An outstanding article in a recent issue of CIO magazine article, by Moira Alexander, has significant value of its own, and I suggest you follow the link earlier in this very sentence. The article also includes a couple of key quotes that triggered this blog post.
The theme (and the play-on-words title) of the post is… Value. Value that YOU bring as a project manager, that you bring to your project team, and value that you and your project brings to the business. It’s a very positive, intertwined, broadly-based web that I am suggesting you weave.
Here’s the first quote. It comes from Gerald Leonard, PMP, author of the book “Culture Is the Bass”.
“Customer value creation is key; all projects are initiated to create value. If a project is delivered on time and on budget but does not create value for the organization, does it really matter that it was delivered? Projects have to have a positive impact on an organization to create value.”
That’s absolutely striking when you think about it, almost on a philosophical level. The age-old question, “If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?” comes to mind.
We often get caught up in the art and science of PM and forget that the project is meant to bring value to the organization, the users, the community, the planet. When we do this, we think in shorter terms than we should, we don’t include all the proper stakeholders, and we may be doing something that matters for only our own purposes, for a very short time, or both.
That’s not why you took on the role of PM, is it? Remember, one of the key differentiators of project work from operations is the fact that projects are unique and are meant to change something.
That change had better be a positive change, and, as Leonard says, that change should be to create value for the organization. And, following that logic just a little further, most organizations have, at their mission and vision level, statements about corporate social responsibility, “good corporate citizenship”, or something of that nature, as core values.
Is your project connected to those values? Is your project creating value for the organization?
Does your project, in a word, matter?
To paraphrase The Who, it better, it better, you bet.
This may be important not only for this connection in and of itself, it could easily be a motivator for team members, especially those who are more aware of the ‘big picture’ or those who are more focused (as younger employees, ‘millennials’, GenX/GenY folks tend to be) on the organizations’ purpose.
The other quote from Ms. Alexander’s article is this one:
"A project manager and PMO’s value can only be recognizable if stakeholders and executives can distinguish a direct line back to strategic goals If a project manager can effectively communicate how the efforts of the team are geared toward successfully meeting (the organization’s) goals, it helps to pave the way when issues arise, and teams get sidetracked."
Again – that theme of value is coming through loud and clear. We need to ‘hitch’ our projects’ ‘wagons’ to the power, the drive, the overall value of the organization.
PMs need to perform a pivotal role in imbibing the positive culture in the team.
It is indeed value for the organisation and the shelf life of the project which should give satisfaction to the customer and the team working for it.
A sense of ownership needed to be able to cherish value added needs to be there.
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Valuable topic (and share). Thanks, Richard. Especially for longer duration projects, checkpoints to ensure the value return still exists; that the original goal is in tact or remains aligned with the org goals.
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Benefits realization is the responsiblity of program and project managers.
Andrey GrubinPMP, PMI-ACPBrooklyn, Ny, United States
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