Half Double is a proven and value creating project methodology. 87% of our projects are successful.  Join us in the journey!

We have used research and best practice methods outside of project management to co-created and conceptualized a new project management methodology. Today we have proved the methodology in real life projects across privat and public organisations and have a rapidly growing community of +2500 visionary project practitioners to support us in the journey.

Need for innovative thinking

Have you ever contributed to a project – day after day – and still felt like it was not really going anywhere? It feels like the whole thing has stalled. Every day is filled up by meetings, coordination, reporting and low morale. If yes, then keep reading.

Project management has not been the subject of radical development or thorough optimisation for 50 years, even though it is clear that the potential is enormous; it has already been proven that there are methodologies that can reduce lead time and increase value creation of each project by 30% or more.

There is a need for new innovative thinking in terms of the way we implement and manage our projects. A paradigm shift is required!

Double the impact in half the time

The Half Double methodology is a new and radical methodology that can result in projects achieving double the impact in half the time. With the Half Double methodology we will influence projects in the same way LEAN influenced the production optimization domain.

Organisations such as LEGO, Novo Nordisk, VELUX, Siemens Wind Power, Grundfos and Coloplast have already tested the Half Double methodology in several real life projects with great success.

 Focus on Impact creation

 The Half Double methodology encourages a change of focus. Forget the triple constraint of scope, time and budget and focus on impact instead. The idea is to realise the benefits continuously throughout the project, thereby reducing the time to impact and boosting the overall effect.

“Looking back at how Half Double has progressed so far, it has been great to take a second look at what one might call our traditional ways of thinking. It has generated a lot of interesting learning on how we should start up new projects. Also, how we have to establish awareness about impact as early as possible and have those really solid impact-making deliverables mapped from the very beginning. In that way we are able to say that this or that deliverable is crucial to focus on or prioritise at a certain point in the project.“ – Senior project manager Morten Overgaard, on the impact of Half Double in Siemens Wind Power.

Project impact is a complex matter; ever changing and with the consideration of multiple stakeholders points of view. Half Double  emphasises stakeholder satisfaction instead of fixed deliverables as the ultimate success criterion. We ensure stakeholder satisfaction by leading the entire impact case – both cost, revenue and the behavioural change needed to create successful business.

 Flow in your projects

The Half Double methodology is a change of mindset from resource optimization to progression of the projects impact. Half Double focuses on visual planning, but it is designed to visualize the impact realisation and not on the progression in deliverables. Our attention is also directed on the importance of +50% allocation of the core people needed to drive the project; we define what we call a ‘project heartbeat’; a fixed rhythm in meetings, and specifically design it to ensure high stakeholder involvement and satisfaction. This enable us to achieve the necessary behavioural change to make real business impact.

At one of the pilot projects the 60% colocation of all core team members (both internal andexternal) was a huge benefit, but it needs to be considered carefully at the start of the project. It was difficult to achieve the 60% allocation for certain key team members, which resulted in situations where either a decision process was delayed or quality of, e.g., a workshop was reduced due to lack of participants. The learnings from this is that it is important to pinpoint the critical resources up front and ensure that 60% allocation can be realized. Resources with much lower allocation
should rather be a part of the review team giving feedback to the project
every week.

New leadership style

Half Double is a shift from management to leadership. From contract management to trust. From compliance to commitment. In traditional project management, changes cause frustration and irritation. In the Half Double approach, changes mean new opportunities.

All projects are comprised of people. Leading a project is not about the management of deliverables, but the leadership of people. In traditional project management, top management delegates responsibility for execution to the project manager. In Half Double, key executives take the role of being active project owners – hence, they become highly involved in the project lifecycle together with the project leader. All projects need management attention and it is the only common denominator in all critical success factor studies of successful projects². Hence we need the project owner to spend real time with the project and push for business impact.

In a world where knowledge and insight are crucial for project success and where highly trained employees can contribute to this, it is important to utilize all points of view. The project manager must apply a collaborative leadership approach in close cooperation with an active project owner to succeed with the project.

Several of the pilot project companies experienced a positive mood shift in the project team, when the project owner showed up. “As a project owner it is really important to visit the projects on a regular basis – simply to be on top of what really matters for the project team, but also to know how to support the team most efficiently. By physically visiting the project room you are really able to retain the feeling of a burning platform in relation to the purpose of the project, which brings a lot of excitement and happy faces among the team members.”
– Sebastian Søderberg, Vice President of New Business Development in Novozymes.

METHODOLOGY GUIDE

We are not rejecting the classic view of project management, but building upon it and adapting it where it is most needed. The methodology is developed through research and collection of best practice approaches. Download the entire metho-dology including tools and templates today for free and get started with your half double journey.

BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY

Half Double Institue includes a community of dedicated project management practitioners who are passionate about what they do. Together, we have developed methods that can cut the length of projects in half while achieving double the impact. Join our many and free events. Why not sign up to the community today?

 The mission

The Half Double Community has a strong mission to succeed in developing a project methodology that can increase the success rate of projects. Projects account for approx 34% of the total Danish GNP and we have proven that the new methodology we can strengthen National competitiveness and play an important role in the battle for jobs and future welfare.

How get started

Successfully implementing the Half Double methodology in practice requires that you:

• Use the impact case to drive behavioural change and business impact
• Design your project to deliver impact as soon as possible with end-users close to the solution
• Are in touch with the pulse of your key stakeholders on a monthly basis
• Allocate team +50% and assure colocation.
• Define a fixed project heartbeat for stakeholder interaction to progress the project in sprints
• Increase insight and commitment using visual tools and plans to support progression
• Assign an active, committed and engaged project owner to support the project and ensure stakeholder satisfaction
• Are a collaborative project leader with a “people first” approach to drive the project forward
• Customize to the uniqueness of the project

² Morris, Peter W.G. Reconstructing Project Management, Wiley-Blackwell, 2013

Simplicity: 9 methods – 9 tools

The concept takes us from the 3 core elements and non-negotiable principles we bring into all projects to the local translation wherein we adapt the methods and tools to fit the specific project and local cultures. 

The further we move away from the core elements and into the outer circles, the more flexible we become in terms of what methods and tools to apply. E.g. we propose that each project applies an Impact Case to drive business impact and behavioural change, but remains open to the idea of applying the organization’s own Business Case template if it is the preferred tool – however it must embrace behavioural change to be applicable. Hence, the actual implementation and adaptation will require reflection and translation to work in the local context.

Learn more about the methodology at www.halfdoubleinstitute.org

HOW TO CONTACT US

Do you want to be the next Half Double success or do you have any questions, comments or feedback? Get in touch and we will respond as soon as possible. You are also welcome to contact Michael Ehlers by phone +45 51 38 74 22 or email [email protected]