Projects

Why Do Projects Fail?
Douglas M. Arnstein wrote an article about his observations of the pitfalls that projects often fall prey to. For me, the heart of the matter is consolidating business needs with personal needs.
When a project is identified, it also needs to be aligned with business needs. A project can easily fall apart when it is not centered on the goals and objectives of the business. This is important since meeting business requirements will also gain the support of key management personnel.
At the other end of the rope are the individuals handling the development of the project. Managing people and the different personality types are not easy. But making a priority to involve everyone in an aspect of the project induces commitment to the project and responsibility. Taking the time to get the input from the Project Sponsor, key stakeholders, and the members of the development Team makes people feel that their roles are important, and they will become invested in the success of the project.

But a project's success rests entirely on COMMUNICATION between the two parties. You can have the most skilled people developing a much needed business project, but without project clarity things will fall apart. Creating a Project Plan, Project Scope, and Communication Plan are critical for everyone to have the same understanding and expectations of a project.  Jumping into a project without validating the expectations, objectives, clear definitions for success, and standards for how, when, and what to communicate, confusion will not only stall a project but it will also be incomplete.  

All three factors are important to the success of a project. If you miss one or don't give it the attention it deserves, then the likelihood of the project failing increases dramatically.