Discover viewpoints, insights, and practices about why, what, and how to achieve more from project based work—a search for excellence. Reflect upon and gather lessons learned from experienced practitioners. First, understand and optimize the working environment; second, traverse the path where a project office leads a change management process; and third, develop leadership in project sponsorship. Assess your current environment; compare that with an ideal environment; then share examples, actions, and improved practices about how to bridge the gap. Identify concepts that support rather than undermine project management as an organizational competency. Create a “green,” rather than “toxic,” environment that appreciates the value of project management. Get expert feedback and experience how to adopt, adapt, and apply leading practices that transform your approach and effectiveness, no matter where you work. Participants receive a copy of the book, Creating an Environment for Successful Projects.
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) areas covered: Integration Management, Quality Management, Human Resource Management, and Communications Management.
Who should attend?
Advanced project managers, managers of project managers, project sponsors, and executives who want to breakthrough a current performance plateau and achieve greater results. Those who ask “What can I do differently?” or “What am I missing?”
What will my seminar experience cover?
Introduction:
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Introduction of ideal environment, premises, seminar approach, facilitators, and participants
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Review seminar outline, learning objectives, and desired outcomes
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Define excellence in project management
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Learning outcome: calibrate expectations
Optimize the environment for project work:
Group work:
participants complete the Environmental Assessment Survey Instrument (EASI); compare individual “highs” and “lows” or current realities with other participants and share best practices. Report recommendations back to large group.
Learning outcomes:
capture data; assess each participant’s organizational environment and compare to others
Discuss the Revitalization model of organizational change
Learning outcome: establish a model for understanding natural organizational flows (e.g. exit, voice, or loyalty) as a base for approaching organizational change; identify skills to voice with power
Focus on adding value and alignment, from strategy through to execution
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Identify management roles and approaches to leadership in a PBO
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Project support by upper managers
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Develop core teams
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Reward desired behaviors
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Clarify control or results: exercise
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Implement project management information systems
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Select and develop project managers: exercise
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Create a learning organization
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Learning outcomes: examine current practices; compare with a more desirable approach; recognize management behavior most important for project success; share practices to operate differently
Lead the change process to support a project-based organization:
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Identify steps in a proven path to lead organizational change, ranging from a Project Office of One (POO) to a Strategic Project Office (SPO)
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Project Office: functions, proposing, selling, & template
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Learning outcomes: describe a project-friendly organization; identify steps in a change management process; design components of a project office; relate concepts to successful implementations
Strategic emphasis for projects:
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Apply concepts and methods for choosing projects that support implementation of organizational strategy
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Group discussion: model and simulate hierarchical approach to project selection. Individually complete a criteria/prioritization matrix, share examples, and answer questions
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Case study
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Learning outcomes: draw a model for linking projects to strategy and describe the interactions of the components; simulate a process for selecting criteria and prioritizing projects
Develop leadership in project sponsorship:
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Identify factors for implementing excellence in project management: organic organization, strategic management, balanced scorecard, project sponsorship
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Recognize steps leading to achieving management commitment for project success: proactive, roles, behaviors, rewardsDirect efforts to improve organzational culture
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Learning outcomes: demonstrate authenticity and integrity; plan for sponsor development; determine structure, efforts and metrics that support goals
Outline most import success factors to implement in your organization:
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Begin cycle of knowledge creation
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Identify tools for managers
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Plan for evolving PM culture
Discussion groups:
discuss means to get upper management action on these factors, e.g. force field analysis of factors driving and restraining transformation
Action plan:
describe at least one factor to change in each participant’s environment; each person report highlights
Summarize
Learning outcomes: reflect on ideas discussed during the seminar; develop plan to increase management support for projects; and begin the process for participants to adopt, adapt, and apply concepts to their own environments
Reference Book: Seminar includes the book, “Creating an Environment for Successful Projects” by Robert J. Graham and Randall L. Englund.
How will I benefit?
Develop and enhance the contributions you make to your organization by learning to:
1. Identify most relevant components of successful organizational environments.
2. Assess each participant’s project environment and compare it to others.
3. Describe steps in a revitalization model.
4. Develop a model and prioritization process for linking projects to strategy.
5. Identify management behavior that supports successful projects.
6. Apply tenets of a learning, organic organization.
7. Begin the transformational process(es) to more fully support a project-based organization.
8. Apply leadership to achieve excellence through project management.
9. Graph forces that drive or restrain progress.
10.Create tailored action plans.
What instructional materials will be used?
Lecture, discussion, assessment, group work, multimedia audiovisuals (animation, video and sound clips) to demonstrate concepts and models, case studies from personal experiences, breakout discussion groups and continuous question-answer.
