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Bio
• Engineer
• Management Consultant
• 13 Years in Innovative Technology Entrepreneurialism
• A Regular Customer of the BC Healthcare System
…and see what that might mean for your
projects
Objective: To learn how early-stage innovative
technology companies handle risky projects…
Survey
1 - Who in the room initiates projects to be
managed and executed by others?
3 - Who executes project tasks initiated and
managed by others?
2 - Who manages projects initiated by others
and managed by teams?
XCell Project A one-year $5m initiative to integrate patient health records between
the existing Osteoperofistrology and Minomonology support systems
to improve professional efficiency and patient outcomes
Jane - Head of Patient Records
Siobhan - Project Manager
David - Senior Developer
XCell Project
Jane - Head of Patient Records
I finally got the $5m for this critical project on the third try. I
really had to fight for this, and my colleagues on the
management team are a little pissed.
Siobhan - Project Manager
Wow, Jane promised me a really big project that makes a
difference and she’s delivered. This is definitely the next
step for me.
David - Senior Developer
Oh crap. Those two system are old and flaky. I’m not sure
the data is structured right to do this. Maybe, maybe not.
What a win for patients if it works though!
XCell Project
Jane - Head of Patient Records
Jane, you need to know how critical this project is. The
objective is to integrate these systems. If we blow it we’ll
never get our other priorities approved
Siobhan - Project Manager
I’m on it Jane. I’ve pried David loose from the DCell
project. He’s the best we have. I’m ready for this
Jane…Thank you!
XCell Project
Siobhan - Project Manager
David, thanks for jumping on this with me. This will be a
huge win for the professionals and patients. Jane says if
we pull this off, our other stuff is likely to be funded.
The team and I will do our best Siobhan, but you should
know this is not a sure thing. These systems might not
survive integration.
David - Senior Developer
XCell Project
Message from the future: We are in bad shape. XCell,
Jane, Siobhan and David are set up to personally fail with a
50%+ probability
Questions for You:
1 - How common a project initiation is this?
(Very, Somewhat, Not)
2 - Are we in good shape here?
(Good Shape, OK, Bad)
Some Definitions
• Innovation - Doing something new, somewhere new
• Initiation - The conscious act of starting something
• Hypothesis - An assertion not yet supported by data
Some Definitions
• Governance - Oversight; not aware of details
• Management - Decision making; aware of details
• Execution - Tasks & activities; in accordance
governance & management; best source of new data
XCell Project
It’s three months later - The project has been in execution
and Siobhan and David have one of their regular 1-1’s
XCell Project
Siobhan - Project Manager
Come on David, that’s what you said about the DCell
project at one point…and that’s going just fine now. You’re
the best. I know you can do it
Siobhan, it’s turning out that the data structures in those
old systems just can’t be integrated easily. We may need
to seriously reconsider
David - Senior Developer
XCell Project
Siobhan - Project Manager
I really appreciate you working this Siobhan. I’m totally
maxed out preparing next year’s funding requests
We have a few issues on XCell, but I’m pushing hard. I
fully trust the team to deliver. Everything will be fine
Jane - Head of Patient Records
XCell Project
Jane - Head of Patient Records
Siobhan - Project Manager
David - Senior Developer
I hope this project doesn’t cost me credibility.
I want to help our professionals & patients
I hope I don’t disappoint Jane.
I have to make this work. I’m a good manager
I want to be viewed as a capable expert.
I hope I don’t disappoint Siobhan.
XCell Project
Message from the future: Projects can not meet
expectations even though there is no sloth, ill intent or
incompetence
Questions for You:
1 - Who is the villain here?
(Jane, Siobhan, David, All, None)
XCell Project
Siobhan - Project Manager
OK David. I always understood that this would be hard.
Please keep at it hard and let me figure this out.
Siobhan, we have no solution to the data integration
problem. These systems didn’t use modern data modelling
practices.
David - Senior Developer
XCell Project
David - Senior Developer
I don’t think Siobhan gets it. This thing will crater.
I’m wasting my time
XCell Project
Siobhan - Project Manager
There is no way Jane will understand that XCell
won’t work. She solved way harder problems
when she had my job
The Boss Moment: When you need to explain to your
boss that you need to do something differently than they
did it in the past
XCell Project
Siobhan - Project Manager
OK Siobhan. Can you please send me an updated project
plan, an FT-709 request and a P66 risk analysis form filled
out?
XCell might take longer than expected Jane. David is
finding some hidden plumbing problems
Jane - Head of Patient Records
XCell Project
Jane - Head of Patient Records
Yikes. XCell is in serious trouble. I sold this hard to
the committee. I can’t deal with this until after the new
resource requisitions are in and approved
XCell Project
Questions for You:
1 - Have you seen a situation like this?
(Yes, No)
3 - When and how will XCell finish?
The reality: We have no idea when or how XCell will finish
and cease to burn resources
2 - Which team members know there’s trouble?
(Jane, Siobhan, David, All, None)
The Nature of
Innovation
Innovating - Bringing something new to somewhere new,
is the riskiest thing you can do
The Nature of Risk
Cheaper, Better, Faster - The pursuit of better outcomes
requires the acceptance of a higher probability of worse ones
The Laws of the Jungle
There is no innovation without risk
• The higher you reach, the harder you may fall
• The best outcomes require a very high reach
• Management reduces risk, and therefore reach
The Laws of the Jungle
This is why in the realm of innovative companies:
• 95% do not reach their optimum outcomes
• Huge successes often occur without
experienced management teams
• Big enterprises consistently fail to truly
innovate; they manage instead of reaching
Let’s Agree
The usual definition of success includes:
• Executing the initiative as planned
• Completing the work
• Not embarrassing anyone in the process
Tech Innovation
Due to the hard experience of repeated failure, the
innovative technology space has changed its thinking
Let’s Agree
The definition of success should instead be:
• Not Wasting Resources
• Reaching for high level outcomes
• Accepting the reality of suboptimal outcomes
Tech Innovation
What are the key values in Innovative Technology
culture?
• Don’t waste resources
• Document your hypotheses
• Acknowledge that you are experimenting
• Celebrate all levels of success
• If you fail, fail honourably
• Don’t lie to yourself
• Focus on desired outcomes, not specific process
Tech Innovation
The magic formula for this new definition of success
is:
1 - Succeed by reaching planned outcomes optimally
2 - If not, change the situation by pivoting
3 - If not that, kill the initiative fast
Do or do not - There is no try
XCell Project V2
Question for You:
1 - How can we guide the XCell project
differently using this thinking?
XCell Project V2
Jane - Head of Patient Records
Siobhan - Project Manager
David - Senior Developer
I finally got the $5m for this critical project on the third try. I
really had to fight for this, and my colleagues on the
management team are a little pissed.
Wow, Jane promised me a really big project that makes a
difference and she’s delivered. This is definitely the next
step for me.
Oh crap. Those two system are old and flaky. I’m not sure
the data is structured right to do this. Maybe, maybe not.
What a win for patients if it works though!
XCell Project V2
Jane - Head of Patient Records
I finally got the $5m for these critical outcomes on the third
try. I know the professional and patient benefits are
worth the risk and my committee colleagues agree
Acknowledgement of the initiative as an
experiment gives the team permission to
terminate if hypotheses are disproven.
Chartering based on desired outcomes,
not process, gives the team latitude to
pivot.
XCell Project V2
Jane - Head of Patient Records
Siobhan - Project Manager
Siobhan, you need to know how critical these outcomes are. The
objective is to improve professional support and patient outcomes.
Please let’s aim high but not waste any resources
I’m on it Jane. I’ve pried David loose from the DCell project. He’s
the best we have. I understand the desired outcomes…Thank
you!
Establishes waste of resources as least
desirable outcome.
XCell Project V2
Siobhan - Project Manager
David, thanks for jumping on this with me. This might be a
huge win for the professionals and patients. Jane says we’re
free to pursue the outcomes creatively.
The team and I will do our best Siobhan, but you should
know this is not a sure thing. These systems might not
survive integration.
David - Senior Developer
Pivoting is acceptable in pursuit of desired
outcomes.
Acknowledges experimental nature.
Reality is unchanged.
XCell Project V2
Siobhan - Project Manager
OK David. I always understood that this would be risky. Please
keep at it hard and let me inform Jane we may need to adjust.
Siobhan, we’ve not found a solution to the data integration problem.
These systems didn’t use modern practices. With today’s tech we
could rewrite one of the systems quickly though
David - Senior Developer
Creative pivot. Permission to change to
alternate definition of
success.
XCell Project V2
Siobhan - Project Manager
David, please let me know how your planning for the rewrite
goes. If it doesn’t look like it will meet the objectives let’s just
kill this and move on to other priorities
Can’t agree more. I hate pouring good money after bad. We’ll
give it our best shot for this week and then make the call.
David - Senior Developer Acknowledges willingness to terminate
under the appropriate circumstances.
Reinforces the desire not to waste
resources.
XCell Project V2
• Don’t waste resources
• Document your hypotheses
• Acknowledge that you are experimenting
• Celebrate all levels of success
• If you fail, fail honourably
• Don’t lie to yourself
• Focus on desired outcomes, not specific process
How does XCell score on our list of values:
Questions for You:
1 - Who made the critical adjustment to help
XCell avoid zombie-ism?
(Jane, Siobhan, David, All, None)
Jane did: Project initiation, where expectations and
governance are established is the key moment. Jane
showed leadership capability, not management skills
XCell Project V2
Fixing Current Projects
• Re-initiate current project with objective-based
charters and clear permission to pivot
How you apply these ideas to fix current suspect
projects:
• Expressly redefine success to include hard
pivots and termination where appropriate
• Ensure that everyone understands that wasting
resources is the cardinal sin
Fixing New Projects
• Initiate projects with objective-based charters,
clear permission to pivot, and freedom to
terminate if objectives are unreachable
What about new projects not yet underway?:
• Celebrate all successes by the broader
definition. Ensure that careers are enhanced by
good behaviour
What GoogleX Does
GoogleX is the company’s skunkworks
https://backchannel.com/the-secret-to-moonshots-killing-our-projects-49b18dc7f2d6#.7qojzq63d
“The only way to get people to tackle audacious ideas AND get them to run at the
hardest parts of the problem first is if doing that is the path of least resistance. We
work hard at X to make it safe to fail. We killed over 100 investigations last year
alone. I didn’t kill them. The teams themselves killed each one. And teams kill
their ideas as soon as the evidence is on the table because they’re rewarded for
it. They get applause from their peers. Hugs and high fives from their manager.
They get promoted because of it. We’ve bonused every single person in teams
that ended their projects, from teams as small as two to teams of more than
thirty.”
-Astro (Eric) Teller - Head of GoogleX
Innovative Technology
The smart phone in your pocket,
the laptop in your bag, and the
probes still roaming mars years
after they were scheduled to fail
are all the results of this thinking.
Why do we tolerate zombie projects when we
know exactly what to do about them?
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