Deviant project behaviours that hide in plain sight: how to find and stop them
When we think about project or programme failure, we often point fingers at obvious issues: poor planning, lack of resources or unclear goals. But what if the real culprit was something more subtle…something hiding in plain sight?
One of the most dangerous threats to managing business transformation and project success is the normalisation of deviant behaviours. It’s costing projects, programmes and organisations far too much. And chances are, it’s happening in your organisation without anyone realising.
But what are deviant behaviours and what can we do about them?
The normalisation of deviance, or NoD, as NASA coined after the Challenger disaster, is when inappropriate or deviant culture within an organisation becomes the norm. And you might be thinking, ‘that’s not me’, and ‘that doesn’t happen here’, but stay with me.
Let’s take a moment to really think. Are there any behaviours in your organisation that, while technically against policy or best practice, happen regularly because, ‘it’s always been done’ that way?
It’s a lot more common that we think. As Jeffrey Pinto captures in his FlameFront article, Hiding in Plain Sight, sometimes we don’t even realise these behaviours are happening:
“Cultural failures and flawed checks permit and normalise these patterns of destructive actions by key stakeholders, even when they are counterproductive to the projects and fly in the face of organisational expectations.”
These behaviours might not seem catastrophic, just a few shortcuts here and there, but over time they can snowball. And the cost? Missed deadlines, stressed teams and ultimately, thousands lost to project and programme failure. When you’re involved in transformation, and project and programme leadership, NoD is a reality you can’t ignore.
Why do these deviant behaviours happen?
Project and programme teams are often under significant pressures from competing stakeholder groups. Jeffrey Pinto explains that “because of the constant pressures for demonstrated performance, these teams may not have the familiarity and comfort level to develop a supportive, positive culture. So instead feel the pressures from outside groups and challenges to get the work done, ‘any way necessary’.”
This creates an environment for deviant behaviours to take root. They evolve slowly, creeping into daily routines through small decisions:
A process step skipped to save time
A risk brushed away because it’s inconvenient to discuss
Unrealistic stakeholder demand accommodated despite negative impacts
These may seem like one-off decisions, but left unchecked, they become the new normal, and that’s when things fall apart.
Jeff explains that the problems are cultural and gradual, where behaviours evolve through a series of decisions that we make or don’t make. Because even a decision we avoid making, is a decision.
What’s the solution to spot and stop deviant project and programme behaviours?
Well, there’s no magical, quick fix to this, but there is good news. These behaviours can be easily identified and corrective. It takes time, a proactive approach and strong project and programme leadership.
There are five practical steps that Jeffrey Pinto shares to manage business transformations the right way to start eliminating these deviant behaviours:
Create a standard for what behaviour is acceptable. Ensure there’s a clear, shared understanding for what is, and isn’t acceptable. Tolerating small deviations can grow into bigger ones.
Analyse current behaviour and practices. Take an honest look at how work gets done and notice where steps are bypassed or processes ignored. A thorough review will you see where the cracks form.
Openly discuss the link between actions and negative outcomes. Make it a habit to connect decisions with their consequences, both good and bad. When people understand that small shortcuts lead to large failures, they’ll make more responsible choices.
You’ll find step 4 and 5 in the article, Hiding in Plain Sight. As Jeffrey Pinto puts it:
“The more we can open the windows and shed light on NoD within our project teams and larger organisation, the better equipped we will be to make the necessary corrective steps.”
Take the next step in successful project and programme management
Deviant behaviours are sneaky, but they’re not unstoppable. By taking small actions today, you’ll build healthier, more resilient teams that drive successful outcomes.
Dive deeper and learn how to identify and correct these issues before they derail your projects and programmes. Read the in-depth FlameFront article, Hiding in Plain Sight: Deviant project behaviours and their impact by Jeff Pinto now. Let’s stop deviance before it becomes the norm and set your organisation up for long-term success.