537: How To Ask Better Questions and Drive Project Success, with Brecham Group

Chris Hamley of Brecham Group talks about setting projects up for success; asking better questions; why implementation isn't the end; & progress NOT perfection.  IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.01] An introduction to Chris and Brecham Group. "Too many organizations focus on perfection. Really, our goal is to suck less. It's to get better, change how you think about the way you do business, and evolve every day." [06.25] Why technology projects fail: the problem with people, why we need to define what failure actually looks like, and the experience that taught Chris to ask better questions. "Too often it's not that the project was a failure, but it's that it didn't achieve the success that was expected… And the degree of that is defined by: how well did we talk and understand what we were doing – and were we ready for it?" [12.10] The importance of diving deep, before you even start a project, and how mismatched expectations and project failures can be prevented by having better conversations. "It's more than asking better questions, it's having better conversations. Because when you're asking a question, you're looking for an answer… How do you give a conversation prompt instead of a yes or no? That uncovers the detail." [17.06] From a lack of shared language to rigidity in project structures, why customers don't ask the right questions or have the right conversations up front. "People have a fear, because they don't always have that breadth of knowledge, of asking questions that make them look stupid. I've never suffered from that!" [21.34] The key questions businesses should ask potential partners at the beginning of any new project. [24.10] Chris's advice for facilitating better communication between client and vendor. "You've got to come without ego or fear about what you do or don't know… Hear about what other people have done to be successful, and learn from it." [26.11] How companies can keep positive communication going over time, and why the 'course-correcting' part of a project is more important than the 'go-live.' "There's a misnomer that implementation is the end of a project – in reality it's maybe 60%. Then it becomes: what did we expect on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis, how do we expect the results to change, what will adoption look like... And that's a joint conversation." [31.06] Whether striving for perfection is ever realistic. "If you had a static environment where everything was the same every single day, you could probably be perfect at it. But I don't know where that exists." [32.12] The impact created when companies do ask the right questions and have better conversations with their partners. "It's about value realization. We all have financial or performance objectives we're trying to hit. When we have better conversations… it ultimately allows you to achieve the overall result faster." [37.51] What businesses need to be thinking about now to prepare for success in 2027. [38.59] Teaser alert: news on a brand new project partnership between Brecham and Let's Talk Supply Chain.  RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: Head over to Brecham Group's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Brecham Group and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Chris on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Brecham Group, check out 515: Experience Precision Supply Chain Operations, with Brecham Group or their live show Performance Paradox. Find our other podcasts HERE.