Making Organisational Strategy Through Project People - a presentation to PMI Portugal, November 2014. Projects are the tools for implementing the strategy of the organisation and project managers of course manage the projects through to successful completion enabling the organisation to meet their strategic goals. It sounds simple yet the project management industry the world over still struggles to gain successful outcomes on a regular and repeatable basis. In this presentation, Lindsay Scott, Director of Arras People, a UK based project management recruitment and careers specialist, focuses on the most important factor for success – the people. Focusing on the project management skills, competencies and capability across the project management organization, this session takes a look at what organizations are looking and asking for today in their project people and what project practitioners can focus on to ensure they are considered as top talent in any project organization. Lindsay Scott is a Director at Arras People, working with organisations and project practitioners for over 12 years in programme, project and PMO. She’s also PMI’s Career Columnist for PM Network and Co-Editor of the Gower Handbook of People in Project Management. She can be found on Twitter @projectmgmt and www.arraspeople.co.uk.

1. Those able to combine excellence in tactical project
implementation with alignment to wider business
strategies successfully complete projects 90 per cent of
the time, compared with just 34 per cent for those
organisations that fail to focus on this.
PMI, 2013
“

2. Lindsay Scott
Director at Arras People
UK’s programme and project
management recruitment and
careers specialist
PMI’s PM Network Career
Columnist
Co-editor of the Gower Handbook
of People in Project Management

3. It’s the people who
make the projects
And it’s the projects
that implement
the strategy
Simple right?

4. Why are we still struggling to deliver
projects that deliver strategic outcomes
successfully?
Execute strategy and get
things done
Translates strategy dictated
from above
Carucci and Hansen 2014 – Rising to Power, The Journey of Exceptional Executives
Position the firm, finance it,
choose and develop its leaders
and secure its future
Mechanics of project management
The real problem?
C Level PMgmt?
Connect at
all three levels
Information
up and down

5. Talent | Skills | Networking |
Careers | Learning | Promotion |
Style | Competencies | Roles |
Organisations | Practitioners |

6. What organisations want in their
project managers

15. Why talent management plays a
big part

16. Talent Management?
anticipation of future needs and
planning to meet those needs
recruitment, retention,
development and reward
and making people
perform better
1
2
*PMI 2013 Pulse of the Profession

17. 97% of organisations think project management is
critical to business performance
94% of organisations think project management
enables business growth
*PMI 2013 Pulse of the Profession

18. Yet only
54%
of organisations
fully understand
the value of project
management
and its no coincidence that
success rates are falling again
*PMI 2013 Pulse of the Profession

19. *PMI 2013 Pulse of the Profession
What is a "high performing" organisation
in project management?

20. *PMI 2013 Pulse of the Profession
What is a "high performing"
organisation in project management?
• mature project management
• mature programme management
• mature portfolio management
• mature benefits realisation
• high organisational agility

21. *PMI 2013 Pulse of the Profession
What is a "high performing"
organisation in project management?
• standardized practices
throughout the organisation
• active project sponsors
• certified professionals

22. *PMI 2013 Pulse of the Profession
Talent Management in High
Performing Organisations
Formal development processes
Ongoing training
Defined career path

23. *PMI 2013 Pulse of the Profession
Formal development processes?
Processes to mature the
organisation's practices
Processes to develop the
practitioner's competency
AND
"How many people here have undertaken a
competency skills assessment through your
place of work?"

24. Ongoing training?
Technical project management
Leadership
Strategic and business management
Functional management
Behavioural management
Career management
Coaching and mentoring
Direction

25. A defined career path?
Organisation
Sector
Domain
Professional body
Marketplace
You?

26. Project Managers in
Organisations
What else makes a difference?

27. Working Within an Organisation:
1. Organisational politics
*Political Skills at Work 2005 University of Florida
or playing “politics in a positive way”
Four distinct practices leaders can use to harness the positive effects of political skill

28. How it works managing project
teams
Social awareness
Understanding individual and team norms – beliefs, values, expectations
What makes the team unique?
Interpersonal influence
How would you characterize your current relationship with your team?
Opportunities to engage individuals and the team
Networking
Identify key stakeholders within the teams – most influential, connected, respected
Who is less connected but has untapped expertise / knowledge?
Sincerity
How open and transparent are you in your team communications?
What level of trust does the team have?
What are the causes for that level of trust?

29. Internal Networking
Expand your influence
Broaden business acumen
Paying attention
Well-connected
Visibility
Fit company culture
Why Do It?
REPUTATION

30. Where:
Your boss
Other leaders
Other PMs
Others outside your role Your project team:
Learn about your new team
Praise your team members in
other meetings
Cross-functionally:
Ask for advice and counsel
Reciprocate
Organisational Network Analysis (ONA)
Partnership alliances

31. Organisational
Network Analysis (ONA)

32. Working Within an Organisation
2. Senior leadership
*Carucci and Hansen 2014
• Ability and desire to learn
• Who grasp and integrate the entirety of the business rather
than only their own division or speciality
• Who develop soft skills to form relationship of care and trust
• Who forge character to anchor them through difficult decisions

33. Working Within an Organisation
2. Senior leadership
*Carucci and Hansen 2014
• Dedicate yourself to a personal mission and path
• Know where you are heading and why
• Don’t lurch at any opportunity
• Instead acquire the right experience, wisdom and
relationships

34. Working Within an Organisation
2. Senior leadership
*Carucci and Hansen 2014
• Deliver on your commitments and demonstrate character
• Show discretion, humility, honesty, transparency and trust
• Set high expectations of fairness
• Show you care about your team members

35. Senior Leadership Traits
*Carucci and Hansen 2014
• Clear understanding of their company and industry
• They listen and incorporate others ideas into their actions and decisions
• The communicate well and with passion
• They manage complicated situations
• They confront problems instead of ignoring or avoiding them
• Develop confidence and self-awareness to trust their instincts
• Disciplined to verify hunches with
data and evidence
• Pay attention to governance
Lack of governance leads people astray, makes
for porous boundaries and fights against
alignment and prioritization

36. Delivering programmes and projects
inline with organisation strategy
• Good project management
• Appreciation of the business
• Advanced management skills
• Leadership

37. Muito
Obrigados!
Alguma
dúvida?
Lindsay Scott
Arras People
www.arraspeople.co.uk