From blown budgets to missed deadlines, tech projects fail for a lot of reasons—but the root causes often hide in plain sight. In this episode of Tech in Translation, Cynecia Harris, Vice President of Services at Iron Bow, unpacks the real challenges behind delivery breakdowns—and what it takes to get it right.
It’s Not Just Project Management—It’s the Whole Picture
One of the most common sources of confusion? Misunderstanding the difference between project management, program management, and service delivery. "People tend to conflate these terms," Cynecia explains. "But they each serve a different purpose. Projects have a clear start and end. Programs are a collection of related projects. And IT service management is about ongoing operations—things that should never end."
She breaks it down with a house-building analogy: if building one room is a project, then building an entire neighborhood is a program. And service delivery? That’s like lawn care—it’s expected to continue reliably and predictably, without the customer having to ask.
Know Your Role—and Stay In It
One big reason projects unravel is role overlap. Teams try to do too much in the name of customer experience, but the result is confusion and scope creep. "What customers want is for you to do your job—and do it well," Cynecia says. "Don’t try to be the plumber when you were hired to be the cook."
Clear swim lanes and specialized roles allow each team to operate at their highest level. When everyone focuses on their core competencies, delivery becomes smoother, faster, and more predictable.
Engagement Over Checklists
Project management isn’t just about Gantt charts and task lists. True success comes from engaging customers throughout the process. "You can build a beautiful house, but if it’s not what the customer wanted, it’s a failure," Cynecia says.
She compares waterfall and agile methodologies and emphasizes the importance of regular check-ins, alignment, and visual progress. "The more you can validate along the way, the less likely you are to miss the mark."
Connecting to the Why
Another overlooked piece? Helping teams understand the purpose behind a project. "Where there’s chaos, there’s opportunity," she says. "Most projects are born from a need to solve a real problem. If you’re curious, and you ask the right questions, you’ll find the mission—and that gives meaning to the work."
Service Delivery + Product Management: A Crucial Handoff
Product managers dream up the solutions. Service delivery teams bring them to life. Cynecia highlights how important it is for product leaders to equip service teams with clear guidance and success metrics. "They need to teach us how to deliver it, what good looks like, and what data to collect," she says.
Once in the customer environment, IT service teams monitor performance, adapt to feedback, and recommend changes. "You may think a solution works perfectly—but the data might say otherwise. That’s how we evolve."
Why SLAs Matter More Than You Think
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and performance metrics are often seen as bureaucratic, but they’re essential. "SLAs tell us what’s working and what’s not," Cynecia explains. "Without data, we’re flying blind. With it, we can fix what’s broken—whether that’s resourcing, workflow, or customer satisfaction."
Communication: Still the #1 Reason Projects Fail
Data matters. But communication is everything. Cynecia compares project communication to the game of telephone: what starts as "yellow" becomes "gold" and ends up as "green." That’s why documentation, meeting minutes, and plain language matter.
"It’s about making sure what the customer said is exactly what everyone heard—and agreed to," she emphasizes.
People Skills Make the Difference
Project success hinges not just on timelines, but on people. Great project leaders understand what motivates their teams and adapt to different personality types. "Some folks are extroverts, others are deep problem-solvers. You’ve got to know who you’re working with," she says.
For more technical or introverted team members, Cynecia recommends a clear and concise approach: "Let them focus on what they do best. PMs can help translate and document, so engineers can stay in their zone of genius."
Don’t Sugarcoat the Ugly—Solve It
When delivery runs into trouble, honesty matters. But so does action. "Sometimes the baby’s ugly," she says. "But if you put a dress on it, maybe we can still turn it around. Customers want transparency—and they want to know you’re fixing it."
The key is trust, follow-through, and commitment to the outcome.
Final Advice: Embrace the Chaos
Her advice to anyone leading a tech delivery effort? Embrace the chaos. "Tech evolves constantly. Problems shift, solutions change, tools come and go. You’ve got to be willing to adapt. The world is changing—so should we."
As AI and automation free up time from backend work, Cynecia hopes leaders will double down on client advocacy, relationship-building, and outcomes that matter. Because at the end of the day, great delivery is about more than just doing the work—it’s about doing it with purpose.
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