With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to plague the world, it goes without saying that as technology and transformational program leaders, we should be managing our “people” risk a lot closer. The key-person dependency risk has become the chief of all risk. Appropriate health and safety measures and keeping people connected virtually because of remote working requirements is taking the top place among programs’ tactical priorities. Despite the risk, programs still need to deliver on their objectives, and there are inherent blind spots that remain relevant even during this virtual state of new normal.
Despite the uncertainty, the temptation to make decisions without considering the mid-to long-term impact should be managed. Programs should ensure proper consultation and involvement of the right parties at the right time. This includes maintaining robustness in governance even when virtual. The beauty of working remotely is the ease of quickly getting the right people together to test an idea or make a decision.
Deliberate effort should be made in managing relationships within a program and with third parties, which includes turning your video camera on during online meetings. Having said that, proper contract and scope management is still important, and those tough conversations should still be had.
Even though many employees have left the building and we may not have physical interactions with team members and customers, change resistance and shifts in power and perceptions during a program’s life cycle still exist and need to be managed. Similarly, the concept of team culture still exists and needs to be fostered, especially depending on the rhythm of a program. In an agile context, mantras such as “fail fast but with integrity and humility” not only encourages risk-taking but also nurtures optimal human-to-human interactions and uplifts team morale among your virtual program’s greatest asset: people.
Editor’s note: For further insights on this topic, read Chris Ngiba’s and Mayank Naik’s recent Journal article, “Potential Blind Spots for Executives Embarking on a Digital Transformation Program: Managing Risk,” ISACA Journal, volume 4, 2020.
