Feb03PMO Symposium 2012 Call for papersPosted at 07:12 in Networking, Project Management

Here we go again! The PMO Symposium 2012 will be held in San Diego (CA), from 28th to 31st of October 2012, and the call for speakers is now open. You can submit your abstracts here until 15th of March.

Nov12PMO Symposium 2011Posted at 09:15 in Leadership, Networking, Project Management

It has been a while since last time I posted, and I apologize to the 43 readers of this blog :p. The reason for my absence from here is that I devoted all my "free" time (whatever that is) to the PMO Symposium 2011 that was held in Orlando last week. I have been involved in the organization of this event for quite some time, but this year I was privileged enough to be the 2011 Program Chairman. That gave me the opportunity to work with a fine cast of speakers for this year's event, and to build and deliver a program that I believe best depicts the current "state-of-the-art" of the PMO's for 2011.

Their thought-provoking presentations really make this event the worldwide reference in the field of PMO's; starting with our two Keynotes from Jim Furfari and Iain Fraser (pictured above on the left, with Rommy Musch, President of the PMI PMO CoP, myself and Craig Letavec, PMO Symposium Chair). For the first time, we have webcasted Iain Fraser's Keynote that you can replay for free during the next couple of weeks. If you could not attend, please give it a shot, it is worth your time.

Another first this year was the launch of the PMO Symposium mobile application, available on iPhone, Blackberry and Android platforms, with all conference details (floor-plans, schedule, speakers bio, and networking feature), which has been warmly welcome by the attendees, despite some challenges due to a late launch. I guess there is only that much we can do.

While I will try to take a couple of hours of rest before going back to my day-job tomorrow, I would also like to extend a big THANK YOU to the PMI PMO Community of Practice leadership team (Craig, Rommy, Art, Darlene, Dan); to the team of volunteers who supported us during the event (Karen, Audra, Elise, Debbie, Scott, Paul and Doug); to the staff of Swank AV and the Loews Royal Pacific for their outstanding service; to the fantastic audience that attended the Symposium this year; and of course to our sponsors and exhibitors who enabled us to bring this conference to you.

Stay tuned, for over the next couple of weeks, I will provide some insight on what has been discussed during the PMO Symposium this year, with some invited guest bloggers.

Jul17The Global State of the PMO (Survey)Posted at 08:53 in Dubai, Leadership, My Work, Project Management, Risk Management

In March 2011, ESI International conducted a Global PMO Survey: The Global State of the PMO: Its Value, Effectiveness and Role as the Hub of Training. Some of the key findings of this survey were highlighted in a recent seminar I attended in Dubai (Risk Management Practices for Establishing and/or Sustaining a Project Management Office by Raed Hadddad):

• There is a paradigm shift from PMO Maturity to PMO Value and benefits realization
• There is a general struggle in measuring the PMO effectiveness, and in defining the appropriate metrics for this measurement
• The PMO sometimes acts as a hub of project management training, but does not measure the impact of this training in effective performance
• Most of the PMOs operate more at a tactical level and are not involved in portfolio management or benefits realization

All those topics and more will be covered during PMI's 2011 PMO Symposium in Orlando in November. If you are interested in getting more out of your PMO, make sure you do join.

Jun21Entrepreneurs: Nature or Nurture?Posted at 06:32 in Leadership

I am very interested in all topics related to entrepreneurship. My dad was an entrepreneur, I started my first venture when I was 22, started 2 other businesses since then, and I know that one day, I'll jump into it again. I have always wondered where this flame came from. Nature or Nurture? Well, a recent report published by Ernst&Young provided insights into some key characteristics of some of the world's leading entrepreneurs.

As far as numbers are concerned, from the 685 entrepreneurs surveyed worldwide, 60% have worked in a corporate environment (and half of those claim this was key to their success), 55% started their first business before age 30, and 60% are serial-entrepreneurs (they started more than 3 companies in their career to date). Some well known stereotypes are challenged in this research, and some entrepreneurial challenges are outlined: Not all entrepreneurs start their companies without completing a formal education and without any experience of corporate life; Entrepreneurship is rarely a one-off decision; Funding, people and know-how are the biggest barriers to entrepreneurial success.

While the research suggests that entrepreneurs are made, rather than born, there are some common grounds likely to be different from many others. The top qualities identified are to have a vision, passion, and drive; flexibility, a relentless focus on quality, and loyalty. Most successful entrepreneurs see opportunity where others see only risk. This optimism enables them to succeed when eveyone else is telling them they cannot.

You can find out more here.

Jun12McClelland's Theory of NeedsPosted at 06:24 in Leadership, Project Management

In 2006, I started a "series" on motivational theories on this blog, talking about Maslach's Burnout Inventory FR), Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs (FR), and later on Adam's Equity Theory. Today's topic will be David McClelland Theory of Needs. In his theory, McClelland proposed that an individual's specific needs are acquired over time and are shaped by one's life experiences, and that most of these needs can be classed as either achievement, affiliation, or power. A person's motivation and effectiveness in certain job functions are influenced by these three needs.

• Achievement
  People with a high need for achievement (nAch) will seek to excel and thus tend to avoid both low-risk and high-risk situations. Achievers avoid low-risk situations because the easily attained success is not a genuine achievement. In high-risk projects, achievers see the outcome as one of chance rather than one's own effort. High nAch individuals prefer work that has a moderate probability of success, ideally a 50% chance, and need regular feedback in order to monitor the progress of their acheivements. They prefer either to work alone or with other high achievers. High achievers should be given challenging projects with reachable goals. While money is not an important motivator, it will be seen as an effective form of feedback.
• Affiliation
  People with a high need for affiliation (nAff) need harmonious relationships with other people and need to feel accepted by other people. They tend to conform to the norms of their work group. High nAff individuals prefer work that provides significant personal interaction. They perform well in customer service and client interaction situations, or in a cooperative environment in general.
• Power
  People with a high need for power (nPow) can seek power of one of two types - personal and institutional. Those who need personal power want to direct others, and this need often is perceived as undesirable. Persons who need institutional power (also known as social power) want to organize the efforts of others to further the goals of the organization. Managers with a high need for institutional power tend to be more effective than those with a high need for personal power. Power seekers should be provided the opportunity to manage others in order to perform at their best.

McClelland used the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) as a tool to measure the individual needs of different people. Psychologists have developed fairly reliable scoring techniques for the TAT, and the test determines the individual's score for each of the needs of achievement, affiliation, and power. This score can be used to suggest the types of jobs for which the person might be well suited. McClelland's theory also allows for the shaping of a person's needs, and specific training programs can be used to modify one's need profile.

May06PMO Symposium 2011 Agenda publishedPosted at 06:09 in My Work, Networking, Project Management

The Agenda for the PMO Symposium 2011 has been finalized. Go have a look at the fantastic lineup of high profile speakers and interactive sessions, and if you did not already, register now!

Apr288 Stupid Mistakes Smart People MakePosted at 06:25 in Project Management, Time Management

As you know, I'm on a neverending quest to achieve more efficiency and productivity, and I have read a while ago a fantastic article on Marc & Angel's blog. This note speaks about 8 key mistakes smart people do make that make them staggeringly unproductive. Not only was that note spot on with regards to the causes, but it also provided some solutions. Here is a short summary (I encourage you to read the full note here):

• They confuse being busy with being productive.
  Most things make no difference. Work smarter, not harder.
• They spend time pursuing bogus achievements.
  Bogus achievements are promoted online at an alarming rate (Facebook friends, Twitter followers, Linkedin connections, etc.).
• They learn how to do something and never do it.
  Acquiring knowledge doesn't mean growing. Growth happens when what you know changes your life.
• They use the wrong measurements to track their progress.
  If you can't measure it, you can't control it. If you measure the wrong things, it is equally useless.
• They become obsessed with making things perfect.
  Are you carried away with perfectionism? I am. Sometimes. The real world doesn't reward perfectionists. It rewards people who get things done.
• They wait until they feel 100% ready before acting on an opportunity.
  When an opportunity arises, it forces you to stretch your comfort zone. If you don't feel ready, the opportunity is gone. Embrace opportunity when it comes.
• They inundate themselves with too many choices.
  Abundance of choice leads to indecision, confusion and inaction. Choose something that you think will work and give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out, choose something else and keep pressing forward.
• They lack balance in their life.
  If you focus all your energy in one arena (work life, social life, family life, etc.) you will end up off balance. No matter how successful you will be, it will lead you to long-term frustration and stress.

Apr27The Fred PrinciplePosted at 07:46 in Leadership, Project Management, Risk Management

I'm attending a two days workshop on IT Cost Savings & Optimization. In the afternoon, David Baumann (our host) started using a statement I made during lunch break and - funnily enough - referred to it as "The Fred Principle": There is a direct correlation between the risk transferred to a vendor in an outsourcing agreement and the economic inefficiency of this deal. In other words, if you push it too hard on your vendor, you will just end up paying more than what you might have by insurring that risk yourself in the first place. The corollary David kept using during the afternoon session actually works in a similar fashion as Occam's Razor, but in the Outsourcing context: "How would I have done it if I had kept it?".

Apr26PMI's Consultants RegistryPosted at 15:36 in Change Management, Project Management

PMI has recently introduced a new feature: If you're looking for a Consulting Firm to help you optimize your project management techniques, you can find the ideal partner on the Consultant Registry. They have also issued some selection guidelines to support you in finding the right firm to fulfil your requirements.

Mar19PMI UAE Chapter is underwayPosted at 06:05 in Dubai, Networking, Project Management

PMI has officially announced the launch of a potential United Arab Emirates Chapter (as a spin off from the Arabian Gulf Chapter, who's serving the community for nearly two decades). This new Chapter will focus on enhancing the member experience and on supporting practitioners entering and advancing in the profession within the UAE. Beginning today, you may join the potential PMI UAE Chapter at no additional cost, and be a part of this adventure from the beginning.

This is an important milestone for the profession in the region, especially after 2007's rejection from PMI. I have witnessed the establishment of a potential Chapter in Czech Republic, and I'm glad to see this happening while I'm based here in the UAE.