September 2015
March 2016
SepSSSeptember
Volume 54 Issue 5 Volume 58 Issue 3
Table of Contents Welcome to the March 2016 Edition ...................................................................................................... 2 Our Sponsors ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Upcoming Events Please note changes in program dates and topics! ................................................... 5 Chapter Meeting April 20th - Doctors without Borders & Teamwork.................................................. 5 Chapter Meeting May 20th - 21st - Two-Day Euregio Event in Limburg .............................................. 6 Chapter Meeting Juni 15th - Project Tooling unleashes the future of Project Management .............. 8 PMI NL Chapter Summit 2016, September 15th - Introduction ........................................................... 9 Very Early Bird registration for PMI NL CH members –tickets still available! ................................... 10 Chapter Board News.............................................................................................................................. 11 Thank you Volunteers 2015!.............................................................................................................. 11 Board Activities .................................................................................................................................. 12 Requests for Volunteers .................................................................................................................... 12 Call for ideas and participants Lustrum 2016 festivities .................................................................... 13 Announcement Summit PMI Turkey Chapter, May 12th, 2016, Ankara ............................................ 13 Recently certified PMI Netherlands members ...................................................................................... 13 Updates Local Interest Workgroups (LIWG).......................................................................................... 14 LIWG ISO for projects......................................................................................................................... 14 PMI News............................................................................................................................................... 15 Sponsors Announcements..................................................................................................................... 17 IIL Europe ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Northern Star Consulting ................................................................................................................... 20 Let’s stay in touch .................................................................................................................................. 23
●●● 1 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Welcome to the March 2016 Edition We warmly welcome you to our brand new March edition! We remind you again of the fact that 2016 is a special year for our Chapter as we celebrate our 15th anniversary along with the 5th edition of our annual Summit meeting on September 15th. You might have noticed through our social media that we are in the process of collecting ideas, tips and comments for celebrating our 15 th anniversary. For this we urgently need your help. Please read our Call later on in this edition. Get involved and be part of the fun! Please note the changes in program dates and topics of our Chapter events due to the April/May holidays! Read all about it later on. Odilia Kunne The Very Early Bird Summit 2016 registration is still open for Chapter members. Be quick and use the special code to gain a sizeable discount on your ticket!
Director Communications
We are still looking for Volunteers for several interesting Volunteer positions in our Chapter. Have a look at our vacancies in the “Request for Volunteers” section later in the newsletter or check out our dedicated webpage. New: in the upcoming editions of this Newsletter you will find a special Volunteers section dedicated to our valuable Volunteers! Do you have an item of interest that you would like to share with your peers? Please feel free to send us your contribution by the next deadline April 13th, 2016. As always, enjoy reading!
Editorial Office: Odilia Kunne Karen Obi Contact: communication@pmi-netherlands-chapter.org
●●● 2 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Our Sponsors Thank you to all our sponsors for their generous support! GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
PARTNERS
FACILITY SPONSORS
Want to become our Sponsor? Please check our website for more information. ●●● 3 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Events Overview PMI Netherlands Chapter
Other
April 2016 20
Doctors without Borders & Teamwork
More info
11-13
TwentyEighty Strategy Execution How to Gather & Document User Requirements Course TwentyEighty Strategy Execution Developing Use Cases Course
More info
tbc
PMP Exam Coaching Class Spring 2016
More info
18-20
More info
23-25
THREON - Program & Benefits Management
More info
More info
6
AMI Consultancy - Masterclass Project Recovery
More info
6-7
Northern Star Consulting - Distributed Team Canvas THREON - Free event: Linking Facility Management with Program and Project Management execution of Construction Projects TwentyEighty Strategy Execution Foundations of Business Analysis Course TwentyEighty Strategy Execution Testing Techniques for Tracing & Validating Requirements Course
More info
28-31
THREON - Program & Benefits Management
More info
12
AMI Consultancy - Masterclass Project Recovery
More info
More info
April 2016
May 2016 20-21
Euregio Event with Germany & Belgium Chapter: Turnaround Management + Mini-Mmaster Agile (Friday afternoonSaturday morning)
June 2016 15
Project Tooling unleashes the future of project management
tbc
Benefit Mgmt - Value based PM
More info
9
13-15
27-29
More info
More info
More info
July 2016 tbc
Stedin Program Management Case – Stedin Program Management
More info
August 2016
September 2016 15
Annual Summit 2016
More info
Please note that the PMI NL Chapter Calendar Events are planned for your convenience, even though not all events have been definitely confirmed from a speaker and location point of view. Please do keep an eye on changes and do know that our website is leading. When an event is ready for registration all details will be confirmed. Note: the registration process has slightly changed – read the instructions carefully on our website.
●●● 4 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Upcoming Events Please note changes in program dates and topics! Earlier we announced the upcoming Future of Project Management powered by project tooling event to be held on April 26, however due to the long May vacation period in different regions and Kingsday we have decided to do a Chapter Meeting program shift: April 20th
Doctors Without Borders & Teamwork
May 20th + 21st
Our international event in Limburg with Agile, Turnaround and Recovery Management topics.
June 15th
Future of PM event with all our tooling sponsors (extra-long event starting at 16:00 hrs)
Please read the details below .
Chapter Meeting April 20th - Doctors without Borders & Teamwork Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders (‘Artsen Zonder Grenzen’), is an international humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization (NGO) and best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. The organization actively provides health care and medical training to populations in about 70 countries and frequently insists on political responsibility in conflict zones. In 2015 over 30,000, mostly local, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, logistical experts, water and sanitation engineers and administrators provided medical aid. Private donors provide about 80% of the organization's funding, while corporate donations provide the rest, giving MSF an annual budget of approximately US $610 million. Our presenter Wilco Dekker has worked for almost 2 years with the MSF organization. He started his first mission with a measles campaign in Katanga (South Congo), continued in a hospital in Mweso (North-Kivu) and finished his last mission in Boguila (Central African Republic). He worked as a Technical Logistician responsible for Construction, ICT, Communications, car fleet & Security. Our second topic for the evening revolves around teamwork which is an integral part of any project and logistical endeavor. This will be presented by Peter Storm who studied the topic extensively and will share his insights with us. Peter Storm is a consultant in the AMI network. Agenda: 17:00 -
Registration, sandwiches and refreshments
18:00
Opening, welcome and introduction by the PMI Netherlands Chapter
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●●● 5 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
18:05
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Introduction of our host - Peter Veenman, Vice President @ Colt Telecom
18:15
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Doctors without Borders – Logistics in Congo – Wilco Dekker, volunteer. Wilco will walk us through a regular day in his Mweso hospital mission. The skills required for execution of these responsibilities are a mix of technical knowledge, people management, organizational skills and the ability to oversee the E2E field, NGO goals and personal deliverables. Many activities that must be accomplished can be compared to regular project management skills but without the luxury of a PMO and without people who understand structure, time and necessity
19:00
> Break <
19:15
-
Does Teamwork contribute to project success? – Peter Storm, Sr. Researcher & Consultant at AMI Which characteristics of Teamwork should be stimulated most? What should the PM do or not do to stimulate the right kind of teamwork? Peter Storm will answer these questions in a presentation which is based on research and on various cases from actual practice
20:00
-
Wrap-up & Networking drink
20:30
-
Closure
Location: Colt Telecom Netherlands - Van der Madeweg 14A, Amsterdam Seats: 100 Registration to be opened soon through our website
Chapter Meeting May 20th - 21st - Two-Day Euregio Event in Limburg We have completed the logistics of our special 2-day event in Limburg. The event starts on Friday afternoon (15:00 – 20:00) and includes an exclusive optional program on Saturday from 9:00 – 12:00. You should arrange for a hotel yourself (if you choose to stay overnight), but the consideration is that people are welcome to bring their spouse/friend along and enjoy a weekend in Limburg. (Considering this is for your professional education your employer might be inclined to sponsor your hotel cost ). Why Limburg? Because it’s a beautiful area and we have a fair amount of members there and not many Chapter events are hosted in this region. However, just as important, we want to invite our colleagues from the Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany Chapters as well: it will be a small EUREGIO event and great for networking and meeting new people. Why 2 days? Because that makes it worthwhile inviting your significant other to join you and have a great and romantic weekend in Limburg afterwards!
●●● 6 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
What’s on the agenda? While the final agenda is still a work-in-progress, we can shed some light on what we’re organizing. One hot topic that is firm will be Turnaround management. In addition we want to make it special in a sense that we will organize a parallel session as “Mini Master Agile for Beginners” against a small participation fee (limited seats). Agenda – Friday May 20th 15:00 Registration, with coffee 16:00 Opening, welcome and introduction by the PMI Netherlands Chapter 16:05 Introduction of our hosts Perfact Group 16:20 Turnaround Management – astonishing cases 17:20 > Break < 17:35 Recovery Management – Peter Storms 18:30 Wrap-up & Friday Afternoon Networking drink 19:20 Closure & your chance to visit beautiful Limburg and spend the evening with friends Saturday May 21st 9:00 Registration, with coffee 9:30 Saturday Key Note speaker – the 4th dimension of planning, Paul Vogels, director Primaned 10:30 Closure & your chance to visit beautiful Limburg and enjoy a great weekend
Parallel track – Mini Master Agile agenda - Friday May 20th Please not that this mini-track has limited seats (20) and requires an additional fee of € 55 15:00 16:00 16:05 16:20 19:00 19:20 with friends
Registration, with coffee Opening, welcome and introduction by the PMI Netherlands Chapter Introduction of our hosts Perfact Group Start of the Mini Master Agile - part 1 Wrap-up & Friday Afternoon Networking drink Closure & your chance to visit beautiful Limburg and spend the evening
Saturday May 21st 9:00 Registration, with coffee 9:30 Mini-Master - part 2, Surprise! 10:30 Closure & your chance to visit beautiful Limburg and enjoy a great weekend
●●● 7 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Location: Klooster Munstergeleen, Abshoven 33, 6151 GC Munstergeleen Seats: 80 (for now) Registration to be opened soon through our website
Chapter Meeting Juni 15th - Project Tooling unleashes the future of Project Management The future of Project Management was a hot topic in 2015 and will be in 2016. What will the future bring and what does it mean for the profession of Project Management? We all see the profession changing: Yes, we do see a shift to agile projects. Yes, we do see more self-steering teams (no project manager needed)? And yes, we understand that projects entail much more collaboration with partners, suppliers, consultants than before due to smaller more agile specialized units and companies (a complete ecosystem by itself). This requires different governance, different management style perhaps, but what it also requires, are the right tools to enable teamwork, collaboration, transparency over so many different parties involved and an easy way to keep abreast of status, priorities and cost by means of dashboards and reports. That’s why PMI Netherlands Chapter is proud to help you take a peek into the future by presenting you with possible visions of this future. Senior consultants will update us about what they see is coming upon us. We will bring you an intermediate update of the PMI NL BIG10 working group who are investigating the required skills and profile of the Project Manager of 2020. Last but not least, we have invited our sponsors to provide the 2 most compelling and useful features of their products and services that are enabling the future already now! Agenda (16:00 – 20:30hrs): Part 1: The Future of Projects: enabled by Tooling – Consultant/Presenter view – Part 2: The most amazing features and abilities of Project Tooling, presented by our Sponsors Location: INSynQ, Eindhoven Registration to be opened soon through our website ●●● 8 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
We are very pleased to inform you that Brian Weiss, the Vice President of Practitioner Career Development at PMI will be one of our invited keynote speakers
PMI NL Chapter Summit 2016, September 15th - Introduction by Cees Pijs – Chair Summit Program Committee
According to Agent of Change: The Future of Technology Disruption in Business, a white paper produced by Economic Intelligence Unit and based on a global survey of 567 executives, few industries will remain unchanged by technological disruption. Project Management has become a robust discipline with many competent practitioners. But despite the professionalism of Project Managers and the best efforts of project team members, many projects still fail. Even when managers deliver projects on time and on budget, they may still not meet the needs of their customers. So much about projects is uncertain, a problem compounded by today’s need for more adaptability than traditional models allow 1. In Disruption in Project Management, Raj Kaushik states that in the wake of technology disruption and crowdfunding, the role of Project Managers will have to change. By 2025, we will see more or less flat organizations, with hardly anyone working as a traditional manager with the main responsibilities of scoping, scheduling, resource handling, and reporting. The project manager needs to take on the role of a project entrepreneur, where we need to change hats frequently. So, if all kinds of disruptions in every possible branch are to be expected, we might be running late already in preparing ourselves. What will Project Management look like in the era of disruption? What practices will then be embraced as ‘good’, ‘better’ or even ‘best?’ One of your current practices? Lessons you learnt and worthy to spread among the community of Project Managers? After the successful PMI Netherlands Summit 2015, the PMI Netherlands Chapter in co-
1
Reinventing Project Management. The Diamond Approach to Successful Growth and Innovation, Aaron J. Shenhar and Dov Dvir, 2009
●●● 9 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
creation with CKC Seminars are preparing for the fifth edition on September 15th, 2016 in Conference Center Spant! in Bussum, the Netherlands. Central theme of the 2016 edition is:
Disruption! In this Summit we will elaborate on the interrelation between Disruption and Project Management. What is the key role of Project Management? What are the capabilities we need to develop? The lesson according to Josh Linkner, author of "The Road to Reinvention" is simple: disrupt or be disrupted. This Summit is a call for action and will look at disruption from several viewpoints. You’re invited to become a part of the leading conference on Project Management by submitting an innovative best practice or workshop corresponding with our themes. If you would like to submit a valuable suggestion, take a look at the requirements and submit your paper before March 31th 2016. Go to the PMI Netherlands Summit 2016 website and find out more.
Very Early Bird registration for PMI NL CH members –tickets still available! The first 30 PMI NL CH members will pay only €125,- excl. VAT. You can register here. Please tick “I have a discount code”and use discount code PMI16-DC125 to receive your discount (Note: membership will be checked) Until May 30th Early Bird registration Register now and receive a € 50,- Early Bird discount!
PMI members fee € 245,- excl. VAT non-PMI members fee € 345,- excl. VAT
After May 30th
regular fee for PMI members is € 295,- excl. VAT regular fee for non-PMI members is € 395,- excl. VAT
Not PMI member yet? Become member and save € 100,- on the fee! For more information and registration please visit the official PMI Netherlands Summit 2016 website. Be quick!
●●● 10 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Chapter Board News Thank you Volunteers 2015! The Board of PMI Netherlands Chapter would like to thank the dedication and contribution of the Volunteers in 2015! These volunteers are one of the key reasons behind the success of the Netherlands Chapter. These volunteers will earn PDU’s for their efforts (when have a PMI credential), which will be included in the 2015 PDU overview. We are always looking for the best volunteers and we are so grateful that these volunteers came across last year. We wish them every success in 2016! We would be pleased to meet them as volunteer again! We look forward to seeing more volunteers who are willing to support us and/or develop themselves in 2016! Volunteers 2015: Rommert Stellingwerf Andre Legerman Fons van de Wouw Jan Vorwald Rochelle Rober Henk Jan Molenkamp Odilia Kunne Karen Obi Rene Vielvoije Ger van der Geld Jan Vermeijs Louis van Norel Cees Pijs Goran Banjanin Henk Smits Frank Hendriks Johan de Vroet Anton Zandhuis Tammy Vesely Ad Withaar
President Treasurer Treasurer Treasurer Development Events Communications Communications COO Director at Large Secretary Membership & Volunteers PM Summit Program Management LIWG Program Management LIWG Agile LIWG Culture LIWG Program Board Dutch Publications LIWG CSR Initiative LIWG PMP Coaches
●●● 11 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Board Activities Chapter Review 2015 and Outlook 2016 in Annual Meeting There was a good turnout of members on our Annual Meeting on March 1st . We have reviewed 2015 and shared the Chapter’s plans for 2016. The meeting approved the 2015 financials and discharged the Chapter Board of their duties for the previous year. For more detailed information you can look up the presentation on our website. Repeated requests for Volunteers Due to work and personal circumstances our Secretary, Jan Vermeijs has suspended his role in the Board. We are looking for a Volunteer to fill this gap on a temporary basis. See our Request for Volunteers below.
Requests for Volunteers Secretary of the Chapter Board (temporary) We are looking for a Volunteer to take over the Board Secretary duties for the next three months. A nice opportunity to get an inside look in the Board activities! Interested? Please contact Rommert Stellingwerf or André Legerman Other Volunteer positions Work Groups & other Volunteers in the region to organize regional ‘Beermeetings’ 2016 for networking and project discussions in the region Program Board Volunteers for supporting the CEO with organizing events, finding compelling speakers and finding locations Interested? Please contact Rommert Stellingwerf or André Legerman
Good things happen when you get involved with PMI Netherlands Chapter!
●●● 12 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Call for ideas and participants Lustrum 2016 festivities 2016 is a special year for our Chapter as we are celebrating our 15th anniversary! So, this year may not pass by without proper festivities, and for this we need YOUR HELP! Do you have a (crazy) idea, tip, suggestion, or would you even like to participate in organizing, please contact our Director Communications as soon as possible. All (suitable) ideas are welcome!
Announcement Summit PMI Turkey Chapter, May 12th, 2016, Ankara
On May 12th our colleagues of the PMI Turkey Chapter will organize their (one of two each year) Summit in Ankara, at the CerModern, which attracts around 400 professionals on every occasion. The topic of the Summit in Ankara this year is: Shaping the Future with Projects The Board of the Turkey Chapter has made it possible for members of the Netherlands Chapter to attend their Summits free of charge, if you become a member of the Turkey Chapter. For more information on the program, venue and subscription please visit the website of the Summit of Turkey Chapter.
Recently certified PMI Netherlands members This month there are no new credential holders to be announced.
●●● 13 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Updates Local Interest Workgroups (LIWG) LIWG ISO for projects by Rommert Stellingwerf - President PMI Netherlands Chapter
Update March 2016 - Draft ISO Governance standard open for comments You now have the possibility to comment on the draft document ISO/DIS 21505.2 “Project, Programme and Portfolio Management – Guidance on Governance.” NEN provides an electronic version of this document for online reviewing and submitting comments to everyone interested in The Netherlands, see: http://www.normontwerpen.nen.nl/Home/Category/001, which is available until Monday April 11th , 2016. You are invited to have a look and deliver your comments on this important future standard that will impact Board Members, Senior Executives and all practicing Project, Program and Portfolio Managers. Contact For further information on the above ISO document and on the LIWG ISO for projects you can contact: -
PMI Netherlands Chapter: Rommert Stellingwerf, rommert@familiestellingwerf.nl
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IPMA Nederland: Lex van der Helm, lex.vander.helm@capgemini.com
The NEN Standards Committee is always looking for new members, participating in the actual development of the ISO standards in this field. Please contact the NEN standards committee (“normcommissie”) Maarten Peelen, Secretary, maarten.peelen@nen.nl.
●●● 14 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
PMI News Free to Members: PMI® Scheduling Conference 2016 Held exclusively for PMI members, attendees will learn the latest in Scheduling best practices including tips and tools from real-life projects and programs. Anchoring the agenda is Keynote Speaker Dan Patterson, PhD, PMP. He will provide an in-depth look at the progression of project scheduling. Registration is free to PMI members. You will also learn: - how to turn failed projects into successes; - how to ensure your projects are aligned with your organization’s goals; - why it is important to understand each team member’s role, and more. PMI® Scheduling Conference 2016—Free and Exclusive for PMI Members March 30th, 2016 | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET | 6 PDUs Register now See the New Look and Design of Learning.pmi.org From preparing for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® exam to keeping up with the skills of the PMI Talent Triangle™, you need to find knowledge fast. Visit the updated Online Learning and SeminarsWorld website at learning.pmi.org. It features: - Refreshed content, giving you more of what you want and need - Streamlined search and navigation, to help you find what you are looking for—faster - An enhanced user interface, making the experience more fun Find what you need on learning.pmi.org now! Pulse of the Profession® In-Depth Report , is launched: The Strategic Impact of Projects The newest Pulse In-Depth report, The Strategic Impact of Projects: Identify benefits to drive business results, explores the value of Benefits Realization Management as a means to improving project success rates. The report focuses specifically on benefits identification and reveals that when benefits are identified before the start of a project, 74% of projects meet goals and business intent. Key actions include linking benefits identification to both project and program management, establishing benefits identification as a shared responsibility among an organization’s executive leaders, business owners and project professionals and aligning identified benefits to the organization’s strategic goals. Read the full Pulse report at PMI.org/Pulse.
●●● 15 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Watch the Video: Valuing Ethics PMI President and CEO Mark A. Langley talks about the importance of ethics to the project management profession and PMI. View Now Get Started in Business Analysis The business analysis profession is growing quickly as organizations realize the connection between clear and well-understood requirements and project success. Get a free digital download of 5 Tips for Starting Your Business Analyst Career. View Now Why Good Strategies Fail Strategic initiatives are too often relegated to the realm of good intentions left by the wayside. The truth is that well implemented, supported strategies can drive a company’s growth and development. View Now Help PMI Update the Global Standard for Project Management The PMBOK® Guide—Sixth Edition exposure draft is now open for your review and comments. Discover the new changes to the PMBOK® Guide and the exposure draft process, and comment on this important standard for the profession. View Now How Have Project Success Rates Changed Over the Past 5 Years? PMI's Pulse of the Profession® reveals trends on how well organizations are implementing key initiatives. View Now Develop the Skills You Need to Get Ahead Essentials of Project Management online course will help you prepare for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® exam. View Now
Good things happen when you stay involved with PMI Netherlands Chapter!
●●● 16 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Sponsors Announcements
IIL Europe Managing the People Side of Change By Christa Kirby, MA, LCAT, PMP
If you are familiar with the topic of organizational change, you have probably heard the statistic that 70% of change initiatives fail in large organizations. But do you know why they are not successful? Here’s a hint: it’s not because of poor strategy or process implementation. The largest contributor to the failure of the change initiatives is an inability to lead people through change. Understanding how to manage the people side of change is critical, because ultimately any change initiative is about getting people to change their behavior. And in order to do that, you have to influence their hearts, their minds AND their environment. It is a fact that a change of any size or shape has emotional consequences for the people who are asked to implement or live with it. Of course, this emotional response will look different for different people, depending on their personalities and their relationship to the change. One thing that is pretty consistent for everyone, however, is that change moves us out of our comfort zones. It can jolt us out of auto-pilot mode, where we are executing tasks almost mindlessly. Adapting to change forces us to focus, think creatively, inhibit our impulses and make choices. This kind of active engagement exhausts our mental muscles. In addition to being metabolically expensive to our brains, it can also be uncomfortable and disruptive. Now add this to the mix: the path that change will take is completely unknown. This can make it difficult to envision a clear and positive future, so leaders need to help their people with that. Know that disruption and unknowability are inherent in the nature of change - you have to work with this nature, not against it. As a leader, you cannot control change; what you CAN do is guide, shape and influence it. ●●● 17 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
So, what are some concrete actions leaders can take to help people move through a change situation? Ideally, before a change is introduced, you can begin to create a “felt need” for the change. Share why it is important to make the change and help people understand the consequences to them as individuals and to the organization as a whole if the change is not made. Give them some time to let the idea of the impending change sink in. Once you do ask them to change, know that this will cause a reaction, and there will be some emotional fallout. People may feel a variety of emotions, from anger or frustration to sadness or exhaustion. This is where you need to provide especially strong support. It is the leader’s role to listen to and empathize with employees’ fears and concerns, as well as to offer specific solutions to the dilemmas ahead. When you listen to and address people’s fears and perceived losses, you open the door for them to begin to proactively participate in and shape the change. As a leader, you need to keep people engaged and talking about things, because if they are not talking to YOU, you can be sure they are talking to one another. Acknowledge their feelings and their pain, and know that doing so does not mean that you have to immediately help them work through those feelings. Give them information and involve them in active problem solving around the challenges and obstacles they perceive around the change. As you move further along in the change journey, people will begin to try and make the change work, but they will not have all the answers. Leaders need to maintain a delicate balance here, giving people freedom to explore, while at the same time providing direction and support. Giving direction reminds people of the vision behind the change, its long-term goal and why achieving the vision remains important. Keep in mind that you can have the most elegant and compelling vision in the world, but if you do not continue to provide guidance toward it with behavior-level execution, it will remain just that – a vision. So, paint a vivid picture of what could be possible in the near future. There is an excellent book on change called Switch: How to change things when change is hard by Chip and Dan Heath. They say that leaders have to “script the critical moves.” In a new situation, decision paralysis can overwhelm people, and what looks like resistance can often be a lack of clarity. Translate ambiguous goals into concrete behaviors. Encourage smart risk taking, teamwork, collaboration and personal reflection.
●●● 18 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
As people move into the “acceptance” stage of change, our hope is that they are excited about the future and are working closely together to accomplish the change vision. As a leader, you can be most helpful in this stage by encouraging and supporting learning and celebrating people’s successes and accomplishments. Acknowledge progress as well as what has been left behind; reinforce and reward new behaviors; and help people develop long-term goals and plans. Nothing encourages movement toward a goal as much as progress, so build on small successes and create momentum to sustain the change. There is no “magic bullet” for managing the people side of change, but the first step is understanding that doing so is critical to the success of any change initiative. Many companies say, “Our greatest asset is our people,” but then they fail to take that into consideration when implementing organizational change. Hopefully, these tips have given you some insights that will help you guide your people through any change situations that come your way. About the Author Christa Kirby, MA, LCAT, PMP Vice President, Global Learning Innovation Global Practice Director, Leadership and Interpersonal Skills International Institute for Learning christa.kirby@iil.com Christa oversees a portfolio of products designed to help organizations assess, enhance and continuously improve their performance. She is also a Senior Trainer at IIL and a frequent speaker at conferences, PMI chapters and client events. For over fifteen years, Christa has conducted workshops and led trainings for corporations, non-governmental organizations and foundations in countries including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, Ethiopia, Greece and the US. Her specialty areas of focus are teambuilding, leadership, conflict resolution, effective communication, crosscultural communication and Emotional Intelligence.
●●● 19 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
Northern Star Consulting By Manoj Vadakkan
Miscommunication: the most common way to communicate. It appears that miscommunication is the most common way to communicate1. I have observed that communication issues challenge any type of Product Development activities, including software development work, much more than technical issues. I have also observed that when a product is not working in the way it is expected to and when examined for the root cause, more often than not, we find it was because someone did not communicate something correctly or someone did not correctly understand what was communicated. Principle 6 of Agile Manifesto2 says face-to-face communication is the most efficient and effective form of communication. Is that form of communication flawless? Let's look at an example. Here is a personal story from last year. [Granted this might enlighten you of my stupidity more than general communication problems you may face - but I am going of take that risk :-)]. I participated in a clinical study at University of Colorado Hospital. Jane (not her real name), a Registered Nurse is my study coordinator. I met with her every few weeks to undergo various tests and receive more or different study medicine. Jane was very friendly and we got along very well - so no communication issues - so we thought. On one of such visits, she told me, “Manoj, so far you have been taking just 1 tablet in the morning for the last few batches of the medication. For the next four weeks, the medication schedule is going to be weird. For the next four weeks, you need to take 3 in the AM and 1 in the PM. You may set up an alarm if you need to remind yourself.” That indeed is weird, I thought - wake up at 3AM and then remember to take another one in the middle of my class at 1PM. Oh, well, it is for a good cause (resulting in a medicine for a disease that affected millions of people in the world), so I did not complain. While leaving, she said, she will call me in a week to find out how I am tolerating the drug with the new schedule. Next week, I was in the airport when I got a call - it was Jane checking in on me. She inquired how I was doing after increasing the tablets to a total of 4 tablets a day. She wanted to find out if I was tolerating them well. I was confused. Well, getting up at 3AM and stopping the class at 1PM is difficult but I am only taking 2 tablets a day; not 4. That is when I understood, what she meant was 3 tablets in the morning and 1 tablet in the ●●● 20 PMI Netherlands 90261 | 1006 BG Amsterdam - Vakvereniging voor Project-, Programma- en Portfoliomanagers www.PMI-Netherlands-Chapter.org
afternoon not specifically 3AM and 1 PM. We laughed about it for a bit and I promised to take the medication correctly in the next three weeks. As I was boarding and while laughing about my stupidity, I wondered what happened. How did I miss that she was saying 3 tablets in the morning and 1 in the afternoon? In spoken sentences, we tend to omit words leaving them implied. In this case, she most likely said all the words. Even when all the words are said, the listener may not hear all the words for many reasons. For a variety of these reasons we often miscommunicate. I also pondered what I could have done to better understand what she was asking me to do. I could have certainly asked a question or two especially when the schedule sounded different. I should have checked my assumptions with my questions. She could have asked me to repeat her instructions to make sure I understood it correctly. While on the phone, she explained why it was necessary to have 3 tablets in the morning and 1 tablet in the afternoon. As a layman, I understood enough to say that the half life period of the drug is shorter so to have enough medicine in my body, I need to take it multiple times. I did not need to know that additional detail but it helps understand the process and certainly what I need to know better. How do we reduce the possibility of miscommunicating in a face-to-face situation? By a combination of talking, the listener repeating, paraphrasing, and writing down what was communicated. This process tends to uncover those finer points that are usually missed. Remember - “documenting to communicate is not usually a good idea but documenting what you just communicated, usually is.”3 Personally, I have found that communicating more than what may be necessary for the context is useful, especially learning the “why” part of the story. We know that written words can be even more confusing. Mike Cohn has written about this subject in his article “Miscommunicating with the written word.”4 Communication becomes even more challenging when you are not doing that face-to-face. What if the parties are half the world apart, have never met, and have different cultural backgrounds? This becomes a fertile ground for miscommunication. Here is what Hugo Messer, an expert on distributed teams had to say about it, “Getting your point across to your doctor is challenging. Expressing your ideas about the software you want to build to a development team is more challenging. Now when your team is halfway around the planet, it’s even more challenging. I learned in the past 10 years that in managing distributed teams there are several factors influencing results: team communication, culture, process, people and tools. The way for distributed teams to collaborate better and avoid miscommunication,
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is to consciously work on alignment on all these aspects. I’ve created a distributed team canvas and built a training around the use of the canvas.”
In closing, my advice will be to use as many communication channels as possible, check what you communicated, and do it often. Distributed Team Canvas Join Hugo Messer and Manoj Vadakkan to learn about Distributed Team Canvas and more at their training in the Netherlands on June 6-7th, 2016. What techniques do you use to improve your communication skills in a team? Share with us. Join us for a face-to-face discussion while Hugo and I are conducting a Certified ScrumMaster class in Amsterdam. 1.
References: Title inspired from an article by Ryan O'Hanlon, When Miscommunication Is the Only Way to Communicate, Pacific Standard, March 20, 2014 Principles Behind Agile Manifesto: http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html Author: unknown Miscommunicating with written word by Mike Cohn, blog on MountainGoatSoftware.com, May 22, 2007
2. 3. 4.
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