Include OCM Techniques When Implementing Project Management Practices
Most organizations do not follow a consistent project management methodology of any kind. So, how do you proceed with an initiative to introduce project management within an organization? The key to a project like this is recognizing that a project management initiative requires project managers to do things differently. It requires them to manage larger projects more proactively, consistently, and rigorously. It also requires different behaviors of the people who work on projects and those who are the project’s stakeholders.
Because we are trying to change the way people do their jobs, this type of effort is known as an organizational change management initiative. It is all about trying to change the culture. Driving culture change requires much more than simply teaching new skills, although training certainly plays a part. You must evaluate various aspects of the organization that drives behaviors. Processes that drive good project management behaviors need to be reinforced. Processes that are barriers to good project management behaviors need to be changed or eliminated. Resistance to the change must be accounted for and expected. It must also be overcome.
The success criteria for implementing project management include the following.
- Stakeholder management. In any culture change initiative, it is crucial to recognize the various impacted stakeholder groups. You should then perform stakeholder analysis to understand their interest, power, and motivation. You can use this information to create a stakeholder management plan to engage stakeholders based on their specific characteristics.
- A multi-faceted approach. Recognize that implementation is more than introducing new templates and initial training. It requires a multi-faceted approach that includes long-term communication, a standard methodology, training for all stakeholders (project managers, team members, and managers), coaching services, repository management, etc.
- A long-term commitment. You must have long-term staying power. The project management initiative will likely take at least a year for a small organization and 3-5 years for a larger one.
- Strong sponsorship. You have to have robust and stable sponsorship. It is not uncommon for the CIO or an EVP to sponsor a project management initiative. It is common that when the sponsor is replaced, the new CIO or EVP does not share the passion for project management. The entire initiative was canceled before the culture change could be fully adopted.
- Manage as a project. The project management implementation work must be planned and managed as a project. This will help ensure the work is scheduled, budgeted, coordinated, etc.
- A scalable model. Implement the new processes in a scalable manner. In other words, do not require a lot of overhead for small projects, while at the same time, you need to ensure that there is much more rigor and structure for large projects. Over-applying mandatory project management processes on smaller projects is a common reason an organization does not adopt the culture change.
Deploying project management processes and building project management capability in the organization requires much more than simply training the staff and walking away. You need a holistic and multi-faceted plan to engage the stakeholders effectively so that the change can be adopted and utilized long-term.
There Are Many Benefits to Training. Here are Four.
Here are four reasons training is invaluable to you as a Project Manager.
- Training keeps you engaged. Are you feeling a little sluggish on the job? Do you dread the ride to work each morning, thinking about the long and boring day ahead? Training dispels the monotony. Take a course about an aspect of project management that interests you. It may be risk management, agile methodologies, or root cause analysis. Deepening your knowledge in areas of interest will shake up your otherwise normal routine and get you excited about your job again.
- Training helps your career. Most professional certifications require an ongoing commitment to training and education. While this takes time, the upside is that it comes with real financial value. For example, a PMP-certified Project Manager will make an average of $10,000 more annually than their non-certified counterpart. Keep your training current and an eye on your employment landscape, and you’ll find yourself doing well.
Current and potential employers like to see an ongoing pursuit of education. It helps them appreciate you as a lifelong learner following a particular niche or specialty in your project management career.
- Training introduces new ideas. You will always pick up something new when you attend a project management training course simply because the discipline of learning temporarily removes you from your situation and gives you an aerial, objective view. For example, even experienced Project Managers learn new ideas and techniques by attending a fundamentals class. They learn new ways of doing things they are already familiar with.
Training also allows your experience and new learning to come together and provide a more holistic perspective than ever before. These nuggets of wisdom may not always be groundbreaking or revolutionary, but they are new. When you go to a training course with this mindset, you will come back with faster, more efficient, and more profitable ways to complete projects to share with your peers.
- Training exposes you to other people. Most classes allow you to interact with new people. Maybe it even allows you to interact with current co-workers in new ways. It’s valuable to get out of your office or cubicle occasionally, see what the rest of the world is up to, and talk to your peers. The relationships you forge with your instructor, the person sitting next to you, or even someone you meet in an elevator can help you throughout your project management career.
