Relentless Engagement: Mission First, People Always

Transcription

1 Relentless Engagement: Mission First, People Always January 15, 2019 Marc Resch, PMP, LSSBB, ITIL

2 Agenda Let s jump right in project management is brutal! It s all about business value and adoption Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable Delegating is not abdicating responsibility Managing UP, and not just down Escalating, but never crying wolf Wrap up being a positive force for business change 2

3 Let s jump right in I felt its magic, sensed its hidden power. I held it in my arms, ran my fingers over its strings, held the real tortoiseshell guitar pick in between my teeth, tasted it, took a few weeks of music lessons... and quit It was TOO #%&@#% HARD! Guess what? Project Management is pretty #%&@#% HARD too! But not impossible 3

4 Relentlessly drive toward achieving the mission while integrating highly social and personable engagement styles 4

5 Your project mission and objectives are in the business case Cash Flow $ Cash Inflows Accelerate Gains Reduce Costs Increase Gains Time ROI Measurements NPV ROI IRR Payback Period Cash Outflows 5

6 The business case answers strategic questions Why is the project investment needed in the first place? What will happen if the effort is not undertaken ( do nothing )? How much money, people and time will be needed to deliver the solution? How much value will be generated? 6

7 It s all about business value and adoption 7

8 Don t believe me? 8

9 Strategic alignment is paramount to success At all levels: Corporate, Departmental, Project 9

10 Can decline be prevented? -- Johan Smits Director Global Planning and S&OP Heineken This is where YOU come in! Projects are microcosms of organizations IF IT AIN T BROKE, FIX IT ANYWAY 10

11 Think Pareto 80% of the business output is produced by 20% of the project input 20% of Project Portfolio 80% of Business Output 80% of Project Portfolio 20% of Business Output Concentrate on vital few rather than trivial many 11

12 Software installations have business impacts We targeted a 10-15% forecast accuracy improvement. We went from 63% forecast accuracy to over 80%. That s over a 17% forecast accuracy improvement! Mission Accomplished CHEERS! -- Johan Smits Director Global Planning and S&OP Heineken 12

13 Mission First, People Always Excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake, Humans are underrated." 13

14 How are you engaging with your teams? 14

15 Relentless Engagement Know the pulse of your project at all times Collectively Individually Formally Informally Beginning, during, conclusion Is the team s pulse normal? Accelerated? Slow? Erratic? 15

16 The goal of relentless engagement is to proactively propel the project forward without causing interruptions or impediments Active listening Observing body language Encouraging feedback Asking questions Establishing trust Verifying results Always focusing on the business end goal It never ends!!! 16

17 Never disengage I m not techie This techie stuff flies over my head The tech guys can figure it out If you wash your hands of them, they will certainly do the same to you 17

18 Never do this! The dreadful Bird Crap approach 18

19 Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable Can t just set it and forget it 19

20 Delegating is not abdicating responsibility PMs are responsible for everything, but that doesn t mean you have to do everything Establish work-streams with strong leaders Empower your key resources to lead Develop RACI matrixes at the work-stream level It s ineffective to directly manage more than 5 or 6 people 20

21 Manage UP! Senior stakeholders can make or break a project They want you to be successful; they need you to be successful Proactively manage, and even lead, your leaders The project sponsor is your most important ally The buck stops here Help get him or her promoted If you feel you are being micro-managed, that s on you! 21

22 Escalate, but never cry wolf 22

23 The fine art of escalating There will always be issues it s a business reality Don t over escalate Don t under escalate Escalate a real project issue (critical issue): At the right time To the right person(s) With the right amount of information A critical issue places a deliverable, milestone, cutover date, etc., in immediate danger and has a profound effect on the overall project Immediate action is required 23

24 Escalating Checklist Determine the appropriate stakeholder(s) to whom the critical issue should be escalated Describe the critical issue clearly and concisely, giving context and background Describe the attempts that the teams have made to resolve the critical issue Discuss the impact to the deliverables, milestones, project and business if the critical issue is not resolved Discuss consulting with other stakeholders and SMEs for advice on resolution paths, as needed Highlight recommended solutions for resolving the critical issue, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each Clearly state your expectations of the stakeholder(s) to whom you are escalating 24

25 Wrap Up Be a positive force for business change Business Case Benefits Realization Plan Forecasts business benefits Specifies how to measure, manage, achieve and sustain the forecasted business benefits 25

26 Now you can answer these questions without equivocation Was the project successful and a wise investment? CHECK! Did the project achieve its forecasted business benefits? CHECK! Did the project contribute to the company s bottom line or ensure business value continuity? CHECK! 26