Even when everything goes according to plan, completing just one project can be difficult at times. We are a trusted project management consulting partner for organizations across a variety of industries, and as such, we are aware that successfully completing a rolling list of projects is one of the most challenging aspects of our work. It is necessary to have solid abilities, complete buy-in from the entirety of the project team, unwavering support from sponsors, and a tried and tested approach.
Maintaining consistency is another essential component of a successful project. When it comes to carrying out project operations in a consistent manner, internal silos are one regular hurdle that can be encountered. However, there are a number of reasons why businesses find it difficult to apply a shared set of practices and processes.
If you’re having trouble getting the project results you desire, you might want to think about the ways in which adopting a more consistent strategy will help you achieve a better level of success with the project.
1: Being consistent guarantees that all members of your project team carry out responsibilities in the same manner.
If there are not fundamental rules in place to keep the various fields moving in the same direction, bringing together a group of specialists and expecting them to work toward shared goals can result in a great deal of unnecessary complexity. Everything, from the manner in which data is reported to the controls that are used on projects, should be consistent from one person to the next and from one endeavor to the next. The whole group will be able to benefit from enhancements once it has been determined whether or not existing processes can be improved. This method not only produces better results for the project throughout the course of its lifetime, but it also makes it easier to identify how alterations to the process effect those outcomes.
2 – If you are consistent, you will always have the data you require when you require it.
Consistent data management techniques are essential to the success of individual projects as well as the overall portfolio. This is the case at both the lower and the higher levels. It is essential for all members of your team to collect the data, store it, and keep it up to date in the same manner. Even the process of deleting data ought to be guided by a single, unified set of guidelines. When it comes to data, this consistency instills confidence in you, your stakeholders, and your leadership team that the information the company is utilizing to make strategic decisions is accurate, thorough, and reliable. This confidence is beneficial to the business as a whole.
3 – Maintaining consistency ensures that stakeholders and sponsors are actively involved.
If you approach the communication with stakeholders across the various projects in your portfolio in a haphazard manner, it will almost certainly result in low engagement, and it could even put one or more of your initiatives in jeopardy if your inconsistent messages cause a sponsor to disconnect from their project. A stakeholder engagement strategy that is consistent eliminates these issues by providing a solid foundation for two-way communications, reinforcing stakeholders’ confidence in your team’s ability to respond to potential risks and concerns, and keeping their priority projects moving forward. Those issues can be eliminated by a consistent stakeholder engagement strategy.
4: Being consistent lessens the impact of subjective judgments and preferences.
When judgments are made based on personal preferences, partiality, or fear, this can have a negative impact on the overall portfolio of projects, which can be avoided by implementing processes that are persistent over the entire collection of projects. These subjective factors can be removed and your organization will be able to make objective decisions based on verifiable data if there is consistency in the way data is gathered, in the way projects within the portfolio are prioritized, in the criteria used to approve projects for execution, and in the protocols that guide risk management and other core project activities.
5: Being consistent in your efforts to engage in continuous improvement helps.
It is essential to maintain a consistent approach if the goals of your company include boosting the percentage of projects that are completed successfully, improving return on investment (ROI) over time, reducing costs, and increasing the size of their knowledge base. When your technique is applied consistently, you will have the ability to precisely understand patterns, recognize areas in which improvements should be made, and evaluate how well your team is doing overall.