PMnetwork Junio 2019

PMNetwork
PM NETWORK
JUNE 2019 VOLUME 33, NUMBER 6
STOPPERS RETHINKING EVENT RISKS

PAGE 30
SHOW STOPPERS
MOONSTRUCK
AGAIN
PAGE 6
SPARKING
COLLABORATION
PAGE 24
THE VALUE
OF FAILURE
JUNE 2019, VOLUME 33, NUMBER 6
PAGE 56
MAKING PROJECT MANAGEMENT INDISPENSABLE FOR BUSINESS RESULTS.®
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30
40
48
56
Features JUNE 2019 | VOLUME 33, NUMBER 6
30 AsStage Fright
threats to today’s events in- 48 The
Ready, Set, Stretch
next step up on the career 64 Outliers
Innovative
crease, project teams must rethink ladder might be just outside When an
risk to protect the masses. your comfort zone. organization’s
By Sarah Fister Gale By Ashley Bishel strategy shifts
or expands, the
40 Comprehensive 56
portfolio must
Full Service Silver Linings follow suit.
feedback and agile Capturing lessons learned can
By Novid Parsi
testing helped a U.S. city modernize help teams turn project failure
its system for helping residents. into long-term success.
By Hayley Grgurich By Matt Alderton
Cover photo by Roger Ho/Lollapalooza 2018
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A lively podcast series
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and emerging trends
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Also JUNE 2019 | VOLUME 33, NUMBER 6
5
THE EDGE
Snow Show A cavernous space turns into an Alpine
town for a Chanel fashion show.
8 6 Close Encounters Countries are exploring

collaboration—not competition—for moon projects.
8 Panoramic Precision A global team restored and

relocated a gargantuan piece of art.
9 China’s Net Gain The country leads the way in

building the 5G mobile future.
10 City Escapes Cities across the United States are

revamping dated infrastructure into public space.
12 The New Silicon Valleys The global tech capital

could soon be dethroned.
12 Health Plan Biometric patient identification
10 14
projects help improve patient safety.
14 Call of the Wild Organizations are launching

initiatives to stave off widespread animal extinction.
VOICES
18 Inside Track: Healthy Outlook
Michael O’Connor, PhD, PMP, PgMP, director, strategy
and project management, Medtronic
20 Project Toolkit Positive Reinforcement
22 Career Q&A Standing Out From the Start

By Lindsay Scott
22 72 24 Culture Club What Fuels Teamwork?

By Karen Smits, PhD
25 Deliver IT Transformation Stories

By Priya Patra, PMP
GETTING IT DONE: Project Management in Action
26 The Next Evolution

By Alfonso Bucero, PMI-RMP, PMP, PfMP, PMI Fellow
28 Personal Power
By Javier Augusto González, PMP
ETC.
28 71 Good Reads From PMI
Risk management in projects,
programs and portfolios
72 Closing Thoughts
Karen Cedeño, PMP
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“Oh, it’s like walking through a painting.”
—The late Karl Lagerfeld, on his vision for Chanel, in an audio recording played as part of Chanel’s A/W 2019 show
Snow Show PROJECT

Chanel fashion shows regularly grab international both melt and storage costs in advance of the show.
TOP PHOTO: DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE / ALAMY STOCK. BOTTOM, COURTESY CHANEL
Chanel’s A/W 2019

headlines. But what some might not realize is that For the brand’s most recent show in March, the
fashion show
the attention is just as much thanks to the brand’s need for upfront planning took on an emotional
LOCATION
ambitious events project management as it is the dimension. Project sponsor Karl Lagerfeld, who
Grand Palais, Paris, France
clothing design. For recent events at the Grand Pal- joined the French fashion house in 1983 as art direc-
FACE-LIFT
ais in Paris, France, project teams have been tasked tor, died in February. Yet advance communication
In 2018, Chanel
with building a 30-foot (9-meter) waterfall that cas- meant his vision was consistent throughout. The team contributed nearly US$28
caded past caves and over rocky cliffs; designing and reimagined the cavernous space as an Alpine town million toward the French
launching a life-size rocket ship; and re-creating an complete with a thick dusting of snow, chalets puffing government’s planned
indoor version of the Eiffel Tower. smoke from their chimneys and full-scale pine trees. US$613 million renovation
As with any event, project deadlines were inflex- And on each guest’s chair sat a printed sketch Mr. of the Grand Palais.
The project is slated to
ible—and required meticulous upfront schedule man- Lagerfeld had made years before. The picture was his
begin in late 2020, with
agement. To execute one project, the team trucked in own silhouette alongside that of Coco Chanel’s, with completion slated in time
a 265-ton, 30-foot (9-meter) iceberg from a neighbor- the scrawled words that captured his own approach for the 2024 Summer
ing country, timing the transportation to minimize to fashion and the brand’s future: “The beat goes on.” Olympics in Paris.
JUNE 2019 PM NETWORK 5

theEdge
Close Encounters
The world is moonstruck again. After several years of These aren’t the space race wars of the past
dormancy, projects to explore the moon are heating either. International collaboration is at the heart
up in a major way: China, India, Russia, Israel, Ger- of new exploration projects, with teams from
US$100
many and the United States all have projects to go various global outposts working together to
to the moon in some capacity this year. overcome technical hurdles. The United States’
million
It’s not just the quantity that’s noteworthy, NASA, for instance, is collaborating on data
though—these projects are trying to gener- exchanges with China’s project and helped pro-
The budget for ate major breakthroughs. In January, the China vide communication and technology support for
a joint moon National Space Administration’s Chang’e 4 became

the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the
the Beresheet project.
“As NASA works toward its plan to sustainably
lander project moon. Beresheet, Israel’s US$100 million moon return to the moon, it will be critical to collaborate
by SpaceIL, lander project, took a 4-million-mile (6.4-million- with both commercial and international partners
Israel Aerospace kilometer) journey to the moon. While it suc- along the way,” the agency said in a press release.
Industries cessfully orbited the moon, the lander crashed on “This approach will enable human expansion
and SpaceX— the surface in April. The joint effort among the across the solar system and bring back to Earth
resulting in the nonprofit SpaceIL, Israel Aerospace Industries and new knowledge and opportunities.”
first private SpaceX resulted in the first nongovernment agency
lunar orbit. to send a spacecraft into lunar orbit. State of International Space
The Chang’e 4 project joined forces with numer-
ous groups from other countries, including project
teams from Germany, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and
the Netherlands. The lander’s ultimate goal is to
collect information on the moon’s surface and
internal structure, which can help explain the ori-
gins of the solar system. But first, the project
team had to lean on collaboration to over-
come an initial major hurdle.
The far side of the moon has no
line of sight to Earth, and thus no
radio communication. In order
to enable communication,
Chang’e 4 first had to build
and launch a relay satellite.
A team from Radboud
University, the Neth-
erlands Institute for
Radio Astronomy and
satellite-construction
company Innovative
Solutions in Space
helped build the sat-
ellite. The technol-
ogy will also work
with the Chinese
The International Space
radio instrument
Station is seen in front
of the moon.
6 PM NETWORK JUNE 2019 PMI.ORG

on the moon lander itself to collect data. “Both
instruments are not only designed to collect scien- Coleen’s Opale edition.
Below, the screen display
tific results, but they also provide us with technical
information needed to design a future flock of small
astronomical radio satellites,” Albert-Jan Boonstra,
program manager at the Netherlands Institute for
Radio Astronomy, told Phys.org.
More isn’t always merrier, though: Additional col-
laborators can create challenges, especially around
project timelines. India’s second lunar exploration
project, the INR8 billion Chandrayaan-2, could paint
the most holistic picture of the moon yet when it
studies the topography, mineralogy and exosphere.
But the project from the Indian Space Research Orga-
nization (ISRO) has faced many delays, first stalling
during development due to the cancella-
tion of an agreement with Russian space
agency Roscosmos.
In 2007, Roscosmos signed an agree-
Agility in Motion
Electric bikes aren’t exactly known
ment with ISRO to provide a lander for
for their aesthetics. But, with its most
the 2015 exploration project. However, recent product-development project,
“When done Russia’s own Phobos-Grunt project in the French upstart Coleen looks to
correctly, 2011, which was supposed to collect change that, taking Jean Prouvé’s clas-
sic World War II-era design and giving
samples from one of Mars’ moons,
collaboration ended with a propulsion system failure, it a 21st-century twist.
can be a causing the spacecraft to crash into
Every Coleen bike comes with a
lightweight carbon frame weighing
boost for the Pacific Ocean. Due to this techni- 1.9 kilograms (4 pounds), automat-
science.” cal issue and other financial troubles, ed features like a screen display and
—Andrew Coates, PhD, Russia withdrew from the agreement. a keyless ignition, and the ability “Because we
University College London, India had to reset its program and to sync with a smartphone. Two worked on
models are available for pre-order,
London, England push back the launch date, ultimately
Mariniere and Opale, for €5,990. an innovative
choosing to build its own lander. The They will top out at 15 miles per problem,
project has since faced additional delays, with the
launch date being pushed back several times in the
hour (24.1 kilometers per hour) and
have a range of more than 62 miles
we couldn’t
past couple of years alone. At press time, it was (99.8 kilometers). The first models anticipate
expected to launch in July. will be delivered in July. everything.”
The project team took an agile
The bureaucracy that accompanies international —Audrey Lefort, Coleen,
approach during the bike’s develop-
cooperation can also lead to funding issues, says Biarritz, France
ment. “Because we worked on an
Andrew Coates, PhD, professor of physics at Uni- innovative problem, we couldn’t
versity College London, London, England. Teams, anticipate everything,” says Audrey
however, can help mitigate risks if they are aware of Lefort, one of the bike’s designers
and co-founders, Biarritz, France.
these potential challenges from the project’s kickoff.
Coleen’s founders hope that
“Usually, these issues can be worked around,” Dr. their bikes, like Mr. Prouvé’s, will
Coates says. “When done correctly, collaboration “reinvent the pleasure of urban
can be a boost for science.” —Ashley Bishel travel,” she says.

theEdge
Panoramic
Precision
The project was as ambitious as the artwork is gar-
gantuan. Five years ago, the Atlanta History Center
launched a privately funded US$35 million initia-
tive to restore and relocate The Battle of Atlanta, a
133-year-old hand-painted panoramic artwork of
the U.S. Civil War that spans 371 feet (113 meters).
The room-filling cyclorama—one of only 19 such
works that exist—also showcases three-dimensional
figures in graduating scale along the base.
But before the team could move the 10,000- before the team settled on a 23,000-square-foot
pound (4,536-kilogram) piece roughly 10 miles (16 (2,137-square-meter) cylindrical space. The art- “I thought
kilometers) to its new home in Atlanta, Georgia, work itself underwent extensive renovations as when they
USA, it first had to assemble a team with the right well. That included replacing nearly 3,000 square unscrolled
know-how. That team would eventually span Swiss feet (279 square meters) of missing sections, which it, it would
and German art experts with experience in cyclo- had been cut out over the years to accommodate be blank.
ramas, architecture firms MSTSD and R.L. Brown
& Associates, and a small army of engineers, truck-
smaller displays. The project also restored more
than 100 of the 3D diorama figures at the base of
Paint chips
ers and riggers. In all, the team spent an estimated the painting.
on the
18,000 hours working on the project. For transport, the cyclorama had to be rolled up, floor.”
Relocation also included building a new facil- lowered into the open roof of the new facility, then —Sheffield Hale,
ity to house the painting, along with creating an unfurled. “I thought when they unscrolled it, it Atlanta History Center,
to The New Yorker
educational program for visitors to more accurately would be blank. Paint chips on the floor,” Atlanta
understand the events of the battle. The painting, History Center President and CEO Sheffield Hale
for instance, includes only one black person, despite told The New Yorker about his recurring fear.
hundreds having been involved in the battle. Instead, all was intact, and the project was com-
Sixty-six designs were proposed and rejected pleted—and open to tourists—in February.

China’s Net Gain
The 5G revolution has come to China, where the that lifted a container while connected to the 5G net-
government views the technology as an essential work. The network also had to host data traffic from
way to boost its economy. From 2015 to 2018, more than 30 high-definition cameras. Not only was
China sponsored projects to build roughly 350,000 the network stable, Mr. Ma says, but it was also able to
cell sites for the latest generation of cellular mobile transmit information in less than a millisecond.
communications—more than 10 times the amount Rigorous testing in a lab environment proved
of sites the United States added in that time, helpful for the eventual deployment. But the lab
according to Deloitte. This year promises to be the came with its own constraints, too, Mr. Ma says.
most robust yet for infrastructure installment. “We had to work with a temporary, makeshift com-
China Mobile launched a CNY1 billion program munication truck that was brought to the site, and
to build 2,000 base stations by the end of the year the trial took place in December, when outdoor
in Wuhan, up from 31 last year. The company also temperatures went as low as minus 16 degrees Cel-
built base stations in Shanghai’s Hongkou District, sius [3.2 degrees Fahrenheit]. This made the condi-
which in March became the first district to have tions for the workers and engineers very tough.”
5G coverage. The city aims to build 10,000 base
stations by the end of the year. Internal Networks
China Unicom, meanwhile, partnered with Eric- Getting all stakeholders engaged from the start
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER
sson to complete a six-month pilot project that helped the team execute the project and hit the
wrapped up at the end of 2018 to test the feasibility short timeline, Mr. Ma says. “Six months is a short “It’s critical
and benefits of 5G applications at the port of Qing- amount of time to get all of the involved parties
dao. The trial proved that the harbor could save up to agree to a common target and invest valuable
for all
to 70 percent on labor costs via automation. China resources in a project.”
parties to
Unicom, Ericsson and other partners are now actively For most initiatives, Mr. Ma’s teams usually agree on
exploring commercial 5G solutions for harbors, start- work with only one other company. But this project the planned
ing with a full-fledged project at the port of Qingdao. involved collaboration among four parties: Ericsson, approach
The 5G infrastructure is “the key to unlock other China Unicom, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries and then
technologies such as artificial intelligence, robot- and the Qingdao Port itself. To keep the project
to stick to
ics and the internet of things, therefore providing running smoothly, the team leaned on cloud-based
tremendous potential in China that could not be communication to update working documents in
the plan—
underestimated,” Steve Lo, managing partner of real time and maintain access from both desktop and while being
technology, media and telecommunications at mobile applications for all stakeholders. The team flexible.”
Ernst & Young China, told China Daily. also used WeChat for daily reports for the four par- —Eric Ma, Ericsson,
ties and held regular milestone-review meetings with Beijing, China
New Frontiers management. “If working processes and the collabo-
The 5G smart harbor pilot project was divided into ration model aren’t easy, some of the involved parties
three phases. First, the team developed the scope and won’t follow the protocol, which creates issues and
technology; then it tested the technology in a con- generates delays,” Mr. Ma says.
trolled lab setting. The final phase was on-site deploy- Additionally, when working with so many stake-
ment at the harbor, says Eric Ma, program manager holders, he says a clear organizational structure and a
for the Qingdao 5G smart harbor project, PMI Global robust project plan are necessary. “It’s critical for all
Executive Council member Ericsson, Beijing, China. parties to agree on the planned approach and then to
He worked on the project for the port of Qingdao. stick to the plan—while being flexible,” says Mr. Ma.
Ultimately, the team was trying to see if the 5G “With four parties involved, this can be difficult,
network was reliable enough to handle harbor tasks. so it’s important for one of the parties to take
For instance, the trial included an automated crane leadership.” —CJ Waity

theEdge
City Escapes
Why can’t an old rail line be an urban oasis? Across
the United States, city governments have found
that it’s cheaper—and more engaging for resi-
dents—to rebuild infrastructure into public green
space than to simply tear it down.
The High Line, the once-abandoned, elevated
rail-line-turned-promenade in New York, New
York, is the inspiration behind a new spate of proj-
ects that are refashioning underutilized infrastruc- The project is broken into nine phases, which has
ture. Eighteen similar initiatives have now been proven helpful to allocate the required funding and
built or are planned across the U.S., as well as one allow the team to adapt based on lessons learned, Ms.
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hegedus says. For instance, traffic studies performed
The High Line Network, an advisory group for for the first phase indicated that rapid flashing bea-
these projects, is helping to facilitate knowledge shar- cons would not sufficiently increase the level of safety
ing. Lessons learned proved helpful for Irene Hegedus, for pedestrians and bicyclists—an insight that will be
chief of transportation enhancements and the county’s applied to the remaining phases. Another item the team
program manager on the US$123 million Underline discovered is that one site has light levels of contamina-
“We have used reclamation project in Miami, Florida. (She is also tion due to a previous railroad line, which the team is
all that we based in Miami.) Ms. Hegedus drew on lessons from assuming will remain constant for the full 10 miles, she
have learned a wide variety of projects, including the Atlanta Belt-

Line in Atlanta, Georgia. One of the lessons from the
says. They are using that information to modify their
schedules and cost estimates.
from this first BeltLine project was that it “received complaints about “We have used all that we have learned from
phase … and having a combined path for both bicyclists and pedes- this first phase, including costs and schedules, and
extrapolated trians,” she says. “We made a conscious decision to extrapolated them into the rest of the project.”
them into the design a separate path wherever we could.”
rest of the There’s a lot to gain from these projects, she The Divide
project.” says. “If you go to Atlanta’s project on weekends, In Dallas, Texas, the US$76 million Klyde War-
you can see 2,000 people just congregating and ren Park Phase 2 will add green space and a
—Irene Hegedus,
walking and having a good time. This is exactly 20,000-square-foot (1,858-square-meter) pavilion
Miami-Dade County, Miami,
Florida, USA what we want to see with The Underline.” to the existing park, which sits over a highway. The
While urban reclamation initiatives share some project is a public-private partnership among the
similarities regardless of location, three projects high- city government, Texas Department of Transporta-
light the diversity of challenges that can crop up. tion, North Texas Council of Governments and
Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation, among other
The Low Road construction and design partners.
The Underline—as the name implies—will run “With all of these stakeholder owners, communi-
underneath 10 miles (16 kilometers) of elevated cation is one of our biggest challenges,” says Keith
train tracks. The project, which broke ground in Bjerke, program manager for the project, Dallas,
November and will wrap in June 2020, is a linear Texas. (He is also the founder of Bjerke Manage-
park that will include an urban trail for public ment Solutions, which is the program manager for
exercise and restored natural habitats, and also will the project.) “It does require additional meetings in
connect to public transportation. person than what you would normally do on a com-

Rendering of The Underline project in Miami, Florida,
USA. At right, a rendering of Phase 2 of the Klyde
Warren Park in Dallas, Texas, USA. Below, an artist
impression of the Presidio Tunnel Tops project in San
Francisco, California, USA
mercial project, because there are so many differ-

ent entities.”
But the collaboration has also proved fruit-
ful—the Texas Department of Transportation’s
recent experience in building tunnels and navigat-
ing bureaucracy, for instance, is helping the team
avoid potential schedule delays and cost impacts.
Construction is scheduled to start in 2020, with
“With all
completion set for late 2023.
of these week,” says Paula Cabot, senior project manager,
Nature Reservations stakeholder Presidio Trust, San Francisco, California.
The US$100 million Presidio Tunnel Tops project, owners, Her team has to be especially cognizant of bird
located in Presidio National Park, San Francisco, communication migration. Because nesting season happened to
California, is building a 14-acre (5.7-hectare) park is one of coincide with when soil was being laid on-site, she
over a newly constructed highway. Construction our biggest needed a way to discourage birds from nesting in
is expected to begin in October, with completion
due in 2021. But first, the project team must navi-
challenges.” the area. Her team did so by scattering cat and owl
decoys around the site and getting creative with
—Keith Bjerke, Bjerke
gate two distinct hurdles: the area’s status as both the sprinkler system. “It was really working with
Management Solutions,
a national park and a historic landmark. Dallas, Texas, USA the wildlife ecologist to protect birds and remain
“We have a wildlife ecologist doing nest surveys on schedule with construction,” Ms. Cabot says.
of the area by walking the site once or twice a —Michael Wasney

theEdge
Health Plan
Maria Garcia was causing trouble in Texas. Not the
person—the name. The Harris Health System in the
United States’ Harris County had 2,833 Maria Gar-
cias in its system, 528 of whom shared a birthday.
It’s not an isolated problem—matching patients to
their actual records is growing more difficult for
The New Silicon Valleys healthcare providers. And the consequences can be
Silicon Valley has long been considered the epicenter of the global deadly: A patient may be administered the wrong
technology industry. But that could be shifting, according medicine or even the wrong surgery.
to a 2019 KPMG survey. Hospitals have long struggled to mitigate the
issue, and recent trends are making the problem
16% worse. Hospital mergers are expanding provider net-
KPMG asked 740 global
technology industry Neutral works, creating even bigger databases. As patients
leaders whether they move around or visit different providers, the chance
believed Silicon Valley 27% 58% for duplicate records—one individual having mul-
would lose its seat as Not likely Likely
or very tiple versions of their record—increases, making it
the world’s technology or not at
all likely likely possible for large providers to have in excess of hun-
innovation capital
dreds of thousands of duplicate records.
by 2023.
In response, hospitals have launched projects
to implement biometric technology—including
fingerprint, iris and palm vein scanners—for iden-
What city will take Silicon Valley’s place? Here are the
top emerging hubs, according to survey respondents. tification. In March, the Medicover Hospital in
1
Warsaw, Poland became the first in the nation to
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA
Some of the world’s biggest tech companies—includ- implement biometric signature recognition. Impri-
ing Apple, Facebook and LinkedIn—have bulked up their vata, a provider of biometric systems, completed 23
presence in the city. And though Amazon’s proposal to biometric healthcare projects globally last year and
establish a headquarters in the Queens borough fell has more underway.
through, Google announced its own plans in December
“If you consider the very real risk to patient
to double its New York-based workforce and build a US$1
safety when duplicate records are created, this has
2
billion campus in Manhattan.
the potential to save lives,” says Jack Cole, admin-
BEIJING, CHINA
istrative director of IT, CoxHealth, Springfield,
The city government has backed a fundraising campaign
that would inject CNY10 billion into the city’s tech sec- Missouri, USA. In February, CoxHealth, which
tor. The money will be used to underwrite Beijing-based partnered with Imprivata, introduced palm vein
ventures that are developing everything from new uses scanners across five of its six hospitals and most
for artificial intelligence to electric vehicles—and aim to of its clinics. This was part of a project initiated in
give those ventures an edge over their Western counter-
2017 and scheduled to be completed later this year.
3
parts.
But for these projects to be successful, organiza-
(TIE) TOKYO, JAPAN
tions need to get internal stakeholders on board to
Tokyo has become a hotbed for the development of
robotics and 3D manufacturing, which earned it the top ensure patients will use the new technology.
spot on 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index in 2018.
Industry leaders hope to use the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Safe and Secure
Games to supercharge their tech innovation efforts— While privacy concerns have hindered past efforts
similar to the 1964 Olympics, when the city unveiled the
to establish similar patient identifiers, the growing
3
world’s first bullet train.
ubiquity of biometric identification in everyday
(TIE) LONDON, ENGLAND
transactions, such as unlocking smartphones, is
London is being refashioned into a global capital of the
fintech industry. Of the 29 fintech unicorns (startups giving this latest batch of projects a greater chance.
valued over US$1 billion), seven are based in London— “It’s encouraging that people are becoming more
topped only by San Francisco, California, USA, which is comfortable with biometrics. Any issues they have
home to nine. But with Brexit looming, the fintech indus- are addressed with the project teams, which have
try could be standing on potentially shaky ground. systemized the process of implementation and put

Double Trouble
clear methodologies in place,” says Ed Ferguson, Duplicated medical records come
manager, PatientSecure Services, Imprivata, Lex- with high costs.
18%
ington, Massachusetts, USA.
The major challenges remaining for project
teams are coordinating the many stakeholders average portion of a healthcare
involved in the complex and far-reaching projects, provider’s patient records that
and ensuring their buy-in. “Many hospitals out- are duplicates
source system management to a third company,
The average expense of repeated
so coordinating three teams becomes more of a medical care because of a
challenge. We also need to deal with many depart- duplicated record:
ments within the hospitals, and getting each to
agree on workflow changes can take time,” Mr. US$1,950
Ferguson says, noting that project delays can ensue per patient per inpatient stay
when hospitals do not prioritize the projects and
assign them sufficient staff. >US$800
per emergency department visit
Health Drive Source: Black Book Research, 2018
Internal adoption by hospital staff is essential, as

nearly all biometric systems are voluntary. It’s up
GETTY IMAGES
to front-line staff to encourage patients to use

them, an issue CoxHealth struggled with initially.
“The single biggest challenge relates to hard-
wiring the process with the registration staff, who
are frequently the touch point for registering
“If you planned in the initial rollout but were emphasized
patients in the system,” Mr. Cole says. “Because more as the project progressed. I don’t think we
many of the staff didn’t initially recognize the seri-
consider the realized how much they would be needed.”
ousness of the problems we are striving to prevent, very real risk As more hospitals adopt these systems, Mr. Cole
some weren’t proactively educating patients on to patient foresees another challenge: getting these proprietary
the benefits of participating. In fairness to them, if safety when systems to talk to one another. When patients visit
they don’t understand the importance, it seems we duplicate hospitals owned by different companies, they can
are just giving them more work.” records are still face hurdles related to disconnected records.
In addition to learning modules and on-site train- For now, though, CoxHealth’s project has seen
ing for staff, Mr. Cole said the project team imple-
created, staff better understanding the importance of the bio-
mented continuing education, manager follow-ups
this has the metric process, with the net effect of more patients
and flyers to encourage staff adoption. On the potential to getting enrolled in the biometric system. So far, about
education side, for instance, the team created online save lives.” 75,000 patients have joined, Mr. Cole says. “Staff has
education to help the registration staff learn how —Jack Cole, CoxHealth, to understand the ‘why’ before it becomes hard-wired
to use the application, he says. “These things were Springfield, Missouri, USA into their process.” —Ambreen Ali
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theEdge
The rewilding effort at the Iberá

National Park in Argentina aims to
reintroduce species like the jaguar
Call of the Wild

and the giant anteater, below, to
specific areas.
Climate change, deforestation and poaching all
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CONSERVATION LAND TRUST ARGENTINA

threaten the mass extinction of large numbers of
animal species. By the end of this century, climate
change alone could wipe out about half of the ani-
mal and plant species in the world’s most naturally
rich areas, such as the Amazon and the Galapagos,
according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Rewilding projects aim to help prevent that
The Yorke by reintroducing species to their once-native
Peninsula lands. The Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, for
in South instance, has seen an estimated 27 of 29 mam-
Australia mal species disappear. A government-sponsored
has seen an rewilding project, which launched in January, will
estimated
27
eventually reintroduce about 20 species into a
fenced-off sanctuary that spans 170,000 hectares
(420,000 acres). Rewilding Europe, meanwhile, is
overseeing dozens of projects spread across the
of 29 continent, aiming to rewild 2.5 million acres (1
mammal million hectares) of land by 2020.
species “A lot of species have become extinct from
disappear. specific areas, and we’re trying to bring them
back,” says Sofia Heinonen, director, Conservation
Land Trust, Iberá National Park, Argentina. Ms.
Heinonen oversees a rewilding project to restore munity and regulatory officials. Teams also have to
the ecosystem of 1.3 million hectares (3.2 million build on and communicate each successful mile-
acres) of Argentina’s Iberá Wetlands. stone so they can convey the project’s benefits to
help ensure future funding.
Human, Nature That often results in years of community out-
One of the biggest challenges for rewilding projects reach before the first animal arrives on-site. The
isn’t animals—it’s people. The project teams must Yorke Peninsula project, for instance, launched in
conduct long-term engagements with the com- 2009 as a collaboration among Naturally Yorke,

The Yorke Peninsula rewilding
project is expected to reintroduce
species that have been extinct from
South Australia for 100 years. It
will include the woylie (brush-tailed
bettong).
buy-in by having all of its team members live in the
area. “Residents got to know us and see our work,”
Ms. Heinonen says. “We’ve built these relation-
ships over 20 years.” And when the team releases
animals into the area, it invites residents to watch.
Even as the animals begin to thrive, the project
teams cannot let up on their community engage-
ment. “We can’t take anything for granted,” Mr.
Grover says. “We can’t assume we’ll continue to
have the funding or the community’s support.”
That’s one reason both the Yorke and Iberá teams
rigorously monitor and report project results, such
as animal survival rates.
the South Australian and federal governments, Slow Build

BLICKWINKEL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
WWF and Greening Australia. The project team Rewilding projects can take years, if not decades, to
spent the first decade on planning and community hit their intended targets. Even with a thoroughly
engagement before erecting a mostly predator- defined scope, the Yorke project could take 20 to 25
proof, 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) fence stretching years and cost US$10 million to US$20 million, Mr.
across the peninsula earlier this year. Plans are to Grover says. Given the uncertain timeline and costs,
“It first reintroduce the first species into the area in 2020. it can be tricky to establish an overall budget—much
“Our biggest project risk was not getting the less secure all of it—at the start.
took many local community on board,” says Darren Grover, Rather than trying to get all the project funds
years of head of living ecosystems, WWF-Australia, Bris- upfront, Mr. Grover’s team broke down the proj-
discussion bane, Australia. “We had to get the communities ect into smaller phases and sought funding for
and raising involved and show them the project’s opportuni- each. That way, the team leverages the success of
awareness ties and benefits.” each milestone to help fund the subsequent one.
of the To accomplish that, the team held town halls For instance, the Yorke team obtained funds for
and one-on-one meetings to directly address the AU$1 million fence from the Australian gov-
project and the concerns of farmers and other residents. For ernment and other organizations before seeking
its benefits instance, farmers feared the reintroduced animals AU$500,000 to reintroduce an endangered kanga-
to make could attack livestock or dig burrows that could roo species.
sure we wreak havoc on their property. The team assured “This enables us to build momentum so we can
got the them the animals did not pose those threats. get money for one activity, get that underway and
community “Slowly but surely the farmers became advocates then get money for the next activity,” Mr. Grover
onboard.” for the project,” Mr. Grover says. says. “We approach potential donors, let them
Launched in 2000, with an expected end date know what we’ve done and ask them if they want
—Sofia Heinonen,
of 2025, the Iberá project did not introduce its to be part of the next phase.”
Conservation Land
Trust, Iberá National first species until 2007. “It first took many years Similarly, the Iberá team builds upon each suc-
Park, Argentina of discussion and raising awareness of the project cess to generate more interest and buy-in for the
and its benefits to make sure we got the commu- project. The team’s first successfully introduced
nity onboard,” Ms. Heinonen says. That involved species was an anteater. “Afterward, people saw we
communicating the benefit of ecotourism that the could do this, and that allowed us to translocate
project should usher in. other animals from other regions,” Ms. Heinonen
The Iberá team also helped secure the public’s says. —Novid Parsi

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Voices
INSIDE TRACK
Healthy
Outlook
G
MICHAEL rowth drives change and How do you marry strategy and project
O’CONNOR, introduces risk. When medical

tech company Medtronic dou-
management in your role?
Medtronic focuses on three key strategic priorities:
PhD, PMP, PgMP bled in size to 86,000 employ- therapy innovation, globalization and economic
TITLE: Director, strategy and ees after acquiring Covidien in value. Therapy innovation means providing offer-
project management 2015, the organization had to double down on ings to improve patient outcomes. Globalization
its efforts to ensure all team members were flu- involves addressing challenges in both developed
ORGANIZATION:
ent in both strategy and execution—and under- and developing countries. And for economic value,
Medtronic, a PMI Global
stand the interplay between the two. we create value-based healthcare solutions. I help
Executive Council member
As the chief of staff to the vice president of align our group’s strategy and projects with those
ILLUSTRATION BY YOLANDA GALVAN
LOCATION: Minneapolis, the corporate science, technology and innova- three enterprise imperatives.
Minnesota, USA tion group, Michael O’Connor is responsible
for helping standardize the organization’s proj- How do you help ensure alignment?
ect management processes. One primary way We meet and collaborate with the executive mem-
of achieving such crucial alignment is to coach bers and our various councils, such as the research
and mentor junior project managers across the and development council, the public-private part-
enterprise. nerships council and the project management of-
PMN0619 b-Voices.indd 18 5/13/19 1:13 PM

While the company typically focuses on a
five-year plan, our group looks further out,
to the 10-year space and beyond.
fice council. With both the leadership team and the and by following them you’ll get your projects done
councils, we look at the strategy for the next year faster, cheaper and with higher quality.
and the next five years, then we prioritize the projects
we need to focus on going forward. While the com- How have you gained buy-in for this across the
pany typically focuses on a five-year plan, our group organization?
looks further out, to the 10-year space and beyond. It would have been easy to just do it all here in Minne-
We come up with innovative product ideas down the apolis, where we have more than 10,000 employees, but
line while supporting innovative products now. it was key that we had global representation with some- Small Talk
one in China and someone in Europe so we could un-
What one skill
How have you helped standardize derstand their needs. We have a small volunteer team should every project
project management at Medtronic since it working on this: one person in China, one in Europe manager have?
acquired Covidien? and roughly three to five people in the United States. People skills. You
Soon after the acquisition, I was at the airport with a We went to internal company conferences globally, and can teach project
colleague, and we were talking about how to improve we had a booth where we laid out what we were doing management, but people
skills typically require
project management in the company. I was getting on and asked employees to write their thoughts about it on
on-the-job experience
my soapbox, and this person said, “Put your money Post-it notes and put them on a poster. So we had the and usually some failures
where your mouth is.” So we created a project charter voice of our customer along the way. along the way.
in the airport. Then we came back to the company,
put it on paper and put it into motion. We met with What’s the toughest challenge you face in What inspires you?
my boss and another executive. It took one meet- your role? Education. I’m
ing, and they were both in. We started planning the Time. On any given day, I’m in meetings most of the fascinated with how
people learn, and I learn
project, which we called the Project Management day, then I need to catch up on email, then I go home
from the people I teach.
Rigor for Innovation, in 2016, creating the vision in and catch up on email again—while trying to figure
2017 and executing it in 2018 and 2019. We’ll be in out how to get things done. There are a couple of What’s your biggest
the execution stage for another two or three years. ways I manage my time. With each email, I act on it, pet peeve?
delegate it, delete it or file it, and I do that quickly so Getting too much
What does the project involve? I always clear out my inbox. With meetings, I look at detail when I ask a
We’re developing our project management train- my calendar the night before and decide if I need to go simple question.
ing, tools, frameworks and processes, and com- to each meeting or not, if I can send someone else or
What’s underrated?
municating them out across Medtronic globally to listen to a recording.
The art of taking time,
help the organization be more successful with its like handwriting a
projects. For instance, we’re looking at how to get thank-you note.
people Project Management Professional (PMP)® PMI is celebrating its
certified across the globe. In addition to train- 50th anniversary.
ing, we’re coaching and mentoring both formally What has been the biggest change in project
and informally. I mentor mostly junior project management over the past half-century, and
managers about, for example, how to improve their what’s the biggest challenge for the future?
people skills and how to network.
“We’ve been moving past traditional project
In a nutshell, we’re creating a project manage- management, and project managers now
ment toolbox and adding different information have to be more flexible and adaptable. But
inside it, so that people across the organization can the biggest challenge for the future will be
pick and choose what works best for them. We’re training and maybe even certifying project
not saying everyone has to use all these things. professionals in people skills and leadership.”
We’re saying these are some of the best practices,

Voices PROJECT TOOLKIT
Positive
FEED THE APPETITE
We often have a project team lunch while
doing the postmortem meeting in a special
Reinforcement
venue for each of the major milestones achieved.
This form of reward also helps create a more
engaging environment for getting the right and
We asked the project management community: How do you reward honest feedback for the postmortem. We also
team members for managing difficult tasks or completing projects? believe that the highest form of praise is a reward
that’s beneficial to the exposure and career devel-
opment of the team members. For example, send-
ing the team members to a special conference or
training abroad as part of the reward.”
—Marzikmal Omar, PMI-RMP, PMP, head of project
management office, Dagang Nexchange Berhad, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia

BE INCLUSIVE
I believe team-level rewards and recognition
are more productive than member-specific
rewards. Consistent public recognition with Rethinking
rewards helps maintain momentum and motivate Rewards
the entire team. Cash rewards are good, but with With a focus on retaining
budgets often limited, it’s difficult to be consistent top talent, organizations
across teams. Ultimately, we thrive on challenges— are exploring new ways
to recognize strong
and a sincere pat on the back to keep us moving.”
performance:
—Sreekalavally Balasubramaniyan, PMI-ACP, project
manager, UST Global Inc., Leeds, England
Offering more
36% diverse rewards
ILLUSTRATE BENEFITS
Driving pay for
Sometimes the simplest reward is the best: 35%
performance
When they finish with a crucial task, just walk
to their desk, tell them how great they are, explain Creating a plan
why their task was important and reiterate how it 32% to reward for
affected the project on a high level. Explain how they high-demand skills
saved a certain amount of money, helped to gener-
Offering career
ate further sales or whatever applies to the given moves and
scenario. Instant positive feedback increases perfor- 32% experiences as
mance, and it helps team members feel that they are rewards
part of something bigger. Imagine a developer or a
Implementing
tester working five days a week for several months or 32% skill-based pay
even a year, seeing only small pieces of the final prod-
uct. But when the final software goes to production, Ensuring equity by
31% pay band level
you see it from a whole different perspective. I find
that feeling amazing, and luckily my team does also.”
—Ferenc Csizmás, PMP, project manager, Asia and Pacific
Increasing
30% transparency into
region, NNG LLC, Budapest, Hungary
compensation
Source: Global Talent Trends 2019,

EXAMINE THE FUTURE Mercer, 2019
Praising work is also an opportunity to show
ISTOCKPHOTO
team members how their accomplishments

connect to their career goals. The best reward I can
give to my team members is to take them out for
coffee so we can talk about their futures and how
TAILOR PRAISE they can get there. Some might say that should be What’s the biggest
ISTOCKPHOTO
To give your team members the right covered in the annual performance management challenge you face
reward, first you need to know what drives process. But the reality is that, for most leaders, during agile testing
their respective careers. Each employee in every those conversations are spliced into packed agen- phases? And what
organization has different goals. For example, in das, feel a bit perfunctory and rarely dig deeply steps do you take
our organization, most team members expect into career ambitions. The ‘tell-me-how-I-can- to anticipate and
financial rewards, but there are people who prefer help-enrich-your-career’ coffee includes gentle overcome those
obstacles?
to get additional responsibilities and even more but deliberate probing into where team members
Email responses
complex tasks. This also can lead to their further want to go and why. I advise from the heart, using to pmnetwork@
skill development in order to complete these new my own career experience—good and bad—where imaginepub.com for
tasks. Giving the right rewards sustains their indi- appropriate. Usually, deeper career desires emerge, possible publication in
vidual performance, and it’s also good for the com- as does a heart-to-heart collaboration on expedit- a future issue.
pany’s overall performance.” ing their growth into the next role.”
—Stanimir Sotirov, director of operations, Visrez, Dublin, —Dev Ramcharan, PMP, program director, infrastructure
Ireland security engineering delivery, TD, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Voices CAREER Q&A
Standing Out
From the Start
Showcase skills when you lack experience. Plus: Advancing beyond
project manager and how to pick the right performance review metrics.
By Lindsay Scott
I
just earned the Certified Associate in the job advertisement states, “You will be taking
Project Management (CAPM)® certi- accountability for the effective execution of project
fication, and I’m ready to start work. processes, procedures and tools for the project on
How do I promote my skills when I behalf of the project manager.” If I’m the hiring
lack experience? manager, I want to know if you can demonstrate
Not all project management roles require advanced knowledge of the project processes, procedures
experience and skills. Ideally, you are looking for the and tools using your CAPM® qualification. Show
roles where budget responsibilities and authority me evidence of previous experience and skills
levels aren’t huge. At this stage in your career, go for a working with processes, continuous improvement
supporting role, such as project coordinator or a proj- and redesigns. I would also like to see evidence of
ect manager role in which the project risk is fairly low. skills used to put processes in place and how you
Either role depends on your comfort level. achieve compliance from others.
Being a project coordinator will help you learn the Next, I want you to show evidence of account-
ropes while working alongside a project manager. ability traits: problem-solving, drive, integrity,
You typically will complete administrative tasks, such communication, motivation and so on. I also
as setting times and dates for meetings or maintain- would highlight knowledge of certain tools, includ-
ing paperwork. Taking on a project manager role will ing software skills and any kind of data collation.
work only if the value of the project is low and the What’s your experience in extracting information
project itself is likely to repeat. or providing reports and administering tools?
When you search for such opportunities, try Finally, to show that you can work on behalf of the
to pinpoint the actual skills needed to carry out project manager, I would expect to see relationship
the tasks outlined in the job description. These management, delegation, collaboration and organi-
are your transferable skills. For example, let’s say zational skills.

Once you understand what core skills are zation lacks such a system, consider introducing
behind the list of tasks and activities, you’ll be able the Project Manager Competency Development
to work on putting your best foot forward when it Framework to your manager and work together to
comes to demonstrating your transferable skills. devise a plan of action.
When it
For my next review, my manager asked me to I’ve been a senior project manager for a while, and
come up with performance measures beyond I want a new challenge. What are my options?
comes to
delivering on time, within cost and within There are two immediate options that many other project
scope. What else can I use? senior project managers pursue. The first is pro- metrics that
When it comes to project metrics that measure gram management, a step up in terms of responsi- measure your
your performance, choose the ones that mean bility, level of complexity and risk in delivery. From performance,
the most to your business. For example, show there, you can move on to portfolio management, choose the
how your resource prioritization benefited work where you have accountability for the organiza-
in progress or gross margin. You also should be tion’s entire portfolio of change. The second option
ones that
looking to provide the context, the story and the is to seek a role in the project management office
mean the
insights from those numbers that reflect how you (PMO). Working in the PMO is a move away from most to your
have influenced those outcomes. hands-on delivery to having a wider influence on business.
Don’t just choose metrics that are easy to col- maintaining good practices, processes, capabil-
lect, either. Make sure you include quantitative ity and governance. In fact, many organizations
measurables, such as customer satisfaction or combine the role of the enterprise PMO with that
Have a career
stakeholder engagement. Look for performance of portfolio management, making it a versatile and question for Lindsay
indicators that show how you managed or moti- challenging position. Scott? Email
vated a team. Did you contribute to project man- With both options, leadership approaches are pmnetwork@
agement maturity in the organization through key. The options for your career change are split: imaginepub.com.
leading, coaching or mentoring team members? Do you carry on in the delivery role, or do you take
Did you stop or cancel any projects? How have a position with a bigger influence around change in
you contributed to lessons learned? the organization? With some research and an hon-
Finally, there’s the improvement in your own est look at what is going to excite you in the next
performance that can be achieved through com- stage of your career, the answer should become
petencies, skills and behaviors. If your organiza- apparent very quickly. PM
tion has its own competency or skills assessment
GETTY IMAGES
system, use it. It can help you identify any perfor- Lindsay Scott is the director of program and
mance gaps and set you on a path to improvement project management recruitment at Arras People
in London, England.
in the different areas as required. If your organi-

Voices CULTURE CLUB
What Fuels Teamwork?

Collaboration drives projects forward. Spark it from day one.
By Karen Smits
C
ollaboration is not just a buzzword. It one to get to work. But better results arise if you
lies at the very center of projects and, give team members time upfront to discover each
therefore, project management. When other’s strengths, build personal ties and develop
the project environment is focused a common understanding of the project. A collab-
on collaboration, team members feel they belong orative leader builds a connected culture.
to something bigger than themselves and do their
Collaborative best work. Maintain the Right Mix
leaders ... are Top-flight project leaders create this environ- Collaborative leaders also know how to build
authentic, ment as a matter of course—but it doesn’t always teams and take advantage of everyone’s abili-
active come naturally. The good news is that collabora-

tive leaders are made, not born. Follow these tips
ties. Without the right mix of skills and work
methods, there’s no solid base upon which to
listeners— to hone your chops. collaborate. But that’s not a static responsibility.
eager to ask Astute collaborative leaders evaluate that mix
powerful Be a Connector throughout the project. Savvy project managers
questions and In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell uses the aren’t afraid to optimize the team by periodi-
open to term “connector” to describe individuals who have cally adding new players—and then ensure they
receive many ties with different social worlds. They con- become part of the team.
nect you to people you would not otherwise know.
feedback. Similarly, great project managers act as connec- Walk the Talk
tors, inspiring people to work together to achieve Collaborative leaders lead by example. Translation:
a common goal in spite of differences in work They are authentic, active listeners—eager to ask
methods, beliefs and cultural values. powerful questions and open to receive feedback.
Too often, in the rush of starting a project, proj- They recognize the power of diverse thinking,
ect managers just gather the team and tell every- which in practice means inviting people they know
oppose an idea or plan to weigh in. They encourage
team members to develop relationships, and they
step up to resolve conflicts before they fester. They
build trust—one of the most difficult things to do
when working under pressure.
One last thing: Don’t confuse collaborative leader-

ship with surrendering decision rights. When
things get tough and final decisions need to be
made, a collaborative leader should still step in
with a strong hand to make the final call. Collabo-
ration is not the same thing as consensus. PM
GETTY IMAGES
Karen Smits, PhD, is an organizational anthropolo-

gist working at Practical Thinking Group in Sydney,
Australia. She can be reached at karen.smits@
practical-thinking.com.
ISTOCKPHOTO

DELIVER IT
Transformation
Stories
Effective storytelling can boost buy-in
for digital overhauls.
By Priya Patra, PMP
D
igital transformations are all the rage
these days—and also a source of anx-
iety. CEOs and other business leaders
say their top concern for 2019 is risks
surrounding digital transformation, according to a
Protiviti survey conducted late last year. They have
good reason to worry: 43 percent of CIOs surveyed
by Harvey Nash/KPMG in 2017 cited resistance to
change as the top impediment to digital success. A
lack of employee engagement can grind a transfor-
mation effort to a halt.
One way to build engagement has always been
central to the human experience: storytelling.
ISTOCKPHOTO
Effective storytelling catches our attention and

helps us comprehend the world around us. It’s a
powerful tool leaders can leverage to build buy-in
among stakeholders—something I’ve learned while
leading digital transformation programs.
Through this process, we collect real-life “insight

Start With Why
stories,” which are then shared across my team.
I like to start an engagement with a visioning ex-
They offer windows into customer pain points (and
ercise that involves both my team and employees
happy points). This process helps build trust and
at the customer’s organization. People typically
collaboration with the customer, and it helps my
don’t think of a project or program vision as a
team build empathy.
Stories
story, but it is. It details the desired future state about past
and the value the team will deliver. The exercise’s
main purpose is to answer: “Why does it matter to
Draw on the Past transformation
you?” The goal is to align people around the vision
Another storytelling approach looks to the past. efforts ...
to drive their engagement. And the story can live
During team meetings, leaders can periodically highlight
on throughout the program: Displaying the vision
tell stories about past transformation efforts at the the fact that
statement in a hallway and pinning it on the vir-
organization. The idea is to highlight the fact that
change is ...
change is not only possible—it has happened be-
tual project task board reminds all team members
fore, to great effect. These stories, which sometimes
possible.
why their work matters.
can involve people who are part of the program be-
ing executed, are another way to drive engagement
Dispatches From the Front Lines
with the transformative work that lies ahead. PM
The vision is the program’s macro story, but useful
micro stories can be elicited after engagements
start. For example, members of my team may work Priya Patra, PMP, is a regular contributor to Project-
with the customer’s employees at their site, learn- Management.com and a program manager in the IT
sector who lives in Mumbai, India.
ing about their work experiences and problems.

Getting It Done PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN ACTION
The Next
Evolution
Young project managers will change the profession:
Here’s what organizations need to know.
By Alfonso Bucero, PMI-RMP, PMP, PfMP, PMI Fellow
ISTOCKPHOTO
M
illennials and Generation Z, those GET EFFICIENT
born since the early 1980s, are Technology may make it easier than ever to work
bringing fresh perspectives to remotely—and around the clock. But don’t assume
projects—leveraging technological that just because project managers can be reached
advancements and drawing heightened focus to at all hours of the evening, they want to be. In fact,
economic, ecological and social issues. Learning millennials and Gen Z are drawing work boundar-
to work alongside these younger generations isn’t ies more clearly than other generations, and these
optional, as they increasingly dominate the labor boundaries are at odds with the old “all-nighter”
force and extend their influence. mentality of project management deadlines. A 2018
Millennials have already arrived: According to World Services Group global survey of nearly 1,600
Pew Research, this group surpassed Gen X in 2016 young professionals found that work-life balance
and is now the largest generation in the U.S. labor was the biggest professional priority, more than
force. And, globally, Gen Z isn’t far behind. A 2018 leadership opportunities or even wealth.
Bloomberg analysis found that Gen Z will make Instead of assuming you’ll have 24/7 access to a
up 32 percent of the global population this year— young project manager, focus on maximizing the
meaning those who aren’t already in the workforce productivity they can achieve in eight hours. That
Organizations will soon be moving into it. probably means you don’t want them spending
that embrace The difference between these generations and two or three of those hours each day in meetings
older ones isn’t merely limited to age. Collectively,
that change, millennial and Gen Z workers tend to be open to
getting consensus around change requests and
scope adjustments. Instead, try to eliminate as
and focus on new opportunities and new technologies, while much unnecessary bureaucracy as possible. Make
these young demonstrating an aversion to hidden agendas, an effort to run effective meetings (and encourage
employees rigid corporate structures and information silos. and train project managers to do the same), leav-
and their As the ranks of these younger project managers ing people more time to focus on their tasks. Help
needs, have swell, those differences can fundamentally change employees not to work longer but to work smarter
the potential organizations’ project management culture. and be more effective.
Organizations that embrace that change, and focus
to thrive. on these young employees and their needs, have the EMBRACE TECH
potential to thrive. Others may find they’ve created a The young generations excel at collaboration, but they
high-churn culture that dampens productivity, qual- expect tools to keep pace. Static software that doesn’t
ity and service. allow collaboration is a dinosaur in their eyes, akin to
Here are three ways to lean into the generational being asked to fax or update an analog paper-and-pen
shifts—and reap the rewards: note system.

Organizations and their project managers need to
embrace and support modernized tools that can
handle collaborative brainstorming.
Organizations and their project managers need even a few hours of lag between a question asked
to embrace and support modernized tools that and an answer received can feel like eons.
can handle collaborative brainstorming, real-time To find a communication style that works for
updates, multiple readers and users, integrated younger project managers—and gels with older
video, voice and more. Integrating those tools into generations as well—teams must be willing to talk
the organization’s workflow isn’t always easy, nor early and openly about what is expected of team
are the payoffs immediate, but the effort that goes members and what the team’s communication
into effective change management can pay off in norms will be. This may vary significantly by indi-
spades. Also, organizations should routinely survey vidual initiative, but tailoring the style to the people
younger project managers for the new tools and on the team is the best way to ensure an organiza-
technologies that would allow them to collaborate tion is getting the most out of all of its workers—
more quickly or effectively. That signals both that young and old.
you value their suggestions and that the organiza- Young project professionals tend to be highly
tion wants to proactively take advantage of the motivated, with an enthusiastic attitude and a
latest tools and tech trends. deep commitment to the work at hand. Orga-
nizations that understand how to harness those
COMMUNICATE THOROUGHLY positive traits—while integrating these generations
Young workers are highly responsive communica- seamlessly into the existing workforce—can see
tors who appreciate the same in their managers immense benefits for projects and people. PM
and co-workers. Accustomed to having the world’s
information at their fingertips, they are uncomfort-
Alfonso Bucero, PMI-RMP, PMP, PfMP, PMI
able with silos and hidden agendas. And thanks Fellow, is managing partner at Bucero PM
to the prevalence of real-time chat tools and apps, Consulting, Madrid, Spain.

Getting It Done PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN ACTION
Personal Power
Managing without direct authority? Strong project
professionals know how to maximize their influence.
By Javier Augusto González, PMP
I
t’s the first day in your new project man-
agement job. You’re full of hope and antici-
pation, but you’re also woefully short on
institutional knowledge and control over
the organization’s procedures. For your first proj-
ect, you’re handed a collaborative initiative that
heavily involves external entities. You’re not in a
position of direct authority over your project team,
and—worse yet—your influence is limited because
no one knows you yet. What now?
Don’t give up or assume you face an insur-
mountable challenge. Though it can be tough to
lead a new and sprawling team from a position of
limited official authority, success is certainly pos-
If you’re sible. Here are tips that can help you quickly adapt
giving and to a new scenario.
enthusiastic,
CONTROL THE FOCUS, NOT THE TASKS
your team If you aren’t the supervisor of your project team
will naturally members, micromanagement will be impos-
follow suit. sible. If you attempt it anyway, your team may
bristle—perhaps losing its motivation and even
responsiveness. Instead, forget about the way in
which a task is completed, and focus on how the
task will contribute to the project objectives. Don’t
only focus your own attention there; make sure to
underscore with individual team members how
their specific tasks will drive project success. And
do not be afraid to be repetitive with the most
important aspects, so their importance remains top
of mind. Also remember that leading by example is
more effective than micromanagement—if you’re
giving and enthusiastic, your team will naturally
follow suit.
UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATIONS

Behind every project are people. And people always
have personal objectives, preferences and motiva-

Understanding your team is the
only way to effectively communicate,
motivate and involve them.
tions. It can be tempting to want to hit the ground you’ll still have gathered quick impressions and
running at the start of a new project, but investing insights over the first few days of working together.
even a small amount of time in team-building and Think about the key people whom you trust the
cohesion will pay off handsomely once the project most. Are there others you wish were not on the
is underway. project? Then think about what you can do to cre-
Take time to talk with your new team and ate more “trusted” colleagues and reduce the num-
understand their individual and group preferences: ber of “out-of-the-project” people. Finally, define
Sometimes inexpensive and easy-to-implement who will fill the major roles on the project.
actions (such as scheduling meetings to allow
a team member to pick up their children from GIVE SPACE FOR AUTONOMY
school) create important gains. And recognizing AND CREATIVITY
that a certain meeting time is preferred or people Once you begin to trust your team, you have to
are more comfortable with one type of collabora- give them space to make their own decisions—it
tion tool over another, for instance, can save you is the only way to unleash their potential. Some
endless frustration in the long run. people assume giving team members autonomy
Understanding your team is the only way to means being completely hands-off, but there’s actu-
effectively communicate, motivate and involve them.
ally a lot involved in properly coaching from the
Especially because you are new to the organization
sidelines. If a team member is acting in a way that
and your team, you need to be empathetic and giving
you want others to emulate, let everyone know it.
in order to drive the project toward completion.
Recognize and celebrate your team members when
they make good decisions, make it clear you’re Share Your
ALIGN INDIVIDUAL AND
available for questions and assistance when they hit Thoughts
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
a wall, and support them when they make errors. No one
Once you understand your team members, you knows project
Once the team members know you’re available and
should consider how the project’s objectives can management
invested—for both the project’s highs and lows—
help further their personal objectives. Think about better than you, the
they’ll feel more empowered to perform their best project professionals
the team member who is seeking higher visibility
work. At the same time, you need to draw clear “Getting It Done.”
in the organization: Why not let them present the
lines for what behavior you won’t tolerate—and So every month,
most recent project achievements? Or consider the
follow up if it happens anyway. PM Network shares
colleague who wants to become a machine learning your expertise on
These tips can help you lead a project in environ-
expert, and assign them the most challenging rel- everything from
ments where you do not have direct power. In fact,
evant task in the project. There is always room in a sustainability to
project to find these quick gains, and your team will these actions will help you to speed up the process talent management,
be much more engaged with the project as a result. of creating personal power inside the organization, and all project
boosting this project and all the ones that follow it. PM topics in between.
If you’re interested
DEFINE THE ROLES in contributing,
ISTOCKPHOTO
After going through the previous steps, you will email pmnetwork@
Javier Augusto González, PMP, is a project man-
have a clear picture of the people on your team. ager at Televes, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. imaginepub.com.
Though the team may be largely unknown to you,

Stage As threats to today’s ev
Fright
PHOTO BY SYDNEY GAWLIK/COURTESY LOLLAPALOOZA
PMN0619 c-First Features.indd 30 5/13/19 1:33 PM

y’s events increase, project teams must rethink risk to protect the masses.
BY SARAH FISTER GALE
Lollapalooza festival in
Chicago, Illinois,31USA
JUNE 2019 PM NETWORK

The
show
must
go on. Now more than ever, this mantra applies to large
events, where organizers invest heavily to entertain
the masses for days or weeks. Yet as attendance at
massive music and cultural festivals, global sporting
spectacles and professional events keeps ballooning,
the threat of shootings, terrorism attacks and other
dangers creates major security risks. Project teams,
in turn, are faced with the ultimate challenge: keep-
ing crowds safe while delivering the sense of com-
Police officers at
munity stakeholders crave. Lollapalooza in
Last year’s Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, Santiago, Chile.
At right, security
Illinois, USA introduced new security measures amid officers at the 2018
reports that the gunman from a 2017 mass shooting FIFA World Cup in
Moscow, Russia
in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA had previously eyed Lol-
lapalooza. Teams debuted bag restrictions, enhanced
screening and crowd-monitoring drones as part of founder and chairman, Event Safety Alliance, Phila-
ISTOCKPHOTO
a more comprehensive plan by festival organizers delphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Also a senior producer
and city law enforcement leaders to identify possible of major events for live entertainment company
risks. At this year’s Women’s World Cup in France, Live Nation Middle East, Mr. Digby has witnessed
FIFA is introducing airport-level security screening the culture of event safety and security mature. He
to reduce threats in a country that’s dealt with violent now sees more clearly defined practices and pro-
political protests and deadly terror attacks over the cesses to establish mitigation strategies for known
past year. And at last year’s World Cup in Russia, and unknown threats. It also means treating events
security teams stepped up screening by implement- like a business rather than a party, he says.
ing face-recognition technology that allowed security “The culture of large events and the music busi-
officials to automatically check individuals caught on ness is evolving toward a more serious respect for
camera against a police database. The use of biomet- safety and security accountability.”
ric screening will be expanded for the 2022 World
Cup in Qatar. SECURITY STRATEGY
“Every audience at every event has an expectation Making risk management a core part of event
of safety while attending events,” says Jim Digby, security planning helps stakeholders adjust their

“The culture of large events and the music
business is evolving toward a more serious
respect for safety and security accountability.”
—Jim Digby, Event Safety Alliance, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
expectations so all threats are accurately assessed, members work together to organize the flow of
PHC IMAGES / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
says Marina Tranchitella, PMP, general manager communication, identify and remove obstacles,
of stadium operations, Sport Club Internacional, and establish strategies to manage unexpected out-
São Paulo, Brazil. “Risk management is important comes, she says. “This results in transparency in
because through it you can develop a framework, management and allows a baseline for budget and
and prioritize which risks must be addressed and timeline planning.”
which will be accepted,” Ms. Tranchitella says. But project teams often need to collaborate with
As security manager for last year’s Youth Olym- outside vendors and experts to identify and deliver
pic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she had security solutions. Working hand in hand with local
her teams use a responsibility matrix tool to clarify authorities and global governing agencies helps
which stakeholder owned each security mitigation ensure that security plans align with other civic or
action. The tool also assigned who was responsible privacy requirements.
for the budget. Breaking down risks into actions For FIFA events, security planning and site-
allows her team to transform the overall security inspection visits of all stadiums begin as soon as
requirements into smaller, manageable tasks, she the host location is chosen, which can be up to
says. Once the matrix actions are assigned, team 10 years before the event, says Helmut Spahn,

Crowds at the Olympic Park
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
At right, the Burning Man
event in Black Rock City,
Nevada, USA
security director, competition and events, FIFA, ners, we keep the risk assessment under dynamic
PHOTO BY SHAHJEHAN/SHUTTERSTOCK
Zurich, Switzerland. review, which is supported by contingency plans
“These inspection visits help all stakeholders that enable us to act quickly and decisively if some-
understand how a stadium will work during the thing happens.”
event,” Mr. Spahn says. “They ensure safety and Local security and law enforcement experts also
security risks are highlighted in enough time for “We keep can help teams prioritize risks. For example, when
remedial action, as well as ensuring overall stan-
the risk Ms. Tranchitella served as security assistant man-
ager for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympics Games
dards are raised in line with FIFA requirements.”
Teams share comprehensive requirements
assessment in Brazil, her team worked closely with the Brazil-
with local organizers and collaborate with them under ian Intelligence Agency and Brazil’s mega-events
to ensure all plans meet all guidelines, including dynamic secretary to generate 46 venue vulnerability reports
FIFA stadium security regulations and wider public review, based on 150 security-performance metrics. Those
safety measures, he says. FIFA teams emphasize which is reports helped the team develop eight contingency
the importance of getting public safety and security supported by plans for terrorism attacks.
stakeholders, such as law enforcement, intelligence “Project management steps were directly linked
agencies and medical care providers, on the same
contingency with this process to ensure that all of the plans
page with private sector stakeholders such as sta-
plans that were delivered on time and had adequate resource
dium management and security service providers. enable availability and allocation,” she says. The plan
“As part of our planning, we prepare a compre- us to act included steps to track risks, monitor performance
hensive risk assessment. This helps identify, assess quickly and and identify when an issue should be escalated to a
and prioritize all risks to the tournament, as well as decisively.” senior decision maker. “It’s extremely important to
mitigating measures, such as a more robust search analyze the veracity of the information, the means
—Helmut Spahn, FIFA,
regime or specialist police support, to reduce the Zurich, Switzerland of verification and who needs to be aware of the
likelihood of these occurring or the impact should fact,” she says.
they do so,” Mr. Spahn says. “Along with our part- Making risk management a critical part of event

“When stakeholders see that risks
are being dealt with in a formal
framework, it can positively
impact sponsorship funding.”
—Marina Tranchitella, PMP, Sport Club Internacional, São Paulo, Brazil
Smart
and
Secure
The rise in security threats is causing many
major event planners to deploy leading-
edge tech as part of their risk management
strategy to protect audiences.
AUTOMATED
MONITORING
At the 2018 Winter Olympics
in Pyeongchang, South Korea,
unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs), or drones, equipped
with high-definition and
planning does more than just increase security. It thermal imaging cameras
PHOTO COURTESY BURNING MAN PROJECT
also satisfies regulators and insurers, and builds were used to monitor activity
confidence among critical event sponsors—a major on the ground. The drones
component toward achieving long-term benefits, also helped watch the skies
for any unapproved UAVs
Ms. Tranchitella says. “When stakeholders see that
in the area’s no-fly zone. If
risks are being dealt with in a formal framework, it unauthorized vehicles were spotted, inter-
can positively impact sponsorship funding and the ceptor drones could be deployed to capture
contracting of specific insurers and liability.” them with nets.
RAPID RESPONSE
SOUND CHECK
The Boston Marathon in the
For annual events, teams must adapt their risk U.S. state of Massachusetts has
processes constantly—before, during and after the taken several steps to speed up
event. This means organizing prompt and proper safety and security response
testing of new equipment, such as badges, wrist- after bombs killed three people
bands and sensors that are needed to gain entry. In and injured hundreds during the
2013 event. Event planners now
other cases, it means assessing event attractions for
partner with Esri, a geographic
ISTOCKPHOTO
possible surprises. information system software

The Burning Man event is known for its massive company, to monitor all race
art installations, which people who attend can climb activities. The software tracks
or interact with before the some of installations are real-time movement of runners,
staff and pedestrians. It also tracks activity at
ultimately set on fire. Held at Black Rock City, a
medical tents, emergency vehicles and heli-
temporary desert location in Nevada, USA, the fes- copter landing pads. The platform broadcasts
tival begins planning its safety and security months its data in real time to event staff, local law
in advance. Teams review the design of each struc- enforcement and federal authorities.
ture through the lens of risk management, says

Taylor Swift performs
at Wembley Stadium,
London, England.
Gabe Kearney, event safety officer, Burning Man works with them to identify safety risks during
CHRISTIAN BERTRAND / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Project, Petaluma, Nevada. the planning stages, when problems are easier to
Last year’s event included a blacksmith shop with fix. Then, they review the safety of the structure
a burning forge and a 40-foot (12-meter) tall climb- once the piece is on-site. “Two-dimensional plans
able glowing jellyfish. Structures have to be resilient provide clarification, but once they are erected
to the desert heat, able to sustain the weight of it can look very different,” he says. For example,
climbers and have safety features built in. “We try the team discovered at the 2017 event that one
to work with the artists rather than take a heavy- structure’s foundation material didn’t hold up to
handed approach,” he says. “It makes the process a the heat and soil acidity. The festival’s depart-
lot more collaborative.” ment of public works collaborated with the artist
When artists submit plans for their exhibits, to identify a stronger composite material to make
Mr. Kearney’s team of engineers and carpenters the structure durable. And when safety problems
“We try to work with the artists rather than

take a heavy-handed approach. It makes the
process a lot more collaborative.”
—Gabe Kearney, Burning Man Project, Petaluma, Nevada, USA

Star Power
The biggest risk of any major event is to the venue. In many cases, the rules of different
main attraction. Whether it’s a famous musi- countries will dictate what acts can and can’t
cian, powerful politician or high-profile key- do. But if his team can document that a perfor-
note speaker, teams must make sure nothing mance stunt is safe, it can help win over local
bad happens to the star of the show. In some venues and safety officers, he says.
cases, stars will even take security matters “Global tours and promoters can more
into their own hands. easily bring good practice and safety man-
In May 2018, the security team for singer agement to an emerging market than, say,
Taylor Swift used face-recognition software waiting for domestic legislation to align with
kiosks to look for stalkers among crowds at international standards.”
her concerts in Los Angeles, California, USA. For every tour, his team creates a risk register
The software captured images of fans who and risk narrative for the act that includes how
stopped to watch clips of her rehearsal before the stunt works, the safety features included
the show, and the images were cross-refer- and the protocols for what will happen if
enced with a database of hundreds of Swift’s something goes wrong. In other cases, Mr.
known stalkers. Roberts will determine whether stunts are too
Tim Roberts, director of the Event Safety risky or whether additional safety controls are
Shop Ltd., a global tour safety management necessary, such as adding handrails to moving
company, Bristol, England, has managed stage elements or requiring infrared sensors that
safety planning for dozens of global tours for prevent stage pieces from knocking someone
music stars. “Since there’s no global standard over or crushing their feet.
for event safety, we have to come up with it “Safety technology has to be part of this
ourselves,” Mr. Roberts says. process,” he says. “As stage automation be-
As safety manager, his team starts work- comes more common, we have to approach
ing with acts when they are still in the design safety in the same manner as manufacturing
phase of the tour to ensure all stunts and stage or other industrial processes using program-
elements are safe and will be allowed at every mable machine systems.”
can’t be fixed, Mr. Kearney’s team has the struc- first-aid stations so attendees wouldn’t overburden
tures removed from the site. the hospital with emergency care requests, says Jim
“In the end, we always need to ensure nobody is Graham, senior adviser, strategic projects, Burning
going to get hurt,” he says. Man Project, Las Vegas, Nevada. “It cut the number
of small-injury visits substantially,” he says.
CRITICAL REVIEW Such post-event, safety- and security-focused
Long-term event success means having a comprehen- feedback helps fine-tune a risk-management-cen-
sive retrospective after each event that helps teams tered culture that’s critical to the success of major
review and revise security protocols and update risk events. “When there are time and budget pressures,
mitigation tactics. After each Burning Man event it is not uncommon for risk management to be
ends, Mr. Kearney’s team conducts a retrospective neglected,” Ms. Tranchitella says. When this hap-
to identify any safety or security issues that can be pens, she encourages event planners to think strate-
addressed for the next year’s event. The team solic- gically about the risks they face and where they can
its feedback via email from the 75,000 attendees to achieve a balance. As with many aspects of project
inform future planning. For example, the team found management, security risks have to be in line with
that some attendees were visiting the main hospital the rest of the project plan, she says.
near the festival to receive minor first-aid treatment. “What project managers need to understand is
So the planning team reminded attendees to bring that it can be okay to accept risks, but it has to be
first-aid kits and steered them toward existing small done consciously and not in an irresponsible way.”

CASE STUDY
Guarding
Glastonbury
A
s the largest greenfield music and perform-
ing arts event in the world, Glastonbury
Festival is a virtual minefield of risks. The
annual five-day outdoor music festival on a farm near
Glastonbury, England attracts 150,000 attendees
each year and requires substantial year-round risk
management planning, says Tim Roberts, director,
Event Safety Shop Ltd., Bristol, England. Mr. Roberts’
company has served as the health and safety
adviser and coordinator for Glastonbury
Festival since 2002.
Although the unique rural setting pro-
vides flexibility for accommodating crowds
and stage arrangements, myriad risks asso-
ciated with the open area require Mr. Rob-
“Risk erts’ team to constantly assess the land for
management known and unknown variables that could
injure someone or shut down the festival. So instead of moving the event, Mr. Roberts’
has to address
TOP PHOTO BY RAGGEDSTONE/SHUTTERSTOCK. BOTTOM RIGHT, ISTOCKPHOTO

For example, there’s permanent national team developed and constantly adjusts a risk man-
all potential infrastructure across the site, including bur- agement framework for the festival.
threats to ied and overhead power lines up to 400,000
personal well- volts and a high-pressure natural gas main. ALL HANDS ON DECK
being, project “If we came into contact with any of these “Our first goal is to engage with as many stakeholders
delivery and utilities, not only would it present fatal risk as possible, as early as possible,” Mr. Roberts says. He
the festival’s to the workforce, but it could have significant

impact on regional infrastructure and busi-
notes that any large-scale event is a joint endeavor
between the organizer and local authorities and
reputation.” ness far afield,” he says. enforcement. “That doesn’t mean we expect them
—Tim Roberts, Event Safety To mitigate this risk, installation of festival to take responsibility for our event; it’s just that we
Shop Ltd., Bristol, England
site infrastructure, such as security fences, is can’t produce or deliver without consent and engage-
closely managed. Teams review maps that ment,” he says.
locate all lines and mains, and no mechanical That engagement includes working with adjacent
digging or groundwork is allowed without landowners, utility owners, and police, fire and
direct supervision. For instance, the team aims to avoid water departments, along with all of the entertain-
contact with power lines if someone were driving a ers, vendors and event planners, throughout the
bucket truck with the boom extended too high or car- year. The team uses email to exchange data and
rying oversized stage elements across the space. “It’s documents. However, Mr. Roberts says there’s no
not how anyone would have chosen to design Glaston- substitute for face-to-face meetings.
bury, but the site has history,” he says. “Glastonbury Festival organizers in particular are

very engaged with the local government and stake-
holders, so there are a number of formal multi-agency
meetings to attend along with a range of one-to-one
sessions with police, fire and ambulance services.”
Even though the festival’s requirements are roughly
the same each year, Mr. Roberts’ team starts fresh
each season. “We walk the site and perform a system-
atic review of when, where and how incidents causing
injury or damage have happened and how we can pre-
vent or mitigate them,” he says. His team also creates a the local water supply and checks for leaks in the
timeline of every task that will occur, from before the underground water system six weeks prior to the
first vendors arrive on-site until the event is complete event to ensure reliable access to clean water.
and the site is returned to farmland. Although the team is always focused on identify-
By establishing a mitigation plan for each possible ing high-profile security risks such as mass shoot-
threat, the team proactively diffuses problems from ings, Mr. Roberts notes the most common risks are
the start. For example, the team assembles a steel ordinary. “Active shooters and terrorism are big
fence around the event’s perimeter to eliminate issues of the day, but you can’t afford to lose sight of
the threat of fence-hoppers exceeding site capac- mundane threats like severe weather impact or golf-
ity. It implements a compulsory passport check to cart accidents,” he says. “Risk management has to
prevent the use of fraudulent tickets or multiple address all potential threats to personal well-being,
people entering on the same ticket. The team treats project delivery and the festival’s reputation.” PM

FU L L S E
Comprehensive feedback and agile testing helped a U.S. cit

LaWanda Crayton, PMP, left, and Cortez
McKinney, PMP, Department of Innovation
and Technology PMO, City of Chicago,
Chicago, Illinois, USA
E RVICE
BY HAYLEY
GRGURICH
PORTRAITS
BY MICHAEL
ZAJAKOWSKI
.S. city modernize its system for helping residents.

Report potholes.
Rat out rodents.
Replace a busted
garbage can.
One of the largest cities in the United States has
made it radically easier for residents to request
public services and resolve nonemergency prob-
lems. A team in Chicago, Illinois completed a
27-month, US$35 million project in December to
modernize and streamline the system that serves
2.7 million residents.
The Chicago 311 project delivered a new website
and rolled out a mobile app to better serve resi-
dents, and it developed a unified back-end system
for handling work orders more efficiently across city
departments. The system was designed to reduce
wait times and increase the ability to track the
status of requests—all major improvements on the
antiquated, call-based service it replaced.
Now, instead of dialing 311 on a phone, residents
can simply tap their smartphones to address more
than 200 issues and file complaints ranging from
excessive airplane noise to broken streetlights to a
bad taxi driver. And the digital platform means 311
system workers no longer get bogged down with
paperwork that could slow response times.
The high-tech overhaul required a team from
the city’s Department of Innovation and Technol-
ogy project management office (PMO) to execute a
complex and comprehensive engagement strategy
from start to finish. The team had to maintain
alignment and build buy-in among three groups
of critical stakeholders: 18 city departments and
corresponding agencies that offer 311 services, the
mayor’s office and elected officials from the city’s
50 wards who served as executive sponsors, and
residents whose feedback helped fine-tune develop-
ment of the system.

“From the technology that was needed to the In 2016, the team began meeting with the core
“Everyone
GETTY IMAGES
resources that were needed to the implementation to departments of 311 to review all existing workflows
the community outreach—everyone understood the used by those departments. “It was important to get understood
magnitude of what needed to happen to get this tran- the buy-in from departments early for their active the magnitude
sition going,” says LaWanda Crayton, PMP, project participation and to begin business process require- of what
manager, Department of Innovation and Technology ments,” says Cortez McKinney, PMP, project man- needed to
PMO, City of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. ager, Department of Innovation and Technology
happen to get
PMO, City of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
PUBLIC REWORKS Each department had six to 12 planning meet-
this transition
Scaling new technology across an entire city ings with the team—and each session lasted at least going.”
wouldn’t be possible without crystal-clear require- two hours. “We did a lot of drawings on the board, —LaWanda Crayton, PMP,
City of Chicago, Chicago,
ments. By breaking the project into two primary diagramming everything, creating workflows from
Illinois, USA
phases—one year of planning and 15 months of scratch, really walking through the life cycle of all
development and implementation—project manag- 250 business processes,” Ms. Crayton says.
ers were able to establish clear expectations from To tailor the engagement with city departments,
the start. This helped the team quickly clamp down the team divided departments into “cohorts”
on the budget and timeline to ensure ROI for tax- based on size, relevance and impact of impending
payers in a city of mounting debts and deficits. changes to their departments, Mr. McKinney says.

“This level of community
engagement is unique to
Chicago’s project. It really made
a difference in all respects—
design, functionality, usage.”
—Cortez McKinney, PMP, City of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
The team started with the

departments that deliver the
largest number of services,
Call to to ensure they had enough

time to work through busi-
Action ness process improvements.
September “Cohorts were phased into
2016: Planning the project timeline and
and business invited to monthly steer-
analysis begins to
ing committee meetings
establish scope
and budget. accordingly.”
Gathering early and constant feedback from key “We’d get their questions and concerns out on
September
2017: System stakeholders also helped identify and prioritize the table and let them know how we planned on
development risks. The team had each department participate addressing those.”
begins. in business process reengineering, with a goal of
October 2018: optimizing the system, streamlining services and FOR THE PEOPLE
Test site launches providing transparency to residents and city staff. Nothing was more important than developing a sys-
and feedback is The team also developed reports on a regular tem that residents would embrace. But merely edu-
collected from basis for the mayor’s office and submitted monthly cating the public about the new 311 wasn’t enough.
city departments
reports to the City Council. It established steering To ensure it didn’t overlook any critical functions,
and residents.
committees to keep city departments and execu- the team gave residents a clear voice in what system
December 2018:
tive sponsors in the loop. But the team had no features and capabilities would be most helpful to
Project com-
pleted and new problem going beyond those cadences to quickly them. The team hired a community engagement
system goes live. resolve problems. vendor to facilitate outreach, and it held 11 public
“Anytime one of our user departments felt any forums early on, with each group averaging 20 resi-
unease, we’d get right in front of them and have dent participants per session.
a whole departmental meeting,” Ms. Crayton says. Those meetings included exercises such as hav-

TALENT SPOTLIGHT
LaWanda
Crayton, PMP,
project manager, Depart-
ment of Innovation
and Technology project
management office, City
of Chicago
Location: Chicago, Il-
linois, USA
Experience: 20 years
Why did this project

have special meaning
to you?
It’s an honor to be able
to give something back
to the city. It brightens
my day to see the city
evolving and to know
that the team and I had a
hand in that.
“Anytime one
What career lesson
did you learn on this
project?
of our user Understand where you
need to delegate. I found
departments felt that project manager
within, and I realized I
any unease, we’d needed to leverage every

skill to do this project.
get right in front From time management

to resource management
of them.”
and especially from an
environmental perspec-
tive—all of it mattered.
—LaWanda Crayton, PMP
What’s your next
project?
I’m juggling multiple ini-
tiatives simultaneously,
beyond our efforts to
continue enhancements
on the 311 system. This
includes a citywide per-
sonal computer replace-
ment initiative as well as
modernizing the finance
department’s call center.

Residents can simply tap
their smartphones to address
more than 200 issues and
file service requests including
tree trimming and graffiti
removal, below.
“It just warms my

heart that we’re
giving people all
these different
avenues by which to
get what they need.”
—LaWanda Crayton, PMP
ing residents fill out “postcards from the future” to engagement is unique to Chicago’s project. It really
describe what 311 services could look like in the year made a difference in all respects—design, function-
2035. Residents also participated in activities such ality, usage. With that, this truly becomes a product
as sorting notecards with city services and grouping that was built with Chicagoans and for Chicagoans,
them by intuitive categories. Such exercises helped and that can truly become a central access point for
residents ideate around future needs and improve residents and the city.”
the new system’s user experience.
The focus groups also uncovered a need to cen- THE RIGHT APPROACH
tralize information about city services. “Seventy Given the need for continuous development across
percent of calls to 311 are for information,” Mr. the three products, the team opted to use agile
McKinney says. In the old system, residents had to approaches. Only one-off additions to the products
go to each department’s website to find answers. uncovered by community outreach meetings were
The new system consolidated critical information handled with a hybrid of agile and waterfall (or pre-
and FAQs about each department and reduced dictive) approaches, since such additions wouldn’t
confusion when residents search the new system. require iterative testing.
“I’m most proud of the interaction with the pub- “At the end of every development sprint, we
lic,” Mr. McKinney says. “This level of community would do a sprint review,” Ms. Crayton says. “And

“For the first two
to three days of
go-live, we sent
out staff to all
city and ward
offices and had
a war room to ...
help troubleshoot
issues.”
—Cortez McKinney, PMP
it would be every user department in the room. We Other specialists provide one-on-one digital skills
told them this is what we expected to do, and then training for residents at libraries throughout the city.
we’d demonstrate the product.” “For the first two to three days of go-live, we sent
The team used libraries and community colleges out staff to all city and ward offices and had a war
as sites where residents could test the new system room to support our staff out in the field and help
and share their thoughts. While the development troubleshoot issues,” Mr. McKinney says. Stake-
team performed back-end and accessibility testing, holder management didn’t end there: Site demon-
user departments conducted their own indepen- strations to increase public awareness will continue
dent tests after each sprint review, which helped through 2019, and the team is creating video tutori-
iron out all technical kinks to maximize user experi- als that residents will have free access to.
ence. For example: Could city crew workers in the The team incorporated robust reporting capabili-
field clearly view all images submitted by residents ties into the system’s back end to help quantify the
to illustrate their unique problems? long-term project benefits. Those tools will enable the
The iterative approach helped streamline project team to automatically evaluate usage across the three
progress dramatically. By adopting agile approaches, new platforms, measure request response times and
the team was able to develop the system more track app downloads. Preliminary data is promising: In
quickly than originally planned. As a result, it was the first three months, there were 17,000 mobile app
able to speed up delivery by a month. downloads and nearly 400,000 service requests logged
via the new system. The system will generate data so
GETTING RESULTS the city can analyze geographic trends, such as where
Prior to launch, the project team made sure all key certain services are requested most.
stakeholders were well situated for success. The team “I’ve been able to work on a number of great
developed training materials—both instructor-led projects and give back to the city, but not to this
and online training. The instructor-led training used magnitude,” Ms. Crayton says. “311 services touch so
gamification to build skills within the new system. many different people in so many different ways. It
All certified users in city departments were provided just warms my heart that we’re giving people all these
with access to an online learning management system. different avenues by which to get what they need.” PM

Ready,
The next step
up on the career
ladder might be
just outside your
Set,
comfort zone.
BY ASHLEY BISHEL
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE MURRAY
Stretch
PMN0619 d-Second Features.indd 48 5/13/19 1:45 PM
static skill set can
guarantee a static
career. But for project
professionals eager
to be recognized,
get promoted or
take on more ambitious and
complex projects, an expansive
skill set is a hot commodity in
today’s job market.
More than 1 in 3 CEOs report that the availability of
key skills is a top threat to business growth in 2019,
according to PwC’s Global CEO Survey. The skills
dearth is a major concern, and only regulation and
policy uncertainty are keeping more top executives
up at night.
What an organization wants—and what will help
a project or program manager make the next career
leap—is hardly universal, says Sagarika Basak, PMP, IT
project manager consultant, Alshaya Enterprises, London,
England. Spotting an organizational deficit around a certain
skill may require talking to a manager or consulting the project
ISTOCKPHOTO
management office. Recognizing a personal skills gap, on the

other hand, is often as straightforward as leaning into the most
challenging part of the current role.
Warmup STUDY THE SMALL STUFF

Don’t wait around for a formal performance review to con-
Stretches sider any skills gaps—and how to close them. Instead, soak up
even the smallest tips and insights from all sorts of sources,
Here are two ways proj-
ect professionals can says Cecilia Jalmasco, PMP, project manager, NDU White Cup
make skills improve- Nestle R&D Center, Singapore. “Books, webcasts, podcasts,
ment a priority: anecdotes—anything can be helpful” when someone’s in a
stretch mindset, she says.

STRETCH SKILL:
Presentation Prowess
Challenge: Strong organizational skills and tech- marketing department had an abundance of strong
nical know-how have enabled Cecilia Jalmasco, presenters who were all too happy to have a silent
PMP, to thrive as a project manager. But, observer at team meetings.
“I’m a born introvert,” she says. “Com- “I closely observed people who
municating my thoughts has always were influential and how they tai-
been a challenge.” lored their messaging depending
When leading in-person meetings, on the crowd,” she says. She also
she’d tend to focus more on keep- watched presentation videos on
ing the minutes brief than making “I closely LinkedIn, jotting down tips “from
sure the message was perfectly clear.
observed any credible source I could find.”
And even the idea of presenting Ms. Jalmasco then made an effort
to senior co-workers could kick-
people to apply the same strategies to her
start her nerves, says Ms. Jalmasco, who were own team meetings.
project manager, NDU White Cup influential Payoff: With practice, she’s found
Nestle R&D Center, Singapore. and how they it easier to distill technical jargon
More than once, she realized her tailored their into layman’s terms or translate a
aversion to detailed meetings and messaging complicated contingency budget
presentations caused a team mis-
communication—even threaten-
depending on breakdown into a few key sound
bites that a project sponsor can
ing a project’s timeline. To step
the crowd.” engage with. She also made a point
up her career, she decided, she’d —Cecilia Jalmasco, PMP, of asking for feedback after certain
NDU White Cup Nestle
have to push past her presenta- meetings and gracefully accepting
R&D Center, Singapore
tion nerves. input from her line manager. “I
Action plan: First, Ms. Jalmasco looked also gauge growth by how well the team performs,”
for colleagues who were communica- Ms. Jalmasco says. If the team’s actions align with
tion whizzes and asked to sit in on her asks, she knows her presentation style wasn’t an
a few of their presentations. The impediment to the project’s success.
EMBRACE THE EFFORT

Skills-building, like exercise, isn’t always easy. But knowing upfront that growth
can sometimes be uncomfortable or frustrating can make the process easier to
weather, says Nerago Ndoroma, PMP, project manager consultant and lecturer
at the Namibian University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia.
“Never shy away from embarking on a project that is outside of your comfort
zone. We learn through experience, and the only way experience is gained is by
pushing your own boundaries.”

STRETCH SKILL:
Industry
Insight
Challenge: With a project background that spans
from sustainable development in mining to finan-
cial sector regulation, Nerago Ndoroma, PMP, is no
stranger to diverse challenges. But this breadth of
experience means she’s also learned that identify-
ing—and filling—any sector-specific skills gaps is
crucial at the project’s outset.
“Adaptability for me is key, as more often than
not, any project I embark on will contain some
sort of industry-specific stretch factor,” says Ms.
Ndoroma, project manager consultant and lec-
turer at the Namibian University of Science and
Technology, Windhoek, Namibia. “There is always
an element of, ‘Hmm … how do I go about this?’
“Adaptability at the start, and then I set about identifying what
for me is key, knowledge or skills I need to acquire to fulfill that
as more often particular assignment.”
than not, When overseeing large-scale change initiatives,
for instance, there often isn’t much time to devote
any project to industry background research. “Sometimes I
I embark on literally need to learn as I execute the project plan,”
will contain she says.
some sort Action plan: Ms. Ndoroma often takes a two-
of industry- pronged approach to accelerated skills acquisition.
specific For one, she identifies mentors who are experts in
stretch the field to answer targeted questions. She also casts

a wide net for lessons learned, studying how oth-
factor.” ers have completed similar projects. For multiyear
—Nerago Ndoroma, PMP, projects, she’ll even make in-person visits to regula-
Namibian University of
Science and Technology,
tors, for instance, to learn about the processes they
Windhoek, Namibia followed and use information about any challenges
they faced to further hone her action plan and per-
sonal skills plan.
Payoff: Being able to rapidly dive deep on an
industry-specific project is a skill Ms. Ndoroma
credits with advancing her career. “More and more,
I am being called to join project teams as a change
management practitioner, as well as to teach about
my experiences, which would not have happened
without stretching my skill set,” she says.

STRETCH SKILL:
Assertive Authority
Challenge: From providing more clarity in com- strengthen a very particular sub-skill: command-
munication to receiving less pushback, there are ing authority on project-related emails. To that
many situations in which assertive behavior can end, she reached out to trusted mentors for advice
benefit project professionals, says Ms. Basak. But and identified female colleagues who had strong
assertive behavior comes more natu- communication styles in the hopes of
rally to some than others, and profes- “People following in their footsteps.
sional women often feel pressure to She enlisted another colleague to
conform to gender stereotypes that
began to review and revise her emails as she put
pin them into agreeable positions. That
realize that practice into action. Ms. Basak began
reality hit home for her during a mun- I’m not by making small changes, such as add-
dane moment of emailing. a person ing statements of fact in place of gentle
“I was responding to an email jointly who will suggestions. “It was very difficult in the
with a male colleague, and I saw we had behave like a initial stages, as I had to change my
completely different approaches,” she
doormat.” behavior,” she says. “But people began
says. That disparity spanned everything to realize that I’m not a person who
—Sagarika Basak, PMP,
from the bluntness of stating a task will behave like a doormat.”
Alshaya Enterprises,
deadline to the solicitation for feedback. London, England Payoff: Ms. Basak’s manager soon
“As a professional, I realized that if I noticed her more assertive communi-
want to make progress in my career, I needed to be cations and complimented her management skills.
more assertive and challenge stereotypes.” Ms. Basak believes she was offered a lucrative
Action plan: While general leadership courses project—developing a website for a leading retail
are available through academic institutions and brand—because of her decision to grow her asser-
professional associations, Ms. Basak sought to tive style. “The effort was very rewarding,” she says.
ISTOCKPHOTO (2)

STRETCH SKILL:
Power of
Persuasion
Challenge: As an engineering student, Christopher
Burner assumed soft skills took a back seat to the
technical. “I believed I just needed to know how to
design whatever it was that I would be designing,”
he says. But that technical-trumps-all mentality
didn’t work in the workforce—where even the most
impressive work breakdown structures and risk
registers could fall flat without the right soft skills
to get stakeholders on board.
“I quickly learned how important it was to have
good persuasive writing skills,” says Mr. Burner,
chief project officer, Metro Gold
Line Foothill Extension Con-
struction Authority, Monrovia,
California, USA.
When the contract manager
abruptly left, for instance, he
“Without had to take on those respon-
these skills, sibilities overnight—including
I would writing numerous letters to
definitely external stakeholders pre-

senting the organization’s
not have the position in a compelling
position I way. “For the project to suc-
have.” ceed, I had no other choice but
—Christopher Burner, to work at it—and fast,” he says.
Metro Gold Line Foothill Action plan: Mr. Burner
Extension Construction
approached the skills stretch
Authority, Monrovia,
California, USA much like a project, mining
the organization’s knowledge
library for past examples of persuasive writing. He
also leaned on his manager, who provided both
hands-on guidance and ample encouragement.
Payoff: As his persuasion skills improved, Mr.
Burner noticed the responses the team received
from external stakeholders improved as well. Still,
strengthening his skills wasn’t limited to that one
project. He estimates that it was a full 18 months
before he was confident in his newfound skill set.
But “without these skills, I would definitely not
have the position I have,” he says. PM

Higher Stakes
With a potential economic recession on the horizon, CEOs are worried about finding or
developing people with the right skill set—stat.
What happens when critical skills are missing from in-house teams? CEOs weigh in.
55% 52% 47% 44% 44% 22%
Not able People costs Quality Unable Missing Canceled or

to innovate are rising standards to pursue growth delayed a
effectively more than and/or a market targets key strategic
expected customer opportunity initiative
experience
are impacted
How executives plan to bridge the skills gap—and how receptive they might be to in-house training
programs and continuing education credits—depends, in part, on where the organization is located.
CEOs report the following are important:
Changing the
Establishing composition of
a strong the workforce
Significant Hiring from pipeline between
retraining or outside the direct from Hiring from permanent and
REGION upskilling industry education competitors contingent
World 46%
18% 17% 14% 5%
Latin America 58%

13% 14% 9% 5%
Middle East 55%

28% 10% 8% 0%
Asia Pacific 50%
16% 11% 18% 5%
Africa 47%
16% 22% 10% 6%
Western Europe 44%

21% 17% 13% 5%
Central/Eastern Europe 40%

19% 19% 15% 7%
North America 31%

ISTOCKPHOTO
19% 31% 16% 3%

Source: 22nd Annual Global CEO Survey, PwC, 2019

Marzikmal Omar, PMI-RMP, PMP,
Dagang Net Technologies Sdn
Bhd, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Capturing lessons learned can
help teams turn project failure
into long-term success.
BY MATT ALDERTON
PORTRAITS BY VINCENT PANG

Site of the canceled airport
project in Mexico City, Mexico.
At right, construction of the
high-speed rail project in
California, USA
roject failure
PHOTO BY AGCUESTA/SHUTTERSTOCK
comes in all
shapes and
sizes.
Mexico City’s US$13 billion
airport project was canceled in
October even though 37 percent
of the work already had been com-
pleted. And in February, an ambitious
high-speed rail project in the U.S. state of
California was dramatically scaled back after costs
more than doubled in the past 10 years. In the private
sector, Kinder Morgan canceled a project in Octo-
ber to convert a 964-mile (1,551-kilometer) natural
gas pipeline in the United States to carry fracking
byproducts—after four years of planning. The culprit:
The team failed to convince local stakeholders in
multiple states of the project benefits.
Fifteen percent of projects were deemed failures,
according to PMI survey data collected in 2018.

“If failure is properly managed,
it can turn into opportunity.”
—Antonio Elianti, PMP, Provincial Health Services Authority,
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Yet when bad things happen, it’s up to project and “You always need a process for how to cap-
program managers to capture the value from an ture lessons learned,” says Andrew Okene, PMP,
otherwise negative outcome. Whether the misfire regional head of project management and con-
occurred during a signature phase in a high-stakes struction, Middle East and Africa, Exterran, Dubai,
megaproject or in the middle of a simple sprint, United Arab Emirates. “My aim is to mitigate fail-
project professionals need to deconstruct what ure, learn from it, and get better at doing the things
went wrong to ensure mistakes aren’t repeated. that we have already encountered and experienced.”
“Obviously, failure is always bad. When it hap- Michael Uhl, PMI-ACP, PMP, PgMP, senior
pens, it causes frustration and losses,” says Antonio technical program manager, Red Hat, Raleigh,
Elianti, PMP, senior project manager, Provincial North Carolina, USA, has an agile mindset when it
Health Services Authority, Burnaby, British Colum- comes to failure. Each failed project is a minimum
bia, Canada. “But if failure is properly managed, it viable product, and he carries it with him as if each
can turn into opportunity.” new project he works on is simply a new sprint in
one big, career-spanning initiative.
LEARNING CURVE “If a project fails, but you walk away with a lesson
When a project goes belly up, there’s always a les- learned that you apply to 500 future projects—and
son to be learned—for teams and often for orga- those projects succeed because of that—was that
nizations. Creating sustainable value from failure project really a failure?”
also means developing strong knowledge-sharing When he was a program manager at Lockheed
processes, such as easily accessible documentation Martin, his team of scientific programmers was
that helps teams and organizations ingrain lessons assigned as consultants to the U.S. Environmental
learned across the enterprise. Protection Agency (EPA), which required project

management support for a range of research proj- planning future projects. At the start of every project,
ects. One of his projects—a yearlong initiative to the team proposed stakeholder meetings every two
create an educational animation for the EPA that weeks for at least 30 minutes. And if the product
illustrated to U.S. residents the consequences of owner missed multiple meetings, the team would
everyday exposure to harmful motor vehicle emis- escalate “go or no-go” decisions to management,
sions—ultimately failed because it did not meet the he says. “We decided that if key stakeholders didn’t
sponsor’s requirements. show up for meetings, we were going to stop projects
Mr. Uhl and the sponsor attributed the failure to and let management reallocate that funding.”
poor communication. Although the team thought it The EPA made long-term changes too, Mr. Uhl
had gathered the lab director’s requirements correctly, says. The organization now requires a committee of
there was a yearlong gap between meetings. When the its managers to review project proposals and grade
team delivered the project, the lab director said the them on merit.
final product didn’t align with his requirements. “If the lab director had submitted his project under
“The key lesson there for me was: You have to that new system, it probably would not have gotten
have regular communication with the key stake- funded because it was not really appropriate for our
holder,” Mr. Uhl says. “You might have misunder- group,” he says. “So the outcome of that failed project
stood their requirements, or their requirements was not only improved project plans for us, but also
might have changed, but you won’t know if you’re improved project governance on the customer side.”
not talking to them.”
After that failure, the project team developed a CUTTING LOSSES
more aggressive communication template for use in Sometimes, failure reveals outsized expectations by
TransCanada announced in 2017 the

termination of Energy East Pipeline
and Eastern Mainline projects
Proposed trains for the

now-canceled East Coast
Rail Link in Malaysia
“The outcome of that failed project was

not only improved project plans for us,
but also improved project governance
on the customer side.”
—Michael Uhl, PMI-ACP, PMP, PgMP, Red Hat, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

the team or the project sponsor. Marzikmal Omar,
PMI-RMP, PMP, head of the project management Warning
office, Dagang Net Technologies Sdn Bhd, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, discovered this during a recent Signs
project to launch a new trade logistics system that Proactively identifying flaws is one way
was designed to deliver a better user experience. to prevent project failures. Here are
The project ultimately was deemed a failure when three signs project teams need to get
ahead of ailing initiatives:
users rejected the new system and the team quickly
reverted to the prior system. The main problems: Missed milestones
The team was trying to implement agile project It’s important to break large projects
management practices without having the appro- into smaller pieces with distinct mile-
priate knowledge and training, and a lack of agile stones along the way, says Marzikmal
Omar, PMI-RMP, PMP, PMO head,
awareness by executives, Mr. Omar says.
Dagang Net Technologies Sdn Bhd,
“Everyone involved first needs to be aligned with Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “When the
the need for agile transformation before kickoff. The project starts to miss deadlines due to
leadership team must be trained in the terminology processes not being followed, that is a
and key processes and should be involved hands-on sign of project failure,” he says. “Looking
to provide support in order for the process to work.”
Negative metrics at metrics
Therefore, skipping important steps in areas like
planning and quality management contributed to
Measuring progress and key indicators like your
the problems.
can reveal warning signs at any phase,
says Andrew Okene, PMP, regional
earned value
head of project management and management
construction, Middle East and Africa, number
Exterran, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“Looking at metrics like your earned
tells you
value management number tells you ... whether
from a quantitative point of view you’re going
whether you’re going in the right direc-
tion or you’re going south,” he says. in the right
direction.”
Confused stakeholders
—Andrew Okene, PMP,
Comprehensive communication must Exterran, Dubai, United
cascade from the top to the bottom, Arab Emirates
demonstrating why each task is
important to execute and what the
consequences are if a team member
fails, says Antonio Elianti, PMP, senior
project manager, Provincial Health
Services Authority, Burnaby, British
Columbia, Canada. “Projects can intro-
duce a change that should have been
communicated to senior stakeholders
and managed long before its imple-
mentation. If the project manager is
asked by the change owners, ‘What
are you trying to achieve out of this
project?’ it’s a sign of poor communica-
tion,” he says.

“We try to
map every
process and
then identify
the processes
we missed
so that they
will become
part of the
methodology
for our next
project.”
—Marzikmal Omar, PMI-
RMP, PMP, Dagang Net
Technologies Sdn Bhd,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Professional Edge
Failed projects won’t wreck
a career. In fact, project
setbacks provide an oppor-
tunity to show resolve and
resilience to hiring managers “When you
during job interviews, says acknowledge
Antonio Elianti, PMP, senior
project manager, Provincial
that something
Health Services Authority, went wrong,
Burnaby, British Columbia, you also are
Canada. Sharing prior failures
can actually comfort potential acknowledging
employers, because they will that you learned
appreciate project profes-
sionals who can articulate
something from
valuable lessons learned. that, so it won’t
“You’re often asked to Project professionals also ager, you probably mitigated happen again.”
share what went wrong on can frame a conversation by the level of failure,” he says.
highlighting what they did right “In that way, it’s an accom- —Antonio Elianti, PMP
a past project, and I usually
share that openly,” he says. on failed projects, says Andrew plishment even though the
“When you acknowledge Okene, PMP, regional head project was not as successful
that something went wrong, of project management and as planned. If you mitigated
you also are acknowledging construction, Middle East and the loss from 20 percent to 5
that you learned something Africa, Exterran, Dubai, United percent, for example, that is
from that, so it won’t happen Arab Emirates. an achievement. You reduced
again.” “As a good project man- the bleeding.”
“We tried to cut corners, and in the end the sys- part of the methodology for our next project,” Mr.
tem that was completed did not meet user expecta- Omar says. “This helps deliver more accurate, con-
tions,” he says. sistent and reliable results.”
The team discovered its mistakes during a series Failure can even help organizations identify
of retrospectives that have now become standard where to trim the portfolio. Concluding that
practice for the organization. Those meetings certain types of failed projects don’t align with
included reviewing a comprehensive issue log—a organizational strategy could generate long-term
document that details all problems and identifies benefits in spite of short-term project losses, Mr.
how the team can mitigate them in the future, he Okene says.
says. The issue log helps both internal and external Whether the primary cause of failure is poor align-
stakeholders conduct a root-cause analysis, during ment, scope creep, ineffective risk management or
which they collectively determine the reason for defiant stakeholders, project professionals who can
project failure. The next step in the review process is identify the patterns of failure can help facilitate sus-
a meeting during which stakeholders view the orga- tainable course correction, Mr. Omar says.
nization’s project management procedures through “Of course, damage is done when your project
the lens of the failed project. fails. But you have to understand the root cause
“We extend lessons learned into a specific session so you can fix it and do better in the next project.
where we try to map every process and then identify That’s the whole point of being a project manager:
the processes we missed so that they will become After every project you do, you get better.” PM

When an
organization’s
strategy shifts
or expands, the
portfolio must
follow suit.
BY NOVID PARSI
I N NOVATI V
64
OU TL I
PM NETWORK JUNE 2019 PMI.ORG

Uber’s electric
bikes for rent,
called Jump
I VE
L I ERS
PMN0619 d-Second Features.indd 65
5/13/19 1:46 PM
T AT I C S T R AT E G I E S
DON’T LAST FOREVER.
Earlier this year, Uber expanded its strategy from
ride-sharing to autonomous bikes and scoot-
ers. Beauty subscription service Birchbox devel-
oped and rolled out a physical “beauty bar” within
existing brick-and-mortar stores across the United
States. And in 2018, global hotel brand Marriott—
in a bid to compete with the growing market for
bookable hospitality “experiences”—launched a
curated series of thousands of hands-on activities
and excursions that guests can buy to supplement
their traditional hotel stay.
When a company’s strategic goals do shift—either
GETTY IMAGES
due to market pressures or competitive survival—it
can push those tasked with managing the portfolio
into uncharted territory. Although innovative outli-
“At the ers, by definition, promise to take organizations into
outset of a new and bold strategic directions, these projects and
cutting-edge their teams can achieve success only if they follow
well-established project management processes.
project, the “Innovative” should never be a synonym for “undis-
project leader ciplined,” says Linda Szmyt, PMP, PfMP, project
has to assess management office director at ticketing software
its impacts company AudienceView, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
on other “Organizations often think of innovation as fast and
projects dirty: Let’s slap a prototype together very quickly,”
within the she says. “But innovative initiatives require the same
project management processes as the rest of the
portfolio.” portfolio.”
—Sridhar Peddisetty, PMP,
PgMP, PfMP, ProKarma,
Portland, Oregon, USA FACING CHANGE
One of the biggest challenges in managing an outlier,
says Ms. Szmyt, is convincing the team “that it shouldn’t
be treated any differently than any other project.”

BEAUTY
SUBSCRIPTION
SERVICE BIRCHBOX
DEVELOPED AND
ROLLED OUT A
PHYSICAL “BEAUTY
BAR” WITHIN
E X I S T I N G B R I C K-
AND-MORTAR
S T ORES ACRO SS THE
U N I T E D S T AT E S .
Still, outlier projects represent change—and thus resources during

require change management. “At the outset of a the same timeline,”
cutting-edge project, the project leader has to assess says Mr. Benek.
its impacts on other projects within the portfolio,” Project lead-
says Sridhar Peddisetty, PMP, PgMP, PfMP, vice ers need to regu-
president, global delivery for IT services company larly assess their
ProKarma, Portland, Oregon, USA. changing resource needs. Then with rigorous
For one, outlier projects often affect resources governance, often through governance boards,
that are already at their limits. On digital transfor- resources across the portfolio can be properly
mation projects at his organization, Omur Benek, prioritized and managed. “By doing that, you limit
PMP, senior project and portfolio manager, Turk- over- or under-allocation of resources,” says John
ish Airlines, Istanbul, Turkey, works on securing Donohoe, PMP, PgMP, PfMP, director of project
their three legs of support: executive backing, clear management and change management, Star Alli-
communication and change management. “As part ance, Frankfurt, Germany.
of my portfolio management of outlier projects, I These projects often necessitate pulling in mem-
have to consider the risk of how they affect other bers from other teams and departments so they
projects—for example, if they require the same can contribute their subject matter expertise—in

TESTING
THE
OUTER
LIMITS
Some organizations
are pushing the
portfolio boundaries
to stay innovative.
UBER
Uber has become synonymous with ride-sharing. In 2018, as part
of the CEO’s strategy to become “the Amazon of transportation,”
Uber entered the two-wheel market: bicycle and scooter rentals.
This year, the transportation network company announced the
creation of a new division: microbility robotics. It will explore
projects that turn Uber’s bikes and scooters into autonomous
driving vehicles that can get themselves to the spots where users
need them—eliminating costly distribution operations.
Challenges: Uber’s initiatives to develop self-driving scoot-
ers and bicycles face the perennial technological challenge for
self-driving vehicles: navigating road and pedestrian obstacles.
But the company also has to design two-wheelers that don’t
tip over when human riders aren’t onboard. And it has to do
that without incurring the high costs typically associated with
self-driving tech.
addition to shouldering their usual workloads. To than pulling those team members into the project
address that challenge, project managers have to from the start and then expecting them to remain
identify the team members they will need, how engaged throughout the project, he took a phased
long they will need them and at what points in the approach, he says. “We didn’t have a fixed team
project they will tap them, Mr. Peddisetty says. from the beginning; it progressed as the project
“An organization’s key people are always its busi- went along.” Once the project was scaled up and
est people,” he says. “You have to involve them at a integrated into the organization, those subject mat-
minimal level. You can’t waste their time by pulling ter experts then served as its champions.
them into too many meetings. You have to be aware
that time is a constraint for everyone.” SCALING UP
On a US$2.5 million project to digitize and A phased approach helps determine how and when
automate previously manual human resources pro- to scale the project. Star Alliance has been execut-
cesses, which launched in mid-2018 and is slated for ing a new strategy to develop its digital services
completion later this year, Mr. Peddisetty decided in order to better help air passengers traveling
that some of the project’s key team members with different airlines do so seamlessly. “That has
comprised talent acquisition employees. Rather involved a transformation from a more traditional
“Don’t call [innovative outlier projects and their

teams] special or secret. That goes against a
culture of fairness and transparency.”
—Linda Szmyt, PMP, PfMP, AudienceView, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

BIRCHBOX MARRIOTT
Founded in 2010, Birchbox, which mails makeup and other beauty Hotel chains are having to up their game as they com-
products to customers on a monthly subscription basis, now boasts pete with Airbnb for customers and revenue. This year,
2.5 million subscribers. In 2018, the online retailer partnered with U.S. Marriott unveiled its new rewards program Marriott
pharmacy Walgreens to launch a brick-and-mortar project: a physical Bonvoy, which includes a curated series of more than
“beauty bar” in Walgreens locations across the United States. 120,000 experiences and excursions that guests can
Challenges: The Birchbox pilot stems from a larger strategy at Wal- buy—from a food market in Marrakech, Morocco to dog-
greens to address growing competitive threats by trying out various sledding in Juneau, Alaska, USA.
collaborations, such as a partnership with Humana to offer senior- Challenges: Marriott will need to show that its new
focused clinics. But while each Birchbox shop-within-a-shop can be venture learned some difficult lessons from a previous
quickly installed, the project poses the same challenge presented by project—in particular, adequately testing the pilot be-
other innovative outliers: The realization of benefits doesn’t happen fore launching it. In 2016, Marriott purchased two other
overnight. “It will take years” to transform Walgreens stores, Stefano hotel chains, then merged the three hotels’ loyalty
Pessina, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance, told analysts. “Whether this programs. But after the two-year project, which ended
will be three or five is difficult to say, because many of these tests in 2018, customers still had difficulties accessing their
take a lot of time to come to a real fruition.” loyalty accounts.
development approach to a more iterative one,” the rest of the organization. They should resist that
Mr. Donohoe says. To make that transformation a impulse, Ms. Szmyt says. “Don’t call them special
reality, Star Alliance may launch a pilot project with or secret. That goes against a culture of fairness and
an eye on when and how it can be scaled. “From day transparency.” It also goes against the ultimate aim:
one with each project, we look at how it will benefit making the outlier project a successful part of the
the airline alliance passengers and the 28 member overall enterprise.
airlines,” he says. Too often, Ms. Szmyt says, a team tasked with
Now, for instance, if a flight arrives late and the developing an innovative tool or product is treated
passenger risks missing a connection, the alliance as special and distinct from the rest of the orga-
sends someone to meet the passenger at the gate nization and its project management standards.
and take them to the connecting flight. Star Alliance Only once the product is ready to be scaled and
is currently piloting an initiative that would digitize commercialized is it handed over to other depart-
that assistance, allowing passengers to see on their ments—which haven’t been involved in the project.
mobile devices how to quickly make it to the next “That can create a real it-was-not-invented-here
gate and to receive a voucher allowing them to skip mentality,” she says.
the queue. “Once the pilot phases are complete, Instead, organizations should integrate their
we’ll roll it out in a limited scale, then test and innovation teams and projects within the larger
retest until we can decide to do a global rollout,” culture. That unifying approach will help ensure
Mr. Donohoe says. that project outliers aren’t project aberrations—but
instead adhere to project management standards
OPEN SECRETS for success. “The idea part of innovative outliers is
Organizations might be tempted to treat innovative fun,” Ms. Szmyt says. “But they’re also hard work,
outlier projects—and their teams—as separate from like any other project.” PM

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Agile Practice Guide was jointly funded by the Agile Alliance® and developed in collaboration with members of the Agile Alliance®. Agile Alliance® does not endorse any agile methodology or certification.
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GOOD READS FROM PMI
Project Management Institute
The Standard for Risk Management

in Portfolios, Programs, and Projects
Risk management addresses the fact that certain events or conditions—whether
expected or unforeseeable during the planning process—may occur, producing im-
pacts on project, program and portfolio objectives. These impacts can be positive
or negative and may cause deviation from the intended objectives. Risk manage-
ment processes allow for the consideration of events that may or may not happen
by describing them in terms of likelihood of occurrence and possible impact.
This standard identifies the core principles for risk management, describes the
fundamentals of risk management and the environment it is carried out in, defines
the risk management life cycle, and applies risk management principles to the
portfolio, program and project domains within the context of an enterprise risk
management approach. The standard focuses on the “what” of risk management
(i.e., the key considerations for effective risk management). It is primarily written
for portfolio, program and project managers, but is also a useful tool for leaders in
risk management, business consumers of risk management, and other stakeholders
in the portfolio, program and project management professions.
The Standard for Risk Management in Portfolios, Programs, and Projects is an
update and expansion on PMI’s popular reference, the Practice Standard for Project Risk Management.
Project Management Institute, 2019, ISBN: 9781628255652, paperback, 175 pages, $59.95 Member, $74.95 List Price
Irene Didinsky, MBA, PMP Project Management Institute

The Practitioner’s The Standard for Organizational
Guide to Program Project Management (OPM)
Management
The Standard for Organizational Project
In this step-by-step guide, Management (OPM) expands upon
Irene Didinsky offers a the popular Implementing Organiza-
standardized approach to tional Project Management: A Practice
program management, Guide, published in 2014. Organizational project manage-
closing the knowledge gaps and variations that ment is defined as the integration of people, knowledge and
exist across organizations and industries. The processes, supported by tools across all functional domains
Practitioner’s Guide to Program Management of the organization.
walks the reader through all the key components The approach further advances an organization’s perfor-
of effective program management. Using a case mance by developing and linking portfolio, program and
study example of an actual process improve- project management principles and practices with organiza-
ment program, Ms. Didinsky discusses the tional enablers (e.g., structural, cultural, technological and
qualities of excellence in program leadership, the human resource practices) and business processes to support
importance of organizational strategy align- strategic objectives. OPM helps organizations deliver value by:
ment throughout the program life cycle, how a
program realizes benefits and how to manage • Aligning strategy
stakeholders’ conflicting priorities. The guide • Consistent execution and delivery
also includes a historical overview of the field • Cross-functional collaboration
and a glossary of terms. • Adding value to the organization
• Continuous training
Project Management Institute, 2017, ISBN:
9781628253689, paperback, 235 pages, $31.95 Project Management Institute, 2018, ISBN: 9781628252002,
Member, $39.95 List Price paperback, 91 pages, $59.95 Member, $74.95 List Price
HOW TO Online: marketplace.PMI.org | Email: info@bookorders.pmi.org | Telephone: 1-866-276-4PMI (U.S. and Canada) or +1-770-280-4129 (international)
ORDER Phone ordering hours until 8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (GMT -4). Or go wherever books are sold.
PMN0619 e-Back.indd 71 5/13/19 1:49 PM

CLOSING THOUGHTS
Karen Cedeño, PMP
Location: Panama City, Panama
Title: Project manager, controls and contracting
Organization: Trane
Sector: Engineering
What attracted you to How do you relieve stress?

project management? Meditation. If that doesn’t
Every project is an opportunity work, I watch The Lord of
to create things from scratch. the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring.
What’s the top skill needed on
engineering projects today? What skills led you to
Sound decision making. be hired?
Passion, an open mind to learn
What’s the most interesting and a positive attitude.
project you’ve worked on?
An HVAC project in which air Why does the world need
quality was crucial to installation project managers?
and testing. I had to work under We fill all the holes in our
some of the most rigorous traditional educational system:
standards in the engineering organization, people skills, deep
field, on a very tight schedule. analysis and problem-solving.
PMI is celebrating its 50th anniversary. What project in

the past half-century has inspired you?
The Channel Tunnel, the world’s longest undersea tunnel,
linking England and France. Its complexity and the
challenges of working deep below the seabed inspire me. PM
PHOTO BY ALEX ALBA/DEMENCIA
■ Know someone who should be featured on this

page? Email pmnetwork@imaginepub.com.
PMN0619 e-Back.indd 72 5/13/19 1:49 PM

Lifelong learning.
For what’s ahead.
Make this the year that you enhance your knowledge

and increase your opportunities for success.
Visit PMI.org/events for the full event calendar

©2019 Project Management Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved. “PMI” and the PMI logo are registerd marks of Project Management Institute , Inc.

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Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®, CAPM®, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), Sixth Edition Website: www.rmcls.com
and PMI® are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

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JUNE 2019 VOLUME 33, NUMBER 6

STOPPERS RETHINKING EVENT RISKS

MAKING PROJECT MANAGEMENT INDISPENSABLE FOR BUSINESS RESULTS.®

PMN0619 Cover final.indd 1 5/13/19 1:18 PM

Class at your location at your convenience

Discounts for group enrollment

PMTI assigns dedicated instructor

PMTI assigns dedicated administrative staff

Dedicated PMP® exam application assistance

High quality proven guaranteed prep course

Your Corporate Trainer for PMP®

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Features JUNE 2019 | VOLUME 33, NUMBER 6

Cover photo by Roger Ho/Lollapalooza 2018

PMN0619 a-Front.indd 1 5/13/19 1:55 PM

Download free episodes

©2019 Project Management Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PMN0619 a-Front.indd 2 5/13/19 1:55 PM

8 6 Close Encounters Countries are exploring

8 Panoramic Precision A global team restored and

9 China’s Net Gain The country leads the way in

10 City Escapes Cities across the United States are

12 The New Silicon Valleys The global tech capital

12 Health Plan Biometric patient identification

14 Call of the Wild Organizations are launching

20 Project Toolkit Positive Reinforcement

22 Career Q&A Standing Out From the Start

22 72 24 Culture Club What Fuels Teamwork?

25 Deliver IT Transformation Stories

GETTING IT DONE: Project Management in Action

26 The Next Evolution

PMN0619 a-Front.indd 3 5/13/19 2:05 PM

PMI STAFF 2019 PMI BOARD OF DIRECTORS PUBLICATION & MEMBERSHIP

Bookstore: bookstore@pmi.org Chair, Compensation Committee

Project Manager, Print Production

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Snow Show PROJECT

Chanel’s A/W 2019

JUNE 2019 PM NETWORK 5

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a joint moon National Space Administration’s Chang’e 4 became

6 PM NETWORK JUNE 2019 PMI.ORG

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JUNE 2019 PM NETWORK 7

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8 PM NETWORK JUNE 2019 PMI.ORG

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JUNE 2019 PM NETWORK 9

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have learned a wide variety of projects, including the Atlanta Belt-

10 PM NETWORK JUNE 2019 PMI.ORG

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mercial project, because there are so many differ-

PMN0619 a-Front.indd 11 5/14/19 2:19 PM

12 PM NETWORK JUNE 2019 PMI.ORG

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Internal adoption by hospital staff is essential, as

to front-line staff to encourage patients to use

Get PDUs Online $119 60 PDU Course Giveaway!

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The rewilding effort at the Iberá

Call of the Wild

Climate change, deforestation and poaching all