Taking a Snowball through Hell - The politics of governance, decision-making and ownership

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Taking a Snowballthrough Hell

The politics of governance,decision-making and ownership

TAKING A SNOWBALL THROUGH HELLCarolyn Clarke

© Copyright EDF Energy plc. All rights reserved. 2006.

Where you want to get to

You



Where you want to get to

You

A good-looking,user-friendly,inexpensivewebsite



What stops you from getting there

You


pride




You


pride

fear




You


pride

fear

bewilderment




You


pride

fear

bewilderment

ineptitude




You


pride

fear

bewilderment

ineptitude

ignorance




You


pride

fear

bewilderment

ineptitude

ignorance

impatience




You


pride

fear

bewilderment

ineptitude

ignorance

impatience

despair



What you can do about it

Tackle those feelingsIf every problem (financial, strategic, timetabling, resources) issolved but these feelings are not dealt with, you will not get toyour goal




Tackle those feelingsIf every problem (financial, strategic, timetabling, resources) issolved but these feelings are not dealt with, you will not get toyour goal, which is a good-looking, user-friendly, inexpensive website




Tackle those feelingsIf every problem (financial, strategic, timetabling, resources) issolved but these feelings are not dealt with, you will not get toyour goal, which is a good-looking, user-friendly, inexpensive website because these feelings will slow down, hinder, trip up, deflector even de-rail your project.



Tackling those feelings

Think about your stakeholders





■ Owner/sponsor ■ Customers ■ Suppliers ■ Content providers ■ IT ■ Business areas











Personas






Personas

‘Personas representbehaviour patterns’






Personas

- Suzy Homemaker- Bob Businessman- Rita Retiredperson- Stefan Student





■ Owner/sponsor

■ Suppliers ■ Content providers ■ IT ■ Business areas

Personas





■ Owner/sponsor


Personas ‘personas representbehaviour patterns’





■ Owner/sponsor


- Otto Owner- Frederica Finance Officer- David Designer- Sudhir Supplierofcms- Charles Contentprovider- Ivan IT-techperson- Brigit Businessmanager- Sofia Secretary- Eric Executive- Tom Techteamleader- Michael Marketing- Chirag Customersupport




Make personas for them

■ Owner/sponsor


- Tom Top-Brass

- Shirin Supplier

- Clare Contentprovider

- Ivan IT-techperson

- Marcel Manager

- Dan Designer

- Winnie Workerbee




Find each persona’s emotional sore spot

Tom Top-Brass

Shirin Supplier

Clare Contentprovider

Ivan IT-techperson

Marcel Manager

Dan Designer

Winnie Workerbee

Bewilderment

Fear

Despair

Impatience

Ignorance

Pride

Ineptitude

What’s this web thingie anyway?

We’ll be sunk if this fails

I’ll never get it all done

This project is run by idiots

What’s the point of this?

My design is going to be ruined

It’s too complicated for me




Solve each persona’s emotional sore spot

Tom Top-Brass What’s this web thingie anyway?

■ Why the new website will add to his bottom line (facts and figures)

■ Why websites matter to his customers (analysis from similar industries)

■ Why it will strengthen his own position (gains from web = his lustre)

Once he accepts, he owns.Once he owns, he can help constructively with decision-making





Shirin Supplier We’ll be sunk if this fails

■ Demonstrate to him your commitment to timescales

■ Be seen to be proactive in solving problems at your end■ Be clear to him that you are denying yourself scope creep






Clare Contentprovider I’ll never get it all done

■ Clarify with her early what she needs to do

■ Let her know the timetable and where her tasks fit in

■ Get her to plan her resources (editors, organisers, proofreaders)

Once she accepts, she owns.Once she owns, she can help constructively with decision-making





Ivan IT-techperson This project is run by idiots

■ Get him talking to the CMS vendor from the start

■ Show him why you are making the choices you are

■ Ask him to plan the post-project technical support






Marcel Manager What’s the point of this?

■ Show him how the website will help his department or area

■ Demonstrate how it will gain him efficiencies (facts and figures)

■ Remind him that being involved in a successful project helps his career






Dan Designer My design is going to be ruined

■ Make sure that he knows that your changes to his design are justified by customer needs

■ Get him talking to the CMS supplier and to IT from the start

■ Schedule him to do a final analysis of the website for the top brass: the designer’s last chance to blow his own horn






Winnie Workerbee It’s too complicated for me

■ Ask for her input on the purpose of the website

■ Listen to her advice on how things are done

■ Get her estimates on the time she have to do work, pre-launch and post-launch

■ Make sure she has training and after-training support

■ Never forget her

Once she accepts, she owns.Once she owns, she can help constructively with decision-making



No web utopia

Solving emotional issues in ways that makes each person feel

like an owner helps each person to commit to making decisions

and to stick by them.



No web utopia



and to stick by them. But you can’t solve everything



No web utopia



and to stick by them. But you can’t solve everything . . . so proactively analyse the emotional issues you have

identified via the personas and prioritise them by the impact

they will have on the project.



Prioritising problems

■ What emotional issues will slow down the project?




■ What emotional issues will slow down the project? Those of workers, content owners, marketers, designer, managers




■ What emotional issues will slow down the project? Those of workers, content owners, marketers, designer, managers■ What emotional issues will deflect the project into delivering something other than your own goal?




■ What emotional issues will slow down the project? Those of workers, content owners, marketers, designer, managers■ What emotional issues will deflect the project into delivering something other than your own goal? Those of your supplier, IT, managers, designer, owner/sponsor/top brass, designer




■ What emotional issues will slow down the project? Those of workers, content owners, marketers, designer, managers■ What emotional issues will deflect the project into delivering something other than your own goal? Those of your supplier, IT, managers, designer, owner/sponsor/top brass, designer■ What emotional issues will stop the project?




■ What emotional issues will slow down the project? Those of workers, content owners, marketers, designer, managers■ What emotional issues will deflect the project into delivering something other than your own goal? Those of your supplier, IT, managers, designer, owner/sponsor/top brass, designer■ What emotional issues will stop the project? Those of IT, owner/sponsor/top brass




Prioritising issues to address must be in order of their impact on theweb project.Don’t get distracted by the urgent.Keep your eye on the important players:




Prioritising issues to address must be in order of their impact on theweb project.Don’t get distracted by the urgent.Keep your eye on the important players: 1. IT, the project owner/sponsor, and the top brass (can stop it)




Prioritising issues to address must be in order of their impact on theweb project.Don’t get distracted by the urgent.Keep your eye on the important players: 1. IT, the project owner/sponsor, and the top brass (can stop it)2. Your supplier, designer and business managers (can deflect it)




Prioritising issues to address must be in order of their impact on theweb project.Don’t get distracted by the urgent.Keep your eye on the important players: 1. IT, the project owner/sponsor, and the top brass (can stop it)2. Your supplier, designer and business managers (can deflect it)3. Workers, content owners, marketers (can slow it)




Deal with the important players by remembering the persona thatrepresents their behaviour, and address those emotions




Deal with the important players by remembering the persona thatrepresents their behaviour, and address those emotions 1. IT, the project owner/sponsor, and the top brass Use facts, figures, competitor analyses, and their own strategy





2. Your supplier, designer and business managers Use timetables, business gains and your commitment to them





2. Your supplier, designer and business managers Use timetables, business gains and your commitment to them3. Workers, content owners, marketers Use a clear goal, timetables, and create buy-in by involving them from the start



In the end

It isn’t about solving all the emotional issues



In the end

It isn’t about solving all the emotional issues.

It’s about solving as many important ones as you can.



In the end

It isn’t about solving all the emotional issues.

It’s about solving as many important ones as you can.

Your website depends on you. Be a safe pair of hands.



Be a safe pair of hands, if you can, but...

While you can 'persona' your colleagues until you are blue in theface, but what happens when:

1. you don't have total project control, or

2. you are project manager for a powerless sponsor?

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Taking a Snowball through Hell - The politics of governance, decision-making and ownership