Project Management

Think Like a Gladiator—and a Transformer

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Isabel Aguilera kicks off PMI® Global Congress 2016—EMEA in Barcelona, Spain on Monday.

By Cyndee Miller

I’ve seen my fair share of temples and churches. And truth be told, I thought I was pretty cathedraled-out — until I saw Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia as part of my pre-congress adventures. I’m not even going to try to capture its spectacular glory in words. (I’m just not that good.) But as I went wandering the streets after my visit, I kept thinking about it in terms of the project management involved—the budget, the schedule, the risk management.

And then, what should appear on the first morning of PMI® Global Congress—EMEA but a PMI Barcelona Chapter video highlighting the Sagrada Familia, along with five other iconic efforts in the “city of projects.” (And that doesn’t even count the magnificent Camp Nou.)

Of course, times are changing for project managers in Spain and around the world. And with business in so much flux, there’s huge opportunity for innovation—powered by what keynoter Isabel Aguilera dubbed “disruptive creativity.”

Darwin’s Law—adapt to change—is so 2015. The winners don’t just follow change, they make it, said the former Google and GE exec.

So what’s the upshot?

First, project managers should view themselves as “transformers”—the people on the frontlines of rapid change creating not just new products and services but new platforms. “You, the project managers, are the transformers are our economies, of our business models” she said.

Second, don’t be afraid to get obsessed with the Next Big Thing. The companies that win the future will think like a startup, even if they’re already global giants. “A startup mindset is like a headache—it’s a way of thinking, you can’t let go of a idea,” Ms. Aguilera said. “Think like a gladiator.”

And think like the customer. Don’t let your organization assume it understands the customers it wants to win. Watch closely to learn what they need, and what they may not realize they need.

“We all need to talk with our customers to discover their needs,” she said. “Sometimes it’s also good to see, to watch, how customers are doing their daily tasks.” 

In the end, though, Ms. Aguilera said project managers have a simple, but noble quest: “The goal is always to make life better for human beings.”


Posted by cyndee miller on: May 10, 2016 08:19 AM | Permalink

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ANOUAR BENAFER Plant Manager ,PMP,SixSigma MBB,PNL | Edita food industries Casablanca, Morocco, Morocco
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