Celebrate a Job Well Done
Don’t forget to celebrate a successful vendor selection effort! Clearly mark the end of the project, since the final set of activities can take several weeks, relying on only a subset of the selection team.
I recommend having a final meeting with the selection team to celebrate your progress and close out the selection effort.
How did you do on our desired outcomes?
You successfully decided which vendor(s) to select, and you have chosen a solution that seems likely to meet business and technology needs, with an implementation team teed up with requirements, approach, and high-level timeline.
Is the selection team feelingconfident in the decision? Do they see how the analysis, consideration, and due diligence helped make the best decision we can? Any residual FOMO (fear of missing out) or FOMU (fear of messing up) to address?
How are you feeling about finding a partner to move forward with? We’ve aimed to choose a vendor that meets our needs across the realms of requirements, culture, and ways of working.
And, finally, does the selection team see how they’ve practiced doing hard things together? The work is far from complete – we’ll certainly need to analyze more information, make more decisions, and take action together through the implementation – so our shared practice will be of great benefit going forward.
The truth is… the hard part is likely yet to come. When you’re knee-deep in implementation, the vendor selection may seem like a piece of cake. Remind the selection team that they’ve strengthened skills that will be important in implementation, too, like thoughtful analysis, clear-eyed prioritization, and resolute decision-making.
Most of all, remind folks that we’re changing for a reason: the big why behind the new solution. It’s hard work, but it’s for a worthy goal.
If the FlexPoint team can be of any support on your journey – even simply cheering you on after you’ve successfully worked through these steps – please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Set up 30 minutes with me at your convenience.
See printed and PDF compilations of this blog series.
We’re rooting for you to find technologies and partners that truly meet your needs for years to come.
