Certainty or innovation - what will your stakeholders opt for?

Despite having all the right badges and certificates for methodologies, and despite producing (at least) my fair share of PIDs, PDDs, Communication Strategies etc. etc. I remain unconvinced that they will ever lead to innovation and excellence.

This "project bureaucracy" leads stakeholders to expect - and demand - certainty, which roughly translates as "safe". Nothing great was ever achieved by taking the safe route, and it almost invariably leads to disappointment because certainty cannot be guaranteed on day 1.

We've all heard the cliches - "A project plan is only 100% accurate the day after the project completes" and "Projects never go over budget, they are under-estimated in the first place".

I have seen too many times organisations where the primary outputs of a project are the governance artefacts; woe betide anyone who is late updating the RAID Log - it's far more important than making sure the REAL project products are the best they can be.

Similarly, some organisations, most notably public sector ones, who tend to be the most risk averse, hide behind governance as an excuse when projects fail; how often have you seen a civil servant bemoaning (yet another) large failed project by saying "We followed all the processes and procedures..."?

Yes, I'm sure their governance documentation is a joy to behold but it won't cut much mustard with taxpayers who just wanted a good [insert whatever you like here... health records system, passport system, border control mechanism - you get the idea]

I think this is why I am more and more drawn to agile development. Project bureaucracy leads almost inevitably into a waterfall development, where each "gate" provides certainty before the project moves on to the next phase.

Real life isn't like that. The average person, faced with, say, a project to landscape a garden with the help of some friends doesn't create a set-in-stone project plan including quality reviews and reports to their spouse. They choose a bit to tackle, complete it and move on to the next bit until the garden is complete.

You can almost picture them standing at the edge of the garden on the first weekend saying "Let's tackle x first" (Hmm - sounds a bit like a sprint plan to me) then on day two discussing where they got to and what's next (scrum, anyone?).

When I picture this, I also picture a group of people self-organising and working as a team. No bureaucracy, no over-burdening control but plenty of ambition, fun and progress.

OK, people making the financial investment need some kind of reassurance that they will receive value for money, but this does not mean they need a library's-worth of governance documentation generating.

Far better to keep them informed along the way. Prototype, demonstrate, inform, but above all, be inspired.

Socialising the Workplace

As an interim for many years now, I often find myself at a client’s site frustrated because the software they provide does not measure up to the software I use at home. The reason I am so enthusiastic about the power of IT is because it has the potential to dramatically improve the efficiency of an organisation or an individual.

I invest in software that makes me – I believe - very efficient, often automating tasks that would otherwise be time-consuming. It also improves the way I store and display data, e.g. programme plans, brainstorming and contact management, so I don’t “lose stuff” and I know what conversations I’ve had with whom a year or more ago and I can track agents’ performances over time.

The quantum shift in easily accessible software with the advent of mobile apps and the emergence of social networking sites is likely to cause similar frustration amongst people far younger than I am as they enter the workplace. Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and others change the face of communication. Text messaging and video calling on smart phones similarly alter the way people communicate.

All this creates a huge shock to the system for new people entering the office only to find they have to communicate via email or book a room to hold meetings. In their social lives they have probably been announcing parties/plans/events etc. to their friends via Facebook for years, and suddenly, when they are supposedly in a professional environment, life slows to snail’s pace.

I’m not suggesting of course that business is conducted via Facebook, but I do believe that businesses must embrace socialising technology. That is to say central repositories for programme documentation, bulletin boards, instant messaging and wikis for faster, more efficient communication.

When I entered the workplace – just after the company archived the abacus – a quality review involved booking a meeting room, finding a convenient time for everyone, meeting to discuss the document, making the changes after the meeting and then literally walking the document around the office to confirm to people that the agreed changes had been made. How much better now to use software to store the document where everyone involved can access it and make comments. Furthermore, it will be subject to version control so the history of changes is easily tracked. We used to call that “Configuration management” and employ someone just for that!

With efficient systems, no-one is in any doubt which document is the current version and discussions are open for all to see.

This has implications for programme management of course. Security of the documentation must be paramount, and user access should be allocated judiciously. Perhaps more important than these mechanics is the implication for programme morale. I believe this programme socialising generates far more of a team ethos. Stakeholders aren’t limited to weekly – or even monthly – updates and any problems aired have the potential to be answered quicker because the whole team is aware there is an issue.

This more collaborative way of working should lead to greater motivation, more transparency and a greater degree of trust. It just needs managers to update their thinking and embrace what’s new – arguably the very reason they came into IT in the first place.

I’d like to hear your views and experiences; is your workplace socialised? Are a wiki and instant messaging cutting edge for you, or business as usual? Perhaps they are yesterday’s news and you are far more sophisticated?

Steve Syder RPP, FAPM is a freelance programme manager and RPP Assessor based in London. His web site is www.stevesyder.com

Things looking up?

A new year and a  new search for a fresh assignment.

Early signs are that the market for interim programme managers is improving. The job boards seem fairly busy and agents are calling.

My fingers are crossed for something interesting to come along soon.

Quiet Time

After a really hectic year on two different assignments with virtually no time off I'm now enjoying a break.

Playing a lot of golf (and improving!), doing those jobs that always seem to be ignored when you're working and catching up with old friends.

I've let it be known that I'm looking for a new assignment for the New Year, but I don't expect much to happen in the market now until January.

Programme Management for the 21st Century

RPP Assessors' Training Day

Spent a good day yesterday at the APM's RPP Assessors' training day.

It's great to see how committed to the standard everybody is.

RPP (Registered Project Professional) is also being well supported by more and more organisations, and in time it's likely to become the first thing employers look for when recruiting Programme/Project Managers. One or two corporates have already declared that it will be compulsory when they recruit in future.

The verification process that has been added to the assessment process should ensure that all candidates receive a consistent evaluation, and in time all assessors will achieve a common view of what constitutes a successful application.

Once APM achieves Chartered status for this denomination the slow burn of applications we are seeing at present will become a raging fire!

I'm really pleased to have been part of it right from the start.

Busy Times!

I'm typing this using my iPad on a train, which is where I seem to do a lot of my work these days. 


The programme I am directing has run into serious difficulties, which is why I was brought in, and we are in the middle of completely revising our approach to the work and new timelines. The end client, with the potential to become my client's biggest customer, is understandably disillusioned and will take a lot of convincing that the programme can be turned round, but the delivery teais so committed that I am confident it can.


Today is a visit to one of the end client's sites to give them the opportunity to express their misgivings and for me to tell the what we are doing to turn the programme round.


One other thing going in our favour is that the end client continues to behave collaboratively and genuinely wants to help us succeed. Yesterday was a full day's workshop with 30 representatives of all areas of the delivery team, and it went very well; strong commitment from everyone present and some real insights into what we can do to turn things round. I've several more workshops of a similar nature, often including the end client, over the next week or two before we present a revised proposal to the board.


Lots of travelling, hard work and lots of mental stimulation - I'm loving it!

Two weeks with the Mac

Well, everyone who uses a Mac raved about them, so I decided to join them and see what the fuss ia about.

I bought an Apple MacBook Pro - the 13" for portability - and upgraded it to 8Gb of RAM and a 128Gb solid state hard drive. It flies like the wind!

The build quality is superb; far better than any PC I've ever owned.

I've deliberately opted to avoid using a Windows parallel system, and I've resisted the temptation to use Office for Mac.

I find that Apple Mail suits my email purposes just fine, and in place of Business Contacts Manager for Outlook I've bought Daylite, which is a very impressive CRM package for Mac, and it integrates perfectly with Apple Mail.

Instead of Office, I've installed NeoOffice (don't even get me started on how superb the Mac is for installing and uninstalling programs!) and it's great! It will open all my Word, Excel and PowerPoint files and contains all the functionality I need without the bloatedness of its Microsoft counterpart. It's also free, although you can make a donation, which seems only fair.

The only concession I've had to make in switching to a Mac is the loss of the ability to take handwritten notes as I did on my tablet. The input pen I bought to use with the Mac was very unimpressive. To get round that, I'm going to buy an iPad 2 to take notes on and integrate them with the MacBook.

All things considered I'm delighted I made the switch. The Mac boots up in 14 seconds, does what it's supposed to do - very  quickly - backs itself up to an external drive every hour without my even noticing, never crashes, needs no anti-virus software and defrags itself instantly every time I write to disc.

Am I smug? You bet I am!

Meanwhile, on the work front, it continues to be a fascinating environment to work in. It's the first time I've been involved in a brand new outsourcing site, and the amount of storming and forming has to be seen to be believed. Both sides of the equation are feeling their way. There are misunderstandings and dissatisfaction on both sides but people are doing their best to make it work.

Add to that the large offshore element of the work, and the fact that half a dozen companies are involved, and the whole thing is very challenging. At least there's never a dull moment. And of course, I get to come home to my Mac!

Adding Project Management Value

I heard yesterday about an excellent manager who has fallen victim to the public sector cuts. I'm sure he won't be the only one, and anyone who thinks the cuts are an opportunity merely to discard the deadwood is sadly mistaken.

Don't think for a minute it couldn't happen to you.

Now more than ever it's essential for project and programme managers to demonstrate that they add value for organisations.

It's not enough to merely maintain marvellous governance documentation. Documentation and methodologies are only enablers to help deliver programmes and projects effectively.

Project professionals need to be able to show their worth by bringing projects in on time - or sooner - and on budget - or below it! They should also always be looking for ways to cut project spend without compromising quality. In austere times especially, organisations often want to see "Good enough" for purpose, not all-singing, all dancing deliverables that cost the Earth.

Striving to identify ways in which your project can reduce your customer's operational costs is also something good project professionals do as a matter of course.

There will always be sceptics out there who believe project management is an unnecessary overhead. We know they're wrong, but we have to demonstrate it in our behaviours.

My contract at IBM is in a highly competitive market and there is always tremendous pressure to drive down costs without compromising quality for the end client.

Similarly, I'm currently helping with the next edition of the APM's BoK as well as being an assessor for the new project professional standard, due to launch in March 2011. I'm sure the quest for value for money will loom large in both activities.

Make sure that your customers recognise that you add value to their organisations to strengthen your position in these difficult times.

A good start to 2011

IBM has just asked me to manage a second programme for them at Legal & General and offered me a six-months extension to my contract with a rate increase.

All of this is really good. There are some really professional people at IBM, not least many of those who transferred over from L&G back in October, and there are some interesting challenges ahead, both in terms of the programmes I'm looking after and in helping to integrate transferred staff into IBM.

It's a new world for me because I'm far more involved in infrastructure than I ever have been before, and it's a long while since I worked at an insurance company, so it's all good personal development stuff as well.

Between this and the work I'm doing for the APM on the professional standard I ought to have a satisfying time in 2011.

Never underestimate the importance of Stakeholder Engagement

I've always considered stakeholder engagement to be one of the primary skills I bring to the table on any assignment, which was why I volunteered to write the Stakeholder Management section of the upcoming revision of the Association for Project Management's Body of Knowledge.

Stakeholder engagement loomed large on each of the programme rescue assignments I undertook over the last five years, and it's playing a large part in my current role.

People are newly TUPE'd over to a new organisation, and so are understandably nervous and concerned for their futures, even though their futures can be very rosy in the new organisation if they embrace it.

The retained staff too are inevitably struggling to come to terms with the changes. There are new processes for them to learn, they can no longer "call in favours" from colleagues to cut the bureaucratic corners because those colleagues now need a Purchase Order, and some of the retained staff feel that the new outsourcing arrangement is a judgement on their past performance.

Add to the mix the fact that this is quite a political working environment and you can see why careful stakeholder engagement is so important.

Fortunately, I have an excellent programme sponsor, so, whilst my stakeholder engagement skills have brought most people on board with the new proposals, the sponsor's experience in dealing with one or two stragglers has been invaluable.

I'm always careful to remember that:

1. People must be won over
2. Logic alone won't do it
3. Neither will adhering slavishly to a methodology
4. Often the most sceptical once won over become the most evangelical.

Have a good day and keep that "Can do" attitude!

http://www.stevesyder.com

The Power of the Internet

The internet seems to be an integral part of most people's lives these days. I know that I and most of my friends, family and colleagues are connected to it most of the day.

This gives the worldwide web great power, and sometimes I wonder if that is necessarily a good thing.

My wife and I went away for a golfing weekend last weekend. We booked it through our usual golf trip arranger, so we were confident it would be OK. I then did a bit of research about the hotel at the golf course, and, much to my dismay, I found one very damning review.

The writer clearly felt very strongly, as she had written a very long review, listing a whole catalogue of things wrong with the hotel, not least the lack of hygiene.

In counterbalance to that review, I read many that praised the hotel, its staff, the food etcetera, but needless to say, we arrived at the place somewhat concerned about what we would find.

We need not have worried. It was, as one reviewer said, a place of "faded grandeur", but the cleanliness, size of the rooms and quality of the facilities was absolutely fine.

More than absolutely fine was the service given by every single member of the staff, who were very impressive.

The food was a little mixed, dinner and lunch being very good while breakfast was less impressive.

The only point of agreement I found with the damning review was the poor quality of the mattress, and we were assured that is due for replacement.

So it just goes to show - one damning review could spread like wildfire and damage that hotel for years to come, and yet we had a great weekend.

It takes a long time to build up a good reputation but only moments to build up a bad one. Never was that saying more true than in these internet days.

Association for Project Management

Another good day with the APM last Friday - a feedback session for all those involved in the work we've been doing lately.

Everyone was very positive and things are moving forward at a good pace.

I'm hoping to be involved with the rewrite of the Body of Knowledge, and I should hear about that next month.

I enjoy my work with the APM; everyone is so professional and committed. I'm really looking forward to our project going public towards the end of this year.

Programme Management cf Project Management

(with apologies for the spelling of "Program"!)

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/4751.html

Four Ways Social Networking Can Help Build a Business

Four Ways Social Networking Can Help Build a Business:

http://www.bnet.com/2403-13070_23-219914.html

Good Day

Yesterday felt like a really productive day, helping the APM.

I collaborated with some very professional people, and it's good to feel that we are giving something back to programme and project management.

The work is fairly hush-hush at the moment, and I'm frustrated that I can't say more, but when the news is made public it will be very exciting.

For now, I'm back to the mundane, looking for a new programme management assignment, but at least I'm out tonight with wife, son and his girlfriend so I'm looking forward to that.

Stuttering Job Market

I'm seeing some improvements in the job market for interims.

The financial services sector has been busy for some time and now other areas of the economy are waking up to the fact that they cannot stagnate because times are hard.

I expect to see some areas of the public sector become more buoyant as the extent of Government intentions becomes clearer, whilst other areas, of course, will retrench.

One area that will come on strong will be online gaming

PWC recently forecast that annual gambling revenue will top US$155 billion by 2012 and a survey conducted by TNS and Gamesindustry.com estimated that there are 13.3 million Britons playing on various games portals, spending £280m on online games and £170m on mobile games last year.

I believe that more and more of that will be generated by online gaming as governments, strapped for cash, realise that, by softening their stance to online gambling they can generate massive new tax revenues.

This will inevitably benefit interims and freelancers as companies scale up their development operations. Bring on those better times!

MSP Advanced Practitioner Exam

I'm sitting the MSP Advanced Practitioner Re-registration Exam today.

It doesn't seem like five years since I first attained the qualification, but in these hard times I think it's important to keep your core qualifications current.

The public sector in particular insists on freelance programme managers being MSP qualified, and it's also a useful addition to my Continuing Professional Development Log to maintain my standing within the Association for Project Managers (APM).

I'm confident the exam will go well; I've used MSP in practice solidly since before I qualified, so if I don't know about it by now I never will!