The Best Way To Fail Is To Not Define Success

Strangely enough a question that always baffles my client partners is when I ask them how they will define success for their project. This project could be designing a web site, a mobile or enterprise application, or even a social media consultation and the response is almost always the same… "That's a really good question." followed by a long pause. I will often sit quietly through this pause because it is vitally important that my client have clear view of what success will look like when the project or engagement is over. This is true for a ton of reasons but these are my top three:

• Priorities: Knowing how the client will define success when the project is complete allows the project team to prioritize items that are relevant to their defined success metrics.  In the event that there is a need to shave items from the project scope, due to budget or time constraints, the team can make recommendations that would have the least impact on the ultimate success of the project, as defined by the client. Knowing the measurements of success ahead of time allows teams to refer back to them in both 'agile' or 'waterfall' methods at any point, not just at the end of a phase or sprint.

• Expectations: As a service provider I want to deliver to my clients expectations.  Without a clear understanding of what success will look like when the engagement is complete, it is very difficult to align the expectations of the client and the project team.  I can not stress enough the importance of having these two groups striving to achieve a defined success metric.  Any confusion in expectations can cause some painful conversations when the final product doesn't achieve the client's definition of success even though this definition was never defined (wow, say that three times fast).

• Creativity: This is definitely my favorite. By either establishing or developing success metrics early in the project life-cycle  the project team can bring creative ideas and solutions to the table that may have not been considered or simply passed over when gathering requirements. With the incredible pace that technology moves it is important to consider innovative and creative ways to approach projects in order to achieve success.

So the next time your are discussing an upcoming project, product or strategy, be sure to ask yourself (or your client, or your stakeholders)... "How will I define success?"

What have been your experiences when engaging in a project with no defined measurement of success?  Do you feel this is an important step?  Share your thoughts, we're listening...