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Lessons Learned from PMI® Global Congress 2012--North America
| After the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York, New York, USA, architect and planner Frederic Schwartz set out to rebuild lower Manhattan, one project at a time. Each proposed project pulled in 50 city departments -- an astronomical number of stakeholders. And having gone "mano a mano" with then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Mr. Schwartz told Congress attendees to always "believe in yourself and never stand down." He worked that same brand of stakeholder management in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city in August 2005. With US$14.5 billion for levee repairs and another US$8.5 billion for home revamps, Mr. Schwartz headed projects to rebuild 21 historic areas, 9,000 acres (3,642 hectares) and 1 million homes. And in that process, he learned the value of reaching out to the local community. Along with door-to-door research, his team held 200 district meetings in churches and politicians' homes. Mr. Schwartz also pulled in local architects, engineers and historians. "We could not have moved forward without local experts," he says. Also at Congress, four leaders in the profession discussed the state of women in project management. Moderated by Immediate PMI Board of Directors Past Chair Beth Partleton, PMP, the panel included Leigh Stevens of Microsoft; Teresa A. Knudson, PMP, of Mayo Clinic; and Eleanor Silverman, PhD, of NASA. The comprehensive panel discussion covered a range of topics, including a new take on the triple constraint: work, home and family. There's no question of the value that female project managers bring to projects. It's just good business. "A diverse workforce is a business imperative -- 83 percent of consumer decisions are made by women, yet 90 percent of tech products are developed by men," said Ms. Stevens. For women looking for an edge in what remains a male-dominated profession, Ms. Knudson recommended training. "Education is one of the best ways to find a trap door up and around the glass ceiling," says Ms. Knudson. "And it is something women have within their control." The panelists agreed that developing trust among team members -- regardless of gender -- helps overcome project challenges. "In the best project I've worked on, there was respect, and there was trust," says Ms. Stevens. "For me as a leader, being able to create that environment where you feel like people have got your back is key." |
Which Leadership Style Fits Your Personality?
| Don't try to be like Warren Buffett if you're more Sir Richard
Branson, said best-selling author Marcus Buckingham in a
thought-provoking keynote address at the PMI® Global Congress 2012 --
North America. Project professionals in
leadership positions must let their personal strengths shape their
unique style of management. For example, Sir Branson, head of British
conglomerate Virgin, is a public figure, championing his brand. Warren
Buffett, head of U.S. financial firm Berkshire Hathaway, is more of a
behind-the-scenes leader. "One leader's
techniques are not transferable to another," says Mr. Buckingham. "What
looks authentic with one leader looks foolish with another. People
follow your authenticity. Only try techniques that fit you." He identified nine types of leaders: 1. Advisers are invigorated by the challenge of solving others' problems. 2. Connectors align the most-qualified team members with the appropriate problem. 3. Creators ask, "What do I understand about the challenge ahead?" 4. Equalizers are driven by commitments and ask, "What is the right thing to do?" 5. Influencers inspire team members to action. 6. Pioneers boldly explore uncharted territory and look for ways to do things differently. 7. Providers are concerned with team members' well-being first and foremost. 8. Stimulators raise the team's energy level. 9. Teachers are in a constant state of development, always looking to learn. In
today's world, nearly everything is customized to the individual. For
proof, Mr. Buckingham pointed to social media juggernaut Facebook. At
every login, its more than 1 billion users magically receive ads fit for
their personalities. Leadership development is just as unique. So, what kind of leader are you? Read more posts from Congress. |
Odds-Defying Project Wins 2012 PMI Project of the Year Award
Categories:
PMI Global Congress 2012 - North America
Categories: PMI Global Congress 2012 - North America
| Seven years had passed since the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency gave engineering firm URS a 1 percent chance of meeting a global treaty deadline to destroy 220,000 chemical weapons. But on 20 October at PMI® Global Congress 2012 -- North America, the URS project team accepted the 2012 PMI Project of the Year Award -- a high honor showing excellent project management can defy the odds. Steven Warren, PhD, PMP, project general manager at URS, called the project a "massive undertaking." The company would be destroying the largest stockpile of chemical weapons in the United States. To reduce the risks on the eight-year project, the team packaged each nerve agent into different "campaigns," during which only the designated chemical could be incinerated. For instance, from September 2004 to July 2007, only sarin gas munitions were destroyed. Given the volatility, safety aspects were featured prominently at meetings. And around the facility, the team placed safety signage with a "safety message of the day" along with updated statistics, such as the number of hours since the last work injury. Despite the extensive safety precautions, in March 2010 a worker ignored protocols and was exposed to mustard agent. Though the worker only suffered minor injuries, the mistake could have been fatal. The accident prompted regulators to shut down the site for a month as they investigated. In response, the team created a position dedicated to identifying potential safety issues throughout the facility. Empowered to escalate problems to management, this team member circulated weekly safety reports among the highest-ranking members of the team. The project was ultimately delivered under budget and early -- a powerful, true team effort. "On behalf of URS; our contractors; our client, the U.S. Army; our stakeholders; and even, to a lesser extent our regulators, thank you," Mr. Warren said in accepting the award. The winning project was honored along with two finalists: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Capability Replacement Laboratories project, Richland, Washington, USA; and Procter & Gamble, ordering, shipping and billing process project, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Look for video case studies of all the finalists, more awards coverage and a full list of winners on PMI.org. |
Tracking Project Management Trends
Categories:
PMI Pulse of the Profession
Categories: PMI Pulse of the Profession
| Faced with sluggish growth and shifting market priorities, organizations are often tempted to latch on to whatever's being heralded as the next big thing. But the smartest project players are going back to the basics, according to PMI's 2012 Pulse of the Profession report. Over the next several weeks, Voices bloggers will address some of the project management trends identified in the report, including: Talent development: Looking to gain an edge in new markets, organizations are scrambling to ensure the right people with the right skills are allocated to the right programs. And Pulse of the Profession data shows a payoff for those organizations that get it right. Among high-performing organizations -- defined as those companies with 80 percent or more of their projects completed on time, on budget and having met business goals -- 63 percent have a defined career path for project managers. Compare that to only 26 percent of low-performing organizations, defined as those with less than 60 percent of their projects completed on time, within budget and having met business goals. Project portfolio management: A still-fragile economy spotlights the need for good project portfolio management, with more than half of respondents reporting its frequent use in 2012. Pulse of the Profession data also indicates that 72 percent of high-performing organizations use portfolio management compared to only 39 percent of low-performers. Organizational agility: As organizations are forced to deal with ever-increasing market volatility, use of change management, risk management and iterative practices is on the rise. Pulse data shows that 80 percent of high-performing organizations use change management techniques and 84 percent practice risk management. Plus, 40 percent of high performers use agile approaches in project management, versus 20 percent of low performers. Benefits realization: Companies don't do projects because they can; they do projects because they deliver a strategic outcome. Pulse of the Profession data reveals that defining key objectives, benefits and expectations is the second-most important factor for project success. Additionally, having sponsors who are actively engaged is one of the primary factors that lead to projects meeting an organization's business objectives. Organizations with active sponsors on at least 80 percent of their projects have a success rate of 75 percent, compared to the average 64 percent. To discuss Pulse of the Profession on Twitter, please use #pmipulse. Learn more about PMI's 2012 Pulse of the Profession. |
Project Professionals: Don't Let a Little Tiger Get in Your Way
Categories:
PMI Global Congress 2012 - EMEA
Categories: PMI Global Congress 2012 - EMEA
| If anyone could get a room full of project and program managers mimicking a jockey on a horse, it's Jim Lawless. The closing speaker at the PMI® Global Congress 2012 -- EMEA in Marseille, France, Mr. Lawless holds the United Kingdom's underwater deep-dive record and once became a licensed jockey to win a £1 bet. So when he outlined his 10 rules for taming the tiger within -- the voice inside that makes people afraid to take action -- the audience listened. Mr. Lawless reminded the group that each person writes his or her own life story. "In the end, you're not going to ask 'Did I have a good story,' but 'Did I write it? Or did the tiger dictate it for me?'" he said. A project or program manager might have a game-changing idea, for example, but is too afraid to take it to the CEO. The result is regret -- because the person let the tiger write the story. Mr. Lawless' 10 rules for taming the tiger are:
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