When the CEO of a heavy equipment company realized that his business must implement an advanced information system in order to maintain a competitive edge, he conducted research and decided that an ERP is the best solution for his needs. But when he shopped around for a supplier who could manage the system’s implementation project, the advice he received from numerous sources was to find the supplier with the deepest pockets.
Puzzled, he asked why. So you’ll have someone to sue when the project inevitably fails, his sources said.
Failure is not an option
The CEO did not want to sue anyone. He most certainly did not want the project to fail. When he realized all suppliers are unreliable, he decided not to select someone he didn’t trust – but rather to assemble his own team.
To increase the chances for project success, the importer decided to hire the best freelancers in the business to manage and implement the project. Instead of choosing one supplier, he handpicked the very best. Giving them the freedom to do what they do best, he asked for just one thing: Give this project your full attention – without any other commitments getting in the way. His only condition was that they give up all other professional obligations.
Naturally, this required the CEO to provide the freelancers with ample compensation and bonuses.
The CEO applied the same principle internally. He assigned some of his top C-suite managers to the project and gave them real responsibility. His message to them was equally clear: Focus on this project, and on this project alone.
In order to make sure this could work, the CEO removed any activity that could be postponed from the organization’s timetable. Activities that could not be postponed were slowed down, or transferred to other organizational bodies. Extra manpower was hired to assist wherever needed. The organization did something other organizations find difficult to accomplish: It created capacity by deliberately deprioritizing other tasks.
This deep level of commitment resulted, among many things, in a very meticulous planning stage. Six whole months that covered all aspects, breaking everything down into thousands of work packages. In the end, the team had a clear picture of what they intended to deliver, how long it should take, and what it would cost. Once the planning stage was finished, the project was approved for execution.
Ruthless prioritization brings results
The project succeeded.
It achieved its objectives and delivered the expected business value. And despite the substantial investment, the economics worked. The project cost nearly $15 million, but the CEO understood that the cost had to be measured against the value the new system would generate.
He also understood a more fundamental principle:
Paying less for a failed project does not necessarily mean spending less. It can mean paying more.
The most interesting part of this story, however, is not the $15 million price tag or even the successful implementation. It is what organizational commitment actually looked like. The CEO did not simply announce that the ERP project was a priority. He backed that statement with decisions.
- He allocated the organization’s best people.
- He removed competing commitments.
- He moved other work aside.
- He added resources where necessary.
- He demanded focused attention from senior management, and he made the expectation clear to his C-suite managers: Give your all to this project, or get out of the way.
That is what made the commitment real. Nothing was “for show.” The CEO and his team went all-in. They put their best people and resources behind the project, and they were willing to put other work aside to make it happen.
That is what ruthless prioritization means in a project environment. You cannot make everything a priority. If a project is genuinely critical, the organization must be willing to make room for it and accept the consequences of deprioritizing other work.
In this case, true organizational commitment created the conditions for success. But there was another important ingredient. The people involved did not simply work harder individually. Their efforts had to work together. Their expertise, decisions, and actions reinforced one another.
That brings us to the next story: synergy, and how it can make the difference between a group of talented people and a truly effective project team. Stay tuned!
