www.pmtoday.co.uk | April 2017 7
� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �On 7 March, a passionate group of project leaders gathered
by the Thames in the wonderful setting on the top floor
of the Swan at the Globe Theatre, to spend an intensive
day developing their project leadership competence. They
were there to learn from two experts in their field, Donnie
MacNicol of Team Animation and Sarah Coleman of
Business Evolution who were presenting materials from
‘Project Leadership 3rd Edition’.
Of considerable value was the learning the delegates
obtained from their peers sharing their different
perspectives and approaches. Delegates came from
defence, consulting, international development and the
transport sector.
One of the event’s unique features was the use of a
diagnostic to allow different engagement styles to be
identified in advance and play a part in the discussion
during the day (readers can complete this diagnostic
for free at www.ima-pm.co.uk). A pre-event discussion
with each delegate allowed the identification of their
personal challenges and objectives, which were then
used to structure the discussions. From the quality of
discussions and feedback received, delegates gained
considerable value from the investment in time. This will
be further enhanced through a follow-on coaching call in
a few weeks’ time, when each delegate will be updating
either Donnie or Sarah on how they are progressing in
their mission to modify critical behaviours which were
identified during the day to improve on their performance.
Topics discussed ranged from core competencies through
to how to adapt personal leadership style to the type of
project and culture of the organisation. As one delegate
commented, there was “a good balance of theory and
practice”. The event was highly interactive in nature, as
any similar event should be, with a mixture of approaches
to suit all learning styles. Another delegate commented
that there was “time to think and reflect”, whilst another
concluded that the event would “inspire me to take a
more pro-active approach to my personal development.”
“Open programmes such as this Masterclass can provide
a real opportunity to share experiences and learn from
others”, Donnie said after the event. “There are also
multiple benefits to running this type of event within an
organisation. The objectives, structure, topics and content
can be designed around the challenges which leaders face
in their organisation. This reduces the need to consider
how any learnings can be translated into their unique
organisational context and culture.”
If you believe this would be of interest to your organisation
you can make contact with Donnie or Sarah via LinkedIn.
“In addition to new client acquisition, the consultancy
will support clients from our material testing laboratory
at Wolvey, Leicestershire and also the recently acquired
CTS operation in Doncaster. We will also combine this
physical presence with the latest technology to further
improve our service to customers through the use of
CETi, our powerful analytics and testing database. The
technology provides same-day test results, allowing
projects to continue unhindered by long waits for results,
thus keeping developments on schedule and on budget.”
CET provides a complete ground risk management
service throughout the construction life-cycle, and has
particular expertise in the infrastructure and property
markets including: rail, road, harbour, utilities, commercial
and residential.