The Most Overlooked Driver of Project Success

The best way to start a successful project is by clearly defining what “success” actually means. Defining project success in a single line is difficult—yet teams often try to do just that. Project Managers and Business Leaders should focus on getting specific with definitions, identify and verify assumptions, and look at success from multiple perspectives.

It starts with defining success clearly.

1. Defining Success
   
   • Details are key when setting expectations for anyone or anything.
   • When setting objectives or goals, it is helpful to have something to measure against.  Quantifying value allows you to prove results - not just debate them.
   • It is important to choose metrics carefully.  Using a methodology like SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) or something similar can ensure you are selecting the appropriate data points.

Once success is clearly defined, the next step is ensuring your expectations are actually achievable.

2. Identify and Verify Assumptions
   
   • Asking for high-value deliverables faster than needed and under budget sounds ideal—but it often leads to unrealistic expectations.
   • Before stacking your project plans into a portfolio, take the time to verify that what you are asking for falls within what your project teams can truly deliver.  No one wants to be the one to say “we can’t do that”, but it’s worse to promise something and later realize there was little chance of meeting that expectation.  That situation creates a sense of distrust across the PMO from customers, stakeholders and project teams.

For example, a project delivered on time and within budget may still fall short if it doesn’t drive adoption or deliver measurable business value.

This is why success needs to be evaluated from multiple perspectives.

3. Looking at Success from Multiple Perspectives
   
   • Strategic/Business Success
     
     • In terms of success, this should align strongly with the purpose of the project. Does completion of this project provide strategic alignment, a return on an initial investment, or another benefit to the business or the project customer?
     • If you can, identify some metrics that can prove whether this project delivers the success intended. This cuts through opinions and demonstrates facts to share with business leadership and important stakeholders.
   • Project Management Success
     
     • Now it’s time to dig into how the project came together. You might start with some of the pillars of project management.  Define the specific scope, timeline, and budget.  There may be other secondary requirements that are separate from the main deliverable such as creating playbooks or documentation that will allow this type of project to be completed with more efficiency in the future.
   • Process Success
     
     • This part of the project can be overlooked when the focus is solely on the main deliverable.   The focus of this perspective looks at the teams and processes that make this project happen.
     • Are the team’s resources, capabilities, processes, and management aligned to deliver on this project?
     • Failure to set the project teams up for success can lead to inefficiencies, burnout, rework and quality issues.  If the project is large enough, it can also cause ripple effects across the company that cost the business in other areas.

When teams take the time to define success, validate assumptions, and measure outcomes across perspectives, they don’t just complete projects—they deliver results that matter.