to get a better handle on these areas?How many initiatives to improve performance in these areas has been sub-optimal?
- How many of these project performance areas seem to resist improvement?What are the risks of developing an over-reliance on such processes like accountability matrices (A grid of who does what, who they should consult and inform etc.). They fail to reflect the dynamics of a complex construction project. Back to Mr Creosote….it’s not so much about adding more! (Reporting, processes, communication etc.) but having clear expectations on how we handle problems and opportunities as they arise. Such rational planning processes needs strong Team glue to be really effective. Let me explain.
- Explain 22/4 is what we mean by “Not being on the same page”Real data of two senior managers – they couldn’t resolve their differences and consequently both lost their jobs
- These gaps are like potholes – hard on the foundation or chassis.Ask: What sorts of gaps have you noticed at work?What’s the cost of these gaps”What other damage do you see happening?Elicit:Transition: Why are these gaps so damaging? (next slide)
- Why then is it so metric data starved? So, here are the questions that took us 10 years to answer effectively:Certainly, there’s a case to answer and look at a new way of Expectation Alignment for More Effective Project Management Let’s face it, You Can’t Manage What You Cannot MeasureHow do we develop measurable ways of effective Teamworking?As many project people will us: “Building the thing is not difficult compared to managing all the people involved” So called “soft” skills need hardening. Effective Communication should not only be acknowledged, but recognized as a cornerstone of successful project management. Why then is it so metric data starved? How can we manage what we cannot measure? So, here are the questions that took us 10 years to answer effectively:How do we develop measurable ways of effective Teamworking? How do we assess people’s expectations of others with those others have of them? How can we drive performance discussions between groups and individuals on their expectations and assumptions that result in: Specifying clearer performance criteria against which individuals/groups will be measuredRemoving expectations that are non-value added and not strategically alignedIdentifying significant issues to address for project advancementCreating an accountability framework How can we help people be more aligned and focused?
- When the Originator has an expectation, they are responsible to initiate discussion with the Receiver(s) (70% of the time this doesn’t happen – LOL)Shift 1. If the Receiver agrees to the expectation, then the responsibility shifts to the Receiver. To tell the Originator what they will and will not deliver to meet the agreed expectation.Shift 2. Now, the Responsibility shifts back to the Originator to assess the Receiver’s need for help to meet their expectation. (Contrary to what common sense would indicate):Shift 3. and most importantly the Originator still has the responsibility to provide that help. For example, like briefing, coaching, advice, support etc.Now, Originator and Receiver stand a chance of being aligned. The key is that success is more likely, replicable, faster and at reduced cost. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. (Chinese Proverb)First. Team Glue consists of compounds like trust, constructive criticism and holding each other accountable. And like glue needs “curing”. It needs controlled heat, and a blend of team members to initiate and harden commitments, just like using high-performance adhesives when you need strong bonding.The second factor compounds the problems of over-reliance on traditional project management processes. It’s the number of lines communications and deciding which are needed under pressured dynamics. Just take a 100 person project, potentially you could have 9,900 possible communication links. Regardless of matrix, project or siloed command structures, you still need a way of managing the myriad number of cross functional, organizational and contractor expectations. And if not surfaced and managed will negatively impact project execution. How do you respond to those that say, “ This is why we have all this technology available so that all those involved have access to what everyone else is doing?
- The AlEx™ Expectation Alignment methodology is a key driver of change which accelerates alignment and tracks the development of working relationships. Such tracking includes:Distractions that impact work loadsMisaligned expectations which reduce flexibility, risk rework and cost overrunsFactors that reduce cross functional competitivenessMisalignment with organizational principles and strategiesProductivity issues between managers and their staffQuality of interpersonal communicationIntegrate New Team Members Performance Tracking & Management Recruitment & Talent Management The impact of this approach is:Insurance against projects delaysFaster project executionBetter productivityImproved Employee retentionAttracting people who are naturally better aligned
- How do you respond to those that say, “ This is why we have all this technology available so that all those involved have access to what everyone else is doing?But, somebody has to feed the technology. More reporting what’s been done comes at a price. Time and declining utility Unfortunately technology has become a two-edged sword….efficient yet overwhelming. It produces so much data that it dilutes information and makes sense making difficult. This then hobbles a team’s ability to cope with problems, delays and change and what they need to do.Teams are most productive when they are bonded by the following curing process:Sustainable Trust leads toHealthy Conflict which leads toSolid Commitment which buildsOwning Accountability which enablesKeeping Focused under the pressure of delays and problems
- PRINT ONLY
- Using the AlEx Easy Entry™ web application, individuals identify their expectations of others and what they think is expected of them. AlEx™ is then used to analyze content, quantity, and quality of the Expectations generated.For example, the relationship between Tom and Cliff looks aligned if you only look at Tom’s expectations of Cliff (13) and what Cliff thinks Tom expects him (12). But, Cliff’s expectations (22) & What Tom thinks Cliff expects of him (4) tells a different story.
- The impact of this approach is:Insurance against projects delaysFaster project executionBetter productivityImprovedAttracting people who are naturally better aligned
- This large construction firm manages and constructs multi-million dollar projects around the world. Some of their most complex work is on large hospital projects.
- ReasonsThe owners and prime contractors were faced with escalating change orders brought on by a number of factors including drawing quality, owner groups changing their specifications and a series of contractual changes. Consequently, the overall contingency fund for a three hospital project was being depleted at an accelerated rate. Relations between owners, engineering firms, architectural design professionals, subcontractors and the general contractor had become strained. The leadership group representing the major players became increasingly concerned about the ineffectiveness of OAC meetings (Owner/Architect/Contractor), and the cost of having so many professionals/consultants on hand, all charging professional level hourly rates.
- Explain 22/4 is what we mean by “Not being on the same page”Real data of two senior managers – they couldn’t resolve their differences and consequently both lost their jobs
- Distraction Index The Distraction Index identifies which individuals or groups are aligned or distracted from achieving strategic goals: Aligned, and Doing Things that are Expected — expectations and assumptions of these expectations are in balance. Distracted, and Doing Things that are Not Expected — individuals are making incorrect assumptions about what others expect of them. Distracted and Expecting Things that are not done — expectations exceed assumptions of those expectations.
- At the start Overall Distraction (Misalignment) was about 85%After three months of alignment work we were to this pointTension Ratings Expectation originators rate each of their expectations on a scale from High (project critical) to Low Tension if an expectation is not met. Tension rating filtering enables users to see how well they are aligned in terms of stress and the importance others place on different areas of the construction process
- Four additional months of work brought us here.
- Focus on the Project Finances ComponentDanger is that the Architects may not respect the tension that exists and may unintentionally come across as not caring
- Our experience with a large construction company…OAC – Owner-Architect-Contractor meetingsRFI – Requests for informationCO – Change OrderNote the very small numbers of expectations related to these three issues and yet the Core Team placed a high value on these activitiesThese were key issues in project delay and cost overrun
- Tools from our partnering sessions are long lasting were used by all parties almost daily to insure the success of each stake holder. A reduction in lost time and resources resolving “festered” conflicts, because most were resolved before they reached such a state.Lead the way for our partners (Client, Design Team, Inspection Agencies, and Subcontractors in conducting business in a Utilized “Partnering” as the means to accomplish our initiatives
- Tools from our partnering sessions are long lasting were used by all parties almost daily to insure the success of each stake holder. A reduction in lost time and resources resolving “festered” conflicts, because most were resolved before they reached such a state.Lead the way for our partners (Client, Design Team, Inspection Agencies, and Subcontractors in conducting business in a Utilized “Partnering” as the means to accomplish our initiatives
- Late scope changes – Early definition of all stakeholder expectations can avoid expensive surprises. For example, interaction with local communities and inclusion of their expectations provides both a feeling of input by the community but also a documented set of criteria to which the owner can refer back to in times of political change. Reviewing our 9 sources of failure, we can now see where payback can be expected applying Expectation Alignment: Late scope changes – Early definition of all stakeholder expectations can avoid expensive surprises. For example, interaction with local communities and inclusion of their expectations provides both a feeling of input by the community but also a documented set of criteria to which the owner can refer back to in times of political change. The owner’s expectations of the EPC to have conducted a thorough review of specifications can be conveyed in a very detailed manner using Expectation Alignment. This can avoid delays due to RFIs and change orders on critical path items. With delayed revenue costing millions of dollars per day, the investment in expectation alignment can payback in a single avoided change order. Change in environment – Even with a change management plan in place,a methodical and efficient way to incorporate new and discard old project expectations can mitigate costs by:Improving response time, Discarding activities quickly Refocusing project teams to the new realities Insufficient resources / poor support – Early definition of resource expectations all the way down the chain of command can avoid costly delays and expenditures. Similarly, competency gaps can be identified sooner by engaging in expectation alignment processes. Poor communications – With numerous stakeholders involved in Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning of an oilsands operation, static definitional documents such a project charters are not designed to manage thousands of expectations. Successful project execution rests on agreeing, discarding or identifying the unresolved... Expectation alignment methods identifies managers who are especially strong or weak at communicating with their teams. Coaching or other remedial actions can thus be undertaken and the results monitored. Employing Expectation Alignment to include in materials supply chain and personnel scheduling / logistics stakeholders can have big paybacks in avoided scheduling problems. Poor project processes and controls – Expectation Alignment’s regular and measurable process of developing and agreeing project expectations are taken to a level needed for a given project. Unlike project reporting which can often identify symptoms, Expectation Alignment tools also make accountability for task execution highly visible. Expectation Tension Ratings may also reveal important tasks that are not necessarily on the critical path but can have huge ramifications to project schedules or budgets. Poorly developed teams – The Expectation Alignment process demands that Expectation Originators ensure that Expectation Receivers have the competency and resources to complete the required tasks. In situations where senior managers are working with junior personnel, assumptions are often made on their level of process knowledge and industry practices. Expectation Alignment addresses these issues by facilitating the alignment conversations that reveal experience gaps early enough to develop people and avoid later termination. Poor contracting strategies – Incorporating subcontractors and key suppliers in the Expectation Alignment process often reveals owner expectations and other stakeholders are not captured in specifications and contracts yet play a significant part in them being effective Team turnover – Again consider the 5 key” Project Dysfunctions”. (Absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results). Getting teams participating in facilitated expectation alignment sessions creates an objective assessment of team stressors and progressively builds a more robust and productive project team culture. Based on this foundation , Expectation Alignment becomes an effective tool to getting new people up to speed and address competency gaps before their credibility is damaged Inadequate definition of stakeholders – while inclusion of all stakeholders is an obvious apparent remedy to avoiding later project problems, the explicit definition of mutual expectations, especially of external stakeholders can yield big paybacks. The process that enables external stakeholders to explicitly state their expectations and have them acknowledged also build good relations both in the current and subsequent projects.
- Late scope changes – Early definition of all stakeholder expectations can avoid expensive surprises. For example, interaction with local communities and inclusion of their expectations provides both a feeling of input by the community but also a documented set of criteria to which the owner can refer back to in times of political change. Reviewing our 9 sources of failure, we can now see where payback can be expected applying Expectation Alignment: Late scope changes – Early definition of all stakeholder expectations can avoid expensive surprises. For example, interaction with local communities and inclusion of their expectations provides both a feeling of input by the community but also a documented set of criteria to which the owner can refer back to in times of political change. The owner’s expectations of the EPC to have conducted a thorough review of specifications can be conveyed in a very detailed manner using Expectation Alignment. This can avoid delays due to RFIs and change orders on critical path items. With delayed revenue costing millions of dollars per day, the investment in expectation alignment can payback in a single avoided change order. Change in environment – Even with a change management plan in place,a methodical and efficient way to incorporate new and discard old project expectations can mitigate costs by:Improving response time, Discarding activities quickly Refocusing project teams to the new realities Insufficient resources / poor support – Early definition of resource expectations all the way down the chain of command can avoid costly delays and expenditures. Similarly, competency gaps can be identified sooner by engaging in expectation alignment processes. Poor communications – With numerous stakeholders involved in Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning of an oilsands operation, static definitional documents such a project charters are not designed to manage thousands of expectations. Successful project execution rests on agreeing, discarding or identifying the unresolved... Expectation alignment methods identifies managers who are especially strong or weak at communicating with their teams. Coaching or other remedial actions can thus be undertaken and the results monitored. Employing Expectation Alignment to include in materials supply chain and personnel scheduling / logistics stakeholders can have big paybacks in avoided scheduling problems. Poor project processes and controls – Expectation Alignment’s regular and measurable process of developing and agreeing project expectations are taken to a level needed for a given project. Unlike project reporting which can often identify symptoms, Expectation Alignment tools also make accountability for task execution highly visible. Expectation Tension Ratings may also reveal important tasks that are not necessarily on the critical path but can have huge ramifications to project schedules or budgets. Poorly developed teams – The Expectation Alignment process demands that Expectation Originators ensure that Expectation Receivers have the competency and resources to complete the required tasks. In situations where senior managers are working with junior personnel, assumptions are often made on their level of process knowledge and industry practices. Expectation Alignment addresses these issues by facilitating the alignment conversations that reveal experience gaps early enough to develop people and avoid later termination. Poor contracting strategies – Incorporating subcontractors and key suppliers in the Expectation Alignment process often reveals owner expectations and other stakeholders are not captured in specifications and contracts yet play a significant part in them being effective Team turnover – Again consider the 5 key” Project Dysfunctions”. (Absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results). Getting teams participating in facilitated expectation alignment sessions creates an objective assessment of team stressors and progressively builds a more robust and productive project team culture. Based on this foundation , Expectation Alignment becomes an effective tool to getting new people up to speed and address competency gaps before their credibility is damaged Inadequate definition of stakeholders – while inclusion of all stakeholders is an obvious apparent remedy to avoiding later project problems, the explicit definition of mutual expectations, especially of external stakeholders can yield big paybacks. The process that enables external stakeholders to explicitly state their expectations and have them acknowledged also build good relations both in the current and subsequent projects.
- Apart from unstated expectations, how do you identify poor expectations?The biggest culprits are the expectations are ambiguous, lack specificity which leads to disappointment, failure and bad feelings etc. Dealing with Expectations GapsWhich expectations gaps are barriers to improving performance and reducing expenses?Who do you need to gain agreement from?Once agreed, ask them to tell you what evidence you will see that your expectation has been met?Then, hold them accountable – “Inspect what you expect”Then, what do you think others expect of you that is connected to these gaps?Now, repeat steps 2,3 & 4
- Link back with clarity of expectations and mutual accountability. This Four Blocker is the foundational diagnostic
- ).” is dependent on a number of factors such as reservoir quality, layout and technology, is there anything we can do in project planning and execution to more quickly assess and possibly adopt innovations mid-project that could have a big payback
- 20 x 20 – 20 = 380You need technology to track which ones should be blank, full bodied directly related to the change you are seeking to implement
- Two factors. As someone once said:“If everything is going according to plan, something somewhere is going massively wrong’ First. There is an over-reliance on such processes like accountability matrices (A grid of who does what, who they should consult and inform etc.). They fail to reflect the dynamics of a complex construction project. Back to Mr Creosote….it’s not so much about adding more! (Reporting, processes, communication etc.) but having clear expectations on how we handle problems and opportunities as they arise. Such rational planning processes needs strong emotional glue to be really effective. Let me explain. Emotionally intelligent glueconsists of compounds like trust, constructive criticism and holding each other accountable. And like glue needs “curing”. It needs controlled heat, and a blend of team members to initiate and harden commitments, just like using high-performance adhesives when you need strong bonding.The second factor compounds the problems of over-reliance on traditional project management processes. It’s the number of lines communications and deciding which are needed under pressured dynamics. Just take a 100 person project, potentially you could have 9,900 possible communication links. Regardless of matrix, project or siloed command structures, you still need a way of managing the myriad number of cross functional, organizational and contractor expectations. And if not surfaced and managed will negatively impact project execution. How do you respond to those that say, “ This is why we have all this technology available so that all those involved have access to what everyone else is doing?