To project managers, colleagues, and friends of Cadence! It has been a joy to represent Cadence at this year’s PMI Global Congress EMEA here in Dublin. These have been long days, but there is such great value in reconnecting with peers face-to-face; as usual, the calibre of discussion has been exceptionally high.

I’ll continue to percolate on this Congress over the coming weeks, and we will undoubtedly have our usual podcast wrap-up when I return to the United States in a few weeks. For now, I want to share three of my own observations of Congress this year that have struck me as important.

1. Program Management
   Program management is the administrative vehicle to deliver change—a complex set of changes over time. Projects are the way that those changes are delivered. The administrative vehicle, program management, targets, plans and tracks the delivery of the benefits.

   Just as there is Earned Value Method in project management, we are on the leading edge of defining Earned Benefit Method as a tracking vehicle for on time, on cost and on benefit delivery during the project. This is a fascinating area in development and I am coming back from this Congress with a starting formula. Count on more discussion of EVM/EBM in Congresses to come.

2. Change Management
   Change management is accomplished by addressing a motivation gap, a competence gap, or both in the organization where change is to be made. There is a proven methodology for change management and as a best practice it should be a (scaled) discipline on any project.

   The research has shown that it can cause the successful delivery rate to go from as low as 30% to as high as 80% successful delivery of the portfolio.

3. Complexity Management
   On a more personal note, I’m deeply gratified to see the “Coming Soon” activity surrounding the book I’ve been involved with as co-author/editor. While the book itself is not yet on shelves, there has been terrific discussion on the topic of project complexity at this Congress led by many authors/editors involved in the project including (though certainly not limited to) lead author Drs. Terry Cooke-Davies and Terry Williams.
   I will be working to integrate many of the concepts around complexity from the book and this Congress into a 1-2 hour presentation which I look forward to sharing with the community. I am very passionate about our own OPM series as a solution to complexity, where the process of getting the project done is secondary to actually getting it done successfully. That passion has absolutely been reinforced at this Congress.

Beyond these broader project management themes, I was gratified to be recognized for both personal and company contributions to the PMI Education Foundation, on whose Board I continue to serve as a Director.

As ever, the PMI Global Congresses serve our growing and vibrant project management community. If I can offer any advice from my now decades-long participation with this organization, it would be this: prioritize attendance in a Congress that supports your particular part of the world—your participation will serve your career, your organization, and our field!

Last week, we shared some of our thoughts on the power of Organizational Project Management, and how a holistic approach to portfolios, programs, and projects can empower the organization. Indeed, our take on driving project success across the enterprise hinges on just that: team members across the organization must be empowered to act on behalf of projects, no matter what their role, from executives, to managers, to project team members.

But just saying that project people must be able to act is mostly bluster. Even if your intentions are in the right place, being able to deliver results comes from orchestrated activity against a plan. It becomes a journey of exceeding the bar with project successes–provided you understand what that bar looks like.

Thanks to the diligent efforts of the Project Management Institute through the OPM3® ProductSuite, and the input of project managers around the world, we are seeing more of what that bar looks like in the form of Best Practices. Within OPM3, these best practices are a carefully curated set of 557 measures of successful project activity which set forth how the work of projects is done in a generic project setting. But the real magic of utilizing best practices comes through careful focus on your project setting.

In case you missed it, I’ll say it again: the keyword here is focus. Few organizations have the need for self assessment against every single one of the 557 recommended best practices. The beauty of the approach is that you don’t have to be weighed down with needless administration; your challenge is to define the practices that best measure project, program, and portfolio success across your organization, and measure on-going results against them. You, your project managers, your portfolio managers, and your teams know where they can improve, and where they shine, so ask them – whether from the list of 557 or not, if your teams are thinking about it, it is likely a practice worth measuring.

The result of your work will be a model for project improvement that addresses the whole organization. It provides a baseline for standardization, a model for measurement and control, and a path for improvement over time. And because your teams are developing the metrics, you will also be developing the buy-in that you will need for long-term attention and success.

At Cadence, we work with project partners around the world to help them define and implement their own model for standardization, measurement, control, and improvement. It is no secret that project offices all over are being confronted with the crude reality of our global economy, and are being taken to task to defend their place in operations: is the continued investment in a project management office at your organization worth the return in projects completed? Or is it just more administrative overhead, hindering the real work of projects more than driving it?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to answer out loud. But if you find yourself shaking your head in the negative, consider deeply the role of your project office and how you can take the lead in delivering your own best practices, measuring success, and driving improvement from within. Demonstrating such an active role in project education, measurement, and improvement is a quick way to demonstrate your project office is not just valuable, but too valuable to lose.

For those attending PMI in Washington DC, make sure to meet John Monday, October 11, at 2:00 PM EST. The session number is TRN022.

To answer these fundamental needs in a business environment of increased global complexity requires broadening the way we think about project management in our companies. For those who haven’t yet made the leap, it’s time to bring project management to the whole organization.

What does it mean to bring project management to the whole organization? The answer to that question comes in the comments we get in our own courses, and shared with us at conferences and symposia around the world.

“Management doesn’t get it.”

“Executives tell us what they want, but don’t follow through when we need support on our projects.”

“All they see is bottom line – they don’t understand implementation.”

And, heralded by our own graduates course after course: “I wish my boss was here.”

This sentiment underscores a key premise of whole-organization project management understanding: Everyone involved in projects must understand their roles in project management, from practitioners, to managers, to executives.

Seeing where this call for organizational project management comes from is important: it comes from the people managing projects. It comes from those who are saddled with day-to-day objectives and milestones, delivering results when it counts. What these people are bubbling up through the organization is a drive for greater methodological awareness against accepted standards in the field, and support when and where they need it.

Cadence has long been a partner with the Project Management Institute and all our courses are in direct alignment with the Project Management Body of Knowledge®, the set of standards of practice as defined by professionals in our field. But a standard is just the first step. Where Cadence shines comes in helping companies take these standards and establish and document the processes and practices it will take to adhere to them. That’s the Cadence Methodology, a field-tested approach to delivering results on projects through standards.

The second key premise to an organizational project management approach is ensuring that the people involved in projects execute their roles in the process. This involves a sophisticated and realistic approach to managing the portfolio of projects across the organization, the programs that make up larger strategic initiatives, and the projects that enable the organization to deliver strategic results.

The Cadence Project Management Methodology is steeped in a legacy of successful project results because our focus is – and always has been – on the whole organization. Our initiatives moving forward, including articles and interviews for this newsletter, will help to further refine our approach, illuminating the stories of those who have adopted a strategic approach to organizational project management and the success that comes from such efforts across the enterprise.

We wish you a smooth transition from summer to fall, wherever you are, and thank you for joining us on our journey to help you deliver your best work through projects.

The recording is live now, so if you weren’t able to make it to the live show, jump in now. Make sure to watch to the very end so that you can get your PDUs!

For those unable to attend, the recording of the webinar is now live. Jump right in now!

We only had time to have Randy answer a handfull of questions during the session. He has graciously agreed to answer a few more questions which we have posted below. Thanks for joining us!

1) How do you handle the situation in which your partner in negotiation begins to attack you personally/professionally and impugn your character?

Do not take in personally nor reply in kind and give them the satisfaction of sinking to attacking the other person. Try to redirect the negotiation back to the problem. Take a firm stance on progress and your position until the other side starts cooperating. Never concede or agree to any resolution when under attack. Reiterate the objective for the negotiation to get a fair outcome that all agree upon, even if you need to sound like a broken record and keep repeating the objective. If necessary, take a break or leave the discussion. State that a win-win is not possible if they keep attacking you. Your preparation may also reveal why they are in attack mode or if that is their usual pattern. If so, stand firm. If the behavior is unusual, question why they are acting that way; seek to resolve and change the behavior before moving on to the substance of the negotiation.

2) How do you support your team members in their efforts to negotiate on behalf of the project? At what point is it better to handle all project negotiation as project manager?

A good leader seeks to develop people on his or her team. Support team members to develop their negotiating skills, in a course, a book, or arrange a team training session. Good preparation and a negotiating plan developed in conjunction with team members empowers them to negotiate on behalf of the project but may need to come back to the project manager or sponsor to approve the deal. This keeps the project manager from being pinned down and allows further discussion and exploration of more options.

3) How do you draw the line between what information is good and safe to disclose in a complex negotiation, and information that may damage the process? Giving up more than is expected of you can sometimes build a connection in a negotiation, but how do you know when you’ve gone too far to achieve desired results?

It may be a fine line. Generally provide enough personal information and statement of objectives so the other side knows what to expect from you. Keep your deadline somewhat ambiguous. Let the other side know your firm limits. Withhold some information that allows the other side to zero in on your absolute limits and leave no room for further negotiations. Give them many clues about creative resolutions you would accept. Help them help you by giving enough information for them to do so. Ask many questions about what they know of your business or situation; then give them information to explain why you are there and what type of solutions you are looking for. Ask the other side to make opening offers that you can respond to with more information about why their offer is on the right path or not. Be open in answering questions and maintain a positive and cooperative attitude.

Prakash has graciously posted event photos online to share!

“I am delighted to have been selected to join this distinguished group of global volunteer leaders,” says Plowman. “Having served at the local level on PMI committees for recognizing project excellence, I look forward to contributing at the international level to acknowledge outstanding achievements in project management.”

Plowman joins a distinguished panel of project experts charged with providing professional support and expertise to the PMI Global Operations Center in administration of the Professional Awards Program, including creation of new awards designed to celebrate the accomplishments and professional excellence of project managers around the globe.

Plowman will begin her volunteer term in 2010.

Each day, I receive a motivational quote from Walk The Talk (www.walkthetalk.com) and today’s quote really hit home with me. Whether you are a project leader, corporate leader, or volunteer leader, surrounding yourself with great people is crucial. At Cadence, I have surrounded myself with a terrific team, who has the passion to succeed and a commitment to excellence. In my volunteer activities, I continue to grow my circle of volunteer leaders who have the passion of advancing the PM profession forward. Our jobs as leaders is to create leaders of your future. I strive to do this everyday. Let the passion begin!

The goal desired by most organizations is to develop project management competencies. The Cadence solution helps clients grow to full maturity – the optimal state of management. Through coaching, mentoring and consulting services, Cadence aids in the application of project management skills to specific project challenges.

Cadence uses the Capabilities/Maturity Model as a guide for implementing project management. The model shows companies the level at which project management processes are practiced within their culture. Cadence integrated consulting and training services provides organizations with an assessment of their level of maturity. Working together with the client, an approach is developed to gain more knowledge and skills leading to a more mature application of project management competencies.

Below, Connie Plowman (2nd from left) and John Patton (3rd from left) share the stage with the other provider and product of the year award winners.

Below, from left, Ricardo Vargas (Chair, PMI Board of Directors), John Patton, and Connie Plowman.

Throughout history, NASA has invested in and applied key principles of project management to support the achievement of its momentous milestones. As a member of the PMI® Global Corporate Council (GCC), they have taken a critical role in shaping the current project management landscape. The NASA Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership is one of the leading program and project management development programs in the U.S. government – and even around the world. Additionally, in 1998, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars Pathfinder Mission project was named PMI Project of the Year for its innovative approaches.

More than a few engineers from NASA and subsidiaries have crossed the Cadence seminar transom. We join in congratulating the organization on decades of significant project management leadership!

“This is a tremendous honor for Cadence,” says Cadence president John Patton, “It points directly to the quality of our clients around the world who diligently apply the Cadence Methodology to achieve success on their most critical projects. We congratulate each of them on their success as we accept this prestigious award.”

For over 26 years, Cadence Management Corporation has delivered formal project management training, consulting services, and supporting project tools to leading companies and project managers around the world. Companies around the world count on Cadence to provide structure and discipline to their projects, to help them deliver more with less. From Locomotives to PCs, financial services to medical equipment, spacecraft to coffee, Cadence can be found in the products and services that touch the world every day.

“The PMI Awards Program recognizes excellence in project management across a broad array of categories for organizations, individuals, community advancement and our chapters and their volunteers,” said Gregory Balestrero, president and CEO of PMI. “Winning this award is a testament to the value project management brings to our varied stakeholders.”

The PMI Continuing Professional Education Provider of the Year Award presented on 10 October during the PMI Awards Ceremony at PMI® Global Congress 2009—North America in Orlando, Fla.

About Project Management Institute (PMI)

The world’s leading project management organization, PMI shares knowledge with nearly 500,000 members and credential holders in 185+ countries. Since its founding 40 years ago, PMI has impacted more than one million practitioners, businesses, governments, students and training organizations. Today, PMI’s products and services range from world-class standards for project, program and portfolio management to five professional credentials, including the gold standard Project Management Professional (PMP)®. PMI’s exclusive Global Corporate Council and European Corporate Networking Group engage large multinationals and government organizations in endorsing the value of project management. The only project management association with an established academic research program, PMI has invested more than US$14 million in support of dozens of research projects since 1997. Learn more at PMI.org.

About Cadence Management Corporation

For over 25 years, Portland, Oregon-based Cadence Management Corporation has delivered formal project management training, consulting services, and supporting project tools to leading companies and project managers around the world. Today, organizations count on Cadence to provide structure and discipline to projects, to help them deliver more with less. From Locomotives to PCs, financial services to medical equipment, spacecraft to coffee, Cadence is in the products and services that touch the world every day. Cadence Management Corporation: Connecting people worldwide and transforming businesses through project management.

“PMI Portland is an outstanding and dynamic chapter in the global PMI organization,” says Plowman. “I am truly honored to receive such recognition from a group comprised of such quality professionals and volunteer leaders. I look forward to continued service to the organization to spread the importance of project management in our community and beyond.”

“Connie has been a tireless supporter of project management around the world,” says current chapter president Dianne Johnson. “Her effort and involvement helped to drive quality and sustained growth in our chapter, and strengthens our relationship with the broader global PMI community to this day. We’re thrilled to have her as such an active and valuable member of the PMI Portland community.”

Plowman received her award at the PMI Portland monthly chapter dinner meeting June 9, 2009 as part of the 1,400-strong chapter’s “Excellence in Project Management Awards” ceremony.

Ask Cadence: Ep 54 - Surviving the PMP Exam ]]> http://cadencemc.com/2009/06/08/ask-cadence-ep-54-surviving-the-pmp-exam/feed/ 0 http://cadencemc.com/2009/06/04/pmi-education-foundation-presentation-from-pmi-leadership-institute-meeting/ http://cadencemc.com/2009/06/04/pmi-education-foundation-presentation-from-pmi-leadership-institute-meeting/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:00:39 +0000 Cadence http://cadencemc.com/2009_new/?p=237 Many of you know our involvement with the PMI Education Foundation, and just how important we believe their initiatives are becoming in the early education of project managers. As such, here’s a presentation the PMIEF delivered at the PMI Leadership Institute Meeting describing their work and what they’re striving to bring to the broader project management community through education.

]]> http://cadencemc.com/2009/06/04/pmi-education-foundation-presentation-from-pmi-leadership-institute-meeting/feed/ 0 http://cadencemc.com/2009/06/01/ask-cadence-ep-53-pmi-global-congress-emea-2009-recap/ http://cadencemc.com/2009/06/01/ask-cadence-ep-53-pmi-global-congress-emea-2009-recap/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:15:47 +0000 Cadence http://cadencemc.com/?p=1417 We welcome John Patton back to US shores with a deep discussion on his experiences and learnings at the recent PMI Global Congress EMEA. If you were unable to make it, tune in and get the highlights with Ask Cadence!

At Cadence, we have had the opportunity to work with some of the most innovative companies on the planet. This particular expertise is showcased in Stratos, a company whose mission it is to develop products on contract, quickly, efficiently, and of the highest quality.

That is why it is particularly exciting when another company such as Stratos counts on the Cadence methodology to deliver mission critical projects on time, on budget, and ahead of schedule.

• What are the differences between Research and Engineering (Development) projects?
• Does traditional project management stifle creativity in an innovative environment?
• Can invention be scheduled?
• How can project management life cycle be flexible enough to accommodate an environment where changes can occur both rapidly and time-to-market is critical?
• How do leading corporations do it?

PSU has been kind enough to post the presentation on their site. For details, click here, or click here to jump straight to the video. (Warning — looks like the video is Windows only!)

Special thanks to Abbey Alessi and Barbara Lippke from Seattle Public Schools — the first scholarship recipients of our joint Project Based Learning scholarship initiative with the PMI Education Foundation. The two added much to the Cadence course and walked away with a rich project plan, ready to move forward on their model school initiative. We’ll keep up with their project and post back here as we learn more about their progress.

From the Press Release:

Cadence Management Corporation has made a $100,000 (US) contribution to PMI Educational Foundation to support project management education programs for primary and secondary school teachers and administrators. This contribution will make it possible for educators to attend project management training courses that will provide them with new capabilities to enhance their classroom instruction and on-the-job management skills.

“The primary purpose of the PMI Educational Foundation is to promote economic, educational, cultural and social advancement through project management by making it more readily available to those who want to learn about the profession and the practice of project management,” said Greg Balestrero, chief operating officer of PMI Educational Foundation and chief executive officer of the Project Management Institute (PMI). “It’s through the generosity of Cadence and other donors that we are able to provide opportunities for those who otherwise may not be able to take advantage of project management educational opportunities.”

“In order for educators to successfully adopt project learning teaching methods in the classroom, it is necessary for them to have a working knowledge of project management themselves,” said John R. Patton, chief executive officer of Cadence Management Corporation. “By providing project management training to teachers and administrators, they will not only help students succeed but they also will learn a valuable skill set to help them in their own lives and careers.”

Project learning teaching methods utilize teams of students working together to create a solution for real-world problems. Through this approach, students are able to gain a more complete understanding of the subject matter while developing essential 21st Century applied skills such as collaboration, communications and leadership.

In addition to supporting PMI Educational Foundation through its contribution, Cadence Management Corporation supports the project management profession by participating as a sponsor of events such as PMI Global Congresses which are held four times a year in different locations around the world.

English (Google Translate)
Spanish

English (Google Translate)
Spanish

“We are frequently asked during our technical training courses if we can help with project implementation,” says Luis Campbell, Vice-President of Fast Lane, Latin America. “I am very pleased to be able to provide a resounding ‘Yes!’ with the Cadence brand in our portfolio.”

The Fast Lane partnership puts the practical Cadence approach to project management in the hands of even more project managers.

“We are seeing an increasing number of technical people with complex projects to manage, and no hands-on experience to manage them,” says Cadence CEO John Patton. “Organizations are demanding a high degree of project management expertise from their technical project managers. We are honored to offer the Cadence methodology to support developing project managers with Fast Lane.”

Fast Lane will begin offering the Cadence methodology through their catalog across Latin America immediately. For more information on Fast Lane, please visit: http://www.flane.co.cr.

About Fast Lane

Fast Lane, with offices in more than 36 countries, offers multiple solutions to our customers and partners in the area of Training Delivery, Education Services and Consulting. Fast Lane partners around the world with important technology vendors including Cisco, NetApp, IBM, Ironport, VMware and others to ensure our customers have access to the most comprehensive and effective training programs available today.

PM&B Consulting, formerly Project Management for Latin America, will leverage the Cadence tools and methodology as an expansion of its extensive project management certification training catalog, providing both a project management certification path, and a globally-tested methodology for delivering real world results on projects.

“We are extremely pleased to add the Cadence methodology to our portfolio. At PM&B, we already have an excellent reputation for preparing people for project management certifcation,” says PM&B president, Victor Anyosa. “This alliance enables us to ensure that our customers know how to apply the knowledge that they are getting on real world projects.”

“Cadence is becoming the methodology of choice for the practical application of project management across standards of the Project Management Institute,” says Cadence president, John Patton. “The addition of PM&B to the Cadence GSP Network further expands use of the Cadence approach to project management already in active use throughout Latin America today. We look forward to working with Victor and his team in representing Cadence at the PMI Global Congress Latin America in August this year in Peru.”

For more information on PM&B, please visit: http://www.pmbcg.com/. The site is available in Spanish only.