When will we begin to collectively understand professionally that in the year 2021
and beyond communication is an essential required part of the engineering skills set?
Until we do, the four(4) examples of project failures above will continue to be treated as just "
We now have more routine generational, cultural, and social issues to include as we strive to make our
planet's physical environments compatible with the values and beliefs of others.
Q = CIA is no longer the best way to estimate what is needed.
But of course, I may be wrong.
Original Message:
Sent: 10-13-2021 01:37 PM
From: Chad Morrison
Subject: Q. Why Projects Fail Due To Four Common Causes
Interesting thoughts all around! Does human communication solve problems or create them? Communications can often be a pitfall. And yet, it is continued communication that is required in order to progress and overcome. It is only when we give up that a communication breakdown occurs and all is lost.
[Interviewer:] Several songs on the album, like "Keep Talking" suggest that all problems can be solved through discussion. Do you believe that?
[Gilmour:] It's more of a wish than a belief. [laughs]
Keep Talking (Pink Floyd song) - Wikipedia
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Chad Morrison P.E., F.ASCE
Professional Engineer
Greenville RI
Original Message:
Sent: 10-12-2021 01:34 PM
From: William Hayden
Subject: Q. Why Projects Fail Due To Four Common Causes
Dean, thanks for even more evidence of the frustration of working with people, given our misunderstanding of "How to play nice with others." Moving towards attempts to substitute people's interactions with computer-mechanized tools may seem attractive. However, people will still be involved prior to, during, and after machine, output arrives.
Thanks, Alexander for the reference, and the opinion you shared below.
"offered me states that human communication is designed to fail[1]: that sharing of ideas and values will not work as either party planned, and it will take more to construct a truly mutually beneficial creation. To that end, human behaviors and biases do pose a bigger obstacle to fulfilling the plan."
Actually, the four examples presented in the original post for common project failure were purposely selected for this ongoing dialogue:
- Role ambiguity,
- Lack of problem validation,
- Lack of process versification, and,
- The absence of a visible proactive conflict process
The above four processes have the same LCD, i.e., people who believe their opinions make them the owner of "Truth". . .which initially must be defended at all costs.
Attempts to replace human interactions with machines will suffer from the same challenges, unless and until the engineering profession reaches out and accepts the challenge of first, learning more about ourselves, and then others who may not "Suit" out style. And coming to realize that we have to stop naming those assigned to a project a "Project Team" until there is evidence to support that assertion.
Perhaps we might start by "Engineering The Art & Science of Listening.™"
Stay Healthy!
Cheers, Bill p.s. Please consider taking your thoughts on these subjects into the ABET posting area in ASCE Collaborate.
[1] Each person brings the same "Stuff" to each opportunity for any type of communication. The challenge to one's beliefs begins when they first realize that their "Stuff" is the "Truth" and needs to be defended.
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William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
Buffalo, N.Y.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
Original Message:
Sent: 10-10-2021 12:03 PM
From: Alexander Granato
Subject: Q. Why Projects Fail Due To Four Common Causes
I concur. Using books, pdfs and videos to learn about engineering factors and trends is largely a norm. What it really takes to start and end projects as planned is many people who did these things staying a working group.
One of the e-books The National Society of Leadership and Success offered me states that human communication is designed to fail: that sharing of ideas and values will not work as either party planned, and it will take more to construct a truly mutually-beneficial creation. To that end, human behaviors and biases do pose a bigger obstacle to fulfilling the plan.
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Alexander Granato A.M.ASCE
Student
Bexley OH
<maskemail>granato.3@...</maskemail>
Original Message:
Sent: 06-21-2021 04:18 PM
From: Mitchell Winkler
Subject: Q. Why Projects Fail Due To Four Common Causes
Not to sound like a broken record, but I think the underlying causes have less to do with book knowledge and experience and much more do with human behavior as i posited in my first reply. I'm not implying bad intentions but humans have a tendency for overconfidence, as a prime example. Resource constraints and competition don't help. I also think the limitations of a forum like this need to be considered. I don't think anyone is going to self-identify as not book knowledgeable and experience in the art of project management or subject to cognitive biases :)
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Mitch Winkler P.E., M.ASCE
Houston, TX
Original Message:
Sent: 06-18-2021 03:02 PM
From: William Hayden
Subject: Q. Why Projects Fail Due To Four Common Causes
While the above responses answer the question, I thought it might be interesting to learn
who else has, once project performance turned sour, turned to the art & science of systems for the management of quality.
Some quite reputable places to go for such content include, but are not limited to:
I look for to the dialogue this suggestion will excite.
Stay Healthy!
Cheers,
Bill
[1] https://asq.org/
[2] https://deming.org/
[3] https://www.pmi.org/
[4] https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=juran+institute%E2%80%99s+management+theory&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart
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William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
Buffalo, N.Y.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
Original Message:
Sent: 05-26-2021 11:50 AM
From: William Hayden
Subject: Q. Why Projects Fail Due To Four Common Causes
This BSI document provides some options to consider for improving project outcomes.
What's the aim of BSI's newly revised standard? Well, BS 6079:2019 Project management - Principles and guidance for the management of projects exists to help project managers achieve the desired outcome of a project efficiently and effectively. A secondary goal is to help organizations improve their project management capability, so they'll build up institutional learning about what works best in their own circumstances.
The standard is intended for use by senior managers, project practitioners and anyone who interacts with the project team. It's written to apply to any kind or size of organization, and projects of any size and duration.
Stay Healthy!
Cheers,
Bill
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William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
Buffalo, N.Y.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
Original Message:
Sent: 04-27-2021 04:16 PM
From: William Hayden
Subject: Q. Why Projects Fail Due To Four Common Causes
In my experience, four causes for project failure are:
ROLE AMBIGUITY……………………____
Lack of PROBLEM VALIDATION. . . . _____
Lack of PROCESS VERIFICATION. …- ____
ABSENCE OF A VISIBLE PROACTIVE
CONFLICT PROCESS. . . . . . . . . . . ________
100%
Q. In your specific project experiences what percentage of each of the four (4) attributes above would you assign, such that the total per project always adds up to 100% of its "Common Causes?"
Stay Healthy!
Cheers,
Bill
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William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
Buffalo, N.Y.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
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