All big projects have the potential to be super projects. That is the affirmative message from our research. It is not Pollyanna, however. There are powerful factors that prevent many projects from fully realizing their potential.

In particular, our research highlights seven factors that bar many big projects from the super projects league. They could make it difficult, if not impossible, for your big project to realize (and sustain) super confidence, super ambition and super alignment.  They can also put super teamwork and collaboration out-of-reach.

Why reframe project risks as ‘kryptonite’?

No big project is invincible. Even super projects have vulnerabilities. That is a set of 7 inherent weaknesses that can rob any big project of its powers of super ambition, confidence and alignment, as well as super team work and collaboration. Think of these vulnerabilities as a metaphorical ‘kryptonite’.

Kryptonite is the fictional radioactive substance that robs superman of his powers. This is a somewhat light-hearted way of talking about an aspect of big projects that is very serious and very real.

Reframing the issue of project risks or vulnerabilities is important because talking about risks and obstacles, although essential, may not be easy. This is particularly true in organizations that only ‘do good news’.

The concept of big project vulnerabilities (BPVs) and kryptonite depersonalizes and depoliticizes the issue of project risk and uncertainty. Typically, the result is a more open and honest dialog. In the process is also illuminates blind spots, such as the tendency to assume alignment.

The 7 big project vulnerabilities (BPVs) reflect the real-world complexity of delivering big projects within large organizations at a time of accelerating change and uncertainty.

In talking about super projects, some might say we are in La La Land. But super projects are not a work of fiction, they exist in the real world. One of the factors that keeps them real is the challenges and vulnerabilities that they face.

It is not the challenges, but the overcoming of them, that makes super projects ‘super’. Indeed, in many ways, super projects derive their strength from how they confront the real-world challenges of delivering ambitious projects within large organizations at a time of accelerating change.

The language is different, it is a means of reframing the real-world complexity of big projects to enable a more open and honest dialog among project leaders and their key stakeholders.

There is a lot of research on why projects fail. However, this research is about super projects (transformation initiatives, organizational re-structures, new product launches, etc.) and it is focused on their success (rather than failure).

This is a senior leader playbook.  The challenges here don’t just fall into the traditional project management bucket, but apply across all these areas (strategy, leadership, execution, etc.).  The issue of Big Project Vulnerabilities addresses the business and cross-functional requirements of success.  Also, the real-world challenges of making things happen within large organizations at a time of accelerating change and uncertainty.

The challenges here are as much (if not more) about the ‘why’ as they are about the ‘how’. The solutions required as adaptive as well as technical. That is to say, mindset matters and some aspect of attitude and behavior change is likely to be required. A key part of the solution is the ability to have more open and honest conversations re strategy and success, in environments where this may not be the norm.

The approach here is aimed at ‘keeping it real’.

It is not the challenges, but the overcoming of them, that makes super projects ‘super’.

The 7 big project vulnerabilities (BPVs) are nothing to be ashamed of, but reflect the real-world complexity of delivering big projects within large organizations at a time of accelerating change and uncertainty. How a big project, and the people leading it, deal with challenges and setbacks is a key part of what really makes them super

Remember, even superheroes have weaknesses. The same is true of super projects. To be super confident requires embracing these vulnerabilities. This is a Brenne Brown type message of courage and strength through vulnerability.

Not surprisingly, given the complexity involved in a big project, the 7 big project vulnerabilities (BPVs) can be both causes and effects. For example, Good New Only (where a big project only does good news) can lead to the illusion of alignment and vice versa.

Moreover, the vulnerabilities can be symptoms of a more profound issue. For example:

• Project Myopia (losing sight of business needs) may be a symptom of functional silos and poor cross-functional collaboration.
• Project Pollyanna (good news only) may be a symptom of poor psychological safety.
• Project whack-a-mole (proliferation) may be the result of functional solos and a lack of focus and alignment re strategy.

Are any of the 7 big project vulnerabilities (BPVs) affecting your big project? If yes, here are some tips on how to tackle them:

• Don’t deny or run from them. Rather, embrace these vulnerabilities. When they appear, they are an opportunity to reconnect with the super potential of your project.
• Don’t take it personally. That may sound strange, but this happens all too often. For example, where a lack of alignment is seen by the leader as a personal slight or failing.
• Avoid blame. Don’t scold the project leader or team. It isn’t anybody’s fault. These factors are systemic, they have more to do with the environment than with a project team.
• Enlist others in finding a solution. One person cannot fix these things alone. They can set the process in motion, but it requires a collaborative effort.
• Go deeper, seek the root of the problem. For example: Project Myopia (losing sight of business needs) can be a symptom of functional silos and poor cross-functional collaboration.
• Re-examine mindsets and behaviors. The solution to these factors is adaptive, not just technical. That is to say, learning a new skill won’t be enough. A change of mindset or behavior is likely to be required. Take, for example, project myopia – organizations have traditionally been organized along functional lines, resulting in boundaries and silos.

Of course, they can help, but that is unlikely to be enough.

The challenges here are as much (if not more) about the ‘why’ as they are about the ‘how’. They don’t just fall into the traditional project management bucket, but apply across all these areas (strategy, leadership, execution, etc.).

Engaging senior leaders is key in addressing these challenges.  They relate not just to the project or the project team, but to the organization, its leadership and its strategy.

The issue of Big Project Vulnerabilities addresses the business and cross-functional requirements of success.  Also, the real-world challenges of making things happen within large organizations at a time of accelerating change and uncertainty.

The solutions required as adaptive as well as technical. That is to say, mindset matters and some aspect of attitude and behavior change is likely to be required. A key part of the solution is the ability to have more open and honest conversations re strategy and success, in environments where this may not be the norm.

Enlist others in finding a solution. One person cannot fix these things alone. They can set the process in motion, but it requires a collaborative effort. Moreover, it requires open and honest dialog re strategy and success. For many of these issues, there is an important conversation not being had.

Talk of ‘fixing’ the issues only addresses a part of the opportunity/challenge. That is because there are often systemic causes and affecting change will require a collaborative effort, as well as a change in mindset and behavior.

Engaging senior leaders is key in addressing these challenges.  They relate not just to the project or the project team, but to the organization, its leadership and its strategy.