Your Bias

Kailash reiterates the importance of recognising your cognitive biases and how they may contribute to project failure (or success.) He analyses another article, including summary case studies of large failed projects.

What sort of biases are you guilty of applying to your project analysis, planning and management?  What systematic approaches can we apply to avoid cognitive bias that results in trouble?

A couple of suggestions from my experience;

• Have your work reviewed by an experienced and independent advisor
• Read an organisation's lessons learned
• If you are on a project re-do, read the PIRs from previous attempts, or interview the survivors
• Reflect on the difference between 'should have' and 'does have' in terms of capability and context