Improvement Project Mistakes

Improvement Projects in the Real World

We see this often in improvement projects. Nothing looks broken, but everything feels harder than it should be. The causes are rarely dramatic, just subtle, early, and easy to miss.

Join PMI’s Damion Albinson, Laurence Restarick, and Rich Seddon as they explore what really trips up improvement projects in practice, and how small changes in how they are set up and run can save months of effort. They cover:

The most common failure patterns seen in real improvement projects, and why they’re easy to fall into

The early choices around scope, data, stakeholders, and governance that make projects harder than they need to be

Practical changes to help projects move faster, reduce rework, and reach decisions with less friction

You know the tools. You have the skills.
Now see what changes when you make AI part of your improvement approach, especially in the messy reality of real projects.

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Episode Highlights

Understanding Improvement Project Mistakes (09:02)

Framing the core of the session around recurring project failure patterns, with a practical promise to pair each pitfall with antidotes, whether you’re starting fresh or already mid-project.

Starting with the Right Problem (17:12)

Exploring why defining a meaningful, measurable and manageable problem is often the hardest first step, and how leadership insight, data, and frontline observation all play a role in identifying the right focus.

The Cost of Jumping to Solutions Too Early (23:14)

Examining the instinct to move quickly into solutions, and why resisting that urge creates space for deeper investigation, better learning, and more effective outcomes.

When Slow Processes Slow Everything Else (27:04)

Highlighting how infrequent processes can delay learning, testing and progress, often extending timelines unnecessarily compared to more repeatable, data-rich workflows.

Impact vs. Financial Value in Business Cases (31:25)

Challenging the assumption that every improvement must be reduced to a financial metric, and expanding the definition of value to include customer experience, safety and employee outcomes.

Scope Creep and the Discipline to Stay Focused (36:17)

Positioning scope management as an ongoing conversation rather than a one-time decision, with an emphasis on narrowing focus to deliver results rather than letting projects drift indefinitely.

Gaining Permission and Engaging Stakeholders (42:02)

Using a simple analogy to show why engaging stakeholders early matters, helping practitioners move from hesitation and assumption to clarity, alignment and access.

Why Lack of Time Derails Projects (47:13)

Unpacking the gap between commitment and reality, and how failing to create genuine capacity leads to stalled progress, delays, and unfinished work.

The Three Questions That Cut Through the Noise (57:04)

Closing with a simple but powerful model that reins in reactive behaviour, helping teams clarify what they’re trying to achieve, how they’ll measure success, and only then what actions to take.