Risks of transformational change: Keynote to PMO Conference, Banco Central Do Brasil, April 2014

The Risks of Transformational Change& what the PMO can do

about it

© fotomek - Fotolia.com

Patrick Mayfield

Photo by Finlayfox - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License http://www.flickr.com/photos/40048125@N06 Created with Haiku Deck

Fails

7 Reasons Transformational

Change

WARNING!

Some of these could offend …

You might be exciting some of them!

Photo by lovelihood - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License http://www.flickr.com/photos/44258887@N04 Created with Haiku Deck

1. Stick to the Plan

… at ALL COSTS!!!

Photo by lovelihood - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License http://www.flickr.com/photos/44258887@N04 Created with Haiku Deck

What’s wrong with sticking to the plan?!

… nothing … unless the context changes

Photo by Jupiterimages - Getty Royalty-Free License http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/LicenseAgreements.aspx Created with Haiku Deck© fotokalle - Fotolia.com

Merger ‘Millennium Bug’

Story of a late ‘90s Global Logistics System2 Strategic Shifts:

Photo by sickmouthy - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License http://www.flickr.com/photos/32224133@N07 Created with Haiku Deck

INSTEAD:Align to Changing Strategy

… We Live in a VUCA World

Photo by lauradinneen - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License http://www.flickr.com/photos/52495486@N08 Created with Haiku Deck

‘VUCA’?

Volatile . Uncertain . Complex. Ambiguous

StartEnd

“deliverable”“output”“product”

a project delivers …

I can deal with risks

��

��

😩- beyond competence

😩- overloaded with admin

That office is great ... can we use it as well?

Hey! We can help you with that ...!

+ more consistency

That office is great ... can we use it as well?

I do like that ....

Capability a‘single

source of truth’

… then along came programmes… … & the programme office …

… then portfolio management…

the ‘single source of truth’ now extends across the portfolio, it’s programmes & projects …

making a “Governance Backbone” that provides…

+ support

+ “centralnervous system”

Photo by Justin Ornellas - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/photos/85297901@N00 Created with Haiku Deck

2. Treat as a Technical Problem

manage merely as a system of Tasks, Processes, Governance Structures, Documents

Photo by Justin Ornellas - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/photos/85297901@N00 Created with Haiku Deck

What’s wrong with that?! It’s what the books teach us!

manage merely as a system of Tasks, Processes, Governance Structures, Documents

Photo by VinothChandar - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/photos/44345361@N06 Created with Haiku Deck

Also:Lead the Change

… It’s more about Influencing

Photo by Digital Vision. - Getty Royalty-Free License http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/LicenseAgreements.aspx Created with Haiku Deck

A Tale of Two Bullies

Photo by Tay Jnr - Getty Royalty-Free License http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/LicenseAgreements.aspx Created with Haiku Deck

3. Assume the Purpose is Obvious

Photo by Tay Jnr - Getty Royalty-Free License http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/LicenseAgreements.aspx Created with Haiku Deck

It’s not always Obvious, is it?(You’re getting this)

Photo by Darrin Klimek - Getty Royalty-Free License http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/LicenseAgreements.aspx Created with Haiku Deck

NPfIT (National Programme for IT

divergent visions from the beginning

Photo by Darrin Klimek - Getty Royalty-Free License http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/LicenseAgreements.aspx Created with Haiku Deck

Result?

£14bnwritten off from public investment

Photo by MightyBoyBrian - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License http://www.flickr.com/photos/97058136@N00 Created with Haiku Deck

INSTEAD:Envision a Better Future

… and Communicate It like Crazy

Photo by mescon - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/photos/23666014@N08 Created with Haiku Deck

4. Manage as a Mega-Project

See it as a mere aggregation of projects

projects as temporary silos

projects are notstructured for the free flow of relevant information between them

Value SynergyProject 1

Business Case

$20m+

Project 2Business Case

$30m+

Project 3Business Case

$25m=

ProgrammeBusiness Case

$75m

If that’s all the programme business is, then leave the projects to get on with it.Be programme-skeptic. Expect more from the whole than the sum of the parts.

Add Value

… not just Sum the Projects

INSTEAD:

Photo by Texas.713 - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License http://www.flickr.com/photos/16057786@N00 Created with Haiku Deck

5. Focus on Delivery

… and the Rest will Follow

Photo by Texas.713 - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License http://www.flickr.com/photos/16057786@N00 Created with Haiku Deck

so what’s so wrong with that?

… nothing except it is not what you should focus on

Photo by eutrophication&hypoxia - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/photos/48722974@N07 Created with Haiku Deck

A Stock Fulfillment System

key stakeholder did not exploit a delivery to the point where benefit was realised

Photo by kevin dooley - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/photos/12836528@N00 Created with Haiku Deck

INSTEAD: Focus on Benefits

… and the Threats to Them

Copyright © Patrick Mayfield 2013

Two key behaviours support climbing on the value ladder:1. Leaning to people2. Leaning to action

Photo by born1945 - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/photos/12567713@N00 Created with Haiku Deck

6. Sweat the Specification

… and everything else will Fit

Photo by SAGT - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License http://www.flickr.com/photos/46860625@N07 Created with Haiku Deck

Ebbw Vale Redevelopment

managing as separate projects endangered a good outcome

until it was co-ordinated through a programme

Photo by Cargo Cult - Creative Commons Attribution License http://www.flickr.com/photos/27119837@N06 Created with Haiku Deck

INSTEAD:Deliver a Coherent Capability

Design & Deliver

Motion without Movement

Reactingto the latest

driver

Reactingto the latest

driver

Unaligned initiatives

Unaligned initiativesOutcomes

without benefits

Outcomeswithout benefits

CurrentCapabilityCurrent

Capability

Time

Str

ate

gy –

Perf

orm

an

ce a

gain

st

KP

I’s

The Target Operation

Time

Str

ate

gy –

Perf

orm

an

ce a

gain

st

KP

I’s Target

Operation

CurrentOperation

CAPABILITY GAP

Programme Management and the Capability Gap

Key milestones

Str

ate

gy –

Perf

orm

an

ce a

gain

st

KP

I’s Target

Operation

CurrentOperation

Operational plansrefocused

Projects aligned tostrategic objectives

Managethis withProgrammeManagement

Photo by 7Bart - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License http://www.flickr.com/photos/14353816@N04 Created with Haiku Deck

7. Forget the Past

… It’s Happened. Concentrate on Today’s Problems

Photo by Ableimages - Getty Royalty-Free License http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/LicenseAgreements.aspx Created with Haiku Deck

Learn from Experience

The Deming Cycle

The Learning Organization

Adapt

Photo by Colin ZHU - Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License http://www.flickr.com/photos/71834709@N00 Created with Haiku Deck

7 Principles

Universal . Empowering . Self-Validating

Photo by Comstock - Getty Royalty-Free License http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/LicenseAgreements.aspx Created with Haiku Deck

7 Principles1.Remain Aligned with Strategy

2.Lead Change

3.Envision & Communicate a Better Future

4.Focus on Benefits & Threats to them

5.Add Value as a Programme

6.Design/Deliver a Coherent Capability

7.Learn from Experience

Thank You!

© Jérôme Rommé - Fotolia.com

@PatrickMayfieldpatrick.mayfield@pearcemayfield.com