Project management




Project management We can apply much of our programme-level approaches to individual projects. Activities in which we are typically involved include: Project initiation workshop - with personality-type understanding as an option Project culture definition Project Board guidance Project personality interaction review Project conflict resolution Project Lessons Learned review Project initiation workshop We have an approach to this which has proved very effective at energising all participants and building strong teams. It seemed risky when we first did it, but it works very well. We place responsibility for the outcomes of the workshop and for the running of it firmly in the hands of the participants. This has proved really powerful for achieving a good project definition, and a strong team. We also have an approach for achieving rapport and common purpose with the Project Board or Project Steering Group. "We've achieved more in a 3-day workshop than we normally achieve in 3 months" British Gas project manager Take an extra day for - Better Project (or Programme) Initiation with Personality-type Start your project or programme with a sound definition and a co-operative team We can facilitate a Project or Programme Initiation Workshop with the added insights provided from a team-wide understanding of personality-type. Knowing the true strengths and weaknesses of the team enables you to work together effectively from the start. Spot and address the possible problem areas right at the start! Project culture definition The culture of the project will affect all the people within the project and who interact with the project. We can help you to ensure the culture works for you and your organisation. This workshop uses similar approaches to our change management culture definition workshop, but within the programme context. (Use the "Back" button on your browser to return here after viewing the culture workshop) Project Board guidance We can assist Project Boards to ensure that they receive the right information and can ask the right questions to ensure that projects head in the right direction. Project personality interaction review People tend to pull projects out of balance, unless the personalities are well balanced or very well evolved. We can help all parties to discover this, understand the issues, and then they will have the opportunity to address and improve factors which have proved counter-productive. We also run a 2-day course on Better Projects by understanding personality-type (click for more details) The phrase “personality-type” is used here to refer to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)., which is a registered trademark of Consulting Psychologists Press Inc. Myers Briggs Type Indicator™ and MBTI™ are trademarks of Consulting Psychologists Press Inc; in Europe these trademarks are licensed to OPP Ltd. Actalpha personality-type workshops are led by one or more qualified assessors of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator ® who have signed up to the OPP Ltd code of ethics for the use of the MBTI ® assessment (Use the "Back" button on your browser to return here after viewing the personality-type workshop) Project conflict resolution Understand the issues and find a way to move forward. Helpful if relationships have become strained or dysfunctional with an internal or external supplier or customer. This review uses similar approaches to our conflict resolution workshop, but within the project context. (Use the "Back" button on your browser to return here after viewing the conflict resolution workshop) Project Lessons Learned review Our post-project review approach typically looks in turn at these key areas for the project concerned: How was it for you? What was achieved? What was not achieved? What behaviours, methods and processes proved effective and should be used elsewhere? What were the gaps or problems with methods process and behaviour, that we need to ensure do not cause difficulties with other projects? Action review