It’s all about the outcomes
This year marked the fourth time I’ve attend Deliver Conf, previously DPM:Conf in Manchester.
Despite the speed at which our industry moves, Deliver Conf has stood the test of time.
The recent re-naming of the conference reflects a deeper shift in how we approach the world of managing people and projects/products.
So what is this shift that I’m talking about and what does it mean for us?
A shift away from deliverables and process towards outcomes.
So what is an outcome?
Def: outcome
the way a thing turns out; a consequence.
The outcome is simply the final score, the result, regardless of the method used to achieve it. It is not controllable.
Process, on the other hand, is a specific methodology. It is a repeatable approach.
We’ve all delivered enough projects that have followed a robust process which has failed, which is enough evidence to suggest following the rulebook isn’t the only ingredient you need to deliver good work.
Being outcome focused means caring most about the what, not the how.
Here are some good questions to help you and the team think about the what
- What will change as a result of our work?
- What changes do we want to make happen?
- Why are those changes important?
- What are the best ways to make those changes happen?
Three talks at Deliver Conf this year focused on what this looks like in practice.
Credit to Alison Coward, Cara Bermingham and Chris Burns for some of the following excellent takeaways.
- Focus on the How over the Who
A process-oriented person is likely to be more concerned with who is doing what rather than how they are going to be done.
An example:
- Who is going to be doing client acceptance on this project?
- How will we ensure features meet quality standards and how do we plan to accept them?
The second question is much more open; it makes it clear there’s a job to be done and that we need to work out how we’re going to make sure it happens, but it places little emphasis on who is going to do it.
There are other great examples of this here.
- Progress is key
A process-oriented person might track progress by milestones or story points.
An outcome-focused person is likely to be more focused on releases or client satisfaction.
I’d suggest that the things measured look quite different. Neither necessarily better and both have their place, but outcome-focused should be obsessed with continual improvement, those 1% marginal gains Alison spoke about.
I liked a quote on one of Chris’ slides which again reminds us to stay focused on the what not the how.
“Show the product, not the Kanban board” Chris Burns
Project delivery is leadership, Meghan McInerny
Leaders, are learning to be less the visionary, less the sage, less the objective-setter, and more the shaper, the connector, the questioner. And yet at times, they also need to intervene, to insist, to control. It’s a fluid role, its shape not yet clear.
This research was talking about CEOs, but I believe it’s just as relevant to our role. The shift from Project Management to Delivery Manager, from a fixed mindset to growth mindset, from outputs to outcomes, this discipline demands a new type of leadership.
At Deeson, we’re looking for individuals with natural empathy and an agile mindset, who can facilitate people as well as those who can embed and follow a process.
Like Nick Serota states in the report:
We need to start asking searching questions, rather than telling people what to do.
Thanks to Deliver Conf organisers and all the wonderful speakers for exciting me about the journey ahead, my profession looks more interesting than ever.
Are you looking for a new job? We’re hiring.
