Thomas CooperPMP, CSPO| State of Tennessee Department of Health Care Finance and Adminstration PMONashville, Tn, United States
The cultural behavior of my organization is the legacy of a municipal management structure. The State has tried to shake up this system with pay for performance compensation structures and there are some positive developments. Change is slow and the ideology remains vertical with roles and communications lines firmly defined in org groups.
How does a functioning PM introduce the role of the flexible project manager without threatening the functioning groups? Saving Changes...
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Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
No problem with that. Because project management is about to integrate all needed functions to achieve the project objectives. I worked for the goverment too. As in other type of things, no pain no gain. Remember to every stakeholder the pain to make things in deintegrated form. Saving Changes...
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
The role of functional manager is to coordinate with the PM the allocation of project resources. PM soft skills are essential to ensure that neither the functional manager nor the resource/s feel neglected or overruled. Saving Changes...
Scott SaleProgram Manager| KindredLouisville, Ky, United States
My previous experience has taught me this is a slow process if you are internal employee. The key is to be a "change agent" for the PM process and finding the right Sponsor for the process to help you drive the change is key. Having developed a PMO for Government and what we will call a "legacy" company you will have to work through and overcome the 4 areas below.
- Bureaucracy - Control - Autonomy - Leadership
The variance of influence will depend on your reporting structure and this will give you the rate of speed of change. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
A lot of the knowledge areas would already be handled by specific organizational function. You should focus on those areas that are net new and, thus, add value. Integration and stakeholder management are good example. If Finance doesn't already do risk management, you can also add that one.
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1 reply by Thomas Cooper
Aug 01, 2016 11:41 AM
Thomas Cooper
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Stephane,
Thank you for insight. I am currently developing our risk reporting for a new vendor relationship. The opportunity is ripe.
Tom
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Thomas CooperPMP, CSPO| State of Tennessee Department of Health Care Finance and Adminstration PMONashville, Tn, United States
Aug 01, 2016 9:21 AM
Replying to Stéphane Parent
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A lot of the knowledge areas would already be handled by specific organizational function. You should focus on those areas that are net new and, thus, add value. Integration and stakeholder management are good example. If Finance doesn't already do risk management, you can also add that one.
Stephane,
Thank you for insight. I am currently developing our risk reporting for a new vendor relationship. The opportunity is ripe.
Tom Saving Changes...
VENKATARAJ C KODANDARAMUSAP Digital Transformation Logistics Lead| NTT DATA Inc, USAChintamani, Karnataka, India
In my experience is: In a Functional Organization,there is a significantly high misconception : a Project Manager also must play a role of Process Owner and hence expectation somehow bottoms down that PM's must act as a strong Change Managers/Agent within that functional organization :-) Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
As professionals, Venkataraj, we must not only deliver on the project but also act as process/change catalysts. Saving Changes...
VENKATARAJ C KODANDARAMUSAP Digital Transformation Logistics Lead| NTT DATA Inc, USAChintamani, Karnataka, India
I fully agree with you Stephane, but for me it looks like there is a difference between acting as change/process catalysts and precisely process owners ! Saving Changes...
Hi Venkataraj, yes there is a difference- one is managing projects while the other is leading them, sometimes they are the same person, but not always! Looking at the original question, I would also investigate further the "pay for performance compensation structures", to see if the project can be shaped to help people achieve their targets for those, doing that does very much increase stakeholder enthusiasm. Saving Changes...
Thomas CooperPMP, CSPO| State of Tennessee Department of Health Care Finance and Adminstration PMONashville, Tn, United States
Great contributions! I think the delicateness of the role is high in functional organizations. The challenge is to be a 'non threatening' change catalyst and willing project owner. Each organization is unique. The size of the functional group is also a big factor in the challenge. Saving Changes...
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