measuring and managing the human aspect of project management

Measuring and Managing the Human Aspect of Project ManagementJared D. Lock, Ph.D., Co-Founder

Convergent, LLC

Jared D. Lock -- At A Glance

• Licensed Industrial/Organizational Psychologist

• 20 Years of practical experience • Co-Founder of Convergent, LLC• Director of international test publisher• 5 years management consulting• 2 years internally for Fortune 50

• Conducted over 120 Project / Change Management Initiatives• New directions• People side of the business

• 60 book chapters and papers and 80 presentations to professional community• ACHE, Healthcare Roundtable, APA, SIOP,

Health Administration Press, Career Journal

MISSION

Driving

organizational

change through

business value

alignment in an

easy-to-do business

manner

2

Convergent – At A Glance• Convergent, LLC is a partnership aiming to combine

thought leaders from organizational psychology, business, and IT to help organizations with all aspects of their business processes by:

• Creating accurate and focused strategies,

• Predicting and then harnessing the people power in a unified direction, and

• Incisively measuring results with quick feedback loops.

Presentation ObjectivesProfessionally•Understand the paradigm shift occurring in Project Management

•Quickly and easily define culture using a 2x2 Matrix

•Plan future activities with this newfound knowledge

Personally •Determining likely project success given the defined culture

•How to organize your thoughts concerning culture and how to maximize your own success

•A framework for understanding and using culture in your next project

Project Management Paradigm ShiftTraditional Project Management

• Process• Tools • Procedures• Control• What to do and how to do

it• Planning and Organizing• Attention to Details• Logical / Rational / Analytical

New Age Project Management

• People• Culture• Interactions • Harnessing resources and

engaging people• Interpersonal Skills• Cultural Awareness• Engaging and Flexible

A Project – Two Tales – CEO Initiative

• Company 1 • Build a world-class process/focus• Benchmarking across companies across the globe• Consults with renowned leaders in the field• Creates a Detailed project/process• 73-page instruction manual• 124 different pieces• 7 groups with involvement• Less than 100 hours of time to deploy

Source: Effron and Ort – One Page Talent Management

A Project – Two Tales – CEO Initiative

• Company 2 • Understand good intentions but no expertise in direction• Develops plan to meet “heart of the goal” • Develops plan that is easy to understand and follow• Combines pieces for CEO to make implementation

easier • Creates a project/process• 1-page of instructions • 5 pre-packaged pieces• Less than 1 hour of time to deploy

Source: Effron and Ort – One Page Talent Management

A Project Management Definition

• A deliberately planned effort to increase an organization's effectiveness or efficiency.

• It is NOT (on its own) Training Personal development Team development HRD (human resource development) L&D (learning and development)

• Project Management is about Organizational Change so must involve People, but also can involve developing Processes, Systems, and Structures

• Solid Project Management combines all of these facets

Your World – A Thought Process

• Consider these three questions:

• What is the prevailing approach to Project Management or

“change” as practiced in your organization/current client? What does this actually look like?

• What is your own view of Project Management and how it might best be realized? How is your own view of Project Management itself changing?

• What one factor most seriously undermines Project Management success in your organization/current client

Research Experts – Limitations to PM• It is estimated that 70% of all PM initiatives “fail” • General Beliefs • Executive sponsorship (empowerment)• Execution (follow-through)

• Dr. Jerry Smith • Yes, you need sponsorship, buy-in, and, follow through• You also need willing organizational participants (change through people)

• Quanta Consulting (Eliot Cohen and John Gooch) • A failure to learn• A failure to adapt

• Whether we like it or not, PM is impacted by culture

Research Experts – Benefits to PM

• A Behavioral Approach• Create a strong case for movement -- a compelling value

proposition (“what's in it for me?”) and effective communication• Behavior-based change involves less tangible areas like skills and

culture. A different mindset and solid leadership skills are needed• Structural and systems changes are easy to track, but they rarely

result in broad-based behavioral change or skills development. Track the things that will lead to change

• Make sure you put the appropriate time, people, and resources against the opportunity

• Major change requires many initiatives (e.g., strategy, re-engineering, training, system redesign). Create an overall architecture to help guide and fit all the pieces together

Change The Culture Around PM

Linking People to PM to Business Success – A Hybrid Model • Projects should link to organizational bottom-line • What problem is this solving? • How will it positively benefit the organization? • What does success look like? Tomorrow? 3 months? 6-12 months? • This linkage is your responsibility – NOT your sponsor. Push back on poor

projects

• The Project should link to culture and culture of change• How does our culture support/detract from this direction• What is our culture around change (3 questions)

• A full people analysis will tell you where to start and how fast to move forward

• Champions, laggers, followers/left behinds

Success is Determined by the People

Success is Determined by the PeopleComprehensive Assessment Model

Personality

Development

Motives and Values

Judgment

CAT Process

Success is Determined by the PeopleThe People Component – 30-30-30• In any project/change initiative, regardless of direction, culture, CEO

alignment, leader support, finances

• 30% will fully embrace idea with little need for additional motivation

• 30% will somewhat embrace idea but could be made to embrace it more with a little push and motivation

• 30% will reject, ignore, limit, or work against idea regardless of effort

• Real-life examples • Japan – 1970’s• Middle East – forever? • Mexico/Central America – e.g., Meeting timing

• The other 10%

Success is Determined by the PeopleDefining the 30-30-30

Success is Determined by the PeoplePace = Organizational Commitment and Alignment

Scoring: Color range indicates one of three relative “speed” ranges (1, 10, or 100mph) The +/- signs left and right of the score indicate if the business is above or below industry average Change (left) and Collaboration (right) scores.

The outer circle estimates performance range based on investment push. As one’s score increases, range variance expand. Heavy investment won’t sizably add pace for low scorers, but high scorers can greatly underachieve with insufficient push.

Pace = Organizational Commitment

• Great way to discuss the people barrier – put it into leadership question/equation

• Leaders can resign themselves to the fact that they are not managing or that they will get results

• Allows us to predict Project Path AND Hindrances before project commencement

• The higher the chosen speed• The more commitment from the organization • The more activities and higher up the activities go

• For Management • It becomes their choice• It becomes their responsibility

Success is Determined by the PeopleThe People Component – 30-30-30 (continued)

• Identify the 30 - 30 – 30

• Create Process Champions out of first 30

• Determine 2-4 motivators of middle 30

• Performance manage the bottom 30

Success is Determined by the PeopleThe People Component – The Goal• Keys to this process

• Convergent Assessment

• Candid feedback on new direction and likely place in 30-30-30

• True spoils and public recognition of top 30

• Management and management support around new direction

• Ongoing risk monitoring via Risk Assessment throughout project lifecycle

Success is Determined by the PeopleThe People Component – The Goal (continued)• Outcomes

• Quicker project initiation with clearer path to success

• More efficient use of resources

• Greater transparency into “true” project risk throughout project lifecycle

Success Through Leadership

Leadership Shift

Success Through Department

Success Through Team

Success Through Individual

Project Management – Culture – And You

Personal Culture

• Those things you value in your role • Across your career – apex of your career• Across your career – biggest downfall • Underlying themes

• Those characteristics you value in clients • Positive and Negative • Motives and Values • How they Solve Problems and Make Decisions

• Those projects you value most • Planning and Control• Culture and Environment• Leadership Focus and Support

Concluding Thoughts

• PM must become more business focused• PM must understand change – organizational, cultural,

leadership, processes, personal • Place responsibility on manager and evaluate likely

propensity to succeed• Link plans to commitment and keep expectations

realistic and on client• Define the people side and leverage 30-30-30• Short and quick wins with celebration

Measuring and Managing the Human Aspect of Project ManagementJared D. Lock, Ph.D., Co-Founder

Convergent, LLC

[email protected]

918-808-5451

Slides will be posted at www.ConvergentLLC.com