Project Management Sessions to create awareness

Think project stories might be interesting to others.
Could be based on lessons learned, be the perspective of a client, could reflect on how specific topics wre solved, e.g. how risk management saved my project. Also ‚fuckup‘ stories draw attention (celebrate failure). BTW google the term, it is an active format.

Nothing is as informative as real life.

Thanks for providing the discussion.

I try to share my failed experiences in my workplace.
At first glance it looks disgraceful, but this is an important undertaking.

Sharing issues that could be prevented if you noticed small things, such as underestimating risks, lacking estimates, misdefining scopes, and lack of explanation to customers.

These efforts will add value to the next project.

Joao -

I've done something similar in the past through lunch-n-learn seasons where I'd pick a PM concept and use stories and metaphors to help convey it.

Perhaps you could use the new 12 principles from the PMBOK Guide standard as a framework for the sessions going principle-by-principle to convey the message that success in PM is not about rigidly following specific processes but rather consistently following a set of guiding principles?

One approach that works for me, play a game to get involvement.
"The 15-minute Project Game"
Divide the participants into groups of five (preferably at random or at least insist that every group must have representatives of the demographics of the participants – avoid groups of one sex, peers, or other obvious common denominators)
The “Project”
* Each team has fifteen minutes to prepare a presentation (on flip-chart paper or white boards or shared laptop white boards)
* Presentation must discuss: “How Our Group Defines Quality for Our Organization”
Have five envelopes for each group – let the participants select an envelope describing a role in the project
The Roles:
- SME – subject matter expert – this person must contribute and NOT lead the discussion!
- Time keeper – suggest an agenda: brain storming – consensus building – presentation preparation
- Scribe – take notes and prepare the presentation
- Presenter – advises the Scribe during the presentation preparation
- Team member – help in any way needed / requested
Tell groups when to open their envelopes and ‘begin’. Do not announce a ‘two-minute’ warning.
When time is up, call the groups back together and inform them, “We don’t have time for each group to present. We will share your presentations with management after this session.”
Then debrief the project / process with questions: (samples only – adjust to your participants)
1. How did it feel to work in a group?
2. How did it feel to stay in your role? Or did you find yourself changing roles?
3. Did everyone contribute equally? (let them know that equal participation was not expected!)
Next describe Tuckman’s Stages of Group Effectiveness: (with each stage ask for discussion of how this stage felt and could the group look back and see when those transitions occurred?)
Forming – the first couple of minutes as folks shared ‘my role is …’
Storming – the group trying to get organized and select its means and methods / tools and techniques
Norming – agreeing on how to work together, settling into roles
Performing – the brainstorming and presentation preparation
Adjourning – losing interest as only the Scribe and Presenter completed the presentation
Close this section with general discussion of “What did you learn: About yourself? About teamwork? About a project?
Take a break
Discuss the differences between the ‘processes (have participants name and list them) that sustain your organization’ and the ‘projects (have participants name and list them) that change or improve it’
Compare and contrast the two lists with – strengths and weaknesses – which people prefer – why both are needed – life cycle differences – etc.
Take a break
Describe the roles of project participants (see the Public Exposure Draft of the 7th Edition of the Guide to the PMBOK®) – differentiate how those roles work with internal projects versus external projects
Take a break
Discuss the Ten (10) Knowledge areas (KAs) (see the 6th Edition of the Guide to the PMBOK®) and discuss how each KA has risks and relates to the other nine KAs
Is the session over yet? ;-)

Dear Joao
Thanx for you contribution and asking these questions.
in my opinion these sessions should be most practical with the obvious challenges of your organization.
sharing the lesson learned and tangible examples of using the project management principles helps to make it clear for the audiences .

Hi João,

This kind of sessions are very important, independent of the type of session approache. However you should have a top champion (with authority) that supports that sessions, if not you are running the risk of sometimes the priorities of work overcome the importance of workers presence in that sessions and with time the practice is lost.

The other part I think is important is to include that sessions in the career plan of each worker, therefore increases motivation, and besides improving the quality of work of the project teams, the worker can see a goal to achieve and progress in the future.

Responding to the part where you ask if we do similar actions in my corporation, coincidentally in the last month were proposed 3 training modules sessions of fundamentals of project management, advanced project management and soft skills. Surprisingly the sessions will be presented by an external ententy as expected and this will be expensive.

With so many persons in the corporation with the skills to provide this knowledge and with the will to share there knowledge, seems to me a waste of resources or a business.

Alexandre