Learning from a Project "Post-Mortem"

Learning from a Project, “Post-Mortem”
Ruben H. Ramos
May 12, 2011

I have learned, from past experience, that the best laid plans with the best of intentions for developing a needed project can turn into a big mistake without the use of project management principles.
Several years ago I attempted to implement an in-service training program for medical department faculty at a private post-secondary school. My goal was to develop a comprehensive program that would assist program instructors with improved delivery of course content. I was certain that this initiative would result in improved student learning experiences as well as a stronger and more attractive allied health program.
I had been developing training curricula in medical assisting for over 10 years and felt that the next logical step was to “train the trainers”. Sessions for administering a series of comprehensive exams were scheduled over a period of four weeks. The exam scores would be used to provide the data necessary for developing subsequent lessons. What resulted was a flood of complaints from instructors to the school administrators. The school of “hard knocks” in project management change leadership had begun and I was its only pupil.
The primary stakeholders (instructors) had not been consulted from the very beginning. The needs assessment had not included input and cooperation from faculty. When they first learned about this new initiative, the decision to implement had already been made. This must have contributed to misperceptions about the intent and goal of the project. Determining the need and feasibility for instructional improvements had excluded the instructors’ perspectives and inputs. No conversations or brainstorming sessions were conducted with stakeholders.
The project goals and deliverables had not been shared. Some of the instructors felt that they were being targeted for termination of employment. This created a great deal of anxiety among the faculty. To make matters worse, there was no written plan, defined goals, timeline, or budget. The project was halted and resumed a year later with the cooperation of the instructors and administrators. The lessons learned from these first mistakes proved invaluable in the subsequent project successes which followed. Today, this school is one of the top providers of quality training in allied health.
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.