Project Leadership Academy Transform the way you deliver projects, forever
In its 2015 report into worldwide project performance, The Standish Group identified three common reasons for project success. These were: 1. Committed Executive Sponsorship 2. Emotional Maturity 3. User Involvement It also found no proof in the last 20 years that investment in process alone works and yet that is still the default approach for most organisations. They fail to learn from the mistakes of the past and strive for consistency through paperwork, not behaviour. As Henry Ford once said, 'If you always do what you ve always done, you ll always get what you ve always got.' It doesn't have to be this way. The best projects are a result of the person that leads it or the environment they create. By focussing development efforts on these two areas leadership and culture your organisation can transform the way it delivers, forever. The Project Leadership Academy is the culmination of more than 20 years of leading, delivering and training in the global project space. It addresses the capabilities of project managers and sponsors while supporting the organisation in establishing and articulating the culture that will provide the foundation for ongoing success. Project Leaders, not Managers Project management is a skill organisations assume that most people have. They think that providing a handbook on processes will result in success. Case studies and research prove that it won't. Project management requires high emotional maturity, a growth mindset, an ability to communicate in multiple ways and a determination to create an environment where great work can happen. These 'soft' or 'real' skills are the key differentiator between average managers and great leaders, and they can be learned. During the two-day Conscious Project Leader training, project managers will be given all the information they need to be the best version of themselves and will work together to determine what the new delivery culture should be. 2
Committed Project Sponsorship Too often, senior managers see project sponsorship as an extension of their business as usual roles, yet the two are quite different. Sponsors are expected to be role models for their projects, providing steady stewardship, making quick decisions and relentlessly attaining the outcomes expected. These skills are often overlooked and as project sponsors lose interest, projects lose momentum and stall. During this half-day program, Sponsors will be given the skills they need to commit to the business of good delivery, every single time. Cultural Evolution Management guru Peter Drucker once famously said Culture eats strategy for breakfast. However, organisations still spend a disproportionate amount of time building strategy when compared with addressing cultural challenges that are holding them back. Cultures are the sum of everyone s attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and traditions. There are four types of cultures created by the employees who are part of them. In order to build and evolve a culture that everyone wants to be part of, it's important to define what Vibrant (see model below) looks like in order to be able to work towards it. At the heart of a vibrant culture are employees who are high in self-awareness and who value the work that they do. These employees are a force for good and often leave organisations when they don t feel supported by their leaders or else see no tangible change that they can be a part of. Disengaged employees are low in self-awareness, actively create conflict and get in the way of good work happening. 3
Stagnant cultures aren't aligned with strategy, lack motivation and energy, while employees frequently display poor behaviours. Headphones are used to block culture out or else employees don t feel they have a space to do their best work. Pleasant cultures are staffed by people who mean well but lack the action and skills to deliver the expected results. They don t stick to plans, find excuses not to make decisions and lack the skills to performance manage others. Combatant cultures understand what needs to be done but are often displaying poor behaviours. Employees are highly engaged in the work that they do, however, this passion often spills over, and everything feels like a battle. Vibrant cultures have vision, passion and determination to succeed. They inspire every staff member to be the best version of themselves, find better ways to do everything and celebrate the successes they collectively achieve. Then they get back to work! During the course of both project manager and sponsor programs, we will define what vibrant looks like for your organisation and the behaviours needed to achieve and evolve the culture you aspire to. From Rigid to Agile Organisations looking to deliver services or projects in a more 'agile' manner need their tribe to leave behind their fixed mindset ('this is the way we always do things around here!') and embrace different ideas and viewpoints. Only then can the organisation increase collaboration, reduce complexity and remove the rigidity of thinking and process that is holding it back. Continual cultural, service and product innovation requires people to challenge the ideas that they have and work collectively towards a better future. The key to organisational agility is not an open plan office or table tennis table. It is a willing tribe of people with the right mindset, who continually inject new ideas into the work that they do and challenge each other to be better. The quarterly webinars included as part of the program will challenge the team with new ideas and approaches and provide a network of like-minded individuals keen to help each other maintain a culture of agility and success 4
Project Leadership Academy - Program Details The Project Leadership Academy encompasses the following and all training sessions are for an unlimited number of people: 1. Two-day Emotional Intelligence Training for Project Managers and Scrum Masters Outcomes from the two days include: - A full knowledge of their own personality and communication style - How to change their communication approach to get what they need - How to create a vision and inspire others - How to have difficult conversations - How to apply leadership practices and behaviours on a day-to-day basis - The different types of collaboration and how to set them up for success - How to manage upwards - How to run meetings that don't suck - An understanding of how culture improves the chances of project success - Techniques on how to create cultures that deliver every time - A demonstration on how to run effective workshops and presentations 2. Half-day Project Sponsorship Training for Senior Managers Outcomes of the half-day session include: - The role of Project Sponsor and the behaviours vital to succeed - What a leadership role model looks like in projects - How to ensure that you have the right people around you - How to pick the right project managers for the right project - How to ensure that you make the right decisions at the right time - What a great project culture looks like - The importance of project planning - How to remain focused on outcome delivery; and - How to spot when the project might be failing 3. Culture Definition Using the outputs from both the project management and project sponsor sessions we will produce a Culture Playbook that accurately defines the new delivery culture. 4. Quarterly Webinars Every quarter your people will have access to a one-hour webinar that will introduce new thinking into your internal delivery community in order to continually evolve your vibrant culture. 5. Worldwide Community Be part of an invite-only worldwide LinkedIn community, enabling you to trade ideas with like-minded people in organisations around the world 5
Project Leadership Academy Costs The Project Leadership Academy program is completely unique and, with the commitment of the community, provides an immediate change in culture and behaviours from which to evolve. It is an intensive immersion, held over a period of three days at a venue of your choosing. The outcomes we achieve in those three days will then be reinforced through the regular webinars and the community. When it comes to pricing, I believe in being completely transparent. There are no hidden costs, and everything is included including taxes, flights, accommodation and expenses. I don't believe in creating standard programs, as every organisation is different and a lot of work goes into researching, developing and personalising content to suit the challenges you face and the opportunities you have. The costs are as follows: $37,500 / 22,500 (UK) Next Steps If you are looking to make major but sustainable changes to the way you deliver, then this is the program for you. Drop my business manager Jodie a line at hello@colindellis.com and we'll find a good time to talk about your specific needs. About Colin D Ellis Colin is a highly sought after award-winning international speaker and trainer and the author of two best-selling books: The Conscious Project Leader and The Project Rots From The Head. He has over 20 years of transformation experience and puts that to good use by helping organisations around the world transform their cultures and improve their leadership capability. Originally from the UK, Colin lived in New Zealand for six years and is now based in Melbourne with his wife and two children. www.colindellis.com linkedin.com/in/colindellis twitter.com/colindellis 6
Client Testimonials "Working with Colin has had a huge impact across our delivery teams. I really appreciate his ability to introduce change and reignite that fire in the belly of each of our project delivery teams!" Mark Townshend, Auckland Transport "We have been working with Colin through a 12-month program developing the project management and delivery skill set of our team. It has been so beneficial in building not just the leadership skills of our project managers, but also in driving the culture we want to see in our business." Amy Stoneham, Country Road Group "We had fantastic feedback from the team after a workshop with Colin. He has a really engaging style and is passionate about improving delivery through developing better leaders and creating awesome cultures." Ian Clancy, IAG "Colin created energy and enthusiasm which is continuing to inspire changes in the way we work. He is realistic, knowledgeable and extremely passionate about transformation. I cannot recommend Colin highly enough." Emma Needham, Housing New Zealand Corporation "Colin helped transform the way YMCA Victoria does projects. The tips and tricks he taught us has greatly helped us engage and motivate our operational teams and have made a difference to the way that we approach our projects." Ru Thomas, YMCA "Colin lifts engagement through his insights and experience. His powerful stories inspire individuals and teams to take action. Simply outstanding." Lani Beer, National Australia Bank "Colin delivers his message passionately with great examples on how teams can deliver great outcomes when they collaborate and work together and by recognising how everyone works differently. He can help your organisation and teams get the culture right and deliver better as a team." Harry Varvarigos, Telstra "Colin is an inspiration and leading the way to really put the heart of people back into project management to increase success in every aspect." Kelly Smith, HESTA "Feedback from attendees was that this is the most valuable leadership course they have ever undertaken, not bad for 21 time-served project professionals!" Keith Chidley, Public Transport Authority, Perth, WA 7