The problem project problem
Assignment: Interview a project manager about a project that failed
The PM asked that I not use names because he was involved with a six-figure project that was aborted midway and he felt there might be some who would still be sensitive about it.
It was an instructional design project that was meant to create a learning atmosphere that represented the classroom of the future. He said the two main things that derailed it (and which tend to interfere with most projects) were communication problems and the ambiguous nature of the problem at hand.
Communication
The main problem that occurs in instructional design situations is that individuals working on a project tend to think they understand each other and are in agreement, but in reality they are not. The PM I spoke with described a situation where he felt he had explained well a vision of what he imagined the design should be like and the designers came back with designs that didn't match at all what he was thinking, but which had been based on words he had actually spoken.
Possible solutions to this problem: Never assume you understand someone's meaning until you have reflected it back to them and have gotten their agreement that they feel you understand them. Even then it's still possible to misunderstand. Rapid prototyping helps solve that problem by giving stakeholders a physical representation of ideas rather than mere ideas themselves. They can save trouble by finding discrepancies early in the process so time and money are not wasted on long tangents that end up getting scrapped.
Ambiguous problem
Related to the communication issue is the problem itself. Part of the reason it is so hard to communicate the ideas is because the problems instructional designers are trying to solve are not well defined. They are not concrete. Unlike a rather straightforward problem of building a home, the outcome or product of many instructional design projects simply cannot be predicted from the beginning. Some project managers or designers take a "waterfall approach" to design by specifying everything. But the PM I talked to said that within his recollection he has never been able to fully specify a product from the beginning. Among the problems that can happen, the PM said, is that it is nearly impossible to anticipate how long it will take to develop software. Programmers can predict some things, but there are so many variables to consider when programming that it is really hard to hit the target. In the failed project, the PM said the programmers would commit to a deadline but then miss it every time.
Possible solution to this problem: Scrum-style project management helps cope with the ambiguity of instructional problems. With scrum you never forecast beyond the point of your knowledge. Generally, you plan in 2-week increments by asking, "How much can we get done in two weeks?" And then moving forward with that plan. Scrum groups meet daily for 10-minute meetings where everyone has an opportunity to update others on their progress or concerns. Problems are discovered early on rather than a long way through the process. The PM I talked to said one of his most successful projects was handled in a method that was similar to scrum and he felt it was a much more manageable way to solve the problem they had than the traditional waterfall approach.
The PM couldn't name one specific reason why the project failed or at what point it was scrapped. He said there was underlying tension between the design team and the stakeholders, there were continual deadline infractions, and ultimately everyone who was working on it became very demoralized and sick of the project. Eventually it was just dropped.
The PM asked that I not use names because he was involved with a six-figure project that was aborted midway and he felt there might be some who would still be sensitive about it.
It was an instructional design project that was meant to create a learning atmosphere that represented the classroom of the future. He said the two main things that derailed it (and which tend to interfere with most projects) were communication problems and the ambiguous nature of the problem at hand.
Communication
The main problem that occurs in instructional design situations is that individuals working on a project tend to think they understand each other and are in agreement, but in reality they are not. The PM I spoke with described a situation where he felt he had explained well a vision of what he imagined the design should be like and the designers came back with designs that didn't match at all what he was thinking, but which had been based on words he had actually spoken.
Possible solutions to this problem: Never assume you understand someone's meaning until you have reflected it back to them and have gotten their agreement that they feel you understand them. Even then it's still possible to misunderstand. Rapid prototyping helps solve that problem by giving stakeholders a physical representation of ideas rather than mere ideas themselves. They can save trouble by finding discrepancies early in the process so time and money are not wasted on long tangents that end up getting scrapped.
Ambiguous problem
Related to the communication issue is the problem itself. Part of the reason it is so hard to communicate the ideas is because the problems instructional designers are trying to solve are not well defined. They are not concrete. Unlike a rather straightforward problem of building a home, the outcome or product of many instructional design projects simply cannot be predicted from the beginning. Some project managers or designers take a "waterfall approach" to design by specifying everything. But the PM I talked to said that within his recollection he has never been able to fully specify a product from the beginning. Among the problems that can happen, the PM said, is that it is nearly impossible to anticipate how long it will take to develop software. Programmers can predict some things, but there are so many variables to consider when programming that it is really hard to hit the target. In the failed project, the PM said the programmers would commit to a deadline but then miss it every time.
Possible solution to this problem: Scrum-style project management helps cope with the ambiguity of instructional problems. With scrum you never forecast beyond the point of your knowledge. Generally, you plan in 2-week increments by asking, "How much can we get done in two weeks?" And then moving forward with that plan. Scrum groups meet daily for 10-minute meetings where everyone has an opportunity to update others on their progress or concerns. Problems are discovered early on rather than a long way through the process. The PM I talked to said one of his most successful projects was handled in a method that was similar to scrum and he felt it was a much more manageable way to solve the problem they had than the traditional waterfall approach.
The PM couldn't name one specific reason why the project failed or at what point it was scrapped. He said there was underlying tension between the design team and the stakeholders, there were continual deadline infractions, and ultimately everyone who was working on it became very demoralized and sick of the project. Eventually it was just dropped.
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