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European Commission Makes Project Management Progress
Categories:
PMI Global Congress 2012 - EMEA
Categories: PMI Global Congress 2012 - EMEA
| The European Commission is looking for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth through technology. And it's using project management to get there. "Project management is at the heart of our activities," said Francisco GarcÃa Morán, directorate-general for informatics at the European Commission, the keynote speaker at PMI® Global Congress 2012 -- EMEA in Marseille, France. The commission's goal is to create a new generation of open, flexible and seamless e-government services, he explained. For example, e-health projects could help address Europe's aging population. The vision calls for innovative digital services, simplified processes and better alignment between business and IT. Yet the commission has faced many challenges, including insufficient infrastructure, higher workload and staff cuts -- even as it faces greater pressure to deliver value. Mr. GarcÃa Morán also said there's a new generation of workers demanding better technology. "We have to provide the Facebook generation with the tools they're most familiar with." To help achieve its vision, the European Commission implemented an information services project management board. It also created its own approach based on good practices from around the world, including A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). "We believe we have raised the project management capabilities in the European Commission," he said. The greater focus on project management has helped the group achieve a more holistic point of view and strike a better balance between business and project management. There has been some resistance, however, which has to be managed through communicating the value of project management to the staff. "Change management is essential," he said. "It's an area where we are working harder." In a later session, Stefan Tostmann, PhD, spoke about some of the other project management work at the commission. With 27 sovereign states, 500 million stakeholders and 23 languages, it can be difficult to identify common project interests, said Dr. Tostmann, CAPM, resource director (acting) and head of financial services, European Commission. The type of projects addressed can cover everything from aid delivery to IT. And one of the biggest challenges is ensuring that proposed projects can actually be implemented in the member states. Despite progress, there remains a lingering misconception that project management is exclusive to the IT realm, where project management first took hold at the group. "There's not a project management culture in the European Commission yet," he said. Echoing Mr. GarcÃa Morán's comments, Dr. Tostmann said the commission is facing increasing pressure to prove its own value. "Stakeholders want to know what they're getting out of it." That means the commission must become more efficient, he says, and like Mr. GarcÃa Morán, he says project management can help in that process. Read more about change management. |
Top-Down Leadership Doesn't Always Work in Today's Complex World
Categories:
PMI Global Congress 2012 - EMEA
Categories: PMI Global Congress 2012 - EMEA
| There's no single definition of leadership. Whether they opt to emulate Sun Tzu or Steve Jobs, project professionals should assess their teams and organizations to carve out their own leadership strategies, plenary speaker Andy Craggs told project professionals at the PMI® Global Congress 2012 -- EMEA in Marseille, France. Mr. Craggs, a global business consultant at The Learning Partnership, dubbed today's business world as VUCA: volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. As a result, the top-down, individual-driven leadership style prevalent 10 years ago is no longer as effective. Instead, leadership must happen at four levels: society, organization, group and individual. That means leaders must cross boundaries to encourage interdependence, collaboration and innovation among three types of people:
Drawing on his time working with Disney and Apple, Mr. Craggs demonstrated how different leadership styles can be effective in the proper context. At Disney, the bulk of activity takes place in the operations sector, with the focus on protecting intellectual property and the brand. In the modern VUCA world, though, Disney's top-down leadership doesn't always work. Although the company did enjoy a record box office debut for its movie The Avengers, it has struggled to compete in the application and video game development fields. Apple takes the opposite approach. The organization's leadership, being more agile and connected across the organization, is more responsive to market changes -- which has allowed it to thrive. Mr. Cragg concluded his presentation by identifying three types of organizational leadership cultures:
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Help Celebrate Project Management Achievements
Categories:
PMI
Categories: PMI
| There are some stunning stories of success out there -- too many of which go unheralded. Here's your chance to change that with the 2012 PMI Professional Awards. You've got plenty of options -- from project and individual awards to research and literature awards. Consider that peer you've seen contributing to the advancement of the project management profession or PMI. Now's the time to acknowledge all that hard work by nominating him or her for the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award. Nominee(s) don't have to be a PMI member and may work in any field. Doing well should give project professionals more than just that "warm and fuzzy" feeling. Shine the spotlight on projects that improve the wellbeing of a community, or achievements that apply project management principles to the pro bono delivery of goods and services. The PMI Community Advancement Through Project Management Award is offered in Individual, Organizational and PMI Chapter categories. Nominations for both awards must be submitted by 1 April 2012. All awards are presented among your peers at the PMI Awards Ceremony, which is held in conjunction with PMI® Global Congress 2012 -- North America (20-23 October in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada). No one knows excellence in project management like you and your peers. So nominate a deserving colleague today. Learn more, download applications, and watch videos of past award winners and nominees. |
In Search of Project Management Stars
Categories:
PMI
Categories: PMI
| Every project professional knows the massive effort that goes into a project delivered on time, on budget and in sync with organizational strategy. Now's the time to put the spotlight on all that hard work. Established in 1989, the PMI Project of the Year Award recognizes the accomplishments of a project and project team for performance and exemplary execution of project management using processes and approaches consistent with A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) -- Fourth Edition. PMI encourages nominations for projects from around the world, regardless of size, industry or location. Anyone can nominate a project or be nominated for a project; PMI affiliation is not required. The winner will be announced in October at PMI® Global Congress 2012 -- North America in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. But you have to act quickly. Nominations for the 2012 PMI Project of the Year Award must be received by Thursday, 1 March 2012. Winning such a coveted professional award reaps many benefits for both organizations and individuals. These may include a boost in sales, attracting and retaining top talent, and gaining media exposure. It's also an excellent way to celebrate a project team's successes while affirming an organization's commitment to sound project management. For individuals, a professional award can enhance your résumé or CV and your career prospects. Last year's project entries represented a diverse array. The Prairie Waters Project, aimed at preventing water shortages in Colorado, USA, took top honors. The finalists included the EMAL Smelter Complex in Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the Oak Grove Steam Electric Station in Franklin, Texas, USA. Learn more about the 2012 Project of the Year, download nomination guidelines and watch videos of 2011 award winners and nominees. Have you submitted your nomination yet? |
Contribute Your Knowledge to Help Update PMI Global Standards
Categories:
PMI
Categories: PMI
| Looking to contribute to the development of a standard? Here's your opportunity. Through mid-March, project, program and portfolio professionals along with the interested public can share their expertise and experience to improve and comment on PMI's portfolio and program standards, as well as A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). The Standard for Portfolio Management -- Third Edition Draft Standard will be available for public review until 14 January 2012. The Standard for Program Management -- Third Edition will be available from 6 February - 6 March 2012 and the PMBOK® Guide -- Fifth Edition will be available from 17 February - 20 March 2012. Here's your link to log in to PMI.org and access the exposure draft that's available. Review and submit your comments. You can also visit and bookmark the "PMBOK® Guide and Standards" section of www.PMI.org to reach exposure drafts and learn about current PMI standards projects. Your voice matters. Provide your comments -- and make a difference in PMI standards. |