Michael A. Fors, Ph.D. The Ideal? · Startup of new, innovative businesses & products ... Create a one sentence objective containing what, why, how, & when

Copyright Fors Leadership Academy –Not to be distributed or copied without permission

Project Leadership System to Drive Your Organizational Results

Michael A. Fors, Ph.D.

1Copyright Fors Leadership Academy –Not to be distributed or copied without permission

2The Ideal?


Project System Collapse


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Founding Father = Founding Father = SponsorSponsor

Management Management ReviewReview

CommitteeCommittee

ImplementationImplementation

TeamTeam

Idea & PlanIdea & Plan

Project Success


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Perspective/BiasPh.D.

Strategy, Leadership, Management, Corporate EducationU.S. Baldrige Examiner – judging performance of best corporations, non‐profits, schoolsCertified Management Consultant

Intel Corporation – 12 yearsLeader of Intel University

StrategyLeadership/ManagementCulture & Values Employee Development

Microsoft Corporation – 5 yearsDirector of Business Strategy & PerformanceSet strategic long‐term (5 yr.) plan for Microsoft business Startup of new, innovative businesses & productsMergers and AcquisitionsManage a business worth $100m

United Nations Fellowship – 10 yearsUN Headquarters – New York ‐ technologyPost Conflict Countries – Strategy & leadership

GovernmentNon‐ProfitPrivate Sector


Elements Covered in Workshop

A brief summary of elements in the workshop:1. Define a project system

2. Analyze your needs assessment results

3. Define a project problem statement

4. Create a project solution and objective statement

5. Scope what is in and what is out

6. Document indicators of success

7. Define project deliverables & owners within the team

8. Craft a design, development, and implementation process

9. Benchmark others to know that you are world class

10. Infuse team elements in a project plan

At the end of the day:

You will present a summary of your project plan to the class

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What You Can ExpectA program that supports you doing real work

We set a bar, and help coach/consult with you to achieve it

Fast pace – intensive

Focus = you & your team’s performance

Sessions start on time

Positive atmosphere w/ recognition

We are here to support each other

Tough, constructive feedback

An opportunity to achieve a very high standard of performance

Networking & team building

Fun7


Expectations of You

Engage & learn

Recognize others

Support your team

Be accountable for work

Strive to meet the performance bar

Find the best possible ways to design your project plan to maximize its impact constituents

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Culmination/Crescendo

Your team will present an initial project plan at the end of the day

You will receive feedback & encouragement

Your team will determine how to change/improve your project based upon your plan and feedback


Projects Serve Constituents

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Output with a purpose

People Served

Vision Metrics measure impactVendors &

contractors

Suppliers

Sponsor

Stakeholders

Strategic Plan defines projects

Leaders & Mgrs. Sponsor projects

Org. structure –projects reside in it

Culture & Values determine how work is accomplished

Projects tap workflows & processes

Teams drive projects

Individuals own projects

Partners


Project Teams: Engines for Org. Performance

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Org Leader

Group Manager

Project Teams

Individuals

ProjectTeams

Individuals

Group Manager

Project Teams

Individuals


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Projects Translate Strategy into OutputProjects Translate Strategy into Output

““Envisioneer?Envisioneer?””

Future + Strategy Future + Strategy + + ExecutionExecution


Your Leadership Role in Creating a Project System

1. Teams working on projects are vehicles for accomplishing work

2. They will develop with or without you

3. For good or for bad

4. It is better to proactively drive a system for team development AND project success

5. Your role in knitting this into the fabric of the organization is critical to achieving the overall vision/strategy of the organization


20 Questions

Is a project:

Animal?

Vegetable?

Mineral?

A project is part of a system, rather than one‐off entity

1. What are the expectations for designing and implementing projects in your organization? This is embedded as part of the culture

2. Designing, developing, and implementing a project can be systematic, and it can be a repeatable process

3. A project needs to become part of a proactive system, knitted into the fabric of an organization

4. It takes a system of measurement to prove a project is successful

5. You, as a leader, can create a system for how projects are defined, developed, driven, and measured!

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• Launch project

• Baby can crawl, walk, talk

• Incentives

• Evaluation & progress

• Post Mortem

• Recognition

• Need – problem statement/opportunity • Assessment & Analysis• Benefits & Priority• Proposal • Management Review Committee• Sponsor• Team Representation

• Benchmarking • Design & Development criteria

• Rapid Prototyping

• Launch Prep/marketing buzz

• Involve stakeholders & managers

• Execution Excellence

oorr

Project Plan & Ratify

Project Success

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Beginning

Design/Development

Implementation


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Project Process – Sponsor’s Perspective


In the Beginning…there is a Plan


Project Plan Checklist

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Your blueprint for a quality project

Consistently expecting its use provides you a project “system”


Project Plan IngredientsThe Opportunity:

Problem StatementDataSecuring Sponsorship

The Solution:Overall ObjectiveTarget ConstituentsMajor DeliverablesScopeSuccess Criteria

Sponsor and FundingAssumptionsProject Team Leader & Members PlanDecision MakingResourcesRisk & ContingencyCommunications PlanDesignDevelopmentReview MilestonesBenchmarkingRollout PlanTimeline & Roadmap 19


Problem Statement/OpportunityAssessment of Constituent Needs

Surveys

Focus groups

Interviews

ObservationProblem/Opportunity

Symptoms of a problem

Root cause – The fishbone diagram

Your goal Objectively and quantitatively describe the symptoms & root cause

Describe the impact (the ‘so what?’) of solving the problem

The problem/opportunity should be concise, specific, and measurable

State a single problem to be solved

Uses observations or facts

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Bottomline: Define the root cause of the problem or opportunity

in one sentence!


Exercise #1: Problem Statement/Opportunity

Create one sentence about your problem statement or opportunity

Describe symptoms

Define the root cause

All on team must agree

You have 30 minutes and be prepared for a 3 minute report out


Defensible Data Source as a Baseline

Data Source – credible, valid?

Who analyzed it? How?

What were their recommendations?

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Bottomline: Data Upfront Serves as baseline data!

Project should positively impact this data when implementing


Solution – What You Will Do

Solution options – pros and cons of each

Which is selected Why was this solution chosen over others?

Why is it best to impact data, get to the root cause, and fix the problem or take advantage of the opportunity?

What will be done

How

Impact expected

By when (completion date to see impact)

What are the pros and cons of this solution

How does it overcome the cons


Overall Objective

What you will accomplish, why it is important, its impact, how you will do it, and when you will do it ‐ all in one sentence

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Target ConstituentsWho will be directly impacted by this project?

Who receives the benefits of your team actions?

DemographicsAge

Gender

Culture/religion

SES

Geography

Education level

Experience level

Current skillset

List: Specific needs these constituents have that you will impact

Hold on to this list to ensure all you do meets these needs 25Copyright Fors Leadership Academy –Not to be distributed or copied without permission

Major Deliverables

What are the top 3‐5 work outputs needed to ensure the objective is met?

Breakdown your objective into 3‐5 major pieces

These are the top priorities the team must accomplish

A deliverable:1. Tangible output

2. Owner

3. Due date

4. Indicator of success

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Project Team Deliverables Template

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DeliverDeliver--ableable

MileMile--stone & stone & Due Due DateDate

OwnerOwner IndicatorIndicator BudgetBudget ReviewReviewDatesDates

PriorityPriority StatusStatus ActionAction


Scope – In/Out

Within this objective and these deliverables, what specifically is in the scope of work to be accomplished

What is work that definitely will not be accomplished Stating this is a very important part of project management!

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Bottomline: The scope of your project should be chosen carefully,

it will determine whether or not you can be successul


Sponsor and FundingWho will sponsor the project?

Who will support its implementation?

Will the sponsor agree to provide “air cover” with other leaders?

Clearly define the sponsor role – alignment, resources, and stamp of approval as a credible project

Who is providing funding for this project? How much is estimated?


Sponsor & StakeholdersWith your sponsor:

Agreement that project is a strategic org. priority (how so)

Set their expectations (track them)

With your Leadership Committee (who and why; how often)

Define one

Meet regularly

Include opponents

With stakeholders:

Define your list of stakeholders

Organizational leaders and managers – their role & agreement

Regularly provide updates & check satisfaction with progress

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Bottomline: Measure & track progress to expectations• Show them successes throughout process • They can make or break your project (shhh – and your career!!)


Exercise #2: Solution, Objective, Target Consitituents, Major Deliverables, Scope, Sponsor/Funding

Choose your solution – and answer what, why, how, when questions

Create a one sentence objective containing what, why, how, & when

Define your target constituents, their demographics, and their needs

List 3‐5 major deliverables

Define scope – what is in, what is out

Who is the sponsor, who are stakeholders, and who will provide funding



Indicators of SuccessHow does the organization measure its success?

What is measured? Why is this measured? Is it used? How?

What are the goals, levels and trends of the following measures:Quantity

Quality

Budget

Cost savings

Time/deadline

Constituent Satisfaction

Product/service satisfaction

Support

Qualitative: How do constituents describe the problem situation is better, given the project implementation?

Who measures?

Who gathers the data and analyzes it?

Who reports it and how is it reported?

Who will be responsible for taking action to improve progress if indicators are off

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Exercise #3: Metrics/Indicators of Success

Draft your indicators of success

Determine who will monitor and take action on indicators



Assumptions

What do you assume to be true as you embark on this work? Aboutthe project? How it will be implemented? Resources? People involved? Stakeholders and sponsors involved?

What are “givens” about the context and nature of the work in order to accomplish the output?

What does the team expect along the way?

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Team Selection and ManagementRepresentation – cross‐functional membership

Passion and expertise

Hand pick

Secure manager buy‐in

Who should be on the project team?

Consider:Expertise

Experience

Position in organization

Passion

Representation

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Bottomline: Poor team leadership, membership, development, and dynamics are top reasons for project failure


Project Team Leader & Member Plan

Leader and member roles – knowing you have the right membership and clear expectations

Team deliverables document

Team process document

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Decision Making

OARPi

1. Owner of the Decision

2. Approver/Ratifier (Executive Sponsor) of the decision and how the project will be ratified

3. Reviewers (partners, customers, stakeholders): Who are they and how often will they review progress

4. Participants:The team members and subject matter experts who provide input to the project

5. Who needs to be informed – those who care and need to know about the project

6. Project Manager driving the process: The leader of the project team


Resources

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Resources the team needs to accomplish the objective and solve the problem or achieve the opportunity.

Budget = Money needed

People time:

Other Resources Needed:• Equipment = • Software = • Information – and access to it = • Books/subscriptions = • Travel budget = • Office supplies = • Others =

Deliverable Who Their Manager Estimated Hours Priority in their workload


Risk Analysis and Contingency Plans

What are the risks associated with this project?

What is your plan to overcome them?

What is your contingency plan if the project or parts of the project begin to fail?


Cost/Benefit Analysis

What is the overall cost of this project?

Can you calculate the benefits?

Why is doing the project now worth more than the costs?

What is the opportunity cost of doing this project – could the money and time be spent on another org priority?

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Communications Plan

How will you consistently communicate about this project?To team members internally

To partners externally

To customers who will benefit

To stakeholders who care about the outcome

To sponsors who are commissioning and/or paying for this project

To managers who are responsible for the project success


Design Process

How will the project output be designed?

How will you create a blueprint or specification?

How will you ensure the design meets constituent needsdefined earlier

How will you ensure the project impacts indicators (improves the baseline data from your needs assessment ) so that you achieve your goal?

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Development Process

How output will be developed

How will it be an efficient process

How roles in the team will be used to get the work accomplished

How does your process take into account rapid prototyping –developing, testing with target consitituents, and refining quickly during the development process

Ensure the project results target constituent needs and indicatorsConfirm by cotninuing to confirm constituent needs

Research your developed project by piloting with constituents, reviewing their feedback, and changing the project output as needed


Review Milestones w/Sponsor & Stakeholders

Milestones for checking in with stakeholders to know you are on track and should proceed full speed ahead!

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Benchmarking

The output your team creates takes into account previous best work on this topic by others

Your process to design and develop the output builds upon best practices by others who have done something similar

You can defend that your project is “world class”

Bring the very best to your projects ‐ your constituents deserve it!


Exercise #4: Design, Development, Benchmarking

Define the OARPi for your project

Describe your process and criteria for design, development and

benchmarking of your project

You have 30 minutes – please prepare a 3 minute report out

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Rollout Plan

What is the plan to implement/launch this program?

How will it be marketed and communicated to target constituents

How will customers be informed?

How will managers be prepared to support the program?


Timeline for Top 3‐5 Deliverables

What are the milestones for the top deliverables?

Are there dependencies on other groups or resources? If so, what are they? When do they provide what is needed for the team and its outcomes?

The team should conduct “work reviews” on these top priority deliverables

Kudos to items on track

Focus on items that are behind or at risk to help them

Capture action items & review them at the start of the next meeting

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Bottomline: With so many possible details, it is important for a

team to track progress to the top 3‐5 deliverables


Roadmap

The details for the top 3‐5 deliverables

Broken down/integrated by phase

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Bottomline: This “calendar” is very important for ensuring

progress and alignment across the team


Exercise #5: Draft your Roadmap

Prepare your initial roadmap, laying out phases and begin to add

details of deliverables – work back from the November deadline

This is a level of detail below your top 3‐5 deliverables

You have 20 minutes – prepare for a 3 minute report out

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Bottomline: Track project team & individual deliverables for: • Alignment• Reward & accountability

Project Management Takes DisciplineProject Management Team Discipline

Use team development processes

Create a Team Plan for reward, accountability, alignment

Team Deliverables Plan

Team Process Plan

Individual Deliverables

Use a breakthrough systems approach

Conduct Work Reviews

After Action Reviews

Leaders need to hold 1:1s to check individual deliverables & remove barriers

Use Effective Meetings

Track Action Items

Follow up


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Summary


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You Must Create a Project System


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Success


Resources

Books:

Bridges, William, Managing Transitions (2003). Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.

Daft, Richard L. Organizational Theory and Design (2007). Mason, OH: Thomson.

Kotter, John P. Leading Change (1996). Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Website:

Baldrige Performance Excellence Criteria: http://www.quality.nist.gov/Business_Criteria.htm

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Documents

Michael A. Fors, Ph.D. The Ideal? · Startup of new, innovative businesses & products ... Create a one sentence objective containing what, why, how, & when