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Synergy
PMI North India Chapter
Collaborating Project Management for High Performance Business Insight
TTTTT….2222…………………………………..……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….. April-June 2011~ Newsletter
Issue: 1
this issue Symptoms of failed projects... P.1 Training in construction Project … P.2 The Project Manager Style... P.3 How to make a client-Vendor... P.4 Team Sports and... P.6 Chapter Events….P.9 Upcoming Events… P.9 Professional Development…P.10
From the Editor’s Desk I am thankful to have the privilege to publish first Newsletter of PMI North India Chapter. First and foremost, I would like to thanks fellow members, who took out time from busy schedule to enlighten us with the articles for the very first edition. Thanks to Hemant Seigell for providing a title and tag line to PMI NI Newsletter
Symptoms of Failed Projects and Proposed Counter- Measures Project Failure Symptoms Scope Creep
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Stakeholders have Different and Unrealistic Expectations No Real Need or Demand for the Product
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Lack of User Involvement in the Project
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Change Management is Lacking or Ineffective
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Poor Quality Control
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Problems are Identified at a Later Stage
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Proposed Counter-Measures Have Effective Trigger Management System Maintain Proper Log of Potential Change Orders Have a Proper and Seamless Communication Management Process Conduct Proper SWOT Analysis during Proposal Stage Conduct Risk Analysis during Proposal Stage Conduct Team Building Sessions Have Regular Meetings and Feedback Sessions Have Defined Change Management System Keep Client Regularly Updated on Changes Have Defined Quality Plan Conduct Internal & External Quality Audits Regularly Be Vigilant Have a Reward & Recognition Scheme for Whistle Blowers
Projects are successful when we: Analyze the project Plan the plan Develop the plan Execute the plan Monitor project execution Maintain the plan Apply lessons learnt to subsequent projects ®
By- G.Ravi – PMP & Kumar Saurabh - PMP
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Synergy is derived from the Greek word “syn-ergos” meaning "working together”. Historically we are all aware that many a milestones have been achieved by working together as a synergized team. This is more pertinent in Project Management scenario. We might have the best of project managers but the project can never be successful in absence of a cohesive team. Just as the protagonist in the movie Armageddon had said that “I am the Best because I work with the Best!” Thanks Kumar Saurabh for wonderful insight on Synergy
Our effort “The First Newsletter of PMI North India Chapter” echoes the same feeling and passion. Our newsletter “Synergy - Collaborating Project Management for High Performance Businesses” has also been possible only because of support from members of PMI North India Chapter. We believe that this Synergy will add another milestone in PMI – North India Chapter‟s continuous growth.
-Piyush Govil
Training in Construction Project Management - Need of the hour By – Amit Tambi - PMP
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India is growing with a growth rate of around 8-9% per annum and infrastructure including building projects have become integral part of this growth rate. It is a known fact that without proper development of infrastructure, the required growth cannot be achieved. Construction projects employ vast resources of men, materials, machinery, money and management to build a facility. Perhaps no other industry in the world can provide such a large scope for cost and time reduction, at micro level as in the construction industry. Moreover today‟s projects cross geographical barriers, corporate channels, traditional systems and cultural diversities. Modern construction projects dependencies, are inter-related, investment, require higher level and need effective management resources.
have interinvolve heavy of technology of voluminous
Construction projects have underlying difficulties, uncertainties and risks. They interact technically, economically and socially with the environment. Fast changing environment of the present era imposes numerous financial, legal, ethical, environmental and logistic constraints. In this scenario, it is utmost important to provide a holistic training to personnel at all levels on need, importance and applicability of Project Management. Important factors
Owners and Top Management of construction companies are not well versed with the ever evolving Project Management Concepts and their application. Most of them rely only on their conventional wisdom gained through experience and expect the project to be executed with a handful of experienced foremen. Project Managers are more involved on verifying the sub-contractor‟s bills, clarifying the drawing/ technical issues, analyzing the extra items or claims, preparing or modifying the schedules based on the information available to them. Few important project management aspects like Risk management, Communication management, Stakeholder management, Work break down structure etc., somehow take a back seat and are not considered important by Project Manager in a construction project. Delay analysis including root cause analysis and counter-measures are not performed in an organized manner. In this process there is total ignorance on impact of activity-wise delay on the overall project schedule. . The construction projects are mainly labour-centric and therefore Project Management Skills of engineers are more critical in this field.
Organized continual training on Project Management in Construction is therefore need of the hour. We need to create more awareness on the benefits of Project Management techniques and processes. It is also recommended that Project Management must be an intrinsic part of our professional curriculum so that an engineer who graduates is well versed technically as well as managerially and can contribute more effectively in the growth of Indian Economy. Save Trees, Save Earth
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The Project Manager Styles & their Impact on the project ® OUTCOMES By- Maneesh Dutt - PMP & Nirmallya Kar – IPMA – Level D In the world of project management, we give lots of emphasis on the processes, tools and techniques. Somewhere down the line we feel that we forget the key person who is making all this happen aka Project Manager. Especially in the knowledge industry which operates in a collaborative and influential environment the soft competencies of the Project Managers plays an important role in the successful completion of the projects. In this article we dwell on the soft competencies of the Project Managers and how it impacts the overall environment and completion of the project.
Knowing others is intelligence; Knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; Mastering yourself is true power. - By Lao-tzu
Every Project Manager has unique style of managing projects or should we say a default attitude in managing projects. This mindset of the project manager is a critical aspect in determining the success or failure of a project. A project lifecycle for simplicity can be divided into three major steps: Feasibility & Initiation Study, Execution and Project Closure. In addition, a project by definition is an endeavor to achieve a goal following some processes, tools and most importantly involving people.
URGENT Referring to the famous ImportanceUrgency matrix [1], it is easy to label the project manager styles into the four quadrants.
THE FIRE FIGHTING PM IMPORTANT
Q2 THE INEFFECTIVE PM
NOT IMPORTANT
Q3
NOT URGENT THE EFFECTIVE PM Q1 THE RESOURCE WASTER Q4
Here below we look at the behavior and attitudes displayed by Project managers as described in the four quadrants:
The effective Project Manager: The effective project manager before anything else is the role model who naturally inspires confidence amongst his team members and at the same time is looked upon as a dependable & valuable resource of the organization by his management. Such a manager is able to generate time not only for the project processes and tools but also for developing and maintaining relationship with all the stakeholders. Moving along the project cycle let‟s look at how an Effective PM behaves during the three phases of the Project Lifecycle described above: Project initiation & Feasibility: The Quadrant 2 Project manager by nature maximizes his time working on important tasks hence it follows that he would invariably do a deep Feasibility study to have complete clarity on the outcome of the project. This PM asks all the right questions at the start of the project not forgetting that he even has a choice of saying “NO” to the project in case the project feasibility points in that direction. The effective PM realizes that by having better vision of the outcome of the project there is a higher probability of achieving it successfully. Project Execution: The nature of all projects is such that surprises are inevitable even though a good feasibility analysis may have been done. However in the case of an Effective PM these situations are more an exception rather than a rule. During the normal or predictable time periods of the Project the effective PM “responds” to varying project situations focusing on project outcomes and maximizing his opportunities to strengthen the relationship with all the project stakeholders. Though urgent situations would still arise in projects, the Project Manager is much better placed to avoid reactive & impulsive decisions. In fact he would use such situations to develop preventive practices for avoiding such repeat incidents in the future. Contd… Save Trees, Save Earth
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Project Closure: The effective Project Manager realizes very much the importance of Project closure phase which is very much a Q2 activity and a fuel for future projects. He takes time to formally explore with the team on what went well and what could have been done better. And last but not the least thanks all the stakeholders for their contribution in achieving the project success. In today‟s fast changing environment there are also situations wherein project need to be closed, due to market reasons etc., even before achieving their objectives. The Effective PM realizes that such exceptional situations demand a very effective project closure to bring to surface all suppressed emotions. Remaining Quadrants descriptions to follow in next issue…
How to make a Client-Vendor Engagement a win-win for both? ®
By - Navin Das – PMP 21st century is the century of knowledge workers; it is the age of collaboration of highly specialized skills. To operate effectively in this scenario we need to evolve ourselves from traditional ClientVendor relationship to a more collaborative engagement. In this respect some points has been listed down to ensure the success and evolution in the client-vendor engagement A. Key Elements to Success: Mutual Respect
When you make a commitment to a vendor, you are then committing an expert whose time and effort will be dedicated in your project. If you don't intend to use their services, then do not take up their time.. You are doing yourself and that vendor a false promise of work if the project is not imminent. Professionalism Treat your vendors with the same respect as you would expect for yourself. Vendors have taken years to become experts in their field and deserve the respect that comes with that tenor. It's a small world! Recognize that the image you portray to your vendors is a direct reflection on your company. If you are unprofessional about returning phone calls or providing feedback, this is not only a reflection of your own unprofessional behavior, but casts a shadow over the company as a whole. ( we are not referring to unsolicited cold calls.) Stressful Situations Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." I love this saying, and it is very true. Do not let a stressful situation be an excuse for poor business manners. Do not contact your vendors and speak to them in any manner or tone that you would not want used towards yourself. Keep in mind that you are responsible for your behavior, and the simple fact that you are paying someone for their work on a project does not give you free rein to treat them in a disrespectful manner no matter how much stress you may be under. This mutual respect will solidify your relationship and ensure a solid vendor relationship. Save Trees, Save Earth
Contd…
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B. Communicate, communicate, and communicate Avoid lack of structure in your approach of dealing with the vendor. Be very specific and lucid. Avoid too many words while talking/ writing emails. Use thorough and structured documentation to communicate the work-detail/ activities and tasks/ owners and timelines. Effective and timely Communication is the key. 90% of a project manager‟s time is spent in communication. Know your vendors well. Communicate with them at the same wavelength. For example, a software developer will not have the same maturity as the Head of Operations/ CEO at the vendor-site.. Projects often depend on vendors and supplier team members to provide services. The nature of the client-vendor relationship emphasizes mutually beneficial goals. However, the vendor doesn‟t always prioritize the client‟s interests as heavily as their own. Clients will always try to maximize services at a minimal cost while vendors are motivated to increase costs for additional services. In a challenged project with strained vendor relationships, it becomes even more important to focus on the critical issues to work together and deliver the end goal. C. Win-win situation Vendor-Client engagement is team coordination. While you point out issues and raise concerns you also help them with possible solutions that will help the vendor overcome the problem/ deliver better performance. This will enable the vendor to be more open with you, and you will get more insight into their strengths and opportunities. Typically, in my case, I make myself part of the solution in resolving change-requests by contributing in technical discussions including database modification, designing, and code-logic. This also gives me a better hold of what‟s happening; gives me insight into how the vendor works; his efficiency and commitment levels etc. The better you understand the technology, the better you can manage the service delivery and manage the project. D. Think, Think, Think. Manage Risk before it occurs Ask effective questions and make people think too. This is the best risk management strategy. For this you have to have a complete hold and insight into the business and deliverables; the strengths and weaknesses. The ability to foresee risks is a key success factor in order to be able to mitigate them. The better you manage risks the safer and confident you are as a vendor-manager to ensure reliability, predictability and consistency. E. Contracting and Rewarding One most important factor is for you to read and understand the business-contract very clearly. Also make sure the vendor understands every clause of the ® contract. It‟s easy to hold the vendor By- Piyush Govil - PMP -The making of PMPs accountable to the deliverable and its quality only if it is part of the contract. For example, I hold my vendor accountable to turnaround in a maximum of 4 hours for a „Priority 1‟ issue. This is a clearly laid out agreement in the contract. If they deliver on time or earlier there will be a bonus of x % on the work done for that project, if they deliver over a week late or so there will be penalty of y%. Share your views about Newsletter at piyush.govil@pminorthindia.org
Save Trees, Save Earth
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Team Sports and Project Management ®
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By- Gareth Byatt- PMP , Gary Hamilton- PMP , and Jeff Hodgkinson- PMP
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If you spend a reasonable amount of time working on projects, you are likely to hear team members use sports metaphors. This is a positive trait. Sports metaphors can be great motivators and examples of “how to do things.” Beyond the metaphors, can methodologies in team sports suggest core practices for project management? We think the answer to this question is yes. There are many similarities between project management and team sports. For the purpose of this article, we focus on eight areas that we feel are particularly relevant. 1. Individual talent does not guarantee a successful team or outcome. Individual talent does not guarantee team success in any situation. It is the way the team performs as a unit that matters the most. Team selection and how team members “gel together” are key to ensuring that individual skills brought to the team merge to produce a successful outcome. To realize the best result, this might include inciting some deliberate “creative tension” amongst team members. Sports teams have opportunities to play and learn together over a season or longer. Project teams are usually one-off in nature, so members must quickly learn to work together. In project management, we typically create a Resource Plan that details the skills required for the project, and at what point they will be required. It is crucial to consider the impact of the way in which each individual who is selected will mesh with the whole team. This is as true in sports teams (e.g., when a new player joins) as it is for project teams. Next, consider the impact of having a “superstar” player on your team. Very few of us would say “No” to having a “high impact player” or players. However, we must decide if the superstar or, for that matter, any team member, is the right fit for both the project and the team– that is, does their personality mesh with others, will they be a fully integrated part of the team, and will they work towards the common goal? You need to be certain that their impact is positive (exemplary performances that help the team), not negative (behavior that causes team friction). Whether staffing a project or a sports team, take the time to fully explore personnel resources and determine how each person will relate with their teammates. In some cases, either basic or more extensive personality profiling before team selection may be appropriate. Careful team selection (within the constraints you will have for available resources) is about managing the risks that, if they occur, can prevent your group of individuals from becoming a high-performing team. 2. Negative influences do exist. Within most projects, there are stakeholders with conflicting agendas. It is difficult to avoid, because different stakeholders have different roles and views. We must account for all stakeholders in our planning and consider their needs appropriately. This is certainly true in team sports. For example, most spectators watching a team sports event will be supporting “their team;” they will not be impartial. The psychological advantage to a team playing “at home” is well known. At key moments, some people will hope that a player misses an opportunity, and others will hope they use it. It is important to gauge the influence and impact of each stakeholder group. For example, during spectator sports, how loud will fans of the visiting team be during the game? What impact will this have on team performance? Are there ways to mitigate an adverse effect on performance? Most projects will have “spectators.” You need to work out a way in which they can support and encourage your success. Teams that undertake a full analysis of all stakeholders and take appropriate planning steps, such as simulating the “playing environment,” are better equipped to handle their stakeholders and improve their chances of success. Contd… Save Trees, Save Earth
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3. Set people up for success by thinking as a team. Sports teams need to have good quality equipment (such as the right shoes/boots, appropriate bats or racquets) to maximize their chances of success. They also need appropriate training facilities. Regarding “thinking as a team,” most sports teams play in a “team kit;” this can be a powerful visual motivator and an “identifier” for team members. Sports teams often have a motto or logo signifying their commitment to working together to achieve success. Some project teams have T-shirts with a project logo and the like created for team members. 4. Create and execute the game plan. Analysis and research supports the view that a project is likely to have a better outcome when there is a carefully conceived plan in place. Successful sports teams work to a Game Plan. They decide how they will approach each game – the tactics they will deploy, what will happen if they need to change tack, their resource plan (perhaps based on who is fit for the game). There needs to be a means of measuring progress against the plan and to be prepared to change mid-flight if necessary. In sports, metrics for measurement during a game could be whether “Plan A” is working or not – and if not, do they change to “Plan B”? Over a series of games or a season, the metrics may be the win/lose percentage, the number of points scored/allowed, the number of tickets sold and revenue generated, or others. The metrics chosen may represent the different “core interests” of stakeholders. The coach is primarily interested in winning games. Team owners want to see good crowds and revenue generated for their business as well as good team performances. In both projects and sports, leaders need to agree on the plans, the metrics, and the way in which they will report and disseminate information related to the plans. In a team sports game, working to a Game Plan must also include respect for the decisions of the “Umpire” or “Referee.” In many ways, this is akin to a project team valuing the opinions of key stakeholders. 5. Know how to execute the play. When you have a plan, every team member must know what it is and the means to execute their role. A plan will consist of a number of “plays,” agreed to up front. How well these “plays” are executed depends on practice and team familiarity with each other. The „optimized‟ team knows the plays and has executed them successfully and repeatedly. Sports “plays” are things like Set Plays, Penalties and the like. Think of project “plays” as your core activities. (Refer to our article “The Nine Steps to Success” as an example.) For instance, how well do they execute a risk management plan, or the schedule, or detailing accurate requirements? Creating optimized teams is not easy nor does it occur overnight; it takes practice. Like the sports coach, the Project Manager must work with each team member individually and the team as a group to increase the synergy level of the team. Like a championship sports team, the winning project team stands out and the way in which they work as a team is a role model for others.
6. Motivation and leadership are crucial. Plans for project execution rarely go exactly as scripted. That should not be a surprise to anyone – projects by their very nature produce something new, and things change. How project team members respond when their plan is not working or if they suffer from a lack of motivation is critical to eventual success or failure. In sports, coaches and team captains are akin to Project Managers; the quality of their leadership is crucial for success. What makes elite coaches, general managers and team leaders stand out from others? Those who rise to the top tend to be individuals with genuine leadership skills. They need to know how to position their team members for success, and how to motivate them to achieve their goals. They know that they need to reward team members for good performance DURING the project, not just at the end. Think of what happens when a team member scores a goal – they are applauded there and then, with an “on the spot” celebration which quickly dissipates as the team focuses on the rest of the game. Take the same approach for your project. Contd…
Project Management – lighter side
Save Trees, Save Earth
“Good project managers admit mistakes: that's why you so rarely meet a good project manager!” “Anything that can be changed will be changed until there is no time left to change anything!” ®
Overhead by Kumar Saurabh, PMP
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7. Common goals. Every member of any team should be working toward a common goal that everyone understands. In projects, we establish this through project success planning (refer to our previous article “Project Success Plans – Planning for Success” for details), just as sports teams always solidify their goals and set expectations during season opening activities and specific games. Whether the goal is to improve on last season, “just finish,” or to win a championship, it needs to be established and clearly communicated to the team, with all members working toward that goal. Roles and responsibilities are key to establishing goals in a specific game or project. Just as in sports teams, where each team member performs a particular function, so should project teams have fully delineated and acknowledged roles.
8. Lessons learned. Few will dispute the fact that capturing lessons is fundamental to any project and to the growth and maturation of the performing organization. Sports teams are great examples of learning from what happened last time. Watching and dissecting the last game for “what we did right,” “what we did wrong” and “what can we do better in the next game” is something all good sports teams do. The sports coach plays a key role here. They connect the team “lessons learned” to their Game Plans, and the integration of their lessons learned into the strategic goals of the team is usually intrinsic to the way things are done. Players need to be willing to learn from their own experiences and the observations of their coach. Project teams need to adopt this same approach. Yet, because we are all busy, it can become all too easy to ignore the lessons during a project, and only focus on them right at the end. As we suggested in our article on learning, try to make time for quick team reviews before, during and after a project, not just at the start and the end. You may want to consider the use of an impartial facilitator to capture and analyze lessons.
In closing, project management processes and concepts are similar in many ways to team sports. All teams, whether for a sport or any other type of pursuit, can benefit from applying a project-orientated approach.
Project Management - Ruminate
Save Trees, Save Earth
"While selecting project Manager for your organization, do you also check his/her domain knowledge (industry) as a mandatory requirement along with his/her Project management knowledge?” ®
Archana Sharma – PMP Send your answer to pminicmag@pminorthindia.org P8
- Chapter Events Half day PMI Agile Seminar "The Bottom Line of Agile Project Management" 7th May’2011
Steering Project Success Workshop – 23rd April’2011
Delivered by Madhavan S Rao PMP®
Delivered by Jesse Fewell PMP®
PDUs earning opportunities…
Times Education Boutique – 13th -15th May 2011 At the onset, on behalf of North India Chapter and PMI, please accept my big thank you for taking out time and volunteering at the Times Education Dhiraj Gyani Head - Government Relations & PSUs (PMI INDIA)
As a small token of gratitude on behalf of the North India Chapter and PMI India, invitation extended to attend FICCI-PMI conference Volunteer Participants On benefit extended Project Management on complementary basis.
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Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
PMI Region 11 Chapter Presidents Meeting Colombo 3-5 June’11
Upcoming Event-
Save Trees, Save Earth
Project Management in Cloud Computing …………………………………………….…………… August 2011 P9
Professional Development Which of the following is not an Agile principle and practice? 1. 2. 3. 4.
Reduced product and process waste. Continuous involvement of the customer throughout the product development cycle. Changing requirements are not welcomed during the development High visibility of project progress allows early identification and resolution or monitoring of problems By - Nirmallya Kar – IPMA – level D Send your answer to pminicmag@pminorthindia.org
Editorial Team welcomes Articles, Case Studies, white papers and last but not least SUGGESTIONS, IDEAS for Next issue… Kindly submit at piyush.govil@pminorthindia.org or pminicmag@pminorthindia.org
Editorial Team Piyush Govil, Manoj Gupta, Nirmallya Kar, Kumar Saurabh, Felix George
PMI North India Chapter http://pminorthindia.org Save Trees, Save Earth
pminicmag@pminorthindia.org P10