I’ve spent most of my career deeply involved in technological and organizational transformations, working hand in hand with my clients through challenging transition times. Along the road, I have seen some projects succeed and achieve incredible results, while others have made no significant impact. I will share what I have learned, hoping it can be useful for those who are currently undergoing tech renovations or (just) dreaming about them! "Technology alone is not enough. It's technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that makes our hearts sing." STEVE JOBS (after launching the IPAD). Although digital transformation is sometimes understood as the mere incorporation of digital technologies into an organization, the truth is that it means much more than that. The use of these technologies should allow you to better serve your clients as well as improve your internal processes. Let’s start by making your (internal) Continue Reading
Why good project fail, at least sometimes…
There is a hard reality that everybody has to face. Sometimes our performances are less than stellar, and we are not always destined for success. You can’t always be brilliant! This truism very much applies to project management. Not every project will be successful. A project that is not entirely successful is “challenged”. This is the euphemism for over-budget, behind schedule, or any of several conditions that cause the diligent project manager to shudder. In my next blog, I will discuss all of those factors that help to make projects successful. Success is wrought from motivated project teams, good communications, luck, and a number of other critical factors. In this article, I will focus on those factors that are obstacles to project success and will identify for you the reasons that projects fail. Stakeholder Involvement or Support (lack of) Projects often involve multiple stakeholders. These include staff members, funders, senior management, other organizations, and so Continue Reading
What does formation flying have to do with Agile teams?
Flying just a few feet off of the wings of the pilot in front and to the right of him, this skilled pilot was determined to keep a tight formation. And he was not alone in his efforts and highly honed flying abilities, as every single pilot in his entire squadron was similarly adept at maintaining this tight formation no matter the direction, the weather, or even the specific order in which these aviators organized. The formation would have looked impressive to anyone observing from the ground, but it wasn’t a formation used to impress observers, it was utilized because it worked. By maintaining this flying organization, each member of this flying contingent was able to benefit from the lift created by the pilot off of his wing, to the tune of a 71% improvement in fuel consumption. The exception to this economy of course was for the sole lead pilot, which did not benefit from having a lead aircraft providing a boost of lift. So to account for this, each member of the flying team would Continue Reading
tipping point: the worst manager you ever worked for is… you?
I always enjoy hearing about the early careers of the project managers I meet. In almost every conversation, the subject turns to when they were team members being led by a highly capable senior project manager who provided guidance in starting up, executing and sometimes turning around projects. It’s also not uncommon to hear stories of the worst project manager they ever worked for. These stories, while not as glowing, also influenced their careers around what not to do. By probing a bit deeper, they offered up observations of certain behaviors that created havoc, dissatisfaction and quite often failed projects. From these observations of the worst-ever project manager, I started to put together my own thoughts on who I would select for this inglorious label. After careful consideration, I arrived at the only logical choice: me. In my early years as a project manager I managed to consistently demonstrate all of the behaviors of poor project managers. Here Continue Reading
The End: project closure done correctly
You’ve reached the final stretch! Congratulations is in order – but before the podium, comes the declaration! Everything has an end. Project closure is a time to take stock, assess the successes and failures, and take lessons and learnings that you can transfer to future projects. But so often, this stage of the project is neglected – project managers are already moving onto the next assignment and want to get things wrapped up. In order to achieve a clean project completion, a lot of activities are necessary, which do not happen by themselves, but have to be planned and controlled just like everything else. Project closure is as much a part of the project as any other project phase. As with project start, closing activities must be planned and controlled. In the best case, they are firmly integrated into the project planning. In this phase, the project manager has the last chance to actively influence his project. Anything that comes after this is beyond his power. It can be Continue Reading
Team and conflict resolution: big deal?
When did the term “conflict” get such a bad name? In my work with teams over the last 25 years all around the world, I have never found a high performing team that did not have moments when team members disagreed, debated, or argued. These teams all had a healthy respect for the value of not only having differences of opinions or perspectives, but for having learned how to manage themselves as they worked through the discord or tensions precipitated by their disputes. High performing teams have a high degree of emotional intelligence and recognize that they must go through a process of learning how to first listen to and understand diverging points of view before they can evaluate them and arrive at a converging consensus. I strongly believe that, conflict, rather than being an enemy of collaboration, is, in fact, a necessary requirement for productive and successful collaboration! When conflict is managed well creativity can be enhanced because ideas are more vigorously debated. One Continue Reading
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