There is one fundamental reason many software projects fail - because we're all human. In this series of blog posts, we take a deeper look at three human factors to consider in your software projects. Learn why lack of empathy can lead to failure, how to plan intentional flexibility into your projects, and ways to communicate better to ensure your projects succeed.

There is one fundamental reason many software projects fail - because we're all human. In this month’s series of blog posts, we’re taking a deeper look at three human factors to consider in your software projects. For more, check out the [series overview post](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/3-reasons-software-projects-fail "series overview post") and learn how [lack of empathy can lead to failure](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/why-projects-fail-lack-of-empathy "lack of empathy can lead to failure").

We all know the old proverb about the best-laid plans. That’s why the first thing you need to do in planning your software project is to build what we're calling "intentional flexibility."

Think about the best stage presentations or performances you’ve seen. There’s usually a feeling of control balanced by flexibility. The control makes the presentation feel smooth, confident, and polished. The flexibility creates spontaneity and allows for unexpected interactions with the audience.

The key to "intentional flexibility" is preparing so well that you can plan for spontaneous moments and surprises. The best presenters and performers practice, plan and prepare more than anybody. But as part of that preparation, they build in moments or options for spontaneity to arise.

You want a similar approach to your software project planning - plan so well that you’re ready to adjust to whatever problems arise.

The Project Management Institute has started calling organizations that have this type of flexibility the “gymnastic enterprise.”

> “These organizations and their project teams combine structure, form, and governance with the ability to flex and pivot—wherever and whenever needed. But most of all, gymnastic enterprises focus on their people, knowing that organizational performance is a well-choreographed dance of individual performances.” - PMI 2021 Pulse of the Profession® survey

Source: [PMI 2021 Pulse of the Profession® survey](https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/pmi_pulse_2021.pdf?v=b5c9abc1-e9ff-4ac5-bb0d-010ea8f664da&sc_lang_temp=en "PMI 2021 Pulse of the Profession® survey")

Here are three ways you can create “intentional flexibility” within your software project plans.

## Set Achievable Goals with Realistic Timelines
One of the biggest reasons software projects fail is because they run out of time. In PMI’s 2021 survey, respondents estimated that a little more than half (55%) of their organization’s projects were delivered on time in the last 12 months.

When a project misses a deadline it’s often because of unclear or unrealistic expectations. Goals that are vague or too broad leave teams unsure of where they are and how to get there. Timelines driven by business needs often sacrifice good design principles and usability standards. This can all sabotage long-term success in favor of meeting a short-term deadline.

Set high project goals and then break those goals into smaller achievable chunks. That helps teams feel excited to generate great ideas and empowered to execute on them. Involve team members in setting the timeline so they hold each other accountable for meeting deadlines.

Most important, build in some buffer for unforeseen circumstances.

## Identify (and Empower) the Right People for the Job
It’s not enough to throw a bunch of people at a software project. More is not always better. Plenty of projects fail because of too many cooks in the kitchen.

You need the right people with the right mix of skills balanced and calibrated to the needs of the project. Assess their skill sets and align those skills to the right roles. Then empower them to make change happen.

When you empower people to use their strengths and their judgment, you help them get more enjoyment out of their work. That enjoyment is infectious and leads to an innovative mindset across the team.

## Clearly Define Your Scope and Budget
Few things will get a team’s budget cut faster than a failed project. Successful software projects have clear scopes and set budgets before any work begins.

This doesn’t mean the scope and budget can’t change. But if you leave either one open to interpretation without clear boundaries, you’ll end up with a sprawling expensive mess.

That means being honest with management and your team about what you can and cannot do. Clear communication (something we’ll dive into in the next post) is key to making sure everybody understands the expectations and available resources.

Of course, it's always difficult to plan for every aspect of a project. That’s why it’s important to not be too optimistic and promise too much with too little. Try to plan for known and unknown obstacles by using historical data or previous experience as a guide. Budget for three scenarios: best-case, worst-case, and somewhere in between.

Give your project team the leeway to do their best work and account for mistakes or unforeseen challenges. This will help avoid bad bottom-line surprises down the road.

## Need Help Planning Your Next Software Project?
As a consulting agency, we have to be experts in allocating the right resources to the right work at the right time. It’s our lifeblood and the way that we create meaningful experiences for our clients and their customers.

For a look into one of our secrets, check out how [we use Tetris for team building and efficiency](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/ux-team-efficiency-tetris "we use Tetris for team building and efficiency").

If you’d like a more direct hand, [drop us a line](https://drawbackwards.com/contact "drop us a line") and let’s talk about how we can build intentional flexibility into your next project.

Why Software Projects Fail

Why Software Projects Fail: Lack of Planning

There is one fundamental reason many software projects fail - because we're all human. In this month’s series of blog posts, we’re taking a deeper look at three human factors to consider in your software projects. [Read the series introduction here](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/3-reasons-software-projects-fail "Read the series introduction here").

Many software projects fail almost right out of the gate. Why? Because they don’t emphasize the one human factor that rises above the rest: empathy. 

To be successful, products must focus on what people actually need.

That seems obvious, but it’s surprising how many software projects start without adequate research.

That’s because empathy is not always easy when it's competing with other priorities. It takes constant effort to keep the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of your users top of mind.

Here are some ways to build in empathy while you're wrestling with code, making design decisions, and balancing budgets.

## Recognize that Empathy Comes in Many Forms

> “Empathy is a strange and powerful thing. There is no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgement, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘you’re not alone.” - Brene Brown, “Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead”

Empathy in software projects begins with user research, but it can’t end there. It needs to be at the center of as many decisions as possible related to the product.

How? By keeping your users top of mind throughout the product development lifecycle.

We kick off every one of our projects by drawing backwards with research. These insights then help us aim our arrow at the right target when we bring stakeholders together in a Design Thinking workshop. As we co-create personas, journey maps, and other artifacts, we grow our understanding of how people feel and think about the problem.

This shared vision serves as a guide when designing pages, building features, or writing microcopy. More importantly, it sets the tone early that we’re dedicated to keeping user needs front and center.

Empathy can take many forms. For successful software projects, it often takes the form of a thousand small decisions that lead to delightful moments for the end user.

## Remember that Empathy is for Everybody

Empathy is not only the responsibility of researchers. True software project success relies on empathetic team members who take the needs of end users to heart in everything they do.

Everybody on the team - from marketing, to design, to development, to executive leadership - needs to cultivate and maintain empathy not only for users, but for each other.

Teams that have empathy for each other work better together and have better work environments. Collaboration is key to any successful project. Empathy helps team members understand the needs behind the requests they get from each other.

There are all kinds of ways to cultivate empathy among your project team, but one of the most powerful is to lead by example. When leaders are empathetic to the needs of their teams, they build teams of individuals who have each other's backs.

## Cultivate Empathy as a Process

Empathy is not a destination. There is no arrival at some magical land where you can feel and think like everybody else.

Empathy requires constant effort and attention. It demands that teammates hold each other accountable and remind each other of the people within their products.

Like other skills, empathy builds over time through practice and experience. Like other skills, it can also erode through neglect. You need to build and rebuild empathy with every project.

The great thing is, once you’ve practiced using empathy in your software projects, it makes it that much easier to continue to use it in future projects.

## Looking For a Little More Empathy in Your Software Projects? 

We work with clients every day in building their empathy to deliver success.

If you’re looking for ways to build more empathy in your projects, start with some of our [empathy exercises](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/empathy-exercises-for-winning-customers-and-avoiding-losses/ "empathy exercises") and learn why we put empathy and research [#3 in our 12 competencies of UX design](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/understanding-your-audience-through-empathy-and-research-ux-design-competency-3/ "#3 in our 12 competencies of UX design").

If you need more hands-on assistance, [we’re just a click away](https://drawbackwards.com/contact "we’re just a click away"). Let’s talk about how empathy can make sure your next software project is a meaningful and delightful success.


Why Software Projects Fail: Lack of Empathy

There is one fundamental reason many software projects fail - because we're all human.

That’s more than a trite saying. In over 20 years of working on software projects, we’ve found the human factor is the most critical to success.

No matter how hard we try, we aren’t perfect robots creating perfect products. We’re people trying our best to help other people have better experiences.

In fact, it’s usually our attempts to hide these imperfections that gets us into the most trouble. 

We try to focus on the business and what makes sense to the bottom line. 

We pour money and resources into projects and set hard deadlines meant to keep us on track and in scope.

We assume that if we establish the right process everything will fall into place.

In this month’s series of blog posts, we’re taking a deeper look at three human reasons software projects fail. 

__1. Lack of Empathy:__ There’s a reason we start every Drawbackwards project with research. It establishes empathy as a core focus of the end product. If you don’t know what your users, stakeholders, and teammates need, you’ll have a hard time knowing when you’ve been successful.

__2. Lack of Planning:__ Every project needs time, staff, and budget. Every project also needs the flexibility to scale up or down to find the right balance of all those things. You can’t do that without planning and allowing for adjustments along the way.

__3. Lack of Communication:__ The most human factor of them all is also the trickiest to master. The key is finding the right way to make sure everybody is on the same page as priorities change.

Our goal with these posts is not to show you how to avoid these mistakes. Rather, we want to show you how to lean in with empathy. 

By acknowledging the challenges the people in front of - and behind - your software projects face, you can better set them up for success.


3 (Very Human) Reasons Software Projects Fail

There is one fundamental reason many software projects fail - because we're all human. In this month’s series of blog posts, we’re taking a deeper look at three human factors to consider in your software projects. For more, check out the [series overview post](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/3-reasons-software-projects-fail "series overview post"), learn how [lack of empathy](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/why-projects-fail-lack-of-empathy "lack of empathy") can lead to failure, and examine [how to plan better](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/why-projects-fail-lack-of-planning "how to plan better") for your projects.

> “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

We’ve seen many projects fail because one hand didn’t know what the other was doing. We’ve seen others fail because business leaders had one set of goals, while the product team was executing toward completely different objectives.

At a time when we’re more spread out than ever, communication has become more important - and complicated - than ever. We’re finding our way through the wilderness with countless new tools.

We’re all getting more familiar chatting with each other through boxes on our screens, and managing our Pavlovian response to the Slack notification sound.

But communication starts and ends with people. And the confusion between those two end points is often where the failure begins.

Research by the Project Management Institute has found that among companies with highly effective communication, 80% of projects met their goals, compared to just a 52% project success rate for organizations with minimal communication.

Here are a few things to keep in mind to help make sure you’re communicating effectively.

## Effective Project Communication Starts at the Top

As with most things, leadership plays a critical role in establishing the rules of the game and setting expectations for how your team will communicate and collaborate. Executive leaders who are actively engaged with specific project teams can bridge the gap between strategy and execution, making sure that everybody is on the same page from the leadership suite to the frontline customer service representative.

Project managers also play a key leadership role as the fulcrum point between executive business stakeholders and the project team. Honesty and transparency are key in both directions as the business needs to know the harsh realities of budget overruns or scope creep, and the project team needs consistent and honest updates about deadlines and progress.

With strong leaders at the top communicating honestly and effectively, the problems that inevitably arise can be addressed more efficiently and effectively by the team working together with the same information.

## Keep Your Communication Human 
We’ve seen too many project teams and organizations go out of their way to try to standardize communications with fancy software that promises to keep your team connected through things like automated push notifications. 

The problem with many of these tools is they remove the people from the communication. This leads to missed context and poor retention of the information that’s being delivered. You’re far more likely to remember a Slack conversation with a real person than you are to remember an automatic notification about an edit to a Google doc.

Never underestimate the importance of emotion, personal relationships, and context in how your team communicates. Sensitive topics are almost always better handled face-to-face (even if those faces are through digital video) because there are contextual clues like body language and facial expressions that just can’t be replicated through other mediums. 

Keeping your communication as human as possible will cut down on the misunderstandings that can undercut even the best project plans.

## Stay Disciplined in Your Communication
While you want a free-flowing exchange of ideas and information, there are also times when you need to make sure you’re using communication to reinforce overall project discipline and efficiency. It’s easy to lose precious time generating fun ideas that will never see the light of day or brainstorming problems that are best handled with a small group of subject matter experts.

Discipline keeps your project on track and in scope and increases how efficiently your team gets the core job done so they can have more time for fun projects on the side.

What does communication discipline look like? Here are a few examples that probably sound pretty familiar:

- __Streamlined Meetings:__ Set a clear goal and agenda, invite the least number of people necessary for each meeting, and get out on time or plan to regroup later.

- __Thorough Documentation:__ Software projects kick out a lot of different types of work, from research findings, to design templates, to the actual code. Build a process to capture the most important information so new team members can get up to speed quickly when you inevitably have to swap people in and out of the project.

- __Consistent and Timely Updates:__ Whether you do it through regular meetings or written communications (or both), set a schedule and a method and stick to it so everybody on the project team knows where they can go for the latest updates and when they can expect it.

- __Establish Ground Rules:__ Every project team needs to collaborate on some level. It’s important to set ground rules upfront about how the team wants to give and receive feedback, the tools that will be used, and the etiquette around using those tools. The earlier and more comprehensively you set these ground rules, the less confusion and anger you’ll stumble across later.

- __Set Clear Escalation Paths:__ Nothing is more frustrating than needing to push a decision or problem up the ladder and getting blocked by an Out of Office message. Set a clear path for escalations and identify back-ups so there is always somebody available to help prevent things from getting stuck in a vortex.

## Let’s Start a Conversation
These are just some of the things we’ve learned in 20 years of working (and communicating) with project teams of all shapes and sizes. 

If you’re looking for more tips and tricks, we have some thoughts about [how to do better remote work](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/3-tips-for-better-remote-work-in-2021 "how to do better remote work") and how to develop what we believe is a core competency of UX design - [collaborating and critiquing for growth](https://drawbackwards.com/blog/ux-competency-collaborating-critiquing "collaborating and critiquing for growth").

If you’re looking for more hands-on help, [let’s talk about how our team can help your team](https://drawbackwards.com/contact "let’s talk about how our team can help your team") use communication to bring your software project to life.

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Why Software Projects Fail

3 (Very Human) Reasons Software Projects Fail

Why Software Projects Fail: Lack of Empathy

Why Software Projects Fail: Lack of Planning

Why Software Projects Fail: Lack of Communication

Why Software Projects Fail

3 (Very Human) Reasons Software Projects Fail

Why Software Projects Fail: Lack of Empathy

Why Software Projects Fail: Lack of Planning

Why Software Projects Fail: Lack of Communication

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