In every team and every company, a so called „zombie project“ occasionally emerges. This is a project that continues out of inertia and that no one wants to completely stop, yet it no longer brings real value and the team would be more productive and successful if it devoted its energy to something else. In today’s article, we will examine how to recognize a „zombie project“ and how to terminate it with professionalism.
How to recognize a „zombie project“
As Forbes states, a long-term unprofitable project that would be better stopped can be identified by several characteristics.
- Long term failure to meet original goals. The initial objectives of the project are not being fulfilled. Alternatively, these goals have gradually changed and even if the project made sense at the beginning, it no longer does.
- Unclear return on investment. „Zombie projects“ have uncertain returns on invested time and resources.
- It survives primarily due to inertia. „Zombie projects“ often continue simply out of habit, without a real reason. Frequently, this is due to routine or political considerations.
- No one has the courage to terminate it. Many people know that the project no longer makes sense, but no one takes the initiative to officially end it.
How to successfully terminate a „zombie project“
Since „zombie projects“ unnecessarily waste team energy, it is essential not only to recognize them but also to terminate them.
Ideally, objective rules should be established to determine when a project ceases to be profitable and must be stopped. If these rules are measurable and defined in advance, it becomes much easier to officially end unviable projects.
It is equally important to establish a culture in which the cancellation of an unviable project does not bring negative consequences for those who introduced or led it. Too often, reluctance to cancel a „zombie project“ is connected to the ego of individuals who do not wish to appear unsuccessful.
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