Project execution - 5 steps to success!

"Current performance = future work" or "You are as good as your last job." Is this true?

Our oil and gas customer awarded us with two more contracts at the peak of their cost cutting exercise, creating more jobs and our current performance receiving a 9/10 rating.

How did this happen?

It was not always like this. In the past, delivery and performance challenges being followed by delays or rejection of payments wasn’t rare. Why so lucky this time?

These are the 5 steps, which led us to success:

1. Scope and Client management

- ‘Pre-contract = Contract‘. Scope clarification mitigates risks and builds relations. In this case, for

example, Cost Time Resources (CTRs) tables proved to be a very good tool.

2. Business Development engagement

- ‘Long term relations‘ not ‘Sell and Run‘

- Sponsorship and Sales should be carried out by the same person

- High level execution support without undermining project leadership’s responsibility is a beneficial

and balanced approach

- ‘Zippering‘ with client org charts brings new relations across all layers of our organisation especially

for bottle-neck situations

3. Cross-cultural management

- Our evolution curve on the project manager profile: Young – Experienced – Russian Speaking

- No language barrier -when 50% of personnel shared the same language - is our new record

4. Integration with the Client

- 'Walking corridors‘ is a very successful method . For example, the Client was spotted missing our

emails or generating 300 comments on our report, when all could be sorted out with one click or

a face-to-face meeting.

- ‘Face time‘ is important. We, for example, are lucky to have our coordinator renting a flat across the

road from the Client’s office

5. Monitoring

- Good old catch-ups – informal, on a weekly basis worked brilliantly!

- ‘No blame culture’ and ‘support rather than criticise‘ - are key to success

Conclusion

Shall we say that today delivery means the combination of Project Management and Business Development skills? This also includes cross-cultural awareness, client relations and regular feedback.

This is our experience with 10 international (Russian) projects of 6 month duration and $0.5M revenue on average. Is this similar to your experience? Would you mind sharing? We highly appreciate your thoughts and comments.