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Tag: Stakeholder

PMs and Hockey Players

Written by Andrea Brockmeier on . Posted in Articles. 13 Comments on PMs and Hockey Players

My son’s hockey team won a tournament recently that included a series of hard-fought, well-earned victories.  As the athletes came into the lobby from the locker room, everyone cheered, recognizing each individual contribution.  Another mom made a comment out loud that many of us hockey parents think just about every time we see them come out of the locker room: “They’re so little!”

It’s truly amazing to see 9-year-olds play hockey at the level that this team plays.  They skate on the ice as though they’re dancing on pavement.  They handle a stick with astounding skill.  They move the puck up and down the ice with agility that sometimes takes my breath away. 

It’s not hard to get caught up in this level of play and start cheering, shouting…OK screaming:  “Hustle!”  “Pass!”  “Move your feet!”  They are so good and they make it look so easy.  Fans sitting on the bench start to wonder, “What’s your problem? Shoot the puck!” 

Then after the game they come out of the locker room and you see them as…little boys.  With height not augmented by skates, bodies not donned in pads and equipment, faces not covered by helmets and masks, they’re just the little kids who like Saturday morning cartoons and still sleep with a favorite toy.

If it doesn’t make you feel a bit silly for all the screaming you did, it sure does make you appreciate how good they really are.

Project managers don’t wear pads and helmets while managing projects and we don’t get a locker room from which to exit looking like a humbler version of ourselves to invoke appreciation for what we do.  

We do, however, get senior level folks to sponsor our projects and advocate for what we’re trying to accomplish.  We get access to resources, support to schedule and run meetings, and we may get training to help us do our jobs better.  We get teams of people and the wealth of organizational knowledge about what’s worked and what hasn’t on past projects.  So there may be stakeholders on the sidelines wondering, “What’s your problem? Deliver on time!”

Well, it’s tough out there on the project ice. Even when we get the sponsorship, resources, and skills we need to do our job, stakeholders are conflicted, organizations are in flux, and resources change.  While it may not look that hard from the bench, some days it’s amazing that we get consensus or momentum on anything. 

High expectations for project managers are a good thing.  But sometimes after a hard day, it would be nice to have a locker room where we could take off all the emotional and intellectual equipment we wear to get our job done and emerge for others to get a little different perspective for who we are:  someone just trying to get the project done for the benefit of the organization and everyone in it.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Andrea Brockmeier is the Client Solutions Director for Project Management at Watermark Learning.  Andrea is a PMP® as well as Certified ScrumMaster.  She has 20+ years of experience in project management practice and training. She writes and teaches courses in project management, including PMP® certification, as well as influencing skills. She has long been involved with the PMI® chapter in Minnesota where she was a member of the certification team for over eight years. She has a master’s degree in cultural anthropology and is particularly interested in the impact of social media and new technologies on organizations and projects.

How Should We Set Project Goals?

Written by Lisa Anderson on . Posted in Articles. 17 Comments on How Should We Set Project Goals?

FeatureNov2ndAs the headlines on the Wall Street Journal and business magazines are increasingly concerned about the economy in today’s new normal, businesses are re-thinking their business plans and searching for opportunities to increase profitability and cash flow. In my experience, the ones who will be thriving not only in a typical business environment but also in today’s new normal are the ones that put together plans, translate those plans into business, department, individual and project goals, and then execute effectively. Goal-setting is a vital component of this process. 

So, how should we set goals?  There are several keys to effective goal setting:  1) Tie the goals to the business strategy and plan.  2) The goal must be a stretch yet achievable.  3) The goal must be measurable.

  1. Tie the goals to the business strategy and plan – This sounds obvious; however, in my experience, the two do not necessarily seem to relate, or it is unclear how they relate. Each team, department, individual and project team needs to understand how their goals fit in with the big picture – and their value to the business and their team.

There are very few employees who do not care to contribute to the success of the organization. Most would love to understand how their piece of the pie contributes to bottom line results, and it can provide an incredible source of motivation – vastly better than the approach of “do it or be fired” type messages.

For example, when I worked with a company who had to dramatically reduce costs in order to compensate for the increases in oil and gas prices in order to meet their investment bankers’ objectives (and therefore provide value to their customers who were the real motivation of the employees, since many of their customers were people similar to their grandparents or the ‘little old lady next door’), the key to the successful approach was having understandable goals. The employees were not onboard with seemingly investor-specific goals until the leaders tied the goals to the business strategy and customer needs, explained the whys behind the goals, and aligned the goals with the efforts of the project teams.  Then, suddenly, it was in the best interest of the project team to achieve the goals.

  1. The goal must be a stretch yet achievable – In my experience, I’ve seen many examples of obviously unachievable goals communicated. Unfortunately, as soon as the project team, department or employee receives an unachievable goal, motivation is lost.  Often, even worse, it is replaced by fear, which can be quite distracting to making progress towards the goal. For example, when a project team is concerned about negative consequences, they often redirect focus from achieving the goal to how to avoid possible negative consequences. 

Although preferred to a completely unrealistic goal, a relatively easy goal also falls dramatically short of providing an effective tool in driving business results. This can also become common in organizations that have a fear-based culture because the fear of not achieving the goal is overwhelming that it is tempting to sandbag goals. Unfortunately, an easy goal does not provoke brainstorming or teamwork.

On the other hand, when an achievable yet challenging goal is communicated, it can become the ingredient that brings the team together with a common purpose.  And, many times, it results in increased teamwork and motivation.

  1. The goal must be measureable – At the risk of stating the obvious, if the goal is not measurable, how do you know you achieved it? Many times, people struggle and struggle to try to make every goal measurable with numbers. Don’t sweat it – measurable doesn’t have to correlate to numbers. Although numbers are certainly one easy way to measure progress (such as reducing costs by $2 million dollars), not all goals lend themselves to pure numbers. For example, maintaining quality standards while reducing costs is a critical goal. In some respects, it can be measured with numbers (parts per million); however, customer feedback is just fine as well. Take a step back and think about how to measure goals in a way that makes sense for your business.

Setting goals doesn’t cost money; just time, and yet it can result in a significant return on investment for your business, project team or employee. Why not put some thought into how to set project goals?

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Why You Should Align Your Project and Company Goals

Written by Effie Sismanis on . Posted in Articles. 13 Comments on Why You Should Align Your Project and Company Goals

Each year, as project managers we take courses and read articles and books on how to improve our project management skills: how to track the critical path, influence without authority, tackle bigger scope and bigger budgets, work with remote teams, flush out the ‘right’ requirements, engage the teams we’ll need for success and many other topics. Often, these are great courses and articles with great tips and advice that we use every day to deliver projects assigned to us. One area where PMs aren’t always included—or do not involve themselves in—is the project selection process, that pre-initiation stage where the project is still a concept, someone’s brainstorm or someone’s personal pet project.
Many projects come from the must-do category—legal, compliance, regulatory, contractual (this last one is a big area and for the purposes of this discussion it will be left in the must-do category). But what about the rest of the project requests that are raised? There are infrastructure projects, which some companies define as must-do based on end-of-life criteria, while other companies include them as part of a discretionary project, such as a new product or new functionality. There are software projects—new options, features, products, functionalities—that will improve market share, increase customer experience, provide more features that customers can buy, improve turnaround time for transactions, allow customers to have more self-serve options, cut headcount, improve security, etc. How does a company select which projects will go ahead given the available project hours in a year or term?

Many project managers become involved or are assigned after a project is approved and only focus on the project they’ve been handed; they do not question whether it is the ‘right’ project to be done. However, as a responsible project manager, it is your place—and your responsibility—to at least raise the question of how the project fits in with the company’s goals and strategic direction.

Projects that do not align with the company’s goals—projects done because someone has a personal interest or is focusing only on their own area/department—do not necessarily further company interests. Such projects will not get the proper management support they need to be really successful, they will have over-inflated benefits that look attractive but are not based on realistic data (without these good-looking benefits, they wouldn’t have made it past the selection stage) and they will ultimately fail even if they are successfully installed.

In order to ensure that the project actually benefits the company, PMs should get to know the company short- and long-term goals. Most of these are easily available in the company’s intranet, and some companies want to ensure employees are aware of the goals so they print posters that are posted in company hallways or lunch rooms. If they’re not easily available, ask your manager/director, or the person who assigns you your work. If they don’t know, then the project may not be aligned to the company’s goals.

Go through the goals one by one and work with the sponsor and key stakeholders to identify the ways in which the project does and does not align with each stated goal. If there are aspects that do not align to the goals, spell these out in the Charter. Taking the time to write this out in plan form may save you from issues being raised later in the project. Be as specific as possible; if the company goal is to improve the customer or client experience, state specifically how this project does or does not contribute to this goal. If the company goal is to be a luxury brand or to have a reputation for world-class service, list the ways that this project will help or hurt this perception; again, documenting the negatives as well as the positives may get the sponsor/key stakeholders to reconsider their approach before the project is too far down an odious road. Once you are sure that the project is aligned to the company’s goals, ensure that this is spelled out in the Charter and is signed off by major stakeholders.

Once the information is documented and approved, ensure that the project team understands how this project fits those goals. Use this information throughout the life of the project to help guide decisions, including change requests. It is by no means the only information to be considered, but should be included with other information to make sure that the project doesn’t sway from the intended goal.

Perhaps the company already does this before the project gets the approval to proceed. In this case, the exercise should be very simple to complete and most of the information will already be in the business case. In this situation, once the information is in the Charter, it will be signed off and you can proceed to the next phase of your project.

You may be surprised to find that in projects where this alignment is not considered up front, once you complete the exercise and document the findings, the project may stall as people discuss and possibly reconsider the decision to proceed. Do not view this as a time-waster or think that you are being a troublemaker—a boss or sponsor who interprets this as such probably has other reasons for wanting this project to proceed, reasons that will likely come to light through the exercise. Remember that your goal as a project manager is to deliver the project—not just any project, but the project that will benefit the company. 

When you do the right project, there is engagement at all levels, there is support, and there is also increased attention and monitoring. There is also likely more pressure as this is a strategically important project. Welcome this attention as it will help you to deal with risks more effectively and prevent some risks from becoming issues.

A project that doesn’t align to the company’s goals will not contribute to the company direction—it is a project that will not meet expectations, that will attract only a handful of customers, that will actually pay back in multiple years rather than months, and that doesn’t get the attention of the senior management team when issues arise. It is the type of project we’ve all installed after arduous hours and many challenges that everyone forgets about as soon as the installation is over. This is not the project we enjoy installing—it’s the project we’re all glad is over. And this is not the project we should be doing. 

Ultimately, the decision to proceed comes from the business and leadership team. If they accept that the project does not support or contribute to the company’s goals, then at least it is documented and approved, and can be referred to in later stages if the question “why are we doing this project” is raised. If that happens, you are prepared to hear this question and can prepare for the inevitability that the project will not get the attention to help it proceed smoothly.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Effie Sismanis is a Project Management consultant working in Toronto, Canada. Effie has spent the last 17 years delivering IT projects for the Financial Services & Telecom industries in Canada and internationally. PMP-certified since 2004, Effie started out working in a call center, and appreciates that business knowledge is a key to delivering successful projects. 


Project Management – Why “Good Enough” is Often Enough

Written by Mike Morton on . Posted in Articles. 7 Comments on Project Management – Why “Good Enough” is Often Enough

FeatureAug17thIt’s a phenomenon that I’ve witnessed sufficiently often that the evidence can no longer be termed “anecdotal”.  An organization wishes to improve their project management capabilities – through investments in process, staffing and/or technology they experience some initial successes.  But a few months in to the initiative, momentum and enthusiasm wane and focus shifts resulting in the capability improvement hitting a plateau or even worse back sliding to pre-improvement performance.

There are multiple triggers for this behavior, some of which I’ve covered in previous articles:

  • Lack of effective, committed sponsorship
  • Improvement initiative was not structured, planned or managed like a project
  • Lack of a multi-phase roadmap with SMART business objectives defined for each phase
  • Ineffective change management
  • Shifting priorities cannibalizing resources from improvement efforts

There’s an old saying “Anything worth doing is worth doing well”.  I’ve underlined the initial use of worth because it identifies a probable root cause – project management is considered a hygiene factor by many organizations as opposed to being the source of competitive advantage that associations like PMI have attempted to evangelize. 

For a typical organization, once critical project management issues have been addressed, the change effort involved to achieve a higher level of maturity can’t be justified and focus shifts to other priorities.  Hiring skilled project managers is often viewed as a simpler approach to addressing project predictability challenges.

This behavior tends to be common in industries where competitive pressures are low, service and product prices are high, or they have a captive market.  For example, a few years ago in the legal industry it was difficult to gain buy-in for capability improvement initiatives because most law firms were doing very well in spite of having low project management maturity levels. 

An analogy can be drawn to IT operations management – while there is significant knowledge about methodologies and best practices, most organizations are still choosing to operate at a low level of maturity.

Does this mean you shouldn’t try to champion or launch a PM capability improvement initiative?  No, but you should be realistic about expected outcomes, and focus on developing and implementing changes that will fit the culture of your organization.  “World class” project management capabilities do not make sense for all organizations.  As with any capability improvement initiative, it is crucial to balance the hard and soft costs against expected benefits when defining a target for improvement. 

Avoid gold plating – each change should have a demonstrable connection to a perceived business benefit.  The “engine” of improvement initiatives runs on the “fuel” of success so make sure to track and report all achievements.  And keep “soft-selling” the value of project management.  With persistence, planning and realistic expectations, managing your capability improvement initiative will not feel like a roller coaster ride!

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

How to Determine PMO’s Identity

Written by Abid Mustafa on . Posted in Articles. 14 Comments on How to Determine PMO’s Identity

The establishment of PMOs is a daunting task that requires great wisdom and perseverance. What is of paramount importance for the PMO’s success and longevity is to make the management of executive interests an intrinsic feature of PMOs, while weaving them into the very fabric of the project organization. This implies that the design and construction of the PMO must happen organically, i.e., the structure of the PMO cannot be imposed or rushed, but must develop naturally. However, in practice, there is a strong impulse to simply ‘cut & paste’ PMO solutions. This is often done without a correct understanding of the problems affecting projects and possessing an inaccurate assessment of executive views on role of the PMO. In most cases, PMOs are established based on an arbitrary executive instruction. The purpose of this article is to explore techniques on how to analyze and assess what executives really want from PMOs.

The most important facet in the establishment of the PMO is to clearly recognize what role the executives want the PMO to play. Some conventional approaches rely on questionnaires that ask executives to respond to pre-defined roles for PMOs, i.e., ‘Would you like the PMO to play a supporting or directing role in project management?’ Views captured in this manner are then debated and the majority view is taken to determine the role of the PMO (although sometimes the CEO’s decision is invoked to expedite a conclusion). By taking this approach, discussions are not very productive as they are framed within an artificial and somewhat imposed context that is often disconnected from the current problems of the company. The identity of the PMO that is synthesized from such a process is usually prone to vagueness and diffidence.

To avoid such outcomes, it is important to understand the background of executives and their past interactions with PMOs. The two matrices presented below enable one to accurately identify PMO competencies, map their maturity and accommodate the interests of the CxOs. Figure 1-1 is a simple matrix that highlights the exposure of executives to PMO functions.

Abid11

Figure 1-1 Past Executive interactions with PMOs denoted by ‘x’

In this particular example, the overwhelming PMO experience for many of the executives includes exposure to executive meetings, followed by launch office and business processes activities. Important inferences can be drawn from this information. Both the CCO and COO come from a program delivery background, whereas the CPO (Chief Project Officer) has more of a project/program support background. Hence, this could be a potential source of conflict between executive management. Another point of contention might be the drafting and monitoring of business processes. Utilizing matrices such as this highlight the disposition of CxOs toward PMO functions and can help mitigate sources of conflict.

However, to define a PMO’s identity, it is not sufficient to scrutinize executive experiences with past PMOs. Instead, the CxOs must be encouraged to think about the role of the PMO within the context of their present work environment, which must be related to the execution of initiatives. A second matrix described in figure 1.2 below can be used to illustrate this point.

Abid1

Figure 1-2 Present-day executive requirements for PMO (denoted by ‘x’)

In this example, few executives see the need to align initiatives with the company’s strategy or manage a portfolio; even though this is regarded as vital for ‘doing the right things’ and is normally considered as industry best practice. Rather, the focus for the majority is on program delivery, monitoring operational KPIs and task force work. Hence, a clear conflict of interest awaits the CPO with his or her peers. Oddly enough, there is also no mention of the PMO performing one of its core activities that is the standardization of project methodology, tools and standards, i.e., ‘doing things right.’ Again, a matrix such as this can be used to identify what CxOs would like their PMO to do. It is recommended to use such a matrix after the CxOs have either struggled to deliver a particular initiative (one that involves all of them), or they have repeatedly encountered project/program failure.

So here’s the challenge: how does one make the CxOs cognizant about the importance of PMO’s core competencies, while at the same time, not alienate one’s personal dispositions? This conundrum cannot be resolved by simply taking a majority decision on what the PMO should or should not be doing, as this will prompt some executives to merely pay lip service and withhold their wholehearted support for the more important initiatives.

While there is no one solution, every company is different and the interplay of CxOs varies from organization to organization. Therefore, it is important for the one charged with the responsibility of establishing the PMO to do their utmost to define the PMO competencies and chart their respective evolution, in the best interest of the company. This means that all the interests of the CxOs—no matter how miniscule—must be accommodated. Furthermore, many competencies take a great deal of time to develop and mature. Consequently, the CxOs have to be informed and persuaded about the availability of such competencies. For instance, in figure 1.2, portfolio management, or program delivery, cannot be instigated unless the PMO possesses a sound project methodology. CxOs must be won over on the value of this truth, as opposed to just being told.

In summary, to ‘cut and paste’ PMO solutions, or to convince CxOs about the implementation of best practice PMO methodologies, is a recipe for failure and extremely expensive! Instead, a great deal of time and effort needs to be invested to cultivate the right PMO identity, with continued executive support. Unfortunately, this is an arduous journey and there are no shortcuts on the way.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Abid Mustafa is a seasoned professional with 18 years’ experience in the IT and Telecommunications industry, specializing in enhancing corporate performance through the establishment and operation of executive PMOs and delivering tangible benefits through the management of complex transformation programs and projects. Currently, he is working as a director of corporate programs for a leading telecoms operator in the MENA region.