the biggest trend in project management today

The Biggest Trend in Project Management

and How To Thrive

Diane Dromgold

Organisations are only doing two things:

1. Stuff that gets today’s results (business as usual); and

2. Stuff to get tomorrow’s results (projects).

A brief ‘modern’ history of projects

Society had a problem.

We needed a way to get things done – things that couldn’t be achieved in

normal daily operations and activities.

We invented the corporation as a way to get things done that couldn’t be done

otherwise…

In the 2003 film, “The Corporation”

Noam Chomsky said corporations were groups of people chartered by the state to perform a particular function (that they couldn’t perform on their own); and

Mary Zepernick Director Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy stated that corporations operated under charters constrained by:

• how long they could operate;• the amount of capitalization allowed;• what they made and did; and• provided for the shareholders being responsible. Sounds a lo

t

like a project

Corporations got complicated, bureaucratised and rigid

5

Then they needed a way to get things done

So they invented …. Projects!

(mini corporations)

Projects (or mini corporations)

• Temporary organisations to get something done that has no other way of being achieved;

• Established with clear accountabilities, for specific periods and to achieve specific things;

• Sits outside existing structures; and

• Controlled by the boss (project manager).

They worked…

and organisations wanted more.

Enthusiasm for using projects keeps going up

1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

605040302010

Some commentators argue we’re already here

RNC evidence (1000+ cases)

%

% of org. spend on projects

The project driven

organisation

Enter the productivity and efficiency consultants

Maximum utilisation of all resources

•Matrix reporting

•% allocation of time to line and project activities

•People working on several things at the same time.

Projects no longer stand alone

This is the biggest trend in projects and their management

today.

Business

Project

ProjectProject

Project

Yesterday

Business

Projects

13

Today

It’s all blurry now

It’s not going back any time soon.

How do we…? ??

??

??

…succeed without overt control?

?

Succeed with competing demands on people?

?

?

Plan and budget without control over resources?

19

Those were the days my

friend

?

?

Get people to do what we want them to do…

and when we want them to do it?

No matter what we learn in project management education.

No matter what tools, procedures, processes and

reports we need to use…

… It’s all about youand them.

Think in terms of campaign management...

Influence is the key.

Being Influential

“Seek first to understand; then to be understood.”

St Francis of Assisi - Stephen Covey

Notes to self

Work out who cares – and what it is they care about

Run the project they want – not the one I think they should want

Craft the project story – and get everyone on script

Don’t take people’s commitment for granted – no one works for or with me unless they want to

No one buys in unless it works for them

I need to know who has the power of yes – and the power of no

Beware the delegate sponsor.

Talk to us –

Diane DromgoldManaging DirectorRNC Global Projects

Head Office Level 5719-29 Martin PlaceSydney NSW 2000

Other OfficesSingapore; Hong Kong; USA; Canberra

www.rncglobal.comddromgold@rncglobal.com0419 622 649+61 2 9238 1990