Tag: Strategic & Business Management

Winning Leadership Traits for Project Success

Written by Lisa Anderson on June 14, 2016. Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on Winning Leadership Traits for Project Success

No matter the topic of your project, it will be more successful if the project leader utilizes winning leadership traits. As our HR mentor used to say, “It begins and ends with people!”

Therefore, leadership is the name of the game, assuming you want to win the game. In project management, this is even more critical because most project teams are groups of cross-functional resources who do not report to the same line manager. Thus, the project leader has to use influence leadership in addition to command and control leadership. Actually, command and control leadership doesn’t even work long-term for those who are “the top dog”; thus, these traits are even more important to learn.

Although there are countless traits that go into being an effective leader, these are the ones I’ve seen the best leaders across our clients employ:

1. Demonstrates passion

Even the most exciting of topics can become humdrum if the leader doesn’t show passion. Each project team member is typically working outside of their typical routine. Often, the project leader cannot significantly impact the employee’s pay or bonus. Thus, passion becomes even more important. If the leader is excited about the results that can be achieved, each team member is likely to become excited as well.

For example, when I was a VP of Operations and Supply Chain, our CEO was passionate about what we could achieve with new products, reduced costs, new markets and the like. At the time, I was responsible for a cross-functional team in the thick of whether we’d achieve these lofty goals. We had barely avoided bankruptcy and had to work long hours just to keep things going. Without his passion for these topics, it is likely we would have lost motivation as well. We knew there were no bonuses or raises until we got the ship turned around which wouldn’t happen overnight. What kept me from leaving was his passion and excitement about the future – and my contributions to it.

Don’t underestimate the importance of passion.

2. Creates a vision

Although passion is important, it cannot be successful without going hand in hand with the vision. Executives with passion but without vision are just seen as aimless and not worthy of following. Since leaders should forge the way, this trait is rather essential. Create a vision of where you are going and why.

In my last example, the CEO created a vision of being the best provider of incontinence care. Think about what type of diaper you’d want your Grandma to use. One that was absorbent and made her feel better and almost like she wasn’t wearing a pull-up or diaper or a leaky, inexpensive one. At the same time, since it is your Grandma, how much do we want her to pay for this pull-up? Perhaps we should find a way to make it better yet cost less for her. Now we are talking.

3. Focuses on the critical path

When it comes to projects, it is easy to work hard yet not get far. There are always hundreds of tasks that need to be completed. People to appease. How do we accomplish this with a part-time, cross-functional team of people who report to different leaders? Spend the time upfront to put together the project plan so that you can focus the 80/20 of your energy on just the critical path. Instead of wasting time following up on every task, follow up on just those on the critical path. These are the ones that will keep the most important elements going.

For example, in the cross-functional team that had to redesign the incontinence product so that it would perform better while cost less, there were countless tasks involving not only every department but also customers, suppliers and other partners. Since we had a small team (certainly not adding people, following a near escape from bankruptcy), we had to work smarter; not harder. Thus, we focused in on just the critical path. If these tasks didn’t get accomplished, the rest wouldn’t matter. You had to finish or at least make progress on these tasks in order for the next critical path task to be accomplished successfully. When we used extra resources, we focused them on the critical path. If we invested money, we would focus it on the critical path. The rest would have to sink or swim on its own. The bottom line was to focus on priorities.

Since no executive or project team has extra time, money or resources, we must make good use of what we have to ensure success. And, since leadership is the 80/20 of success, it has proven successful to focus in on creating, nurturing and encouraging winning leadership traits in our project managers. Give these a try and let me know how it goes.

3 Keys to a Successful Project Kickoff

Written by Robert B. Sowby on May 24, 2016. Posted in Articles. 3 Comments on 3 Keys to a Successful Project Kickoff

Kickoff sets the tone for the entire project. You need a powerful vision, team, and plan to drive it.

I’ve led or attended dozens of or kickoff meetings, from small internal projects to large multi-year programs. In my experience, regardless of size or setting, the most successful ones focus on a trio of big-picture items: a vision, a team, and a plan.

Project Vision—Why

Inspiring others to act begins with why. During the kickoff meeting, share your vision for the project. Guided by the charter, explain why you’re doing it, why it’s important, and why it aligns with organizational goals.

Related Article: Managing the Kickoff Process

An inspiring vision unifies and motivates the project team to act. Communicate it clearly up front. Steve Jobs said, “If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”

Project Team—Who

Who will fulfill the vision? Team members must work together throughout the project, so they should start off on the right foot. Though informal planning meetings have already occurred, kickoff is an opportunity to formally acquaint everyone. Have members introduce themselves, describe their skills, and explain how they hope to contribute. During the meeting, establish an expectation of collaboration. Encourage participants to share ideas and ask questions. Allow time for networking after the meeting.

Kickoff is the time to discuss everyone’s roles and begin team development. As Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

Project Plan—What, How, When

Now that you know why you’re doing the project and who’s involved, the project plan defines the remaining details. You’ve already developed a charter; now share it with the entire team and get consensus.

The scope is the what—a suite of tasks designed to meet the goals. It specifies the size of the effort, what is and isn’t included, and how tasks are organized. Refer to the charter.

The approach is the how. What processes will we use? What assumptions are we making? How will we make decisions? How will we communicate? Get everyone to agree on how they will complete the work.

The schedule is the when. It specifies deadlines for individual tasks and milestones. A commitment to schedule encourages teamwork and on-time project delivery.

In the words of Alan Lakein, “Planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now.”

Beyond the Kickoff Meeting

While the meeting is the official beginning, kickoff is really more of a process than an event. Revisit the vision, the team, and the plan periodically to maintain the big-picture and promote optimal project performance.

Information Security Project Management

Written by Sean Lowe on May 17, 2016. Posted in Articles. 6 Comments on Information Security Project Management

Certainly no profession is recession-proof, but the abundance of IT and information asset protection needs are creating many opportunities for project managers willing and able to undertake and deliver information security projects.

The worlds of information access and information security are inextricably joined, and as such, data must be readily available and accessible to all who need it, yet its confidentiality and integrity simultaneously maintained. As project managers, we have all managed technical change, but the current pace of technological advancements, coupled with an influx of increasingly sophisticated security threats and attacks, as well as the need to comply with a myriad of privacy laws and security protection standards, all but guarantee heightened interaction and benefits to partnering with our local information security group.

Who are these security folks and how do they operate? Simply stated, the role of information security is to balance risk and value toward enablement of the business. Security practitioners understand and communicate risks and provide solutions within the context of business value-creation. Solutions are chosen that reduce risk, and may include any number of security initiatives such as: creating isolated networks to protect critical data, installing intrusion prevention devices, logging and monitoring security events, or achieving compliance with security standards.

Related Article: Diffusing Organizational Risk

Information security groups also exist to provide education and awareness regarding company security policies and procedures while performing real-time threat monitoring and remediation.

Here are four critical areas to focus on and remember when assigned your next Information Security Project:

1. Secure executive sponsorship and formal backing. Executive leadership must be onboard with, scope, objectives, and strategic fit

Involvement and backing from the CSO or senior security leadership as well as the publicized alignment with strategic company initiatives demonstrate to users at large that the project or security initiative is not simply another “nice to have.” This is also particularly important because your project may require folks to participate in security training or to complete a security specific task. In many cases, having ongoing senior leadership support and backing will be your saving grace.

Executive leadership on information security projects is particularly important because the company’s competitive advantage is based largely on ensuring that critical data is protected and accessible. Once leadership acknowledges and embraces this, these projects are no longer viewed as straight costs, but investments in creating and enabling trusted, manageable and scalable information protection and access. While you have the Sponsor’s attention, ask for insight into the overall IT security plan (or strategy). This will provide additional clarification and focus as to the role your project plays in the grand scheme. Also, take this opportunity to learn what you can regarding key resources assigned to your project.

2. Know your Security solution(s)

Researching the security solution to be implemented will not only provide the context necessary for a deeper understanding of matters at hand but demonstrate to your team and stakeholders that you’re invested and success-minded. This diligence should also extend to any contractual agreements and internal working agreements. Without this knowledge, you may face trust issues with the client, as well as an increased lag in overall resolution as they will expect the project manager to be able to handle most issues and questions. Deeper functional understanding may also provide insights into associated operational security projects. To be effective, IT security must be operationalized, and the very best way to get there is through integrated and well-managed projects.

3. Establish a common Risk Management approach

The generally accepted information security approach to risk varies slightly from the standard project management approach. While specific risk events, their probability, and associated impact ring true to project managers, security practitioners tend to think in terms of threats and the possibility of these being exploited to expose particular vulnerabilities. With this method, business assets are typically assigned a value, in order that the threat, and vulnerability, if exposed, can be quantified. Given the slightly different approach to risk management, it will be beneficial to meet as close to project inception as possible to develop a common approach to identifying, documenting, and managing overall risk. This will establish a solid foundation for the often semi-uncomfortable risk discussions and pave the road for necessary assignments and follow-ons.

4. Know your Project Team, Vendors, and Subcontractors

Never underestimate the importance of collaborative planning and communication. The closer the team, the more productive the collaboration and communication can be. Attempt a one-on–one meeting with each team member, vendor or sub-contractor in advance to discuss their role, specific areas of expertise and to air out questions and concerns in a non-threatening environment. This will pave the road for knowledge and experience sharing going forward. During the kickoff meeting, encourage open discussion of individual roles and input items to clarify further each party’s interests in and commitment to the project.

Solid executive backing, knowledge of the solution(s) under consideration, a common and agreed upon risk approach and knowledge of team and vendor relationships will greatly increase the chances of your next information security project being a smashing success.

This is Change: Compassion, Losses, and Gains

Written by Gregg Brown, M.Sc, CTDP, PMP on April 27, 2016. Posted in Articles. 11 Comments on This is Change: Compassion, Losses, and Gains

First off, as business analysts and project managers, I believe you are all leaders regardless of your job title, so keep that in mind as your read through this article.

When leaders, such as you, are confronted with executing change in the workplace, you are frequently looking at a difficult task. Staff can get confused, angry, distracted, stressed-out or afraid for their jobs, all of which can bring about decreased performance and lowered morale. How can a leader effectively actualize change while still maintaining employee productivity and motivation?

In order to re-establish productivity, balance, and profitability, leaders require a specific strategy. Supporting people through change must include techniques along with practical tools that a leader can apply to present or future changes in their workplace.

So, how can you assist workers during change, particularly when you can’t slow down, stop what’s going on, or give them a chance to get settled at their own pace?

Here are some important approaches to support your colleagues through change:

COMPASSION

Yes, compassion! I know it sounds weird at work but stay with me. To start with, remember your own reaction when you first heard about the change and were seeking answers concerning the change. If the change impacted you positively, you might have accepted the change – yet most likely you still would’ve experienced some uncertainty.

If you perceived the change as negative, you may have been anxious, angry, or confused and experienced a range of other emotions your colleagues are currently encountering. It’s easy to forget that not everyone has had the time you had to understand the change. You are often discussing the change with your colleagues a couple of days, weeks or months after you first heard it AND after you’ve dealt with the change yourself. They may be hearing it for the first time.

When you’re planning to talk with your co-workers about a change, recalling your initial response can help you be more understanding of their challenges with the change, and to put proper avenues in place to help them adapt to the change. If appropriate, tell them your experiences and remember – not everyone has had the time you have, to process this change.

BE HONEST WITH WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOSING

Before you discuss the change with your colleagues, consider what will specifically change. What would your colleagues say they must relinquish doing, having or saying? For instance, when you are developing a new process, your co-workers may need to stop simply planning with a couple individuals, or thinking only about their part of the organization. If the new approach is designed to be more strategic and integrated, people will need to build new relationships and learn about other business units. People will have to step out of their comfort zone – the place that is easy and natural to be in. But for most people, when they need to change their behaviour, it’s hard; you have to give up something. It could be time, productivity, relationships or any other issue. When you understand this, it will make it simpler for you as the change agent to be more patient – and just as importantly, to facilitate that discussion.

WHATS NEW?

It’s likewise helpful to consider what’s new. What do your colleagues need to start doing that they have not done before? For instance, some changes may be procedural: incorporating new stakeholders in a planning meeting. Other changes may require additional skill development or new ways of thinking. If part of a new process includes how that process is going to influence and be used by the entire organization, they may have to learn new skills of collaborative negotiation, influence and strategic thinking to be effective in implementing the change. This doesn’t happen overnight. All of us require time to adapt to the change. Be specific about what will be new. What do you want people to think, feel, behave and do following the change. If you can’t see the end result– no one can!

Join Gregg at Project World * BA World – Toronto – May 9-12, 2016 where he will be a keynote speaker – Building Leadership Resilience: 5 Strategies for Business Analysts & Project Managers to Increase Their Effectiveness During Change

4 Signs Your Project is in Trouble

Written by Shane Vaz on April 20, 2016. Posted in Articles. 9 Comments on 4 Signs Your Project is in Trouble

In my experience, there are warning signs that a project may be going in the wrong direction. Below are some signs that indicate your project may be in trouble. I have found that these are not as obvious as time, cost and quality delays but have been useful to me in foreseeing when a project may be heading for problems.

1. You spend your time fighting fires

Most project leaders engage in resolving problems when they arise, but if you are spending time constantly battling problems and trying to find solutions, it going to impact your project. It shifts your focus away from the important tasks at hand.

As a project leader, it is important to maintain focus on the road ahead so that you can anticipate problems. Not having to constantly resolve issues is the key to getting ahead of any problems.

A productive way to for me to manage this is through constantly reviewing and refining the Risk and Issues log. This way if any issues do materialize they would have had visibility ahead of time and a possible resolution or mitigation available.

2. Stakeholders always delayed in providing signoff

Do you find your stakeholders have to be constantly chased for signoffs or approvals? This can be a sign that your stakeholders are not as engaged in the project as they should be.

The easiest way to make sure stakeholders provide signoff on time is by keeping them involved in the project throughout. The simplest way to do this is via regular status updates or meetings.

Generally, most stakeholders do not like meetings so they might be unlikely to show up. To resolve this, I normally reduce the length of the meeting or reduce its frequency. I have found that by having meetings at distributed intervals when signoffs will be required is the easiest way to make sure stakeholders are prepared for what is coming and what is expected from them.

3. Team members continuously billing longer hours to your project

Project teams will no doubt be required to spend longer hours during key phases of the project. If you, as project leader, are noticing a constant pattern of overtime hours being worked, it is time to question why is this happening.

Is the team facing challenges that are too difficult for the skills at hand? Are there distractions that are stopping the team from completing the tasks within the agreed time? These may be signs that the project is more demanding than previously expected and may result in the team getting burnt out. I have found that when this starts to happen, the best thing to do is to revisit the project plan or resource plan and make sure what is forecasted is accurate. Any learnings from a previous development should be integrated into the forecasting.

4. You spend more time attending change control meetings than you do stand-ups

Change is inevitable in a project, especially if the duration of a project is considerable. If you find you have to attend change control meetings frequently to put changes forward for acceptance to the change control board, then it is time to put the brakes on the project to review the cause of the changes and the effect on the project time, resources, and budget.

I have found that in the past as stakeholders request more and more changes, the best thing for me to do as the project leader is to slow down the project and dedicate time and resources to reviewing the design of the project to reduce any additional changes. It is never useful to stop completely the phase the project is in unless absolutely necessary. Completely stopping a project will only draw negative attention. It is wiser to slow down and dedicate resources and time to re-evaluating the reason for the changes.

As a project leader, it is time to re-evaluate the project and direction it is heading when you notice the above signs. Only then can you forecast and plan for potential issues and consequences.