PPP 449 | Beyond Scope, Time, and Cost: Rethinking Project Success, with Dave Garrett

Summary

In this conversation, Andy interviews Dave Garrett, a senior advisor to the CEO at Project Management Institute (PMI). They discuss the evolving definitions of project success, emphasizing the need to go beyond traditional metrics of scope, time, and cost to include value and customer-centric outcomes. Dave shares insights from his extensive experience and PMI's research, introducing the Net Project Success Score (NPSS) and strategies to enhance project success. Topics include the importance of managing perceptions, owning project success beyond metrics, relentlessly reassessing project parameters, and expanding perspectives. The conversation also explores the impact of AI on project management, practical applications of generative AI, and how project managers can leverage these tools to improve effectiveness.

Wondering what the future of project management looks like? Join us for this discussion!

Sound Bites

• "Value is a tricky thing to pin down."
• "The Sydney Opera House is a classic example of a project that was considered a failure for a very long time because of cost overruns. It overran from a time perspective, even to a point where the public was very upset about it… over time became known as one of the more successful projects ever."
• "Project success is not binary."
• Our research found that your project success score will double if you do three things: if you set goals up front, if you put in place a system of measurement that aligns and guides decision making, and if you track progress along the way."
• "Success can't be, 'I guess we didn't suck!'"

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:18 Start of Interview
• 01:30 Dave's Backstory
• 03:22 What Dave Does at PMI
• 03:59 Defining Project Success Beyond Traditional Metrics
• 08:03 Perception and Success
• 14:50 Introducing the Net Project Success Score
• 19:11 MORE Framework for Project Success
• 23:13 The Value of Being Customer-Centric
• 24:28 AI's Role in Project Management
• 31:31 PMI Resources
• 34:21 End Of Interview
• 34:39 Andy Comments After The Interview
• 38:58 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Project Management Institute at pmi.org.

For more learning on this topic, check out:

• Episode 424 with Karla Eidem, who joined us to talk about project management trends.
• Episode 319 with Sierra Hampton-Simmons from PMI about the PMP exam.
• Episode 253 with one of the most passionate advocates of PMI: Lee Lambert

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

Topics: Project Management, Value, Success Metrics, Stakeholder Engagement, AI, PMI, Research, Project Success