PMI Conference, Hyderabad

The who’s who of the Project Management community are meeting, they are here – PMI India, PMI US, all Chapters, many REPs, expecting a gathering of 600+, it’s an eventful day – I am at the PMI India Conference at Hyderabad!! HICC looks grand.

We are also exhibiting - Steve & Peter just walked in, expressed their gratitude for the support – being nice & humble creates an environment of collaboration & cooperation. It’s almost 1600hrs now, and the place is getting busy. I intend to write Live, so you can still be here and not miss the highlights…

Unleash the Power of Project Management for a Better Tomorrow is the theme and Raj Kalady opened the stage (day1) and V Sriniwas Rao (VSR) started passionately, shared the stats that were around India – few that were depressing and also many that were uplifting. He spoke about creating a Better Tomorrow. This talk repeatedly gave me Gooseflesh. I felt strongly for the country and the urge to make a difference.
Leaders with Foresight and Right Projects can create a Better Tomorrow for which VSR takes the lead for the Community – ‘Made in India Leaders’ working towards a peaceful, green, healthy, and prosperous India…part of a PMI Vision 2020

The chief guest of honor Jagdish Khattar former MD, MUL was full of encouragement for the delegates backed with an enriched background. His very Indian way of describing ‘how it was like to try managing a project without Project Management – it’s like trying to cross the road at 6pm Blindfolded’
Some MUL stats are worth noticing – 289workdays uninterrupted per year, consistent 95% average employee attendance, less than 3% spent on wages and achieved highest CSat over 10years. He also endorsed a Harward Business press publication ‘The Disciplines of Market Leaders’ and emphasized the importance of the value principles: Operational Excellence, Product Leadership, and Customer Intimacy.
To hear the stories from his wisdom you had to be here, they made my heart full. He ended with a message – ‘If you Fail to PLAN, you are Planning to FAIL’

It has been a busy day, exchanging greetings, sharing information, ideas, emerging trends, competitions, opportunities, possibilities of collaborations...

An observation that was quiet evident - a strong traction towards PgMP and PRINCE2 now after having done PMP. Also the need to maintain these credentials...we are ready already! The organisation focus continues to be on Project Governance, the value of PMOs is being felt more and more.

The day(2) started with a good discussion with Steven Fahrenkrog, Raj Kalady and few other PMI members with exchange of information, insight into strategies, opportunities available and how we can leverage it better, working jointly...closely.

A topic from the day's agenda picked my interest 'Help! My colleague is behaving strangely' :-)...the speakers dared to push some wrong buttons by talking about behaviours vs perceptions of genders. The Q/A time overshooted obivously :-) The speakers later came over personally to talk to me as they could notice my expressions - I was enjoying the overall subject and the interation - I gave the feedback and we had some exchange of perspectives.

My friend, Shobha from Microsoft Blore, was there to demonstrate the power of its Project/Portfolio server...they are keeping up with the ever increasing expectations of the businesses - the Project Server 2010 is coming out soon with added features...Gartner's magic quadrant is likely to look different then...specially with its Financial Management module.

Dr. Prahlad from DRDO, with presentation and videos of the different missile programs performed so far for the Defence, Navy, and Air Force moved the audiences. All those who were present there could feel so secure and also take pride in the advancements. They are, these days, in the process of making technology that will probably take us from Hyderabad to Delhi in less than 20mins! Our children can then take up jobs in different cities without going through the inconvenience of relocation :-)

And I am looking forward to a rendezvous with Dr. Kiran Bedi...

She had a message - project management starts from within; every person is a project in itself and the work begins from organising oneself, and together it will make things happen.

Evening was busy with networking again, and it was to be used upto its full potential...

My allergies kept me away from the action (day3) until noon, and I had to miss the message coming from Harold Kerzner. Hope will get the video...

All three days were packed with sessions of interest and powerful speakers, but I had jobs to do, hence could only manage to sit through a selected few...I shared those.

Later in the day it was about wrapping up and closing the talks with each other, and a commitment to follow-on and work on the actionables and continue to work towards a better tomorrow. Taking back a lot, to create more, and share even more...

Another take-away from Hyderabad is the famous Chicken Biryani from the Paradise counter...cannot miss that ever!

Everybody says I am fine...

Hi, this story is about Rahul - naam to suna hoga...! He is an ambitious man working for a progressive company in a busy city.

A normal day in Rahul's life:

'The morning dawned with a sweet kiss to his daughter and the child felt warm and hugged, the wife smiled. The parents were up and the greeting exchange made them feel happy about the closely knitted family. After the regular chores, he is ready to leave for office...moves out. The neighbors are as well leaving for work, Rahul exchangs Hellos and checks how everything was - 'things are going good, very well, how about you?' 'Well, all is well...have a nice day' was the reply and drives off. He reaches office, and is falling short of time for an important meeting to attend....makes a brief call home and informs wife that he has reached, she feels peaceful. There are colleagues around - on the elevators, on the corridors, next work-desk, smoke zones, cafeteria....a short Hello and some exchange of greetings with all, and the connection is visible. An old college friend called up during the day, and there was some laughter in the air. There were some meetings, e-mails and all....assured the boss that things are in control....after a long day at work Rahul leaves for the Gym. There were also casual exchange about the weather, the economy, country politics and some corporate news. After the workout, he reaches home. There are regular exchanges about how the day was - the child updates about her school, her friends, her teacher, the toys and the dog in the society, and the flower in the garden....and she learns that Daddy has worked hard in office and is tired. Then there is Dinner and TV and some random talks, and its time to retire. Rahul goes to the study to write his daily diary before he goes to sleep....Haah, looks like it was a fulfilling day - ideal life!!!'

Few Excerpts from Rahul's diary:

'The morning alarm yelled that it was time to wake up....I had a headache. Had not had a good sleep, there were urgent calls coming from the project site......there was hell lot of a traffic.....took a diversion to reach office, was running late for a meeting......argued with the cop....the parking was a mess as usual. The meeting was good, looks like the project that I have been longing for is just around the corner, it will take me to a different level.....I just hope the other manager does not come to know about it, else he would never let me bag it........wondering if the management changes at the client organisation may stall the current project, I am concerned.....there are insecurities around, I have to secure my future and also that of my family, could not fix that appointment with the financial advisor yet again - where is the time? Siiiiigh.....praying for the strength and luck'.

Hmm, things can be so different from what we see on the surface. To find the facts, there is a need to dig deeper, relate well, or ask the right questions. Meaningful interactions require an environment of:

a) Understanding – the information, when shared, the person is able to understand the context and can relate to it.

b) Empathy – the person listens patiently and empathizes, and provides the moral support…this too shall pass.

c) Trust & Mutual respect – the person understands the sensitivity of the matter, understands that whatever is the situation – was not intended, things just happened, and maintains the confidentiality. Also discusses the problem and not the person involved.

d) Confidence – confidence that the person will help me find a solution either because of the knowledge or position.

Information sharing as a process could be simple, however the quality of the same is what matters, and makes all the difference.

In a project environment, PMO is one such entity that is, or is supposed to be, a HUB of information. Not all PMOs function effectively when it comes to execution.

Few things that can be considered to have an effective PMO, at different stages:

Design – while designing the PMO, careful thought has to be given to the scope of the PMO. It has to be a support function that provides the necessary information and help to Projects in order to avoid certain issues and get benefited.

Implement – during the implementation of the PMO, ensure that the right message goes down to the project teams and there is a buy-in for the structure. Make sure that the right people get assigned to it. The PMO staff, in addition to the technical skills, must be high on ethics and values, integrity, with extremely good people skills, with a helping attitude, and should be cool headed.

Execute – repeatedly assess the sanctity of the information and the morale and attitude of people associated. Regular feedback and timely resolution is important for continuous improvement. Needless to say, management commitment is a prerequisite.

It is imperative to create an environment of information sharing, and don't be surrounded by Rahul(s) or be a Rahul. Rahul is no one but just a metaphor that represents the common working community that wakes up every morning and works endlessly in the pursuit to achieve something big, and very soon. There is Impatience, there is Optimism, what is also needed is Team Work – for which Communications have to be healthy and effective.

And you thought I was going to do some movie review…J

All Around there's lot to Learn and Appreciate...

We concluded the Project Management Leadership Conference, in New Delhi, this week - Yes, we did !! There was a gathering of 150+

While there is some unrest on the work front, learning or knowledge sharing or building networks is important and cannot be compromised. It is very satisfying to be an enabler in the process...

The hall was oozing with energy and enthusiasm. There were some strickingly good presentations made, that shared some rich insights:

-> Vinod K (L&T) showcased a case study of a mega project worth USD283 million, that also got them a PMI award !! It was like fresh air amidst majority of the speakers from an IT background. While project management has its challenges, the speaker made daunting projects look achievable.

-> NBS (CSC) shared very powerful thoughts on Skills and Competency, with some ways to measure and build them around. The small things about forming, building and nurturing a team can have big results was the take-away. One point that I completly believe and would agree with NBS is - when there is a choice between the Right ATTITUDE and the Right SKILL, always go with the person with the Right Attitude - Skill can be developed.

-> Hemant Julka (Emirates) was adored by all because of his really cool ways of presentation. With a collar mike tugged firmly, he decided not to get to the podium and moved around the entire hall - talking and interacting with delegates - thats what I call Awesome! One of the statistics that he shared, which was coming from the findings/forecasts of a research firm, took everyone by surprise. It says - the overall IT spend of companies is going to reduce drastically in the year 2009. The IT project managers must hold on to their projects really hard, and close them Damn well, it could be the last project to manage !!!

-> Raj Kalady (PMI India) on the other hand shared some other statistics that were pretty optimistic - the demand for Project Managers is expected to be FORTY times more than what we currently have!!!

Not sure which data is more precise/reliable, and why. We just got the news of BT laying off 2000 people from their BPO in India! It is difficult to predict everything, you are the best one to study the environmental factors around yourself and make an informed decision. But it does require regular monitoring...

The emphasis is on accuracy of data, and to have the basics right, and the rest will fall into place. My sincere best wishes are with Nandan, as he takes charge of the National ID project. It made me think of ways to contribute towards the betterment of our locality or city or country or the society in general - every bit counts.

Changing topic -
The city of Mumbai just added a landmark to its map - the Bandra Worli sea link - the spectacular 4.7kms Cable stayed bridge that runs over the sea just got completed with a cost of 750cr - HCC has carried out marvelous engineering and made an Impossible bridge come Alive! It already has a traffic of 30 thousand vehicles running per day, may take some time to smoothen out the operations. I wanted to experience it at the first available opportunity. The drive was worth it - AMAZING - worth repeating!!!
We need more such mega projects...

Living Green - Yes, we can...

No doubt it is a very familiar subject that I am referring to, and we all are aware of what this means to us, but how many of us contribute to it..? Is it really possible to live a carbon free 'Green life'???

The Energy Resources Institute (http://www.teriin.org) is one such place where one can witness this in action. A couple of days spent in the company of scientists and biotech engineers in TERI was fulfilling and memorable experience. It was overwhelming to see the knowledge being put to such constructive use. WoW is the word.

The campus - no one could ever imagine that such a place existed in the midst of a concrete city!!! The entire campus runs only on solar energy. They have battery operated cars. The airconditioning is done using the air which is sucked from 30metres under the ground, and the temperature at this depth is 25.6 degrees at all times - did you know this? The campus has green buildings. They have inhouse nursery where many variety of plants are grown and also plantation related tests are carried out to have good quality seeds etc for agri purposes. They have a lavish golf course too and one can become a member to enjoy it (will do that on retirement) :)

The institute is funded by Ratan Tata - he is a leader !!!

While there are big initiatives under way, our small contributions like - use of white lamps, use of less plastic, wear cotton/jute, walk rather than drive to the gym that is just around the corner, use stairs rather than elevators to the second/third floor etc does make a difference.

Do keep contributing

Ms. Singh comes to YOUR Work-Desk for 30 mins

 

You might have scanned through my earlier post on 'Revisions & Updates to PMBOK® Guide 4th Edition'.

 

While that gives an overview of the extent of revisions, for practitioners it is important to know the specifics to be able to apply it to their work.

 

Well, I did not want to share some lengthy piece of text here, so I bring for you a WEBCAST that will take you through the changes in just 30 mins - for FREE!

 

URL to access: http://www.edistalearning.com/Webinars/webinar.asp 

 

All those who are well versed with the 3rd edition of the PMBOK® Guide will be able to familiarise themselves with the 4th edition after going through the capsule.

 

Btw, the quality of the audio and video may not be great, but is good enough to make sense I hope.

 

Keep Learning, Keep Sharing, Keep Applying...

 

To Complete Performance Index (TCPI)

The Earned Value Management (EVM) technique is quite exhaustive but effective for Project Management.

 

As the technique is being widely accepted and implemented on projects, the degree of rigor is as well increasing.

 

Organisations are monitoring projects on CPI and SPI, that indicates the health of the project, while EAC gives a forecast of the expected cost expenditure based on the current status. But if the forecasted EAC or the expected BAC has to be met, what should be the Cost Performance in the forthcoming reporting periods?

 

The 'To Complete Performance Index' answers the question. It provides a projection of the anticipated performance required to achieve the targetted BAC or EAC. The formula to compute:

 

TCPI =   BAC - EV  [if BAC is to be achieved]

            BAC - AC

 

TCPI =   BAC - EV  [if EAC is to be achieved]

            EAC - AC

 

An easy way to understand this is - while CPI is the current Run-Rate (as in the game of cricket), TCPI is the required Run-Rate calculated cumulatively.

 

Easy!!!

 

 

Taking Stock

Work is quite an important aspect of life; very demanding. The identities, to a great extent, are derived from the Business Card that one holds; so it better be IMPRESSIVE! World over the anxieties went high with lay-offs and pay-cuts, posing a threat to an identity crisis. There was a sudden realization of how important it is to:

• be GOOD in what you deliver
• be CREDIBLE and RESPONSIBLE
• have an EDGE above others
• IMPROVE continuously
• be PROFESSIONAL

Management is busy re-designing, re-structuring, re-engineering policies, re-defining, and re-calculating, re-visiting investments. Individuals are spending efforts in re-looking options for fall-back (if need be), developing skills, and being cautious in spending.

The scenario is calling for better Governance structures, and much better Portfolio Management. An effective PMO is the need of the hour. It is never too late.

The 're' exercises are keeping my hands full. A visit to an automobile manufacturing plant last week was fascinating. While interacting with the Champions of their Operational Excellence Team I learnt – they make 6 to 8 thousand units per day per plant. Most interestingly, they don't keep an inventory greater than ONE day! All the units are sold the same day on the gate! Quite contradictory to the state of economy I am talking about above... Surely, it is because of the presence of strong governance structures. They want to improvise further, and this engagement with them will be quite interesting J

Amidst all, words of wisdom – 'work to earn a living, and not just live to work'

Happy Living