The COO Test - Is your Project built to Deliver?

Most project reviews focus on timelines, budget and resourcing. Useful of course, but not enough. 

If you want real impact, ask: Is this project actually productive. 

That's what a COO would ask. Because productivity is more than just an Ops KPI, it's what supports strategy.

A project that operates more productively will convert inputs into outputs more effectively, leading to higher returns and encouraging faster growth. 

If you can complete projects more efficiently, at lower cost and with higher quality, you directly contribute to a company's profit and strategic advantage.

McKinsey lay out 6 practices that COOs use to drive productivity. Every one of them applies to project delivery:

👉 Stay focused on strategic outcomes—not just activities

👉 Take a full-spectrum view of productivity (cost, capital, capability)

👉 Be relentless but not reckless—protect quality and trust

👉 Balance short-term wins with long-term viability

👉 Use the right tools and data to unlock scale

👉 Work across silos to build aligned delivery

Project execution is not just about completing tasks, but about completing them in the most productive way possible.

When I start a project, I ask 6 key questions:

✅ Do we know what success really looks like?

✅ Are the right people aligned—or just informed?

✅ Is the outcome tied to a strategic business goal?

✅ Is the delivery team set up for speed and quality?

✅ Are risks visible, tracked and actively managed?

✅ Is someone truly accountable for momentum?

Are you measuring productivity, or just progress?