William M Hayden JrAdjunct Assistant Professor| University at Buffalo, School of Management, Operations Management & StrategyBuffalo, Ny, United States
Reliable project success going forward will require the understanding
of two organizational dynamics:
1. Psychological Safety, and,
2. Managing and leading a multigenerational workforce.
Q. Your thoughts(?)
Cheers,
Bill
Saving Changes...
I'm a strong proponent of #1 for many years having seen the differences in performance between teams where it is at a high level and those where it is not, so I'd agree with that.
#2 seems a little odd given that PMs have always had to deal with multigenerational workforces. When I first started in the profession, I had a project team with baby boomers and Gen X'ers. Later, it was those plus Millennials. Now I suppose you could have some projects with up to four generations. This is just another form of diversity which we experience on our projects.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Bill,
Reliable project success is surely supported by the two features you mention
Yet I think they are insufficient, as they look at the inner workings of projects, but external stakeholders mostly determine success.
The context matters more than the project system itself.
We agree that human specifics are key to success, not rational considerations like processes, approaches, and frameworks.
Saving Changes...
William M Hayden JrAdjunct Assistant Professor| University at Buffalo, School of Management, Operations Management & StrategyBuffalo, Ny, United States
Thanks Thomas!
Re: ". . . but external stakeholders mostly determine success."
Well, not really.
While its true that external major stakeholders play a role in a program/project's success, it is actually the behaviors of those who occupy the C-suite in the org wherein the project work is managed.
Cheers,
Bill
...
1 reply by Thomas Walenta
Jul 31, 2024 10:30 AM
Thomas Walenta
...
Bill,
well, it comes down to who are the internal/external stakeholders in a project. I found that the C-Suite is mostly external, not very interested in projects, to be avoided by the project team, and not supportive. They even know how many projects they are running and which ones they are running. Agree that they are a core factor in success.
If you look at megaprojects, as an example, the final judgment is with the public, press, and politicians. Most projects during COVID-19 were killed by the restrictions of their context.
Saving Changes...
William M Hayden JrAdjunct Assistant Professor| University at Buffalo, School of Management, Operations Management & StrategyBuffalo, Ny, United States
For all:
I was corrected to add:
2. Managing and leading a multigenerational and multicultural workforce.
Cheers,
Bill Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Jul 30, 2024 8:35 AM
Replying to William M Hayden Jr
...
Thanks Thomas!
Re: ". . . but external stakeholders mostly determine success."
Well, not really.
While its true that external major stakeholders play a role in a program/project's success, it is actually the behaviors of those who occupy the C-suite in the org wherein the project work is managed.
Cheers,
Bill
Bill,
well, it comes down to who are the internal/external stakeholders in a project. I found that the C-Suite is mostly external, not very interested in projects, to be avoided by the project team, and not supportive. They even know how many projects they are running and which ones they are running. Agree that they are a core factor in success.
If you look at megaprojects, as an example, the final judgment is with the public, press, and politicians. Most projects during COVID-19 were killed by the restrictions of their context.
...
1 reply by William M Hayden Jr
Aug 02, 2024 10:25 AM
William M Hayden Jr
...
So, Thomas:
Re: "I found that the C-Suite is mostly external, not very interested in projects, to be avoided by the project team, and not supportive"
Actually, that's a great "Road Map" to take their org over a cliff and won into the valley below!
Cheers,
Bill
Saving Changes...
Everett HowardProject Manager II| Sacramento Municipal Utility DistrictCa, United States
Failure to plan for organizational dynamics, such as psychological safety and workforce components, can lead to the failure of an organization in the built environment. A good approach I’ve utilized is to rotate team members to avoid burnout and keep them interactive, usually based on phases or completed milestones. In leading a diverse workforce, ensuring you have a strong mentorship program and providing necessary training and career growth opportunities are key. Overall, unchecked optimism leads to unrealistic forecasts, poorly defined goals, better options being ignored, problems not being spotted and dealt with, and no contingencies to counteract the inevitable surprises. Organizational dynamics typically fall into that unchecked optimism. Saving Changes...
William M Hayden JrAdjunct Assistant Professor| University at Buffalo, School of Management, Operations Management & StrategyBuffalo, Ny, United States
Jul 31, 2024 10:30 AM
Replying to Thomas Walenta
...
Bill,
well, it comes down to who are the internal/external stakeholders in a project. I found that the C-Suite is mostly external, not very interested in projects, to be avoided by the project team, and not supportive. They even know how many projects they are running and which ones they are running. Agree that they are a core factor in success.
If you look at megaprojects, as an example, the final judgment is with the public, press, and politicians. Most projects during COVID-19 were killed by the restrictions of their context.
So, Thomas:
Re: "I found that the C-Suite is mostly external, not very interested in projects, to be avoided by the project team, and not supportive"
Actually, that's a great "Road Map" to take their org over a cliff and won into the valley below!
Cheers,
Bill Saving Changes...
PMI Team Member
