Observations from IRM's IBCT Forum, London

March 2017 saw IRM UK hold Europe's only Innovation, Business Change and Technology Forum, or IBCT for short, in London. As this was the inaugural event, it was designed by practitioners for practitioners. Chaired by Chris Potts, the programme was structured so that each session consisted of a 30 minute presentation with short Q and A, followed by 45 minutes of interactive facilitated discussion. 

I had the opportunity to speak at the IBCT Forum 2017 on a topic entitled 'Putting the Business Centre Stage of Change and why that's important to Projects'. Chris Potts facilitated this session and the post-presentation discussion was extremely interactive. The energy in the room was high with everyone sharing ideas, challenges and thinking.

In this post I share what I experienced and key themes I observed repeatedly over the two days of the Forum.

Fa la la la laaaa

Season's Greetings From Deanne and the team at May 2017 bring continued business and project success

New eBook: How to be a Good Project Manager

Last month I published my response to Rogerio Manso's question 'What is your best advice to be a good project manager?' If you haven't read it yet you can do so by clicking here.

The question was prompted by TimeCamp's list of the Top 123 Influencers in the project management industry in 2016, and Rogerio's worked hard to consolidate the advice he received.

He's done a great job and this eBook is a collective of that advice from the 30 influencers who responded.

Published by the team at PMAGP, they say knowledge should not be proprietary. Knowledge should be shared to create more knowledge. I agree with them!

If you do too then download your copy today and continue sharing the knowledge.

Business Change from IT Projects - Infographic

What Is Your Best Advice To Be A Good Project Manager?

Recently I received an email from Rogerio Manso. He's involved in IT project management and also teaches others on the topic. Rogerio's contacting other subject matter experts around the globe because he's putting together a collection of advice that he'll offer for free to his project management students and anyone seeking to learn from others. In order to do this, he's asked a question. It might seem a fairly straightforward question but when you sit down to think about it, there are many possible responses that make it challenging to fix on just one thing.

The question?

What is your best advice to be a good Project Manager?

What Moving 6 Cubic Meters of Gravel Can Teach Us About Change

We’re doing some landscaping. It’s not a huge amount but it’s enough. Landscaping = change and just like any change, it’s exciting and a little scary all at once. What if we’re being too ambitious? What if we don't know what to do? What if, in the end, it doesn’t meet our expectations?

Regardless, we made a start and had 6 cubic meters of gravel dumped in our driveway. Looking at that gravel and what we had planned got me thinking about how organisations approach change and why they’re often disappointed with the results.

Here then, are 4 lessons that came to mind as I helped shovel, barrow and spread that gravel around…

Assess for Success

If success means tangible business value then projects must deliver something that actually fits what the business needs. Yet over time these two can and do get out of synch.  By stepping away from the mechanics of a project we can assess and decide if it’s really worth continuing.

Project Delivery - 5 Areas Ripe for Regular Detox

In the lead up to Christmas we’re all a little like headless chickens. We push and rush to close out or tidy up loose ends before everyone disappears on their well-deserved breaks and to give us piece of mind. Why do we do this mad rushing about? And, why is it not limited to the festive season? Perhaps it’s habit. Perhaps we’re reflecting those around us. Perhaps we think it’s the right thing to do. Still, just because it’s something we’ve always done doesn’t mean it’s something we should keep doing. The start of a new year is as good a time as any to change and after many years of seeing the same thing, here are the top five areas I believe are ripe for a regular detox now and throughout the year.

Project Management Around the World – A Kiwi’s View from Europe

This post is part of the #PMFlashBlog initiative originally kick started by Shim Marom and taken forward into round two by Mark Phillipy, The Sensible PM. The twist this time is that readers will be taken on a 7 week journey as people involved in projects around the globe blog about project management where they live. 

This topic posed a challenge for a number of reasons... 

The #PMFlashBlog - Right here, Right now

You knew this was coming and now it's here:

#PMFlashBlog - What Project Management Means To Me

Project Management is an interesting beast conjuring up lots of images and meaning many things to many people. Those who do it are professional in their work yet the debate rages as to whether it’s a profession in its own right. I don’t think it matters much if the people doing it are professional in their actions and desire to do quality and valuable work. Ultimately it’s about people, change, leadership and management. But this post isn’t a debate about what project management is or isn’t. No, it’s a post about what project management means to me. 

So, regardless of your experience, involvement with it or credentials, I believe project management exists to contribute and deliver value to an organisation and its business. This must never be underestimated or lost sight of.

With that in mind here’s what project management means to me…

The Sales vs Implementation Trap

Recently the news has been full of failed tech projects. Some are major government investments that have either been canned or are currently at risk. Others may be smaller yet the waste of time and money, not to mention the impact on reputation, are no less significant for the business or suppliers concerned. 

The reasons for failure are many and varied. Often seeds are sown during the early stages before there’s any sniff of a project let alone implementation. Expectations on both sides of the fence form and quite frequently remain unspoken. These sprout and grow as time progresses.

Back in 2011 I wrote a blog post about expectations of stakeholders and the role they play as an initiative moves from sales to implementation. It was a lead in to a guest spot on PMChat with Robert Kelly and Rob Prinzo. It's as valid now as it was then so I'm republishing it to trigger thinking and maybe, just maybe, tangible change through action.

Book Review: No Wishing Required

Written by Rob Prinzo No Wishing Required: The Business Case for Project Assurance is a semi-fictional work underpinned by a problem that affects many IT related projects - a lack of solid yet pragmatic project assurance. 

Prinzo’s background is complex software implementation projects for large Corporates and Government Agencies. The lessons he’s learned and experiences he’s had throughout his career are well observed and addressed by the books central characters, Jenny and her manager and mentor Bill Parker.