Tips for the Strengthening of Project Culture within the Organization

 

‘On top of … !’ This expression is frequently heard within organizations. The expression refers to the additional workload to the day to day that causes being assigned to the leadership or management of a project. At this point there must be a change of paradigm: projects are no longer something “on top of”, but on the contrary, projects are “already part of that day to day of the organizations”.

 

The competitive environment, the permanent need to improve or sustain the results, the vertiginous technological progress, and communications, are just some of the generic causes that force to update and permanently strengthen the capabilities of an organization. And how is it achieved? WITH PROJECTS!

Therefore, in this article, I will try to share a series of Tips for those who understand the need to implement a Culture of Project Management in the organization as a mechanism that contributes to materialize the paradigm shift.

 
 

Tip #1: It is not enough to work only on the creation of internal capacities of LEADERSHIP AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT. It is necessary to work in parallel in a consensual method of MANAGING THE PROJECT PORTFOLIO.

 

If an organization has not resolved how to prioritize projects, it is more likely that instead of being prioritized by senior management, they will end up being prioritized by those responsible for the delivery of their components or those who are most pressured.

Within an organization projects are always prioritized: the point is who finally does it. The logical thing is that this prioritization is defined by Senior Management. For this reason, it is important to have a method and a formal Project Portfolio Management process that establishes the way in which the projects will be presented and the way in which they will be approved and prioritized by the highest levels of the organization.

 
 

Tip #2: Define a Project Methodology and make available to the people involved in projects a Knowledge Base or Methodological Repository WITH A FOCUS OF SUPPORT AND NOT OF BUREAUCRATIZATION.

 

The objective of a methodological repository of projects is to provide an indicative guide to contribute to standardization and productivity in the execution of projects. The preceding expression “indicative guide” is not accidental; what is being sought is to clearly establish how the objective of the methodology should be perceived: to help people involved in projects.

It would be a deadly blow to the project management culture that the methodology that is promoted is perceived as the type of “more work and bureaucracy”.

 
 

Tip #3: Working on a common methodology in the organization for Leadership and Project Management is a necessary but not sufficient condition: what makes the difference is also working on the ATTITUDE of the project leaders.

 

In the workshops related to the topic that I deliver in organizations, I always use a concept that is summarized in the following: “… we can have as a project methodology something as sophisticated as the quadrature of the circle but the latter will never be able to compete against a much simpler methodology but executed by project leaders who have the attitude to make things happen … “

 

 
 

Tip #4: Make sure that the human capital that integrates the organization perceives that the projects are part of the day to day and that being successful in conducting them is highly valued to make progress in their career development.

 

The inclusion of performance in projects, with significant weight, within the performance assessment system is a clear sign of the project management culture in an organization. The ability of an organization to make projects better, faster and at lower costs, without a doubt constitutes a competitive advantage. This must be explicitly recognized in a system whose goals include establishing prizes and punishments.

 
 

Tip #5: Do not fall short in the scope of the audiences of the training necessary to create organizational competence.

 

What usually happens in organizations is that they tend to train those who will be in charge of leadership or project management. However, if what we want is to implement a project management culture, the training not only should cover the project leaders, but also has to consider two other actors: on the one hand, those who will have the roles of sponsor in the projects and those who will have responsibilities connected to the management of the teams that are involved in each project.

 
 

Tip #6: There are no universal organizational models for a project management culture.

 

The organizational model will always be conditioned by a broader element and within which it is inserted: the organizational culture. At least three aspects arise when it is decided to implement a project management culture:

1) Should we create a unit of full time leaders or should the project leaders be the same as those who occupy leadership roles in the line?

2) After assembling the infrastructure of Project Management Culture (method of prioritization, methodology, training, performance assessment) should we create a centralized area for monitoring the project portfolio, permanent improvement of the methodology, methodological support and training leaders, or the different fronts mentioned must be in charge of the existing areas respectively, such as Planning, Organization and Processes, HR?

3) Is the project status reporting scheme for Senior Management based on self-management or does it require support? The answer to these questions will be given by the specific characteristics of each organization and its culture.

 
 

Tip #7: Do not underestimate the Change Management effort that involves implementing a project management culture.

 

All the previous recommendations were oriented to ensure the preparation of the organization to implement a project management culture. However, they are insufficient if we omit to work with an approach that creates the conditions for:

a) the organization to have sense of urgency,

b) to demand a solution and,

c) to perceive it as its own.

To achieve this, here applies the need to carry in all areas of the organization, during all the necessary time and by those who possess the power of formal and informal authority to do so, an action that is summarized in three words:

COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNICATION.