+1 862 207 3288 Discuss the following discussion question:
Review the list of reasons why plans fail as described in Ch. 11 of Project Management. Which of these reasons applies to defining and
sequencing activities? As a project manager, what steps might you take to prevent your plan from failing?
Cite at least two credible references. NB: Wikipedia, eHow, businessdictionary.com and the like are not acceptable academic sources.
11.19 WHY DO PLANS FAIL?
No matter how hard we try, planning is not perfect, and sometimes plans fail. Typical reasons
include:
●Corporate goals are not understood at the lower organizational levels.
●Plans encompass too much in too little time.
●Financial estimates are poor.
●Plans are based on insufficient data.
●No attempt is being made to systematize the planning process.
●Planning is performed by a planning group.
●No one knows the ultimate objective.
●No one knows the staffing requirements.
●No one knows the major milestone dates, including written reports.
●Project estimates are best guesses, and are not based on standards or history.
●Not enough time has been given for proper estimating.
●No one has bothered to see if there will be personnel available with the necessary skills.
●People are not working toward the same specifications.
●People are consistently shuffled in and out of the project with little regard for
schedule.
Why do these situations occur? If corporate goals are not understood, it is because corporate
executives have been negligent in providing the necessary strategic information and
feedback. If a plan fails because of extreme optimism, then the responsibility lies with both
the project and line managers for not assessing risk. Project managers should ask the line
managers if the estimates are optimistic or pessimistic, and expect an honest answer.
Erroneous financial estimates are the responsibility of the line manager. If the project fails
because of a poor definition of the requirements, then the project manager is totally at fault.
Sometimes project plans fail because simple details are forgotten or overlooked.
Examples of this might be:
●Neglecting to tell a line manager early enough that the prototype is not ready and
that rescheduling is necessary.
●Neglecting to see if the line manager can still provide additional employees for the
next two weeks because it was possible to do so six months ago.
Sometimes plans fail because the project manager “bites off more than he can chew,”
and then something happens, such as his becoming ill. Many projects have failed because
the project manager was the only one who knew what was going on and then got sick.
Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 11e
Chapter 11: Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 11e
ISBN: 9781118022276 Author: Harold Kerzner
Copyright © John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2013)
