8 steps to leading a successful SharePoint project

…and why so many fail to deliver the value expected

Sharon RichardsonJoining Dots

@joiningdotswww.joiningdots.com

ReadMe.1st

• This presentation was delivered at the London SharePoint User Group meeting on 28th November 2013

• This is a modified version to accommodate Slideshare formatting limitations and some notes have been added to not quite make up for the lack of a presenter (a picture may be worth a 1,000 words but it’s still easier to talk…)

• Content is based on ‘Leading Change’ by John P Kotter with examples taken from experiences with SharePoint projects over the past decade. This talk is business-focused, not technical

• Usual disclaimers apply - all product names, images, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. Information is provided without warranty or guarantees etc. Use at your own risk :-)

Notes look like this…

Notes look like this…

“40% of our client base using SharePoint are

not getting the value they expected from it

- Gartner, November 2012”Is this a technology problem? Most

people underestimate the effort required beyond installation

Is this a technology problem? Most people underestimate the effort required

beyond installation

Step 1.

Establish a sense of urgency

Over 50% of companies fail at this stage. Management need to be convinced of the urgency and need to change.

Be in a hurry. Because projects with deadlines get

done. Excuses are less likely to be tolerated

Be in a hurry. Because projects with deadlines get

done. Excuses are less likely to be tolerated

“We have the licenses. We want to implement SharePoint”

The reality facing many SharePoint projects. May be the case but find a cause. Find and solve an urgent

business problem

The reality facing many SharePoint projects. May be the case but find a cause. Find and solve an urgent

business problem

“We have the licenses. We want to implement SharePoint”

This is just a platform reality, SharePoint is the dominant player so gets the

most headlines

This is just a platform reality, SharePoint is the dominant player so gets the

most headlines

Step 2.

Form a powerful guiding coalition

You will need allies high-up to overcome resistance from those who don’t want to change for personal or political reasons. Line up your allies or you will

face resistance alone. Good luck when you meet the

predictable ‘I hate SharePoint’ crowd

Line up your allies or you will face resistance alone. Good

luck when you meet the predictable ‘I hate SharePoint’

crowd

Replacing Physical

Changing Behaviour

Expect resistance from two camps. 1. Roles that exist to support traditional methods. They’ll either fight you or worse, try to help - they will want to replicate the current process ‘as is’. Bad idea 2. Beware transferring workloads - who benefits from the change, effort-

wise?

Expect resistance from two camps. 1. Roles that exist to support traditional methods. They’ll either fight you or worse, try to help - they will want to replicate the current process ‘as is’. Bad idea 2. Beware transferring workloads - who benefits from the change, effort-

wise?

Step 3.

Create a vision

In failed projects, you will find plenty of plans and programs. But no vision. Go beyond the numbers. Tell a story.

A strong vision will guide all decisions. “1,000 songs in my pocket”

focused priorities - sourcing the storage form factor and the mechanism

for getting songs onto it…

A strong vision will guide all decisions. “1,000 songs in my pocket”

focused priorities - sourcing the storage form factor and the mechanism

for getting songs onto it…

How not to do it. Use words like ‘SharePoint’, ‘Collaborate’, ‘Strategy’, ‘Governance’. Their time will come but start with a vision. What will change?

Why will that matter to people? Articulate outcomes in business terms

How not to do it. Use words like ‘SharePoint’, ‘Collaborate’, ‘Strategy’, ‘Governance’. Their time will come but start with a vision. What will change?

Why will that matter to people? Articulate outcomes in business terms

Step 4.

Communicate the vision

Use every possible channel. Communications will fail if senior managers act in ways that are the anti-thesis of the vision. Don’t just leave it to internal

communications to send out a newsletter update. Passionate

leaders make all the difference

Don’t just leave it to internal communications to send out a newsletter update. Passionate

leaders make all the difference

Classic scenario – populating profiles with photos, or not. For adoption to scale across the organisation, management must

participate - lead by example

Classic scenario – populating profiles with photos, or not. For adoption to scale across the organisation, management must

participate - lead by example

Step 5.

Empower others to act on the vision

Remove all obstacles. Including those who make demands on their staff that are inconsistent with the vision.

Beware the reluctant middle manager - “Just print me out a

copy…”. “I’m not sure that comment was appropriate…”

Beware the reluctant middle manager - “Just print me out a

copy…”. “I’m not sure that comment was appropriate…”

"Locks just keep honest people out."

Do not over-engineer designs. Just because you can, doesn‘t mean you always should… Simplify everything: processes,

classification, security. Let people take responsibility and be involved in choices. Say No! to bureaucratic demands from

managers (a lot harder to do than to say…)

Do not over-engineer designs. Just because you can, doesn‘t mean you always should… Simplify everything: processes,

classification, security. Let people take responsibility and be involved in choices. Say No! to bureaucratic demands from

managers (a lot harder to do than to say…)

Step 6.

Plan for and create short term wins

Don’t just hope for them!

Every project in every sphere is a journey. You build up to the

ultimate goal. Through planning, not by accident. Make every step

count

Every project in every sphere is a journey. You build up to the

ultimate goal. Through planning, not by accident. Make every step

count

To create a sense of urgency, you need those big hairy audacious goals for projects. But don’t ignore the smaller requests. They

quickly create and maintain momentum

To create a sense of urgency, you need those big hairy audacious goals for projects. But don’t ignore the smaller requests. They

quickly create and maintain momentum

Step 7.

Consolidate and produce more change

Don’t declare an early victory based on initial improvements and move on to something else.

Don’t be a one-hit wonder. Keep adapting and growing the platform to create more value for the business.

Takes more effort than most people are prepared to commit to…

Don’t be a one-hit wonder. Keep adapting and growing the platform to create more value for the business.

Takes more effort than most people are prepared to commit to…

This is when governance becomes the critical success factor. Not to justify the initial investment but to ensure SharePoint keeps producing value for the organisation as usage grows and

priorities shift

This is when governance becomes the critical success factor. Not to justify the initial investment but to ensure SharePoint keeps producing value for the organisation as usage grows and

priorities shift

Step 8.

Institutionalise new approaches

Show the benefits of change. Don’t leave people to make their own judgements. A change in leadership can undo everything.

Falling at the final hurdle - failing to embed new ways of

working into the culture of the organisation. It took a long

time to make smoking unpopular…

Falling at the final hurdle - failing to embed new ways of

working into the culture of the organisation. It took a long

time to make smoking unpopular…

Don’t underestimate the power of the humble ‘like’. Promote constantly what is working well and acknowledge

contributions. We all get a huge morale boost from being appreciated. Make the old ways unpopular. Don’t assume people are aware of what benefits are being achieved. Communicate!

Don’t underestimate the power of the humble ‘like’. Promote constantly what is working well and acknowledge

contributions. We all get a huge morale boost from being appreciated. Make the old ways unpopular. Don’t assume people are aware of what benefits are being achieved. Communicate!

8 steps to a successful SharePoint Project

1. Establish a sense of urgency

2. Form a powerful coalition

3. Create a vision

4. Communicate the vision

5. Empower others to act

6. Create short term wins

7. Consolidate and grow

8. Institutionalise new methods

Success will be dependent on three core factors and SharePoint is only

responsible for one of them…

Success will be dependent on three core factors and SharePoint is only

responsible for one of them…

“Leading Change”

8 steps to a successful transformation and

why most transformation efforts fail

By John P Kotter

Published 1995 in the Harvard Business Review

If the steps sound familiar, it’s because they are not mine. The article was originally published nearly two decades ago. We keep making the same mistakes. It’s easier to blame technology when

systems dependent on how people behave fail to deliver the expected business benefits

If the steps sound familiar, it’s because they are not mine. The article was originally published nearly two decades ago. We keep making the same mistakes. It’s easier to blame technology when

systems dependent on how people behave fail to deliver the expected business benefits

Flickr Images

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• Diplomatic briefing by the Coalition for the ICChttp://www.flickr.com/photos/coalitionforicc/9260181447/

• An iPod in your pocket by Mayhem Chaoshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/mayhem/2868599662/

• Richard Branson launches Virgin America by Cynthia Smoothttp://www.flickr.com/photos/cynthiasmoot/5224684638/

• Madonna - Vogue by Gustavo Duranhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/67662120@N00/8427897891/

• Smoking alone by Sergio Morchonhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/smorchon/2279443485/

Sharon RichardsonIndependent Advisor

sharonr@joiningdots.comwww.joiningdots.com

Feedback and questions are always welcome… as are new

clients! :-)

Feedback and questions are always welcome… as are new

clients! :-)