Project Management Happy Hour

107 - Top Shelf Replay: The Closer - Avoiding Project Acceptance Exception

14 snips
Sep 2, 2025
This discussion dives into the challenges of closing projects, especially when stakeholders hesitate to provide approval. Insights reveal the importance of established processes and quality data for successful closures. The emotional journey of clients during project completion is explored, with an emphasis on clear communication and success criteria. Listeners learn about strategic techniques like 'soft handoffs' to enhance collaboration and prevent misunderstandings. The talk also touches on complexities in agile environments and the necessity of defined completion standards.
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INSIGHT

Process And Data Drive Closure

  • Organizations with good delivery processes and reliable project data close projects 4–5× more successfully.
  • Good process and data directly improve the ability to reach crisp project closure.
ADVICE

Define Closure Up Front

  • Define closure as the stakeholder acknowledgement that completion criteria are met and project can be closed.
  • Put that definition in writing early so everyone knows what "done" means.
ADVICE

Tie Sign-Off To Clear Incentives

  • Tie project sign-off to business triggers like payment or support handover to create clear incentives.
  • Communicate these incentives early so stakeholders understand the impact of delayed acceptance.
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