My project team has identified change management as a focus for skills development. Do you have any suggestions of change management theories and practices that can be easily explained and implemented by project managers and which are the pitfalls to look out for? Saving Changes...
You are welcome Birgitte. I will write about we did in the organization we are working today When you think in change management process for projects environments do not foget something that is closey related: Project configuration management. The PMI has an standard published but it is not consistent in my personal opinión. So, my recommendation is going for IEEE standards related to change management and configuration management. Both help us a lot to define the related process. To move up one level we use ITIL to define our change mangement process at application and technology levels integrating it with Project change management. When we tried to move one level up (whole organization) then we have to consider other type of things. Mainly because "intangible" things like culture creates a hugh impact at this level. For each movement we use the method I wrote into the paper to understand where we are and what we need to achieve where we define to be tomorrow.
Thank you, Sergio, this is very helpful information. Saving Changes...
Hi Brigitte, Q1: What made the team realize this need? Because of market pressure, stakeholders pressure and requirements or new product... whichever one, I would review each team members roles and responsibilities and discuss with them, new task that might have been added. Follow the 8 steps of change you cannot go wrong.
Pitfalls - keep in mind you have various cultures, ages and genders, office space - having team buildings and then implementing what ever changes happening makes the transition easier to accept.
Face to Face actions shows better results than memorandums, circulations etc..
Hope it helps and good luck.
Hi Amorette, and thank you for your suggestions, which are helpful. To reply to your question: The team is newly formed with members brought together from different parts of the organization, using different methodologies and having very different cultures. Thus we have been working on creating a common way of working for the team, establishing their individual roles, creating a pm career path and looking at the skills of each project manager in the team as part of a competence development journey. When presenting the team with the result of the skills analysis with the gap areas specified and looking at what the team is entasked to do going forward, it was decided to make change management a focus area, giving us both the skills and a common language (methodology). Saving Changes...
Besides looking at methodologies, have you completed a gap assessment? Sometimes having the basic scaffolding could be more significant than getting the team to agree to a common method. For example: is the work correctly authorized? Is the business sponsor participating in oversight and leadership? Was a steering committee installed? Does it have terms of references? Is it cross-functional in nature? Does it meet periodically? Does it support the team and make timely and correct decisions? What kind of tollgate approach is used (above and beyond a change control process)?
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1 reply by Birgitte Sharif
Jun 02, 2017 3:51 AM
Birgitte Sharif
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Thank you for your questions, Oliver. The team has actually accomplished all of the points mentioned before deciding on the focus area. The gap assessment was done both from inside - out and outside - in and a comparison was made between the two in order to have a correct calibration of the skill levels and the relating gap. We reassessed our stage gate model, made the relevant changes and ensures its use in all projects with the relating steering groups, sponsors, etc. There is a good oversight and a leadership that is committed bringing the proper executive attention where appropriate.
Besides looking at methodologies, have you completed a gap assessment? Sometimes having the basic scaffolding could be more significant than getting the team to agree to a common method. For example: is the work correctly authorized? Is the business sponsor participating in oversight and leadership? Was a steering committee installed? Does it have terms of references? Is it cross-functional in nature? Does it meet periodically? Does it support the team and make timely and correct decisions? What kind of tollgate approach is used (above and beyond a change control process)?
Thank you for your questions, Oliver. The team has actually accomplished all of the points mentioned before deciding on the focus area. The gap assessment was done both from inside - out and outside - in and a comparison was made between the two in order to have a correct calibration of the skill levels and the relating gap. We reassessed our stage gate model, made the relevant changes and ensures its use in all projects with the relating steering groups, sponsors, etc. There is a good oversight and a leadership that is committed bringing the proper executive attention where appropriate. Saving Changes...
