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What is the connection between IT leadership changes and project failure?
This question was inspired by John Bauer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/jfbauer/status/103462675157225472
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2 Answers
This is an excellent question because I've seen this go both ways. If one leader who fully supports a project is replaced with a leader who has no interest in the project you know your project is destined for problems and delays. Leaders who are not fully committed to a project are less likely to address obstacles or respond to escalations in a timely manner.
On the other hand, when an existing leader who is not fully committed to a project is replaced, I've seen where the leadership change put new life into a struggling project.
The key is to communicate (sell) the benefits of the project to the stakeholder and get their backing. Whether you are working with a leadership change or desiring one, you've got to sell the value of the project so that it becomes a high priority for them. Projects that have full leadership support are most likely to succeed.
Generally, I haven't had problems with IT leadership changes unless the project itself is an IT sponsored project. If business sponsorship is strong, it has not been my experience that a new IT executive would obstruct progress. It's a politically risky move for the new IT leader given that they are new to the organization and they don't understand the underlying business drivers.
The bigger risk, in my experience, is a change in the project sponsor. In that case, John is right in that it's important to quickly connect with the executive, to talk through the reasons that the project was funded, and why is deserves continued support. If the new sponsor is not convinced despite the efforts of you and other stakeholders, then the discussion needs to shift to changes that would help gain support. Sometimes that's a change in scope, and sometimes there nothing that you can do to gain support and the project should be canceled.
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