Many projects and programs apply de-facto standards for project management: PRINCE2 and MSP in the EU and PMBOK, in the USA. These “standards” allow you to manage a project in a logical way and are undoubtedly effective, but have their limitations, especially when used to manage people changing their behavior or ways of working. Most common causes of project failure according to multiple research studies are people related: lack of ownership, no engagement of stakeholders and unrealistic expectations.
Projects often go wrong because people are different and see things differently. People naturally behave in positive ways; they do what they can to push things forward. However, they will always act on the basis of their own point of view, and situations can become difficult if those views do not match. As a result you will often find misunderstandings, communication problems or cultural differences that may easily block progress.
SAY is a method combined with an online measurement tool which provides information on project critical success factors and insight in stakeholder mental states, thereby making stakeholders more manageable and enabling the right next step to keep on track. SAY can be described best as the first X-ray machine for the soft side of programs, projects and change processes, providing hard facts on soft aspects. Read more on the SAY website