Project Leadership - Third Sector Project Management Forum - September 2016

Slide: 1© 2016 www.businessevolution.co All rights reserved. Helping organizations improve performance

14 September 2016

Sarah ColemanDirector, Business Evolution LtdFellow and former NED, Association for Project ManagementChartered Fellow, Chartered Management Institute

Project Leadership


• Why project managers need leadership capabilities

• Project Leader’s Eight Lookings: how to ensure you’re focused on what’s important

• Traditional and new views helping to shape project leadership

• Organizational culture and why this is important to you and your project

• Planning your career: moving from “managing” to ”leading”.


Early career: software developer & business analyst working in local government and private

sector

Current: Consultant, educator, author, facilitator,

coach, mentor Shaping, designing, planning and

delivering business critical initiatives and change

Across industry sectors in the UK and internationally

Fellow and former NED, Association for Project Management

Chartered Fellow, Chartered Management Institute

Visiting Fellow at University of Lincoln Designing and delivering learning and

development programmes Guest speaker at conferences, seminars &

business schools.


Project leadership: why should I be interested?

• Increasing “projectification” of organizations

• Part of skill set underpinning project success

• New reality: moving away from project planning and control tools as the keys to success, and towards the management and leadership of people and their performance

• Leaders vs leadership: providing leadership capability is not just left to ‘leaders’

• Every project, programme and portfolio manager needs elements of leadership capability to be effective

• A strategic issue for businesses and government.


Leading vs Managing

“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success;

leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”

Stephen R. Covey

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http://scottrossonline.com/the-law-of-the-ladder-leadership-call-43/&ei=QG7XVLHkNKWi7AbSvoH4CA&bvm=bv.85464276,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNE7j9aXU-SnxIzsNy7KnUbrpSuxkg&ust=1423490986064313


born to lead?


From To

From communication planning To expert engagement of disparate stakeholder groups

From delivering outputs and outcomes

To delivering value: explicit (for example, defined benefits) and implicit (for example, enhanced relationships, trust)

From focusing on time, cost and quality as the definitive success criteria

To identifying the range of “hard” and “soft” success criteria, recognizing the life-time value

From focusing on the control of change

To actively seeking ways of improving value by identifying opportunities and actively advocating their acceptance

From viewing projects as stand-alone entities and trying to manage as such

To understanding: their context within the organization, its vision and strategy; the complex relationships that exist with internal and external stakeholders; different ideas of “success”; varied supply chain providing input

From rigorously applying standardised P3M (project, programme and portfolio management) approaches

To applying in a flexible and agile way to deal with an increasingly fast moving world where customer requirements are expected to change

From working in static hierarchical organizations

To delivering change continuously in dynamic and innovative organizational frameworks

From being a master of process

To a reflective practitioner with the capabilities and emotional intelligence to learn and apply what is most appropriate from the arsenal of materials available.

Part 1: Project leadership and the project leader. The concept of leadership How research, models, techniques and ideas about mainstream organizational leadership are helping to shape current thoughts about effective project leadership. Focus away from a technical skill base

to focus more on people and results

The capabilities of the future project leader

Questions: 1.What’s happening in the Third Sector that is making project leadership capability more important? 2.How many of these capabilities do you have? How can you close the gap?3.What capabilities do you believe are most important? 4.Are there any missing? What are they? How are they important?

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=F1VSJFLjEH4G7M&tbnid=MPY0FGkw0ue-NM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.careersynergy.com%2Fglobal-media.html&ei=2ZX4UuHLGqms0QXetoHACw&bvm=bv.60983673,d.ZG4&psig=AFQjCNFp9wk044jNHrILI_9czIjRCdFuqA&ust=1392109392375205


Eight Lookings overview

Looking outwards – The clientManaging the client, end user and external stakeholders (including suppliers and subcontractors) to ensure the project meets their expectations.

Looking upwards – The Executive BoardManaging your governance team to achieve organisational commitment and engagement.Wiring into

stakeholders

Looking externally – The client’s visionUnderstanding and aligning to the vision and strategy for the client and their stakeholders.

Looking internally – The organisation’s visionUnderstanding and aligning to the vision and strategy for the organisation and its stakeholders.

Achieving the vision

Looking forwards – The futurePlanning in order to ensure that the team sets realistic targets, and obtains appropriate resources to achieve those targets.

Looking backwards – The pastMonitoring progress with appropriate control systems, to ensure that the project meets its targets and the team learns from its mistakes.

Keeping on the ball

Looking downwards – The team’s performanceManaging the team to maximize their performance as individuals and collectively. Managing the visible and invisible, across disciplines, divisions, countries and cultures.

Looking inwards – My performanceManaging yourself, by reviewing your performance to ensure that your leadership is a positive contribution to the project.

Focussing on results

Source: Coleman & MacNicol, 2015


resides with specific individuals

linked to & validated by formalized role, title, hierarchy

centralized, command & control

the “lone” hero unconscious bias? schools of thought: Max

Weber, Henry Fayol, Frederick Taylor, Elton Mayo, Douglas McGregor, etc.

traditional vs new views of leadership …..


pragmatic, opportunistic, incremental dispersed throughout the organization working with complexity and uncertainty leadership is not only left to the designated leader social, collaborative, diverse sets the culture and environment for team success leadership as a shared effort by more than one

person the roles of a leader and follower are dynamic every manager needs elements of leadership

capability to be effective schools of thought: Daniel Goleman, Vlatka Hlupic,

Brian Robertson, neuroscience, etc.

traditional vs new views of leadership …..

Daniel GolemanWorld Economic Forum 2011


emotional intelligence …..

the capacity for recognizing your own feelings & those of others; managing emotions well in ourselves & in our relationships

5 components: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills. www.danielgoleman.info

core concept self-awareness: – having an accurate understanding of how you behave– how other people perceive you– recognizing how you respond to others– being sensitive to your feelings– intents & general communication style at any given moment– being able to accurately disclose this awareness to others.

http://www.danielgoleman.info/


IQ: 140 EQ: 0

http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19951002,00.html

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=etDbfH0yuClltM&tbnid=BqCSS1JGzsAJbM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onislam.net%2Fenglish%2Ffamily%2Fyour-society%2Fself-development%2F450195-controlling-anger-an-islamic-approach.html&ei=8agMUo3KLqLV0QXepIGYAg&psig=AFQjCNEtGyIbNuy82ur7PN1OxIJHD3jw5A&ust=1376647793813794


Traditional: Power is based on position within the

hierarchy in the organization Legitimate authority & delegated power “Command & control”.

The new reality: Increasing demands to become leaner

(downsizing, restructuring, reducing levels of hierarchy)

New rules of engagement: relational, fluid, collaborative

More reliance on soft skills: networking, collaboration, influencing, relationship building etc.

traditional vs the new reality …..


Emphasizes the biological basis of behaviour, as well as that gained through life experience

Has identified:o how the human brain develops from in utero, through adolescence

to ageingo the relation between changes in the brain and behaviour, plasticity,

and cognitive developmento the diagnosis and treatment of disorders related to development.

Developmental neuroscience brings together a range of different approaches, including behavioural studies, genetics, neural circuits, computational modelling, imaging, cell biology and psychology.

“ …..provides insights into how our brains perceive, process and respond ….. so helping us to understand how we best learn, focus, and motivate ourselves and others.”

Professor Walsh, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL

neuroscience and leadership …..


Part 3: The 3 key competencies of a project leaderThose things over and above technical abilities that make the difference:

business acumen, interpersonal skills and organizational intelligence.

1. Vision and the Big PictureUnderstanding how the project fits with the strategic direction of the organization, developing the vision for the project and aligning key players and other stakeholders

• Project vision provides clarity and understanding about the project aims and outcomes

• The Big Picture provides the context of market, economy, etc• Understanding “success”: visible, implicit, latent

Crucial questions for projects: •The Strategic Question: What's the rationale and relevance?•The Stakeholder Question: What are the expectations?•The Activities & Processes Question: What will we need to do?•The Capabilities & Capacity Question: Do we have the necessary resources, skills and bandwidth to do this?•The Impacts Question: What do we want to happen as a result?•The Learning Question: How can we learn from this and how will we share it throughout the enterprise to help improve what we do?





2. Building Key RelationshipsIdentifying, developing and maintaining relationships with key players

• Identify the range of stakeholders and their particular attributes

• Key players: sponsor, client, project team• Develop and maintain relationships• Dynamic not static: active and continued review, reappraisal

and renegotiation throughout the project• Organizational intelligence• Recognizing the political dynamics• Improving your power base and influence.




3. Communication and Engagementdifferent facets of communication, including branding and marketing, which help to build engagement with and commitment to the project

• Building credibility and support• Strategic or tactical?• Essential or nice to have if time and budget permit?• Facilitating feedback• Traditional and non-traditional channels• Branding and marketing• Framing appropriate communication


Low

Hig

hC

entr

alis

atio

n

Low Collaboration High

Individual rulesLow level of collaboration and low level of centralisation. Organisation has:•Delegated authority and decision-making to appropriate levels and/or locations•Low cross-functional working or organisational networking opportunities or facilitation

Process rulesLow level of collaboration and high level of centralisation. Organisation has:•Defined structure and hierarchy fordecision-making•Low cross-functional working or organisational networking opportunities or facilitation

Relationships ruleHigh level of collaboration and low level of centralisation. Organisation has:•Delegated authority and decision-making to appropriate levels and/or locations•High incidence of cross-functional working or organisational networking opportunities or facilitation

Community rulesHigh level of collaboration and high level of centralisation. Organisation has:•Defined structure and hierarchy fordecision-making•High incidence of cross-functional working or organisational networking opportunities or facilitation

Project Culture Matrix™


Individual rulesLow level of collaboration and low level of centralisation. Organisation has:•Delegated authority and decision-making to appropriate levels and/or locations•Low cross-functional working or organisational networking opportunities or facilitation.What type of Project Leader/Leadership thrives in this culture?•High self-reliance and can develop support networks and relationships for self, team and project•Can work with ambiguity and uncertainty

Process rulesLow level of collaboration and high level of centralisation. Organisation has:•Defined structure and hierarchy for decision-making•Low cross-functional working or organisational networking opportunities or facilitationWhat type of Project Leader/Leadership thrives in this culture?•Highly structured and organised, process driven •Recognises project governance team and sponsor critical to success•Feeds up, waits for and accepts decisions from more senior level•Recognises his/her power may come from the size and status of the project•Works well with influence and power based on position, role or title •Networking and relationship building not as important asformalised authority

Relationships ruleHigh level of collaboration and low level of centralisation. Organisation has:•Delegated authority and decision-making to appropriate levels and/or locations•High incidence of cross-functional working or organisational networking opportunities or facilitation.What type of Project Leader/Leadership thrives in this culture?•Organisationally intelligent: understanding power bases, influencers, able to build strong relationships and networks to own advantage and the advantage of the project

Community rulesHigh level of collaboration and high level of centralisation. Organisation has:•Defined structure and hierarchy for decision-making•High incidence of cross-functional working or organisational networking opportunities or facilitation.What type of Project Leader/Leadership thrives in this culture?•Able to insert self easily into established processes and structures, and work well within these parameters•Flexibility and adaptability•Organisationally intelligent: understanding power bases, influencers, able to build strong relationships and networks to own advantage and the advantage of the project

Low

Hig

hLe

vel o

f cen

tral

isat

ion

Low Level of collaboration High

The type of Project Leader / Leadership that thrives in each culture


1. Organisational

Vision and Roadmap

2. Organizational

Values and Culture

3. Projected Business Value

4. Sustained Sponsorship

5. Talent Strategy

6. Recruitment and Induction

7. Career and Development Framework

8. Educational Interventions

9. Mentoring and Coaching

Provision10.

Communities of Practice

11. Talent Program

12. Developmental Professionals

15. Alignment with Academia

16. Alignment to Human Resources

(HR) 17. Alignment to Learning & Development

(L&D)

18. Functional alignment

19. Professional

Body Alignment20.

Management and

Coordination

13. Project Execution

14. Performance Framework

Building personal and organizational capabilityBecoming an effective project leader, exhibiting effective project leadership. Taking control of your development

and the course of your career. How your organization can assist your personal development. An idealised project leadership development programme


transition modelleaving behind the familiar & embracing the new

• Values: on the basis that what you value is what you focus on, you must change what you value about your individual contribution.

• Time: a shift in two dimensions is needed:- What you spend your time doing- Horizon you are looking over

• Skills: accept losing familiar skills, welcome the discomfort of learning new skills.

New skills

Enhanced

Delegated

Dropped

Existing

Source: Coleman & MacNicol, 2015


what does this all mean for us as project practitioners?


Contact …..

Sarah Coleman Business Evolution

+44 (0)1636 893716 ext 302+44 (0)7999 [email protected] www.businessevolution.co

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sjcoleman

@business_evolve

Documents

Project Leadership - Third Sector Project Management Forum - September 2016