My nephew is telling me of his adventures (and misadventures) during his field work in Cyprus for his final project of the Master at the university. He has lots to pack in a short period of time, with a variety of very operational tasks to be planned and executed with his colleagues, while maintaining focus on the objective of his short stay. He is operating in a new and challenging environment, with an interesting team dynamics and an original project leadership.
We happened to discuss the differences between planning and scheduling. I thought I knew the difference, but I confess that I tried to dodge the question. In the end, I had to read a few articles in order to provide him with a sensible answer. I also realised that in other articles on this blog I may have used the term “planning” and “schedule” as synonyms.
Maybe this is not entirely correct? Let’s see if you agree, see the new article now available under the Pages section (link). As usual, I will be happy to receive comments and constructive feedback.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
The fourth and final article of the series about Change is now posted and available under the Pages section on the blog – here is the link. In this article I wanted to look at the future of change.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels
As pointed out by a report by the APM (the Association for Project Management) about the future of the project management profession, “..the landscape today is increasingly defined by two vitally important features. The first is widespread uncertainty and a sense that change is happening faster and faster”.
It looks like change in projects is going to be a permanent and recurring feature. I expanded on this aspect to find some possible guiding leads that could help the project management professionals.
I hope you enjoy reading the article. I also hope that the whole series was of interest and, as usual, I will be happy to receive comments and constructive feedback.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
The third article of the series about Change is now posted and available under the Pages section on the blog – here is the link. Having explored the various types of changes in a project and the individual attitude toward change, in this article I explored the process for change.
I have not re-traced processes and approaches that are covered in the PM training courses, but looked more generally to a possible high level approach. I connected to the AKDAR model presented in the previous article. The exact methodology will have to be adapted to each project’s circumstances, but I think the ADKAR could be a model of general application, offering a solid frame for an effective change management process.
I hope the article will be of interest and, as usual, I will be happy to receive comments and constructive feedback.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
Our struggle with change is back on the business agenda.
The last two years have seen organisations struggling with disruptions to supply chains, to the workforce and markets. Individuals have been affected in many ways with the loss of the job or with forced changes to the professional or personal plans. Many of us have been forced to change the way we work and the way we relate with colleagues and customers. We had to learn new skills that we did not even imagine we needed. We may have even changed the view of the world, our political view, how we rate our NHS, our attitude toward science and technology. For many of us it has been a real struggle, sadly aggravated by the premature loss of members of the family, friends and colleagues.
The unique circumstances caused by the pandemic, my personal struggle and some books and articles that I read gave me the inspiration to write about change. I would like to reflect about the many facets of change, why we have this difficulty in facing and embracing change and, of course, make a connection with the project management profession.
All project management organisations will have in their training programmes detailed modules for change management. I will not review those approaches or propose alternative ways. I will give a personal commentary, up for scrutiny and debate.
Please keep in touch for these new articles. Those who follow the blog should receive the notification once the articles are available. I am not sure how many articles I will write – I would like to have an option for a … last-minute change!
I hope this series will be of interest and, as usual, I will be happy to receive comments and constructive feedback.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
In this new series of articles I would like to reflect on Stakeholder Management, a subject incredibly important for the project management profession. I aim to provide some basic definitions, but also reflect on best practices, current and near-future challenges.
In all project management accreditation programmes there is a considerable emphasis on stakeholder management. Projects are about bringing change to organisations and society. It is said that “if there is no change, there is no project“. And the projects do not take place in a vacuum. There are people, with all their biases, at the project inception and all along the project lifecycle: those individuals actively involved in promoting and striving for the change, the beneficiaries, the sponsors or the investors, the passive bystanders and those who can be unintendedly affected by the project activities or the final outcome.
Change can be uncomfortable and the project success (in its wider meaning) is dependant on effective and continuous management of the stakeholders’ views, expectations and acceptance of the project.
Please keep in touch for these new articles. Those following the blog will receive the notification once the articles are available. [Please note that the first and second articles have been already posted.]
I hope this series will be of interest and, as usual, I will be happy to receive comments and constructive feedback.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
I have read a great book about knowledge management (KM), “Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice” by Kimiz Dalkir. This book gave me the inspiration for a new short series of articles.
I cannot claim to be an expert in the subject of KM, but I would like to share my learnings and provide my take on what knowledge management is, how it can be approached and, more importantly, reflect on how the management of knowledge might apply to projects and to the project management profession.
In the first article I covered the basics of KM. In the second article I looked at the options in putting KM into practice. In the third article I reflected on the challenges for the management of knowledge as applied to project management. In the final article, I tried to provide some recommendations for the effective project knowledge management.
I hope this series is of interest and, as usual, I will be happy to receive comments and constructive feedback.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
This is to announce two new series of articles. There is a series of short articles on performance dashboards and another series on process improvement.
Performance dashboards are essential tools for project management. I have researched the subject and also recently read a very interesting reference book. I wanted to share my take and experience on the subject .
And what about the second topic? I have already written on the blog about “lean thinking” and the importance that this ethos has for organisations and in particular for project management. With this new series I wanted to cover the process improvement in greater detail, as the process improvement can be key in leading organisations into this way of working.
Those already following this blog have received the notification once the articles have been posted. I hope these two series have been of interest and, as usual, I will be happy to receive comments and constructive feedback.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
“At the edge between the known and the unknown there is a fertile place, full of possibility”
Steven D’Souza
Photo by Marco Bottacini
Welcome to the sixth post in the “3 Good Reads for PM” series. In each post I provide a brief and personal commentary on three articles, books or web posts that, in my opinion, could help project managers and project planners in their profession.
The reads chosen for this post are articles & resources related to some theoretical aspects of Project Management and a useful guide to Logical Framework approach. Maybe an original mix this month? I welcome any constructive feedback or suggestions.
This old but interesting paper considers two key themes from the activities of the ‘Rethinking Project Management Network’, a UK Government-funded research network called funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council between 2004 and 2006. The two themes are: ‘projectification‘ and managing multiple projects. Following analysis of cases presented during network meetings, the findings discuss the development of the concept of ‘projectification‘ over the decades before 2006. Some of the key conclusions drawn are that, for example, ‘projectification‘ has considerably extended the definition of a ‘project’, way beyond the definitions in the literature. Importantly, during the decade reviewed by this paper, the authors have seen the establishment of programmes and portfolios of programmes as a mechanism for managing in organisations. This translated into a fundamental change in how organisations have restructured, a phenomenon the authors term as ‘programmification‘. According to the authors, these conclusions had implications for research and practice, which reflected in a research agenda and specific research questions that are still very relevant today.
Why this one?
This article is clearly for those with a specific interest in the science of project management. Interesting for me it is the commentary on how the organisations have morphed from a purely “functional” structure to a purely “project-based” arrangement. The examples in the article are from the automotive sector, a sector which seemed to have championed the change. The authors’ analysis also spans over other industries and it is very informative. It gives an insight on why modern organisations are set in the way they are today.
I think that some of the questions that the authors pose at the end of the article, and intended to form part of future research, are still very relevant today, and still waiting for a proper answer.
“Project DPro” was developed in partnership with ‘Project Management for NGOs’ (PM4NGOs), an organization dedicated to optimizing projects and improving professional project management skills in the development sector. The Project DPro is an approach to project management aligned with internationally recognized project management best practices and it includes components specific to the NGO sector. Project DPro is meant to help project managers develop the skills needed to deliver effective, transparent results to donors and communities.
This brief guide provides an introductory, independent exploration of project management within the context of the development sector, explaining the approach of Project DPro. [There is now also a Foundation Examination on Project DPro available from APMG. More information can be found here.]
Why this one?
The Project DPro model can probably be easily incorporated into already existing project lifecycles or can stand alone if a lifecycle is not available within an organization. It uses a phase model approach, and this guide provides guidance on what ought to be covered in each phase of the project. The model has 5 phases: Identification & Design, Setup, Planning, Implementation and Closure.
The short guide is very informative about the structure of each phase, using a clear ‘Inputs-> Process-> Outputs’ logic explaining also very clearly roles and responsibilities. Project DPro emphases five principles for project management: Well-Governed, Participatory, Comprehensive, Integrated, and Adaptive. They are pillars for a good project delivery in the development sector. These are very well contextualised and illustrated in the guide.
This guide is good in pointing the reader to the essentials of the logical framework, putting the elements in practice. BOND also presents the pros and cons of the approach, in recognition to the fact that the approach is used in very different ways by various international organisations and it receives both praise and criticism. Should your organisation require a briefing on the approach or a training session, it would be really worthwhile to reach out to BOND for guidance.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
“A coach’s scoreboard is not a players’ scoreboard”
The 4 Disciplines of Execution
Photo by Marco Bottacini
Welcome to the fifth post in the “3 Good Reads for PM” series. In each post I provide a brief and personal commentary on three articles, books or web posts that, in my opinion, could help project managers and project planners in their profession.
The reads chosen for this post are related to execution (in a broad sense), dashboards and something related to the use of diagrams. Maybe a strange mix this month? I would welcome any constructive feedback or suggestions.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution
C. McChesney, S. Covey, J. Huling
This book is about creating long lasting change, getting people to implement a new strategy by changing what they do through commitment rather than compliance. In the words of the authors, this is achieved by applying a successful and well tested “operating system” based on four disciplines, abbreviated as “4DX”. The four disciplines are focus, leverage, engagement and accountability. The first part of the book explains the four elements in more details and the second part presents case studies and tips on how to install the system in multiple teams in a large organization. The last part of the book also includes the 6-step process to roll out the 4DX, some failure points to watch and ways that the 4DX principles can be used to improve our personal lives.
Why this one?
The principles brought by the book may not be innovative, but it is interesting how these principles are bundled together, the logical connection presented in the book and the emphasis on cadence & discipline. Given that project management is about execution, the principles presented in the book are certainly applicable (with some re-arrangements) to projects, not just to organisations’ goals. There is a very interesting emphasis on the focus on goal, team engagement, cadence and scoreboards, all applicable to projects.
My favourite bit..
The section about the installation of the disciplines into a team is very interesting and compelling, with guidance on how to educate the team to the new way of thinking and operating. The process for the installation of the methodology doesn’t sound straightforward, but the book is really guiding the reader principle by principle, step by step. It hard to think that this is a process that it is possible to execute without external coaching & the support of the 4DX providers, but there are good hints for an attempt to a self-made approach. At a project level, it should be possible to adopt some of the principles.
Information Dashboard Design
Stephen Few
A proper manual on dashboard design…
In this book the author, a recognised expert in dashboard design, illustrates and analyses the problems and challenges with current dashboard design. He helps in understanding the fundamentals in the structure and presentation of an effective dashboard, covering also important concepts in visual perception. There is a step-by-step process for the assessment of what is required for the design of a dashboard.
Why this one?
This book is not for your bedside table. It is a big and pricy book. But it has the reputation to be a reference book in dashboard design, the manual. A project manager or a planner may not have to go deep into a sophisticated design for a project dashboard, in the way the author does in the book, but this book certainly helps understand important concepts about visualisation and good practices with graphic design that can be applied on a small scale to project dashboards. If applied correctly, the practices might really help getting dashboards that communicate effectively. The book also shows examples of weak solutions offered by many dashboard developers, exposing in a clear manner some fundamental flaws to avoid and “what-to-watch” when dealing with those specialised vendors.
My favourite bit..
“Think carefully about the message that most directly supports the viewer’s needs and then select the measure that most directly support those needs” – the author writes. It is certainly a matter of engaging effectively with the stakeholders and viewers, asking the right, probing questions about their needs. To me, another interesting point made by the author is around the fact that it is important to acquire skills in relation of visual display, human perception and cognition. The need to learn these skills is seldom recognised by the organisations.
The Diagrams Book
Kevin Duncan
Another airport discounted item, bought when I was still travelling!
This little book offers 50 diagrams to help the readers with problem-solving, thinking and with communication. Each of the diagram is presented on one spread, explained briefly and simply. Each diagram is also accompanied by an exercise to help the readers to apply to own situations and circumstances. The intention of the author is to help those people who might find difficult to express ideas, articulate problems (and solve them) purely using words. Together with the companion “The Idea Book“, these two make a nice and practical combo.
Why this one?
“People only remember 10% of what they read, but 30% of what they see” (from the book foreword). Every project manager has been challenged with communication to various audiences, across cultures and committees, specialisations and roles. Time is precious, clarity and effectiveness are critical. For me, this book helps in getting everybody back to the basics of visual communication, making us to consider leaving aside wordy emails or long documents.
My favourite bit..
I agree with the author when he says that the pyramid is one of the most versatile diagrams in the world. I really liked the examples using triangles and pyramids. For me, the use of all basic geometric shapes (and their combination in a variety of ways as suggested in the book) was very refreshing and helped me to resist the temptation of complex PowerPoint templates.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
“In the business world, organisations seek to predict change and respond to it, but the pace of change is in danger of overtaking the rate of learning”
David Hillson
Photo by Marco Bottacini
Happy New Year! Welcome to the forth post in the “3 Good Reads for PM” series.
In each post of this series I provide a brief and personal commentary on three articles, books or web posts that, in my opinion, could help project managers and project planners in their profession.
In this month’s post there are two very old titles. I think that they are still relevant reads especially for those readers of this blog who are new to the project management profession and they are eager to apply some original and lateral thinking & techniques.
The Fifth Discipline
Peter M. Senge
When first published in 1990, the core ideas in “The Fifth Discipline” appeared quite radical. The author described in the book what he called the ‘learning disabilities‘ which can threaten the productivity and success of organizations. He advocated five disciplines to be nurtured and embedded in the organisations’ way of working: a shared vision, an understanding of mental models, the importance of team learning, the care for a personal mastery and the application of system thinking. The fifth discipline (system thinking) is the discipline that binds the other four and therefore is the discipline where the focus should be in improving organisations. In the book the five disciplines are presented with three levels of explanations for the management of change, seven learning constraints and nine system archetypes which will help practicing systems thinking.
Why this one?
Although intended to help with leadership and organisation’s management, many concepts presented in the book are applicable very naturally to the project management profession and to project dynamics. As in the organisations, so in projects there are many linkages between teamwork, biases and perceptions (the human factor), and process and methodologies. Although to the current reader many of the concepts presented might look as already widely known, embedded in many of our organisations and in practices now well consolidated, the book offers an opportunity for a back-to-basic look at system thinking.
My favourite bit..
Above all, the examples for the application of system thinking were what really interested me. Initially the author’s suggestion to stop trying to divide problems into smaller pieces, for then try to solve each part, intrigued me. It was going against my idea of tackling a difficult problem or dealing with a complex situation. The metaphor the author used was quite eye-opening: if you have a broken mirror and you glue the pieces together, the reflection of the mirror will not be the same as the reflection from the originally unbroken mirror. System thinking is about using a holistic viewpoint. Fascinating and thought provoking! This book led me to read more specialised articles on system thinking.
The Mind Map Book
Tony & Barry Buzan
First published in 1993, this is the 2000 edition. Tony Buzan is the ‘inventor’ of modern mind- mapping, branded as a thinking tool which could help with the improvement of memory, creativity and thinking skills in general. (It must be said that one of the earliest documented examples of mind-mapping can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Porphyry of Tyros in the 3rd century B.C., who used it to organize the works of the great thinker, Aristotle!). Mind maps are presented as an efficient technique for organizing thoughts around complex areas, in business or daily life. The authors first provide a brief but informative overview of how our brain works. Then they present the idea of ‘radiant thinking‘, intended to mirror the structure and processes of our brains, where associative thoughts spreads in different directions from a given point. It is what a mind-mapping is based upon, always radiating from a central image. And finally the book guides the reader through the principles and rules for good mind-mapping, with examples applied to a variety of fields and contexts, memory or learning improvement, business, education, organisations or processes.
Why this one?
Mind-mapping techniques are now widely taught and used, whether is to help teaching or learning, with organisation ‘s structure design or complex problem-solving. It is a technique that can be applied to all aspects of project management and planning. The PMI has widely advocated for it (link).
My favourite bit..
Although the concept has been introduced to me by my friend Sharon Hartle in the late 90’s, initially it has been very difficult for me to appreciate the value of mind-mapping. Its application to personal projects and activities has been sketchy. I read the book many years later. The chapter about the guiding principles was good to make me try more seriously and find my own style. Now I find mind-mapping very natural as it works as my brain works (radially, sometimes chaotically and never linearly!).
The Decision Book
Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler
“Another airport’s bookshop discounted trap for me!”
The book is intended to be a guide for those who are involved in dealing with people, management of staff and teams, in a decision-making position or for those challenged by design & innovation’s dilemma. The book is aimed to help navigate through the 50 models depending on what the reader wants to achieve, either to improve the own self, to understand own self better, to understand others better or to improve others. The reader can browse and select a model that appears to suit best a particular situation or a particular objective. Each model is visually presented, with a synopsis of the different strategies that are widely accepted and implemented by individuals and organisations and the reader is invited to adapt it to the situation at hand.
Why this one?
In this blog we have written about the highly complex context that characterises a project and commented about the challenges posed by either the human factor (management of stakeholders, biases etc) or by dilemma when choosing methodologies and procedures (think about communication, risks, change management etc). This book is a tool that can be of great help for a project manager or a project planner as a source of ideas and methods to unstick from dead-ends and offering original, alternative ways of thinking. To draw greater benefits from the book, some additional coaching and training might help, as many tools are well explained in many leadership and management training courses. However, the book can be easily read alone and used by those who haven’t had any training. Internet will be great source for additional, supporting information for each specific model, its merit and application.
My favourite bit..
It has to be the section about how to improve yourself. I always challenge myself with probing questions about my own skills and abilities and I always feel that …I am not quite there and I need to improve. The other section I really loved was the one with ‘Drawing’ lessons in which the authors provide a basic understanding of why and how one should draw. Basic drawing skills help in understanding a model (which is always visual in nature), adapting the model to own use and, very importantly, make it more suitable for communication and sharing with others. Why do you have to write a long text when you could draw it? A drawing say more than a thousand words!
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager at GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
Project Management Discussion Group 