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Branding does not rest solely with a company. Brand offers unique value that people can get excited about and get behind. A project with a branded identity creates clarity and ownership among stakeholders. Get some tips for creating a compelling project brand that will rally teams for even the less popular projects.
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Branding projects Creating identity & ownership your
team can get behind
Your presenter is:Alison Sigmon, M.Ed., LPC, PMP
What’s on tap for our time together today…
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Cost of failure of projects
Why don’t they Like my project
Brand? Isn’t that for the biz…
Why bother? We’re too busy
Okay, we’re in…so NOW what
Tips, best practice to get ‘em behind the project
Wrap it up!
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Tons of time, training, and money have been invested in ensuring project management processes are in place and people know how to
use them. And yet projects still fail.
• A study reviewed 10,640 projects from 200 companies in 30 countries
found only 2.5% of the companies successfully completed 100% of their projects.
• A separate study analyzed 1,471 IT projects and found the average overrun was 27%, but 1:6 projects
had a cost overrun of 200% and a schedule overrun of 70%.
Source: http://gmj.gallup.com/content/152429/cost-bad-project-management.aspx
Cost of failure of projects
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How
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There are a variety of reasons this happens on the functional side and behavioral side of project management.
Today we’ll focus on the behavioral side because if we address that then most of the time the functional side will fall into place.
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It’s not that they don’t
like your project
Why don’t they Like my project…
Maybe it’s just that they…
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• Don’t understand it• Are super busy• Have higher priority work• Don’t see the value• Consider it not very compelling• Think it’ll take too much time• Believe there’s not much to gain• Aren’t confident it’ll be
successful• Think it will create more work
and less value when launched• Believe it’s a pet project• The processes are a nightmare
Question that makes you go hmmm…
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Now, why on Earth would they EVER, EVER think any of those things?
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Let’s admit it. Some projects are more fun, cutting edge, and even glamorous to work on…
High profile
Big business value
Chances of success are high
They have management support
Clear vision, mission, & cash
Promises are kept
Super cool
All of these things offer something akin to a product or business Brand. Stakeholders typically want to be part
of that action…Don’t you?
Rock star projects…
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BRANDNot just for
business anymore…
Brand? Isn’t that for the biz
What is brand anyway…
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Brand is vast, deep, and time
consuming to manage, and our attitude about it comes own to our personal experience with it.
If it’s positive, we feel trust
and accountability.
If it’s negative, we do whatever we can to get way from it, reject it, etc.
But brand is more than…
Name, Logo, Color
Tagline or Catchphrase
Shapes, Graphics
Sounds
Smells
Performance, movement
Taste
Brand is a personal experience
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Brand is a kind of personality that creates identity others immediately recognize and connect with.
It’s behavioral and psychological. Our thoughts, mental images, feelings, values, perceptions, hopes,
experiences, and attitudes all contribute to brand experience.
It represents us. It reflects us. It inspires us.
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Guess what…maybe the process pieces are
already there
Why bother? We’re too busy
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PromiseIdentification
Differentiation Relationship
Characteristics of brand
Sound familiar…
• Unique• Accountability• Characteristics that make it
unique and special• Roles, responsibilities• Values, clear objectives• Timing
• Emotional connection• Engagement• Inclusion• Communication• Monitor, respond to
changes• Watching trends, shifts
• Compelling vision • Strategic purpose • Driving mission• Why it matters – So what• Clear goals • Benefits
• Follow through• Commitment• Focus• Consistency & Trust• Status• Workflow
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PromiseIdentification
Differentiation Relationship
Characteristics of projects
Sound familiar…yes it does.
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Controlling
• Emotional connection• Engagement• Inclusion• Communication• Monitor, respond to
changes• Watching trends, shifts
• Accountability• Roles, responsibility• Characteristics that make it unique
and special• Values, clear objectives• Timing
• Follow through• Commitment• Focus• Consistency & Trust• Status• Workflow
• Compelling vision • Strategic purpose • Driving mission• Why it matters – So what• Clear goals • Benefits
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The net-net…Creating a brand for a product or service is not
that different from good project management practice.
The key is in what you do & focus on. If the project is considered second tier connect the dots to make it a first tier.
Connect the dots…
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Use your tools…
Okay, we’re in so NOW what
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Burning Platform
• Share the why• Business Need• Feasibility• Risks of doing/not
doing the projects• Project Charter• Benefits• Current State • Opportunities
leveraged• Future state
Not sure?What are you waiting for…go get what you need.
Project pressures may have PMs too focused on the processes, tasks of the project. Result? The things that keep stakeholders connected, engaged are stripped out.
Create a compelling story and use it as a touchstone throughout the project.
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WIIFT
• Know their motivations
• Respond to what they care about
• Keep the big picture in mind
• Understand their passions & interests
• Figure out how they feel valued
• Be thoughtful but focused
Not sure?Pay attention. Go ask.
Your strength as a project manager is not just in numbers, workflow, and reports. It’s in emotional connection, big picture thinking, and influence. To do this you have to stay slightly ahead of your stakeholders.
And it’s good to literally & figuratively do a few of these for your project too…
Name, Logo, Color
Tagline or Catchphrase
Shapes, Graphics
Sounds
Smells
Performance, movement
Taste
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Putting it all in motion…
Hot tips, best practice to get ‘em on board
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“Too often senior leaders say that
innovation is a strategic priority,
but when it comes to allocating
resources and creating the time and space for innovation to occur and
thrive, many de-prioritize it in favor of shorter term (and often smaller financial) wins…business unit
teams have to be really ambitious and your senior management has to
be committed, supportive, and hungry. It can’t be one or the other.” Source: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669216/five-new-rules-for-a-winning-brand-launch
How to connect the dots…
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If it were easy to create a brand experience, everybody would be doing it! But even for companies launching a new brand, it’s not easy to do.
• Creating a new brand expensive & challenging • Innovation & doing things differently can be scary • New product launch numbers aren’t inspiring: only 25% of new products
generate more than $7.5 million in sales in their first year. Only 3% achieve $50 million or more. Source: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669216/five-new-rules-for-a-winning-brand-launch
If it were easy…
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5 P’s from “Why Every Project Needs a Brand”
http://sloanreview.mit.edu/the-magazine/2011-summer/52416/why-every-project-needs-a-brand-and-how-to-create-one/
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It all starts with you and the project team.
• Challenge each other & don’t take it personally when you don’t agree
• Create personal meaning• Think outside the box• T-shaped thinking• Go get what you need to build
interest and enthusiasm• Connect the dots• Take a nod from non-project
management processes• Sell it, promote it as you would to a
customer• Remember: excitement is
infectious• Attitude matters• Pictures are worth a 1000 words
How to connect the dots…think differently
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Some projects naturally have brand qualities. Those that don’t can. It starts with you.
Brand identity creates an emotional connection that can inspire others
Project pressures create a risk of depersonalizing the experience
Tools and skills are there but you gotta use them
Questions???
Wrapping it up
Thank you!
Alison Sigmon, M.Ed, LPC, PMP
Twitter @alisonsigmon
www.slideshare.net/ahsigmon
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