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Communicate to Connect with Gen Y
| Communication is a core competency that significantly impacts the outcome of a project. But mastering communication skills has been one of the toughest tasks I have faced as a project practitioner because those skills have evolved and grown along with the fast pace of technology in multigenerational project environments. Some of us may be used to more traditional ways of communicating (as I discussed in a recent blog post), such as an in-person meeting or a telephone call. But these methods may not be effective with the newer generation of project practitioners. The generation gap may be a source of conflict or a barrier to defining common ground, since communication that may seem negative to one person may be the norm for others. For example, I remember one time when a younger team member sat three cubicles away from a senior (and older) team member, and would ask him questions via instant message. The senior team member considered this rude, since those questions could easily be asked face to face. Meanwhile, the younger team member thought he was being more productive in multi-tasking mode, asking questions via IM and emailing about project tasks. To break down these types of barriers and diminish miscommunications, you will first need to identify the communication preferences of all project team members or stakeholders, and share them with the team. I typically meet with each team member individually, and then create a matrix listing all members and specific communication preferences for each. When you meet with Gen Y team members to understand their preferences, use the time as an opportunity to learn about new collaboration tools that you can apply to the project as well. For me, this is how I learned about instant message chat lingo and how to share my computer desktop with others while on a video conference call. It is also during these meetings that I share with the Gen Y team members my project experience, exposing them to real-life project situations. Finally, be aware of pushback following any kind of changes to project communications that may disturb already established practices. If you introduce too many new technologies, they may not be welcome. The best way to make sure the team adopts new forms of communication is by proposing, not imposing. How do you ensure your project team and stakeholders adopt new communications tools? Read more about effective communications in PMI's Pulse of the Professionâ„¢ In-Depth Report, The High Cost of Low Performance: The Essential Role of Communications. |
Multi-Project Schedule Planning, Part I
Categories:
Project Planning
Categories: Project Planning
| Projects are rarely planned and executed in isolation. In general, they have external dependencies on activities, tasks or deliverables outside the project's reach. Managing tasks and dependencies that spread across several projects, which are not necessarily part of a program, creates a multi-project management context. For instance, say you are managing an IT project, delivering a software application. Many of your project tasks will be conducted within the project's boundaries and with the full control and ownership of your project team. Nevertheless, your project has dependencies on a software component, developed in parallel by another team within the same enterprise, yet as part of an entirely different project. Your project will have to wait for the other team to finish and deliver its component to deploy and test your software application. Since the two projects have phases and deliverables dependent on each other, their project schedules will have to be correlated. Managing correlated schedules requires a different approach. In a single-project context, a project manager plans the schedule, giving consideration to the project context, the work to be carried out by the project team, assumptions, risks, and the tasks' internal and external dependencies. This is more or less a silo approach, where the external dependencies rely on deliverables and not on the project phases or cycles in which they are produced. In a multi-project management context, the project managers involved, or an overseeing multi-project manager, will have to reach alignment across the projects in several aspects, including:
Let's go back to our previous IT project example, and how alignment could happen. The two projects start off independent of each other. Then they can have touch points during the requirements analysis and scoping phase, when your project team will analyze and hand over requirements and product specifications to the other team. Then the two projects will meet again during a joint testing phase, when both project teams will deploy and test their application components integrated together. Finally, the two projects will meet again during the go-live deployment, when the rollout of one project will not be complete without the rollout of the other. The more touch points the projects have, the more complex their schedule planning will be. The stronger their dependencies, the less flexibility you will have when planning your project schedule. And the more relevant the other project is for your organization, the less planning flexibility and schedule control you will have on yours. The situation gets even more complicated when your project depends on three or more other projects, which have different schedule plans, business criticalities and even project management approaches. For instance, your project is conducted in a waterfall methodology, and it's dependent on another project following an agile approach. It can become quite challenging aligning your waterfall schedule to the iterative and dynamic schedule of the other project. What is your project scheduling experience with dealing with multiple projects that depend on each other? |
Do's and Don'ts for Portfolio Managers
Categories:
Portfolio Management
Categories: Portfolio Management
| Jen L. Skrabak, PMP, is a senior-level project executive, leading high-profile business transformation projects, programs and portfolios. She has more than 18 years of professional experience across industries such as healthcare, biotechnology, entertainment and financial services. She recently established a PMO Center of Excellence that includes both project managers and business analysts, implemented a global US$50 million program across multiple sites and managed a $500 million portfolio. Ms. Skrabak served as the committee chair for The Standard for Portfolio Management - Third Edition. Read her thoughts on portfolio management below: Although PMI's The Standard for Portfolio Management was updated for its Third Edition earlier this year, I still find that there is much confusion over what portfolio managers do and how they differ from program and project managers. Having been a portfolio manager for over 10 years, I'm offering a few key differences that may help you. What portfolio managers focus on:
Now that we've level set the strategic responsibilities of portfolio managers, there are some key responsibilities that don't fall under portfolio managers. What portfolio managers do not focus on:
PMI Announces PfMP certification Recently, PMI announced its new Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)SM credential, which will be available in Q4 2013. Having served on the Steering Committee for the PfMP credential, and providing strategic direction and guidance to the team that was chartered to make the final recommendation, it is very exciting to see this launch. I know that many in the PMI community have been asking about this certification. Having also served as chair for the development of the portfolio management standard, I believe that it's an important credential that meets a key need (remember the "P" in PMI encompasses portfolio). It drives advancement of portfolio management as a profession by formally recognizing the importance of a standard set of skills, knowledge and abilities. Key requirements include eight years of business experience and at least four years of portfolio management experience. It's expected that The Standard for Portfolio Management - Third Edition will be used as a key reference for the exam. The PfMP exam outline will be made available in September, with the first opportunity to take the exam in late Q4 2013. If you want to be one of the first to be certified for the PfMP, email [email protected]. |
Get With the Program
Categories:
Program Management
Categories: Program Management
| For the past two decades, television dramas in Taiwan have faced fierce competition from Korea, mainland China and Japan. But in 2011, a modern Taiwanese drama -- "In Time With You" -- managed to challenge these markets, with ratings that rocketed to 2.7 million viewers. The production team responsible for this success warrants a closer look. In television, there is a type of producer known as a "show runner." This person is responsible for both the execution and creative aspects of the show for each individual episode and throughout the series. The role is similar to a project sponsor who not only needs to raise funds, but also has to clarify project scope, acquire the team and determine an acceptable risk tolerance. For "In Time With You," Jason Hsueh is such a show runner. In 2011, Mr. Hsueh started to adapt a Korean TV drama, "The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince," for Taiwan. But he found the terms of the adaptation agreement too restrictive. Eventually, when pre-production costs reached $50,000, he decided to stop -- it would be pointless if he couldn't make creative changes so the drama would be relatable to Chinese-speaking target audiences. This timely decision also stopped further financial hemorrhage of a high-risk project. But more importantly, it forced Mr. Hsueh to reconsider previous drama ideas, including "In Time With You." "In Time with You," a love story written by scriptwriter Hsu Yu Ting, had been considered for years but had not been brought to the screen. The story didn't follow the established formula for romance. However, Mr. Hsueh felt that this light love story, based on the lives of ordinary people, had potential. He boldly adopted a script many others wouldn't have attempted. The foundation of a successful drama is first a good script, and then a good director. Consider the drama to be the project, with the director comparable to a project manager, the person responsible for the production of the show. He or she is the one who puts all the artistic elements together, who brings the story to life by interacting with actors and interpreting the script. Mr. Hsueh knew that if he wanted to decrease risk on "In Time With You," he needed to find the right director. That's why he handed the reins to Arthur Chu, a director famous for a subtle, refreshing touch. Mr. Chu shot every take beautifully, and was very loyal to the original script. He directed the drama with good quality control, and the production team never inflated the script. Plenty of product placement opportunities knocked, but Mr. Hsueh only considered products that were in tune with the original story. This steadfast commitment to the original story -- along with a sophisticated, approachable marketing effort -- resulted in soaring ratings. Through careful execution, a previously neglected idea for a TV drama series became a blockbuster success in Chinese-speaking countries in 2012. It started with a good script (program management plan), a project sponsor and program manager (show runner), project managers (producers and director) and project team (technicians, actors and marketing staff). Even if the success of "In Time with You" was a surprise, it was not an accident. Have you seen program management adapted to other creative industries? |
Join the Evolution
Categories:
Leadership
Categories: Leadership
| Thousands of books, quotes, advice and research have covered the topic of leadership. In contrast, there is far less dedicated knowledge on project leadership. And yet, as mentioned in the opening remarks at PMI® Global Congress 2013 -- EMEA and in a recent Voices roundtable on talent management, project leadership is fast emerging as a critical skill for project practitioners. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the region where I live and work, is booming with projects, particularly in construction, oil and gas. In the region, project managers have been recruited traditionally for their technical and engineering expertise. However, due to regional growth, the dynamics of the project work force are changing, and so are expectations of project managers. It is now common for a typical core project team to be made up of members aged 30 to 60, with a mix of locals and expatriates from at least five different nationalities, all working together in one location. This environment of change and uncertainty requires project professionals to become more responsive, adaptive, people-centric and emotionally intelligent. For these reasons, I presented a lecture on this subject at a recent PMI Arabian Gulf Chapter meeting. From the discussion that evening, there seemed to be concerns about the role of a project leader versus the one for a traditional project manager. The main points of concern that I clarified that night were:
Getting into specifics, I proposed these ways in which a project manager differs from a project leader:
Although not everyone agreed with me, I insisted that project leaders are made from experience, so building leadership skills is something every project professional can do to work through the changing business environment. To that end, leadership skills and experience can be gained by:
Finally, to help you establish a project leadership mindset, regularly ask yourself:
How can a project manager evolve to encompass a project leadership role? |