Not Just Technology
There was recently a discussion on the ASAE online community about project management software. There were lots of recommendations about which software to use and why, but what was missing from the conversation was the people and the process.
Every project or program involves people, process, and technology. All three of these elements must be working correctly for the project or program to work optimally. Or put another way, even the very best technology will be effectively useless if you don't have the right people doing the right things.
For example, in my experience, project management software implementations fail not because the technology is poor, but because staff doesn't know how to use the software, or doesn't know WHY they are using the software. They are given the software and say "Here, use this for your project" with little to no training on how to actually manage a project, much less how to use the software to manage the project.
So when you see challenges in your projects or programs, while it may be the technology that is at fault, it may not be! It might be the people involved, or the processes that have (or have not) been established. You need to consider all three elements.
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Always ask “Why?”
Always ask “Why?” Little kids ask “Why?” all the time, because they are sponges for …
Averages hide the extremes
Averages hide the extremes I can’t remember where I first heard it, but “averages hide …
Look up PARTIAL names!
Look up PARTIAL names! Train your staff to do look ups on partial names, not full …
Consider quitting
Consider quitting Patient: “Doctor, it hurts when I do this.” Doctor: “Then stop doing that.” …
There is nothing so permanent as business rules
There is nothing so permanent as business rules Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman said, “There’s nothing …
Budget for feature discovery and adoption
Budget for feature discovery and adoption When developing a budget for implementation of a new …
Customize staff pages for better user adoption
Customize staff pages for better user adoption The single most important element to data management …
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer I was recently completing an …
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer Read More »
All decisions involve risk
All decisions involve risk Whether it’s choosing a new AMS or introducing a new product …
Try flowcharting your processes
Try flowcharting your processes Working with a client recently on their membership join process reminded me …