Project Management 2.0

Situation: You Like to Get Your Head Around the "Big Questions" in Project Management.

Hey PM Thought Leaders >> Take a look at the list below and let me know if one of the topics could really help you tackle the challenges you face every day.

Earlier this week I attended PMI's Research & Education Conference 2010.  The event has asubtitle - "Defining the Future of Project Management".   While I'm not sure that anyone can "Define the future" of anything, I think there were some interesting presentations.  I plan to interview some of the researchers, but I was hoping to get some feedback (either here as a comment or via email, whichever is easier) on what you might find interesting.  During each interview I'll be attempting to identify who the research findings might be interesting to and what practical actions you can take based on their findings.

PMI presented awards for work in the following areas:

The 2010 Project Management Journal® Paper of the Year Award
PMI's 2010 Project Management Journal® Paper of the Year Award was presented to Terence J. Cooke-Davies, Ph.D., Lynn H. Crawford, DBA, MTCP, and Thomas G. Lechler, Ph.D. for their article Project Management Systems: Moving Project Management From an Operational to a Strategic Discipline.  The article was published in the March 2009 issue of Project Management Journal.

          
2010 Student Poster Award
Jefferson Leandro Anselmo, Ph.D., M.Sc., PMP® is the winner of PMI's 2010 Student Poster Award for his submission, Project Management In Project-Based Businesses: An Integrated Proposal for the Management of the Operational, Organizational and Strategic Dimensions.
         

Topics presented at the conference

1. Applications of positive psychology to teaching project management and leadership
2. Supporting interaction in the classroom – Using personal response units
3. The use of Skype and other communications technologies to deliver international project management education.
4. Online programme delivery – A case study
5. A New Route to Professional Development: Overcoming the Immunity to Change
6. Inter- and Intra- Project Knowledge Transfer – Analysis of Knowledge Transfer Techniques
7. A Proposed Construction Design Change Management Tool to Aid in Assessing the Impact of Design Changes
8. Predicting Team Performance based on Past Individual Achievements using Artificial Neural Networks
9. Change Management in Project- based Organizations - a case study of a construction company
10. Relevance of Project Marketing Activities to Project Management Practitioners
11. Interactions-based Risk Network Simulation for Project Risk Prioritization
12. Identifying Forces Driving PMO Changes
13. Attitude-Based Strategic Negotiation for Conflict Management in Construction Projects
14. Aim Fire Aim - Planning Styles in Dynamic Environments
15. Managing projects practitioner development – a successful university- industry partnership
16. The PMO Maturity Cube, a Project Management Office Maturity Model
17. Social and Behavioral Influences on Project Team Process
18. Managing Complex Public Projects: Timing Norms, Temporal Misfits, and the Role of Project Management
19. Building a Positive Classroom in Graduate PM Education
20. Exploring PMOs through Community of Practice Theory
21. Cultural Differences in Projects
22. Early Warning Signs in Complex Projects
23. Project Management Education, Training, Working & Learning: a longitudinal study into the experiences of British Army officers in UK defence related projects
24. Strategic priorities and PMO functions in project-based firms
25. A Conceptual Model of the Emotional Valuation of a Project
26. Classifying Improvisation: Some comments on Managing chaotic Evolution
27. Project Management in Academia: Friend or Foe? An Exploratory Study of the Social Sciences and Humanities
28. Project portfolio management (PPM) – strategic and operational agility through projects
29. Change Management & Project Management
30. The relation between organizational & professional commitment in the case of project workers: implications for the project management profession
31. Project Portfolio Management: Comparing Practive with Theory
32. World Bank projects’ critical success factors and their interactions: an empirical investigation
33. 25 Years of Stakeholder Theory in Project Management Literature (1984-2009)
34. Project Value Mindset of Project Managers
35. Interdependencies among projects in Project Portfolio Management: A content analysis of techniques
36. Are we getting any better? Comparing project management in the years 2000 and 2008
37. I Can’t Get No... Satisfaction:Moving on From the Dominant Approaches to Managing Quality in Complex Programs
38. Human Resources in Project- Based Firms: Moving In, Moving Out, Moving On
39. Managing Projects in Context: Responding to Strategic Drivers
40. Role of project maturity and organizational culture on project success
41. Problem-based learning in advanced project management education
42. Using Performance Evaluations to Raise Individual Accountability on Project Teams
43. Project Management Maturity of Croatian Companies: Is There Any?
44. Why Information Systems Development Projects are always Late
45. Using Web 2.0 in large cohort project management education: panacea or empty promise
46. Finding the Right Person for the Job: Rethinking Work-Worker Fit in PPM
47. Dynamic capability: Understanding the relationship between project portfolio management capability and competitive advantage
48. The program manager’s leadership competence and program success: A qualitative study
49. Simulation as a Teaching Tool for Quantitative Risk Analysis
50. Improving project team performance through team learning
51. Key drivers to the effectiveness in managing multiple projects: An empirical investigation in an IT organization of a world largest financial institution
52. Program Benefits Management in Practice: an exploratory investigation
53. A case for project management education as a catalyst for sustainable development in developing countries
54. Project Management in Small to Medium-sized Enterprises: tailoring the practices to the size of company
55. Organizational Control and Project Performance
56. The Impact of a Project Benefit Methodology on the Project Management Discipline
57. Structuring Risk into Projects
58. Influences of Environment and Leadership on Team Performance in Complex Projects
59. Contribution of Individual Project Participant Competencies to Project Success
60. Integrating Performance Measures to Exert Effective Leadership in Managing Project Portfolios
61. The Accuracy of Hybrid Estimating Approaches?—Case Study of an Australian State Road & Traffic Authority
62. Implementing Organizational Change Using Action Research in Two Asian Cultures
63. Demographic Determinants of Project Success Behaviors
64. The Time Dependence of CPI and SPI for Software Projects
65. The Role of Project Collaboration Quality and Knowledge Integration Capability in Multi-Partner Projects
66. Project Champions in the Context of Socio-Political Issues of Project Management
67. Project Portfolios in Dynamic Environments: Sources of Uncertainty and Sensing Mechanisms
68. Re-Thinking Project Management Maturity: Perspectives Gained From Explorations Of Fit And Value
69. Knowledge entrainment and project management: Understanding project management as knowledge integration under time pressure
70. Factors that influence and are influenced by change projects
71. Balancing value-for-money and operational performance of Public- Private Partnerships projects
72. Relating sustainable development and project management: A conceptual model
73. Knowledge Production and the Success of Innovation Projects
74. Understanding and Managing Conflict in a Project Environment
75. Dimensions for Project Success Enabled by the Sponsor / PM Relationship
76. How does modern project work really affect our societies, our organisations, and us a individuals?
77. Knowledge Management Practices in IT Projects: An Exploratory Assessment of the State of Affairs in the Caribbean
78. Integration of 3-D Web and Semantic Web Technologies: A New Structure for Communications Plans
79. The influence of project front end management and project complexity on project success - A contingency approach in project management research
80. Creating knowledge of end-users requirements
81. Climate of Innovation in Government Communities of Practice: Focusing on Knowledge Gains and Relationships
82. An Empirical Identification of Project Management Toolsets and a Comparison among Project Types
83. The influence of the gap between project manager and executives on project results
84.  It’s Not My Fault!: Exploring the role of the client in program performance

Anything jump out as just what you were looking for?  Let me know and I'll drill down deeper for you.

Situation:  You're a serious Mac user with serious project work to do.

Macs are gaining traction in many business environments, yet there aren't that many choices when it comes to project management software.  Many of the SaaS options work whether you run Windows or OS X - but what if you need more horsepower?  I've also wondered if there is a fundamental difference when developing for a Mac user or a Windows user in the PM space.  Are there differences in they way "Macs" and "PCs" manage projects?  

We recently had the opportunity to interview Dennis Bilowus, CEO and president at AEC Software.  Here's what we found out...

Q.  Thinking about what your software does - Do you feel that the projects that Mac users generally work on are different (or require different functionality) than PC users?  A recent Macworld review offered the following Pros and Cons for your product (see below).   Are these driven by the needs you see as specific to Mac users?  Can you tell us a bit about your approach to development? 

A:  We here at AEC Software have been developing project-focused software for Mac since 1986 and for Windows since 1993. Because of the close contact that we maintain with our users, we know that Mac users generally work on the same types of projects as Windows users. Sure, there is a bit more emphasis on media and graphics by Mac users, and we definitely have some Mac-specific features. The core features provided by FastTrack Schedule 10 are cross-platform, Mac and Windows. However, we take advantage of the strengths of each platform and provide some features that are unique to each system. 

For example: FastTrack Schedule 10 has a different User Interface on Windows than it has on our Mac version. On Windows, we provide the user with a choice of 2 interfaces, the new Ribbon interface and a traditional Menu-based interface. The user can select the interface that they are comfortable with. Interesting side note, FastTrack Schedule 10 was the first PM scheduling application to adopt the Ribbon interface (released a few weeks ahead of MS Project 2010). On Mac, FastTrack Schedule 10 provides a Mac UI complete with a context-sensitive Format Bar and parity with the UI look and feel of Apple’s iWork Suite.  

Every project encounters delays that affect the schedule. The ability to easily make adjustments is important on any project. Both Mac and Windows users would like to have expert-level controls over their projects, together with the means to easily make adjustments.  The new features and enhancements in FastTrack Schedule 10 provide a better workflow experience for our users as they track and manage their projects. The software is easy to use for both experienced project managers as well as the PM newcomer. 

We did a lot of research on the needs of users and incorporated their feedback into the way default layouts are built into files, and we developed an extensive set of project templates to help them get started quickly on their projects. For example, the default file has 40 built in Layouts. For ease of use only 15 of the 40 are displayed in the menu. We simplify the interface, but provide our users with accessible pre-set functionality should they want to utilize more powerful features of the program.  After all, if we can provide our users with a great template for their project we can make them more productive. 

Communication of the project details and team involvement are paramount in successful project management. As such, we also build-in great visual reporting features such as summary graphs, image fields, and enable graphics, logos, and pictures to be placed into project plans which adds a lot of life to a schedule. Too often project schedules are presented as drab spreadsheets – where key project messages and data are lost as they blend into the schedule background. With FastTrack Schedule 10, communication is clear and vibrant.  Graphs, images, and graphics foster a sense of involvement and accountability. Schedules are organic: living, breathing, and changing. Users can create fun, visually appealing schedules that bring out the creativity in all of us (and when was the last time the words ‘fun’ and ‘creativity’ was used to describe a project management tool or technique). Our Resource information form provides a Resource Image for a picture of the resource. Resources are not just names or employee numbers they are people. They are team members, and they are accountable for their performance. If everyone on the project buys into the project schedule, if everyone is involved with the schedule creation and schedule updates, then there is more transparency and accountability by all team members. That leads to successful projects. 

With our Project Consolidation feature, team meetings and stakeholder updates are a snap. It allows for the easy merging of various sub-projects into a single master schedule and provides a comprehensive view of overall project health, insight into potential bottlenecks, and promotes proactive decision-making. The power of this feature is that the users of the sub-project files never need to stop working and close their file. The consolidation occurs with live files. This provides an excellent tool for a manager to accurately monitor all project activities, costs, and resources. It is really powerful, but at the same time easy to use. 

Improving and streamlining workflow is one of our primary objectives when developing new versions of FastTrack Schedule. One such feature we’ve had great response to in FastTrack Schedule 10 is our Automated MS Project save option. With this feature, your project schedules are automatically saved as both a FastTrack Schedule file and MS Project file. This is a great time-saver when it’s implemented as part of a company’s standard template. 

Another innovative feature is our drawing layer in Print Preview. With the drawing layer in Print Preview users can place company logos, legends, or schedule titles that enhance the presentation-quality of their project plans—thus, leaving their primary workspaces (the Gantt, Resource, and Calendar views) uncluttered.  
 

Q: Who is the ideal user of your software?  Is there a project-size, industry, or other attribute that it's particularly good for?  Who is it not good for? 

A:  FastTrack Schedule is uniquely positioned as an easy to use project management solution—one that’s ideal for both the PM newcomer as well as the experienced PM who are frustrated with complex, enterprise-level PPM tools. For both these types of project managers, FastTrack Schedule is simple to learn and use, provides more flexibility for customization, and offers superior presentation and reporting capabilities.  

FastTrack Schedule users range from the largest of companies with deployments in the thousands, to single person companies. Projects range from multi-year space exploration plans to advertizing campaigns; residential and commercial construction to entertainment/feature film special effects productions; manufacturing to pharmaceutical clinical trials, governmental planning to defense industries, IT to higher education as well as sustainability initiatives. Well…you get the picture! FastTrack Schedule is used by all types of industries on all types of projects. 

That’s the great thing about the project management space – everyone can use our software, because everyone is touched by a project, some way, some how.  No matter if you are a distant or hands-on stakeholder; accidental project manager or experienced PMP, everyone can make use and be productive with an easy to use and flexible project management tool. 

It is not appropriate if someone needs project management software that is fully integrated with customer billing or has portfolio management requirements. 

Q. How does your software compare to other PM players in the Mac market, such as Merlin or MindManager? 

A:  FastTrack Schedule 10 is a tenth generation product that was originally developed on the Mac first (before our Windows version a few years after). As it stands, FastTrack Schedule is the longest running project management application on the Mac platform.   

Unlike other Mac only project management tools, FastTrack Schedule offers a compatible Windows version. After all, project team members can be Mac-based or Windows-based and there should be no barriers to collaboration and achieving project objectives. 

We have put careful consideration into the design of this version, balancing an easy to use interface with enormous flexibility and powerful tracking tools. With each release of FastTrack Schedule, we have always included features that are firsts for any project management tool on the Mac. With features such as Image Columns, an iMedia Browser, Resource Contouring and the Format Bar (to name a few) this version is no different than its 9 previous versions in its offering of innovative features. 

There is the unsurpassed flexibility and style of creating a project schedule that communicates all of your project/task details – which not only makes your schedule stand out, but also provides a unique sense of ownership in the schedule. The clearest example that I can think of, is the creation and modification of your bar styles. In FastTrack Schedule, not only are you provided with an unlimited number of milestones, bars and bar points to choose from, but you can create your own!  If you want to use a company logo as a project delivery milestone, then import the picture in and watch it become part of your selection of customized bar styles.    

Many of our customers work with mind mapping programs to brainstorm during the project planning phase. FastTrack Schedule integrates with the leading mind-mapping program, MindManager, providing an ideal “Concept to Completion” process model. FastTrack Schedule 10 provides full integration with both the Mac and Windows versions of MindManager enabling users to open MindManager files and automatically converts the maps into a traditional Gantt chart. Once in FastTrack Schedule, project plans can be adjusted as needed and rounded out with dependencies, resources, and costing details and then effectively tracked during the execution phase. And FastTrack Schedule will also export a schedule as a MindManager file.   
 

Q:  Why would a PM use your software versus a SAAS offering?  Wouldn't that be a better choice in a mixed PC/Mac environment? 

A: No SaaS software offers the speed, sophistication, flexibility, security or unparalleled presentation-quality of FastTrack Schedule 10. Many SaaS solutions are rigid and do not allow for much customization. When you purchase licenses for FastTrack Schedule 10, you pay one price. There are no recurring monthly fees. FastTrack Schedule 10 provides the UI appropriate for each platform. Users are not dependent on having an Internet connection to manage or update their projects – which is a large downside for project managers on the go. We have desktop speed; users are not at the mercy of their Internet connection and their confidential schedules are stored on local computers or secure corporate servers.   

Q:  How do you see your software evolving over the next year?  

A:  We have some interesting concepts in the pipeline. As with most software companies, we are not at liberty to discuss specifics about future products. We’re excited by the opportunity that amazing mobile devices such as the iPad, iPhone and Android phones offer for project collaboration. Stay tuned. 

Situation:  You like to play games.

I rarely plug advertorial here, but this game that CA has produced is kind of neat.

The ‘PPM Hero Challenge’ has contestants navigate a series of PPM questions, provided by The Butler Group, before the clock runs out.  The questions aren't brain surgery if you're familiar with the topic, but the time element keep you on the edge of your seat until you're done.   At the end you can submit your own PPM question for use in future iterations of the game.  So, thanks to you,  the next guy will find the game just a little bit harder. 

So if you have a minute to run around a virtual office trying to solve problems (like you're not doing that now), you check it out.  In the end you get to see how you rank against your peers.

Situation: You know how to please most of the PMs some of the time.

If you think about it, PMI has a pretty tough job on their hands.  Every time they create a new standard, they have to build something that:

-  works with the PMBOK (really alignment across all of their standards)

- adheres to a rather complicated set of rules set out by ANSI

- is general enough to be applied across every functional area of an organization.

- is validated by a volunteer consensus-based process.  (a pretty tough screen)

- gets them closer to achieving the mission outlined on their web site

"It is the mission of the PMI Global Standards Program to improve the understanding and competency of project management practitioners and customers worldwide by identifying, defining, documenting and championing generally accepted project management practices and a common project management lexicon. Through the program, PMI works to develop standards for the profession that are valued by our members, the marketplace and other stakeholders. By doing this, PMI hopes to achieve worldwide excellence in the practice of project management through standards that are widely recognized and consistently applied."

Some standards, like the Standard for Portfolio Management  have been accused of being uneven and of failing to address the needs of specific functional areas, like IT.  However, the focus is really to "champion generally accepted project management practices", rather than best or perfect practices.  They've been described to me as "practices that have stood the test of time" rather than what is cutting edge today.  It's also just the ones they can validate through volunteer consensus.  For some of these same reasons, some describe a friction between Agile approaches and the PMBOK and there's been a great deal of talk about whether PMBOK V4 goes far enough in integrating Agile methods.

I think we all "get" that PMI is well intentioned in the approach they are taking.  I also know that that it's much easier to be an armchair quarterback and poke holes in something that already exists.  However, there are a lot of smart people out there and sometimes the best ideas come from unexpected sources.  So with that in mind, I have two questions for you.

1.  Is the mission above the right one for PMI's standards organization?

2.  If it is, is there a way to improve the approach they take to developing standards?

We'll pass on any suggestions posted here or sent to us.  Or if you like, you can contact the Standards Department directly by email.

Situation: You need to make a point.

So often people feel like they have to "exhaggerate for effect".  People do this every day now because its a cheap way to create a hot headline or get a laugh.  I've done it myself a thousand times, but I also know what it's like to be on the receiving end of that sort of thing on a regular basis.  The person who always blows things out of proportion never seems like they are telling the truth.  Eventually their credibility is gone and it's very hard to get back.

I felt the need to mention this now, after watching a couple friends fail because they didn't take the time to thoughtfully communicate with their team.  I think we all run across this sort of situation many times during our careers.  There are also many times when we run across some great advice related to the basics.  Here are two that I've just come across.  Each of them is very much worth a quick read.

The first is about being "real" or authentic in the same natural way you would be with friends.  We've heard a lot about this recently, but I like the angle that this article takes on the subject.  Why is Business Writing So Awful? walks you through how much of what we write for business is overly sanitized and devoid of meaning.  If you look at the examples of great writing in this article, they are just people saying what they mean - talking about their real intentions and goals in a meaningful way.  If we could all do more of that, the world would be a better place.

The second outlines a simple truth related to basic story-telling.  The ideas contained in The Five Basic Stories That Can Give Your Speeches Power are just as true when relaying a story to a team member as they are when you talking to a crowd.

All of this often takes a little work, but I think it's work worth doing.  What do you think?