DEVELOPING EXTRAORDINARY LEADERS: RE-SHAPING EXPECTATIONS OF LEADERSHIP CAPACITY Robert M. Tobias Director, Public Sector Executive Education American University Patrick K. Barker Technical Director, Project Solutions Group MCR,LLC 1
VARIANCE (Symptom) An alarming number of Federal acquisition programs fail ROOT CAUSE Insufficient i Leadership Capacity (NOT Insufficient Technological Capacity) CORRECTIVE ACTION Systemically foster development of EXTRAORDINARY LEADERS who: Grow and Harvest the DISCRETIONARY ENERGY of others Continually adapt to change by leveraging key LINKAGES ENGAGE, rather than run away from, UNCERTAINTY-DRIVEN EMOTIONAL ANXIETY Variance, Root Cause and Corrective Action (a.k.a. the point we are trying to make in this presentation) 2
QUESTION: Why do we keep banging our heads against the wall?* Ef ffort LIFE We are expected to assess & control program performance in order to better anticipate and prevent potential failure conditions The PLAN ANSWER: CAUSE IT FEELS SO GOOD EACH TIME WE STOP t Time
Expectations vs. Solutions LEADERSHIP CAPACITY EXAMPLE TECHNICAL CAPACITY EXAMPLE Q & A Relationship Frameworks Metaphors SEI-CMMI CMM Established 1987 Evolved to CMMI FUNDAMENTAL CONSTRUCT 5 levels of maturity Source: Tim Lister, The Atlantic ti Systems Guild, Inc. PMI RISK SIG 1-3 May 2005 Brief
Once Upon a Time. The sun circled the earth The earth was flat Then Along Comes. Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Descartes, Newton Suddenly The sun is at the center and we live on a sphere Things are different The Ancestry of Project Management The leanest and meanest six sigma practitioner The power of science and reason was applied elsewhere in life
Our The Subtle But Powerful Influence of Descartes, Newton and Friends Frameworks (Ex: EVM, PMI) Language (Ex: stable) Metaphors (Ex: clockwork) Analysis (Ex: WBS) Expectations (Ex: deterministic) Descartes: All science is certain, evident knowledge. We reject all knowledge which is merely probable and judge that only those things be believed which are perfectly known and about which there can be no doubts New Applicant for the Program Control Lead
Results: (Fragmented) Expectations of TECHNICAL CAPACITY Scientific Management (Taylor, Gantt, Gilbreth) Classical Organizational Theory Fayol s 14 Principles Weber s bureaucracy Follett s people (individual and group) Barnard s balancing of individual and organizational interests Behavioral Mayo (Hawthorne Experiments) Maslow (Hierarchy of needs) Herzberg (2 factor hygiene & motivation) McGregor (X&Y) Towards Quantitative McNamera (mathematical models) NASA, Dept of Defense, Industry PERT, TQM, C/SCSC Confederation of Topics That You Probably Recognize Ops Research Cost Estimating Risk Mgt Accounting Systems Engineering SEI-CMMI HR 6- Sigma Org Behavior Scheduling Project & Program & Portflio & Enterprise Management 7
Results: (Disassociated) Expectations of LEADERSHIP CAPACITY Some Notable Examples: Traits Skills Style Situational Contingency Path-Goal Leader-Member Exchange Team Charismatic Psychodynamic Emotional Intelligence Five (5) Levels Many Schools of Thought with Subjective Applications and Associated Soft Skills
We Can Change Our Questions Limits of Newton s Science Emergence g of Different Sciences Our Frameworks Come Under New Management Why do we care? Different frameworks mean different questions
But Limiting The Solution Space Provides Partial Answers Often-Heard Terms Systems Thinking Velocity Chaos and Complexity Theory Linear and non-linear systems Complex adaptive systems Applying adaptive leadership to complex projects Agile Project Mgt The Prophets of Change From Industrial Age to Information Age still create expectations of TECHNICAL CAPACITY (they run and are blinded d by past formulas of success) Reporting Agile Metrics Scrum 10
The True Solution Space for Changing Expectations in Leadership Capacity Exists Here Federal Defense PMI PMBoK How Well Do We Est. 1976 (Office DSMC Opened Established Really Prepare of Federal 1971 1969 PMs to change Procurement (20-week PM PMP their Policy Act) School) Certification expectations? FAC P/PM Established in 2007 FUNDAMENTAL CONSTRUCT 3 levels of non- sequential certification DAWIA Passed in 1990 FUNDAMENTAL CONSTRUCT 3 levels of sequential certification Began 1984 FUNDAMENTAL CONSTRUCT PM Processes, PM Process Groups, PM Knowledge Areas Compare These to Each Other Compare PMs to. Pilots What might it look like when we change our expectations of LEADERSHIP CAPACITY? See following slides
Probable Demand for Increased Linkage of Hard Skills and Soft Skills Developing a Culture of Mastery Broadening Competency Base Understanding di Interdependencies d Creation and Sustainment of Cross- Functional Teams Building Coalitions Employing Intuition Adapting Plans to Produce Results Potential Results from Changed Expectations in Leadership Capacity (1 of 3) 12
Potential Results from Changed Expectations in Leadership Capacity (2 of 3) A Likely Growth of Executive Coaching Online and Short Courses Not Enough to Adapt to Changes and Challenges Coaching Provides Environment For Personal Change A Challenging Dialogue Time for Reflection 13
Notional Competency Areas Potential Results from Changed Expectations in Leadership Capacity (3 of 3) Probable Restructuring of PM Professional Development Frameworks Demonstrated Knowledge Fundamentals Application Specific Experience LEADERSHIP COACH/MENTORING COALITION BUILDING ACQ MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PLANNING PROGRAM EXECUTION Knowledge of policy, principles, practices, process and background required in a typical acquisition program setting. Examination of the competency (and integrated set of competencies) relative to Stakeholders, Events, Artifacts and Environments. Practical factors accomplished on the job such as task execution, risk analysis and demonstration of critical soft skills in the defense acquisition environment. Higher Cognitive Domain (application, analysis, synthesis & evaluation) PROGRAM HEALTH RISK & OPP MANAGEMENT TECHNICAL & BUSINESS MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT Lower Cognitive Domain (knowledge & comprehension) Affective Domain (feelings, attitudes, values) Interpersonal Domain (life skills, communication, teamwork, leadership)
We Believe The Most Important Result of Changed Expectations in Leadership Capacity Will Be A Demand for Extraordinary Leaders Who: GRIEVE the Loss Internalize the departure from technical and arrival in leadership MASTER the Uncertainty Anticipate the unknowns and continually manage your environment and emotions EMBRACE the System Expertise in decision support systems unique to the Federal oversight process ACCELERATE the Loop Exploit the linkage within the acquisition management 15
Like Clausewitz, We Might Embrace The Nature of Our Profession The role of interactions The stress on leadership. The generation of friction Grieve The Loss Consider Resisting The Role of Technician And Instead Master The Bigger Picture
Maintain awareness of program vector (c,t,e) Filter the noise. Challenge your assumptions Respond to the variance Master The Uncertainty
The System Isn t Changing (Much), So Extraordinary Leaders Must Know It OMB A-11, CPG, Federal Budget Process FAR Agency Policy, Guidance Embrace The System Leverage your Decision Support System for Program Success
Accelerate The Loop Avoid Entropy Observation (multiple l disciplines) i Orientation (Speed thru linkage) Using intuition to avoid painstaking (e.g. fraught with emotional anxiety) deliberations. Observation Orientation Decision Action Implicit Guidance & Control Cultural Traditions Implicit Guidance & Control Outside Information Genetic Heritage Observations Feed Forward New Information Analyses/ Synthesis Feed Forward Decision (Hypothesis) Feed Forward Action (Test) Unfolding Interaction With Environment Unfolding Circumstances Unfolding Environmental Interaction Previous Experiences Feedback Feedback Source: John Boyd: A Discourse on Winning and Losing Source: Gary Klein. Sources of Power
What We Need Programs That Challenge PM Students to: Grow and Harvest the DISCRETIONARY ENERGY of others Continually adapt to change by leveraging key LINKAGES: ENGAGE, rather than run away from, UNCERTAINTY- DRIVEN EMOTIONAL ANXIETY STOVEPIPES Change Student Expectations of: The Need for Leadership Capacity and Opportunity to Increase it 20
Challenge and Push PM Students Beyond Their Current Leadership Capacity Positive Change Begins Where Our Comfort Zone Ends 21
Our Contact Information Robert M. Tobias rtobias1@verizon.net Patrick K. Barker pbarker@mcri.com http://www.american.edu/spa/key/program_manager_certificate.cfm 22