Building an Excellent Project Culture

http://issuu.com/craigastevens

Abstract: What does high turnover, high stress, internal social cliques, infighting, lack of trust, dishonesty, and

poor customer focus all have in common? These are all some of the symptoms of a broken team culture.

Furthermore, it is important to know that our Organizational Culture always leads to our customer focus and team culture. Although, our project teams are connected to both the organization’s culture and customer focus, as project managers we can still help to create an excellent team culture. Now, the bigger question is this, “How can we build an excellent team culture that will serve our clients and customers well and make us more effective? This is what we will talk about during our PMI luncheon in October.

During our conversation with Craig A. Stevens, President of Westbrook Stevens, we will brainstorm on how we might start building that excellent Team Culture. Together we will talk about the “Seven Attributes of Excellent Management” and discover some simple steps we can take to start creating and then sustaining an excellent team culture that leads to better results and a happier project.

For more information go to http://www.e-wbs.com/building-an-excellent-organizational-culture/. For a free eBook on the Seven Attributes of Excellent Management, go to http://www.e-wbs.com/home/reviews/.

About Speaker:

Craig A. Stevens PMP, LSS-MBB, S(PO/M/D/F)C, SCT, AEC – is a Management and Industrial/Systems Engineering Consultant with over 35 years of experience. He is the president of Westbrook Stevens, LLC; an Author; a Visual Artist; and was the Manager for the Process Improvement Program for HCA Physician Services, where he developed the Process Improvement/Lean Six Sigma program for about 800 practices. As a consultant, he supported over 100 organizations in 25 states including (US DOD, US DOE, NASA, Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse, DuPont, etc.).

For more detailed information related to Craig go to http://www.e-wbs.com/team/craig-a-stevens

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Craig Stevens (615) 414-7736 CraigAStevens@WestbrookStevens.com

http://issuu.com/craigastevens

The Mobile of Excellent Management = The Seven Attributes of Excellent Management Link to the Mobile of Excellent Management = http://www.e-wbs.com/building-an-excellentorganizational-culture/

“Excellent Management” means being very good at the profession and practice of managing. It is something that requires a systemic, repeatable, and balanced approach to mastering seven essential attributes. These are more than just words; the attributes represent entire concepts embodied in the actions of: 1.

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Growing Excellent Leaders, Building an Excellent Working Culture, Focusing on Excellent Customer Service, Building Excellent Teams of Empowered People, Mastering Skills, Problem Solving, and Core Competencies, Mastering Change and Continuously Improving Methods and Processes, and Driving Toward Excellence by Measuring Performance.

Link to the Page on Culture and Read about the Cable - http://www.e-wbs.com/building-an-excellentorganizational-culture/

On the Mobile of Excellent Management, the string or cable that holds the mobile together represents culture. If the leaders drop the cable, the mobile falls. Furthermore, if you cut the cable, the mobile falls apart. No initiative will work effectively without a willing culture. In addition, on the mobile, many strands make up a cable; the same is true of an organization’s culture. pg. 2

Craig Stevens (615) 414-7736 CraigAStevens@WestbrookStevens.com

http://issuu.com/craigastevens

The Cable of Excellent Culture: As in cable in the figure above, several interwoven cords make up an

organization’s culture. Link to the Page on Culture - Read about the Related Strand of the Cable - http://www.ewbs.com/building-an-excellent-organizational-culture/ 1.

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VALUES AND ETHICS (often based on your worldview) = what we value and how we value our customers (internally and externally) and teammates. Our moral strengths and weaknesses (caring, trustworthiness, and truthfulness - often leadership driven). Our processes and systems reflect our values.

WORLD VIEW (how one views the world and on what that view is based) = Often driven by location, religious, and political views.

Company ARTIFACTS AND SYMBOLS (like time cards, personalize parking places, and corner offices or cubicles). = Where people park and facilities, workspace and waiting areas, time cards. The symbolism we display (entertainment, training, etc.) and even access to leaders and information.

Common or diverse LANGUAGE (includes native toughs and learned jargon.. maybe the most important is that or Grace and Mercy) = The way we speak about the customers in private (internal or external). The words we use that bring us together or divide us (jargon, acronyms, positive/negative etc.). Communicating with Grace and Mercy!

SUBCULTURES like those found within races, professions, clubs, clicks, gangs, and groups of all kinds. = How we divide ourselves into tribes (or not).

UNDERLINING ASSUMPTIONS and mental images or those judgments that relate to who we are and where we have traveled. What we think about others (our customers or patients). What we assume (says more about us than others).

Group PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR and habits (like work and lunch schedules). = How our patterns of behavior effects the customers and clients. When we take breaks and how we cover each other. Knowledgeable and attentive staff willing to help.

No initiative will work effectively without addressing the issue of culture. Like the many strands that make up a single string or cable, the interaction of these ‘strands’ make up an organization’s culture.

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Craig Stevens (615) 414-7736 CraigAStevens@WestbrookStevens.com

http://issuu.com/craigastevens Table Exercise: Decide what cultural changes you are going to make in your project teams. Metaphorically, what seeds are you going to plant? What are you going to water and fertilize?

____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ What are you going to weed out?

____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ How are you going to do these things?

____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________

For a limited time, receive up to a 50% discount for your company on PMP Bootcamps and other training just for attending this luncheon.

Westbrook Stevens, LLC does consulting, support services, training, and group facilitation. Read more about upcoming PMP bootcamps, Lean Six Sigma, and Scrum training at the links below: 1. PMP Bootcamps (Room is still available this month and December) http://www.ewbs.com/pmi-pmp-training/ (Westbrook Stevens, LLC and partnered with www.PMStudy.com) 2. Lean Six Sigma Belts http://www.e-wbs.com/training/ (Westbrook Stevens, LLC is partnered with www.6Sigma.com) 3. Agile/Scrum Training http://www.e-wbs.com/scrum-and-agile/ (Westbrook Stevens, LLC is partnered with www.SCRUMStudy.com)

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Craig Stevens (615) 414-7736 CraigAStevens@WestbrookStevens.com