Learning From Unexpected Project Outcomes

Ever wondered what a failed project can teach you? Here’s the truth: 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓! 5 Lessons from a Failed Geospatial Project! After facing my fair share of setbacks in geospatial projects, I’ve learned that each failure holds a lesson that reshapes how we approach future work at New Light Technologies Here’s what I learned—and how it’s transformed my entire process: 1️⃣ 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙩𝙮 What Went Wrong: We tried to solve everything, and in the end, we solved nothing. Focus on one clear goal at a time. Simplify the problem, and progress will follow. 2️⃣ 𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 = 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 What Went Wrong: Poor data quality led to outputs no one trusted.  The Fix: Invest in data validation—quality is always more important than quantity. 3️⃣ 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙆𝙚𝙮 What Went Wrong: Miscommunication caused misaligned expectations across teams.  The Fix: Regular, open communication keeps everyone aligned and on track. 4️⃣ 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 What Went Wrong: The system couldn’t scale, leaving users frustrated.  The Fix: Design with growth in mind. Ensure systems are built to adapt. 5️⃣ 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 > 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙥𝙨 What Went Wrong: Beautiful maps that didn’t help drive decisions.  The Fix: Focus on actionable insights. Results speak louder than aesthetics. Failure isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of a new approach. Ready to turn your data into actionable insights? Let’s collaborate at newlighttechnologies.com to bring your next project to life. Follow Ghermay A. #Geospatial #Lessons #innovation #DataScience #ProjectManagement

I’ll never forget my first project failure. Early in my career, I was eager to prove myself. I studied every detail, checked every box, and ran every meeting. I thought I had it all covered. But then things started to slip. The team grew quiet. Dependencies fell apart. Stakeholders went around me. And by the time I raised the issues, it was too late. We delivered something. But it wasn’t aligned or useful, and trust was gone. That experience crushed me. But it also changed me. I realized I was so focused on managing the project that I forgot to lead the people. I was chasing perfection when the team needed presence. Delivering updates when stakeholders needed alignment. It wasn’t just a project failure. It was a leadership failure. That’s when everything shifted. Project management isn’t a checklist. It’s a responsibility. To speak up. To ask hard questions. To lead through uncertainty. That failure taught me more than any success. Now, when things go quiet, I lean in. When alignment slips, I stop and reset. And I never wait for permission to course correct. Because great project managers don’t just deliver. They lead. They earn trust. They bring people together, especially when things fall apart. What’s one project lesson that shaped how you lead today?

There are two types of projects: The ones that fail spectacularly. And the ones that fail quietly. After 10+ years leading projects, I've learned: Success isn't delivering perfectly. It's choosing how you'll fail. Because something will always go wrong: • The requirements will shift • The resources will vanish • The timeline will compress • The unexpected will happen The difference between good and great project managers? Good PMs try to prevent all failure. Great PMs decide which failures they can live with. I once had a CIO ask me: "Will this project be successful?" My answer: "It depends on how we define success." He looked confused. So I laid out three scenarios: • On time, on budget, reduced scope • Full scope, extended timeline, same budget • Full scope, on time, increased budget "Pick your failure mode," I said. He chose option 1. That project is now considered one of our biggest "successes" because we deliberately chose how to fail. No one teaches this in PM courses. No certification covers "strategic disappointment management." But it's the secret to sanity in this profession. Perfect projects don't exist. Perfect trade-off decisions do. → What's a "failure" you've strategically accepted to ensure overall project success?"

🚨 Learning from Failure: A Path to Future Success 🌟 Reflecting on past experiences—especially those that didn't go as planned—holds immense value in shaping a smarter future. A major defense department's ERP initiative from the late 1990s provides crucial lessons that resonate even today. As we steam ahead into complex IT environments, understanding such historical setbacks becomes indispensable. 1️⃣ Scope Management: It's essential to clearly define project boundaries. Learn from past overambitions to avoid repeating them. 2️⃣ Integration Complexity: Effective integration with legacy systems is key. Prior failures underscore the need for thorough planning and assessment. 3️⃣ Realistic Planning: With frequent cost overruns and delays as stark reminders, let’s set realistic goals, timelines, and budgets. 4️⃣ Change Management: Successful tech adoption hinges on user training and preparation. History tells us this can make or break outcomes. Emphasizing these lessons can guide today’s leaders in IT projects, helping us avoid the pitfalls of the past. Let's focus on learning from these insights to drive future successes and innovations. 📈 #ERP #ITStrategy #ProjectManagement #Innovation #LessonsLearned #ChangeManagement #TechnologyIntegration