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”Each indecision brings its own delays and
days are lost lamenting over lost days... What you can do or think you can do …
begin it. For boldness has magic, power, and genius in it” Johann Wolfgang
von Goethe
The success of many projects hinges on our
ability to quickly make sound decisions. Inevitably, projects are late. The
ability to make decisions quickly can help to bring projects in on schedule and
budget. On occasion, there is justification to leave out a segment of a project
if implementing it later doesn’t impact the intent of the project. I can
remember projects where I had to address 100 – 200 questions in the course of a
single day! Projects requiring new functionality and new technology are the
toughest and can require constant analysis and decision making.
Decisions are needed to determine the
direction the project is going to take, organizational structuring &
responsibilities and procedures. Decisions are needed from the project manager,
technology, the steering committee and the project champion.
Decisions need to be made to address a
number of issues including: responsibilities, funding, business functions,
procedures, organization structure and technology.
I’ve had a few experiences where decisions
were slow in coming or didn’t come at all. The impact varied in degree but the
effects were much the same. During one project, we had built a team of
operations and technical members. The project undertaking involved both new
processes and new technology making things quite complex. We struggled for over
a year for a go/no go decision from the project sponsor/organization. The
project sponsor could not quite seem to make up his/her mind on whether to fund
or not fund the project. The impact to the project was poor morale, people left
the project out of boredom or disenchantment and much money was wasted not going
anywhere. It would have been better to have delayed the project for a year or
two than to let it struggle for one and a half years, wasting much time, money,
benefits and morale. I truly believe that if a decision would have been made in
a timely manner, the project, although eventually successful, would have been
even better.
Indecision may have the following effects
on projects:
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We work on something else until the
decision is made causing loss of momentum
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Additional cost in trying to catch up
on tasks that have been delayed by a decision
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The project tasks that are dependent
on the decision are delayed and may delay the project if the task is on the
critical path
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We lose focus on the task at hand
until the decision is made
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Leads people to make alternative
decisions which may be incorrect
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Is sometimes proof of lack of
leadership & lack of respect for the project
· Work on activities out of sequence
while a decision is pending
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