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Conquering the Us Versus Them Mentality
Categories:
PMI Global Congress 2013 - EMEA
Categories: PMI Global Congress 2013 - EMEA
| "Culture eats process for lunch," keynote speaker Avinash Chandarana of MCI Group told attendees at PMI® Global Congress 2013 -- EMEA in Istanbul, Turkey. And as organizations continue to expand into emerging markets, the pressure is on project professionals to build a keen understanding of how different cultures operate. For starters, they must get past the "us versus them mentality," said Mr. Chandarana. "We consider our culture to be normal and others to be abnormal." Instead, project professionals should acknowledge the values and even the stereotypes of other cultures, which he broke into three categories:
This is powerful knowledge as linear-active U.S. and European organizations launch more projects in emerging markets, which tend to fall into the multi-active and reactive categories. Only those countries and companies that bridge cultures and geographies will succeed, Mr. Chandarana said. "What measure are you going to take to go beyond just having surface-level knowledge of other cultures?" he said. "This is the question you must ask to hone relationships in a multicultural environment." The three panelists on the "Project Management in Emerging Economies" panel tackled a different kind of cultural challenge. "In the Middle East, there is a lack of awareness of the value of project management," said panelist Imran Malik of du Telecom in Dubai. "Practitioners need to educate decision-makers by translating the tangible benefits of using best practices in the context of business." Organizations view project management as a "magic pill" and temporary fix, added panelist Puian Masudifar of VIRA Co. in Iran. "They don't look at the long term." Still, the project management cultural revolution can start with baby steps. "Bring upper management and executives to the kitchen and teach them what projects are," said panelist Adnan Metin of Turkish Airlines in Turkey. As a growing regional power, Turkey needs project managers, particularly in the defense sector, said Murad Bayar, Turkey's Undersecretary for Defence Industry. In his long tenure in the sector, Mr. Bayar says he's rarely seen a project completed that met the original plan, mostly due to the long timelines. "A combat aircraft takes 15 to 20 years to complete," Mr. Bayar said. "By the time the project is finished, the requirements have changed. We have to be better at managing projects." To that end, the department encourages its project professionals to go through training, including earning the Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential. But Mr. Bayar also acknowledged his country could use a little help. "We need people with a deep understanding of strategic organizational, commercial, industrial and political environments. Is there someone in the room that I can hire today?" What advice would you give on bridging cultural differences? If you attended PMI® Global Congress 2013 -- EMEA, what were your top takeaways of doing business in emerging markets? |
Leadership in the Brave New World
Categories:
PMI Global Congress 2013 - EMEA
Categories: PMI Global Congress 2013 - EMEA
| The ancient city of Istanbul, Turkey, made a fitting backdrop to discuss the massive social, economic and political shifts roiling across the business landscape -- and what it all means for project and program managers. Free market capitalism no longer dominates, said Nader Mousavizadeh, CEO, Oxford Analytica, keynote speaker at PMI® Global Congress 2013 -- EMEA. Emerging markets such as Nigeria, China and Turkey are redefining power on their own terms. By combining capitalism with strong state support, they are experiencing economic growth and stability while many developed markets struggle. Just as emerging economies are breaking from traditional business models, consumers too are redefining their expectations. "Consumers expect legitimacy and accountability from those in power ... whether it's government or a corporation," said Mr. Mousavizadeh. Consumers are also becoming more global, while demanding goods and services that feel authentic and local. Those countries and companies that bridge cultures and geographies are the ones that will succeed, Mr. Mousavizadeh said. And they will succeed in great part by planning for the long term and setting an agenda that helps others. "Look at where leadership is making decisions that benefit the broader population," he said. "China, for example, has 200,000 Chinese citizens studying in the United States. That's a country focused on developing a high-end talent pool." PMI president and CEO Mark A. Langley shared a similar message on leadership and talent management. "Organizations are not looking for individuals to manage projects; they're looking for project managers to lead projects," said Mr. Langley during the opening remarks. What's clear is that organizations are embracing project management. The EMEA region is expected to create approximately 3 million new project management jobs between now and 2020. The question is whether project professionals are prepared to meet the demands of a new business landscape. "Organizations are not waiting for you to step up -- they're going to expect you to," said Mr. Langley. What are your experiences with leadership as defined during the keynote address at PMI® Global Congress 2013 -- EMEA? If you aren't at congress, how do you define leadership? |
To Learn or to Execute? That Is the Question
| If you've ever been in a corporate training session, chances are you've noticed fellow project managers coming in late, or not at all. The excuse is often, "There is so much pressure on the project that it's very difficult to make time for training." In my experience, project managers who choose work over training often expect the same from team members. So when a project is running, learning all but stops. But here's a thought: Upgrading skills and project execution can -- and should -- take place in tandem. Consider these two scenarios:
In today's fast-changing world, it is necessary to continuously upgrade skills beyond what you can learn on the job to overcome future challenges. In the first scenario, the project manager consistently misses opportunities to upgrade skills. After some time, the organization finds it difficult to provide better and more challenging assignments due to lack of skills. The organization will very likely lose a frustrated project manager. In the long term, both the organization and project manager are in lose-lose situation. In the second scenario, the project manager not only focuses on efficient execution but also prepares himself or herself and team members for current and future challenges. Due to time constraints, this is the hardest option for a project manager, but it's also the most rewarding. The key is developing a plan that combines learning and execution. For example, a project manager might enroll in a training session that pulls him or her away from the workplace. This forces the project manager to delegate his or her tasks to team members. In turn, that gives team members an opportunity to lead during the project manager's absence -- and experiment and learn what they will do in future. The net result is a positive cascading effect that upgrades the skills of everyone on the project. Here is a simple plan to get you started:
With a firm training schedule, you and your team members can feel at ease to attend trainings. And since training sessions directly enhance skills for all roles, everyone can feed their newfound knowledge into the project. Do you prioritize training over execution, or vice versa? How are you ensuring you advance your skills in the face of project work? Learn more about how organizations can recruit, train and retain talent in "Mind the Gap," a PM Network® online exclusive. |
Three Reasons to Dim Project Stoplights
| Hardly a project status report goes published without at least one stoplight indicator. As the name suggests, stoplight indicators show the status of key project progress measurements: green (good to go), yellow (use caution) and red (stop or danger ahead). In recent projects, I have noticed recurring instances of "stoplight overkill." Project status reports now include all manner of stoplights, such as how the last status meeting turned out or the happiness level of every single customer group. In fact, I have even seen a stoplight indicator that, through a complex calculation, was intended to show the aggregate status of 40 stoplights. The colors on that report made my head spin. Beyond avoiding a headache, here are three major reasons why project managers should limit stoplights:
I favor more progressive and consistent modes of status presentation that indicate position, direction and pace. For example, use a remaining budget marker to show the position of budget against a broader range of tolerances. For deliverables, you can show a scatter plot of projected and actual completion dates to reveal pace and true progress. Highlighting customer satisfaction on a timeline is a good way of showing the impact of a project on a sponsor's business. What do you consider the limitations and dangers of project stoplights? What alternate methods have you used on project status presentations? Share your thoughts below along with your Twitter handle, and Voices on Project Management will publish the best response as a blog post. |
Bracing for Change
Categories:
Change Management
Categories: Change Management
| A colleague recently started leading a department responsible for maintenance projects for a manufacturing organization. The project manager wanted to implement changes such as rolling out new project software, increasing administrative transparency, and revising team and stakeholder communication methods. Naturally, he was concerned about how these changes would be received. My advice: Communicate with everyone affected as a result of the disruption. Host meetings to explain the factors behind the need for change, such as out-dated processes, unsatisfactory performance, expansion plans or executive directives. The reasons should be transparent, easy to understand and supported by relevant facts. Follow up with details on employee and organizational benefits to the changes. Above all, the vision for change should be realistic and believable. Plan for time to collect and acknowledge reactions to the proposed changes. Expect both positive and negative reactions, and be prepared to hear and answer questions. In this specific case, concerns included: fear of increased work hours or workload, uncertainty over the size and management of the disruption, nervousness toward new systems and job security. Create avenues where people can freely voice these concerns -- publicly via workshops and meetings, and anonymously via surveys. This helps the project manager understand the sources of any resistance and support. Recognize adjustments. In the case of my colleague, the majority of individuals in his department had been with the organization for over 15 years. That means they probably formed the present systems and culture, and therefore it was expected that this group would be more skeptical toward change. In this sort of situation, describe how and what type of training and support can or will be provided. Identify who will be responsible for managing the change and how the process will take shape (i.e., the immediate first steps). Manage emotional and psychological stress by being supportive of and empathetic to team members as they adapt. Plan for active team and stakeholder involvement -- for example, brainstorming meetings. It may be necessary to plan for some of the team to visit another organization or department that has recently undergone similar changes. Visibly involve executives and other departments, such as human resources, for rewards and incentives to encourage the adoption of change. Plan for and implement changes using project management techniques, such as risk assessments, stakeholder analysis and progress measurements. Prepare for frequent reporting of successes and setbacks so everyone knows how the change is progressing and what achievements or adjustments have been made. Enforce the change. Look for quick wins and be prepared for some to slip into the old way of doing things -- and perhaps sabotage or reverse the change. Check that everyone is adhering to the new plan. In the event of strong resistance, it may be necessary to respond decisively with disciplinary action. While it is important to be open and inclusive, there should also be a clear understanding that change is not optional. Wrap up like a project. Once the changes are complete, close, celebrate and reward the team. Don't forget to list lessons learned. What advice would you add? How have you helped a project team adopt change? For a closer look at change management -- including case studies -- read PM Network's "In Times of Change," June 2012. |