PROJE THE VOICE OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY 3 staal ac atten ints dae PEA Cea te ea [ow ed eat C3 4 bi eas ri INTERVI EW SIR TIM SMIT: THE EDEN PROJECT'S MAVERICK LEADERLee 16] eb) AB) MI-GSO | PCUBED is the world’s leading consultancy dedicated to project, programme, portfolio and change management. This year we celebrate our 25th anniversary in the UK. We would like to thank all of our employees, clients and business partners. Here’s to another 25 years! COTS Prarreeet cera) Rad Carel Rd ®OGO® Call us on: +44 (0)207462 0100 poresFROM THE EDITOR It’s time for adventure It’s not often my path crosses with that ofa bona fide advencurer an Arctic explorer, ex-military man and firefighter, +0 boot. So, when T entered Mark Wood's cottage neat Stratford-upon-Avon, I ‘hough I'd be meeting a macho alpha male, banging on about his toughness and Dragging about his heroic endeavours was wrong. He is gentle and softly spoken, belying the many hours he ‘must have spent chewing over some of lifes biggest questions in the complete solitude of his solo expeditions, This ‘man has stared death in the face and leaent what i important about life ‘Two pieces of his advice stuck in my ‘mind when I left cwo anda half hours Tater. The first isto take some time away from the fray when things become too chaotic. Giving some space and distance to frenetic project or an overwhelmingly ‘busy day will help you clear your mind and give you a better perspective on things, ‘The second is that effective teamwork ‘will not happen unless you have honest communication between everyone. Leader included. I's a theme that is picked up sn our feature on honesty and how to. create psychological safety on teams. ‘Wood shares a deep concern for the environment and the deleterious effects of climate change with Sir Tim Smit, co-founder ofthe Eden Project 3 3 5 z 5 8 é and subject of our Big Interview (and new APM Honeraty Fellow). Find ‘out what makes this maverick leader tick and low he was able to turn a disused Cornish pit into an unlikely ‘tropical paradise loved by the locals. ‘Smits entrepreneurial spirit is shared by those project managers who have ‘eschewed the safety of the corporate ‘career ladder forthe opportunity and buzz of starvup life, We speak to Anand Patel, who is project managing ata Shoreditch unicora fintech startup, and ‘others to find out what you need to thrive ina fast-paced and energetic workplace like this (a knack for mastering vintage arcade games goes without saying) Finally, [was privileged to speak to some of the curators and managers at the UK's world-class art galleries to find ‘out what i takes co manage an exhibition project. snuckea peek at the Royal ‘Academy's Picasso and Paper blockbuster ‘show before it opened, gaining a new appreciation of what goes on behind the scenes ~ and how the artistic world is acknowledging the benefits that ‘good project management can bring. ‘The show opened to rave reviews, and should you need to get away from the daily chaos, I highly recommend it. © (@ EMMA DE VITA IS EDITOR OF PROJECT WELCOME PROJECT Editor Emma De Via ‘emmaevita ‘@thinkpublishing co.uk Managing editor Mike Hine Group art director Jes Stanfield ‘Sales director Michael Coulsey (020 37717232 michaelcoulseye thinkpublishing.co.uk ‘Account director Kieran Paul Managing director Polly Armole ‘The views exresse in Project we ret necessay hase of AP, ne Dublener ort agent ane tney onal accep responsi for ty sole mete oor he ‘ewe of contributors, oor atone eng rom ary eis me ny Isis jounal This publeaton or eny put threo may not be reproduced [APM bis House, Regent Park, ‘Summerlys Rose, Prnees| P27 SLE United Kingdom ‘Spmorgiuk Tel (UK) 0885 458 1098 Tent =44 1848 271640 ‘cover rice: €1875, anu sbserpton fe £5650 (UK) £66650 (Evope) £7 tntenational PROJECT JSSN 0957-7039) x ubloned by the Assocation for ProjectMenagementinassocstion win Tne Pubtshing, Capt 25 Capel Steet, Longon NWT SDH Ahinkpublhing cok > apm Grudn a proseer seainc 2020 QECONTENTS FROM ART TO THE ARCTIC — THIS ISSUE OF PROJECT AT A GLANCE NEWS ANALYSIS FEATURES PERSPECTIVES OG Sztenavinssresvense DO marae proiscts How Wulban built 1,000-bed b Lstecetntaaanad Insights on leadership, decision hospital in 10 days Mike Cla making and resilience from Mark Wood Og versie DGzeen Dataand tends rom APS i Should you workin oe? And wy? Swayne Te Sur Interview: Sit Tim Sait BD taeten oj founer cases the power fimagnaton terhorn for Transport’s o Thomas 10 creation ‘The Departme’ mission to repatriate 1 ‘Cook holidaymakers 36 ate" ‘The people behind the projects [Desa revistes Key lessons as the rail project moves wisi in heer pas 2 See projec oie Debbie or Honesty AB Sin pys co bud opensess nd e 20 “The mind is an incredible tool because it Rillallow you to push through things that you feel you are generally not capable of doing” HEBD 522s 2020 prover“You have to be flexible and open-minded with artists, but it’s nota negative thin; s part of the joy of working with them” r , PEER TO PEER 5 have purpose and energy ‘your meetings BG Wershesee sco Planning for what Js part of best practice gowrong Gl frerramme delivery How Paul Hilton masterminds a programme across nine cities in Asia Cory ena eer erect eens 6G reece, What project managers will be focusing on in the 20208 G7 Bthnith Susanne Madsen ‘This issue, Susanne tackles the topic of improving project estimations G8 Risins stan seca aenenbaen APM’s Young Project Professional of the Year on his make-or break moment TD evens the Where craft beer meets risk management techniques 74 rnc top so ways to get your age contract right 750s ‘The atest additions to the Register of Chartered Project Professionals proseer soxinc 2020 QEDOM TARY oH Me ORO RE Ay A CBee sama mm Am oro Bara CLL Thomas Cook passengers 12 A fresh approach for HS2 REM arl lela Near rR ame Reg MaMa CLWuhan builds a hospital in 10 days What Ditntinppatens tos qnantned pal SpeeNEWS ANALYSIS Revealing insights fats ab out your salary Market Trends Survey from APM, and prospects with YouCo with YouGov he project management profession is Awhopping 84per ent of project _ working na project management role enjoying a Buoyant optimism that professionals remain optimistic about Tor two years or less ~71 percent of hasbeen borne out hy previous APM. there being.a good supply of project this group are under the age of 34, esearch, nt least its important Golden management jobs in the nex five years, suggesting that a significant proportion ‘Thread research of 2019. The RSA ‘up on 2018 (77 per cent), What's more, _are just beginning their careers. xecently earmarked project management 7a per cent believe that ther pay and ‘There ae some important generational asone ofits top 10 fastest-growing ‘benefits package will increase in the differences too, with 18-0 24-year-alds ‘ccupations (2011-2019) inthe UK. The next 2 months (ap from 65 percent). Working in project management agreeing results of this year’s APM Salary and that a project's ability to demonstrate ‘Market Trends Survey Gin partnership with THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT evidence ofits economic and social YoutGov) - witha section exploring ‘Things look rosy when it comes to job _henefits # the most important way it can facure wends ~confimms confident _ satisfaction too, Eighty-two per cent’ _ show its postive impact on society, rather mood among project professionals. ‘of project professionals ae satisfied than its ability to demonstrate greater ‘This quantitative survey of 4572 project withtheir current role, with younger _strategic importance to organisstions, management professionals was undertaken project managers more likely tobe which was prefered by older generations. online between 4-29 November 2018, satisfied than middle-aged colleagues. The survey showed that developing ‘The overwhelming majority are in However, job satisfaction is the workforce and climate concerns fall-ime employment (83 pr cen) linked to salary just over 8 third of ate regarded asthe greatest challenges Project professionals are much more those earning a salary of £70,000 ot for the profession to overcome confident on their economic prospects _more are very satisfied, compared Tnterms of future skills, 37 per inthe coming year, with 6 percent tou per cent of those eaalng cen think people management and saying so, compared to 56 percentin between £35,000 and £49,999. stakeholder engagement are the 20u8, They are also far more postive The future is bright forthe profession, most important skills fora project about the prospects forthe economy _with this year's survey revealing that professional, while 31 per cen sid as a whole over the next 12 months. ‘one-fifth of respondents have been. project leadership skills. @ FRETETT 16-20 years Inclusivity: what works ‘The survey showed clearly that more inclusivity is needed etn Respondents’ career experience Reed See ne ery to be diverse than white respondents. Mentoring was Pe to er cy Penne reentrant respondents are more likely to say that diversity-related Ca Pree rien eee ines Pars Ce ene HEBD 5221s 2020 provera - £47,500 Salary expectations (next 12 months) ‘One-third are currently using automation in their projects to some or a large extent. earn more than ee £50,000 per year ‘agement slakeholel of project consultants earn ement are ‘ever £70,000 fant skill for a sional of project professionals outside ‘the UK earn. ever £70,000 ply management jobs ‘The full findings will be available on next five years 34 March from apm.org.uk/salarysurvey proseer soxinc 2020 EIOperation Matterhorn The Department for Transport’s repatriation of Thomas Cook’s holidaymakers after the company went bankrupt is a project worthy of praise ‘he Department for Transport's (BET's) successful mission to repattiate 140,000 holidaymakers from around the globe, following the collapse of the world's oldest holiday company in September 2019, isa lesson in putting strong ‘communication at the heart of a project. ‘The biggest government repatriation ‘operation since the Second World ‘War, the rescue project ~ codenamed ‘Operation Matterhorn - was led by the department's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which eventually formed a ‘shadow airline’ that masterminded 746 flights, with 150 planes borrowed. from other airlines, to return Thomas Cook customers to the UK. In covert planning since the spring of 2019, Operation Matterhorn began. investigating what would happen in ‘the worst-case scenario [see how you can plan for your own on page s6~ Ed) ‘Once locations were mapped and planes sourced, the project became a waiting game for the GAA, which was on high alert and ready’to swing into action, Ieeventwally did so a week before ‘Thomas Cook fled for bankruptcy. COMMUNICATION WAS KEY ‘The first rescue fight went out just three shouts after the announcement of Thomas Gook’s demise. Within two weeks, every hholidaymaker had been returned to the UK-For the most par, the government's zescue mission was highly praised by customers who had been stranded ‘The DET’s focus on strong ‘communication across the project, both externally to holidaymakers and {internally across departments, was critical t0 its success, According to ‘Suzanne Edmonds, the DfT’s group director of communications, comms ‘officials were involved in planning with policy officials right from Operation ‘Marterhorn’s kick off. They used lessons from the similar collapse of Monarch Airlines in 2017 (see box) asa valuable source of guidance. The clarity of the UK {government's communication to Thomas ‘Cook's passengers was vital to get right. “T think it’s a great example of what government can do when it’s got a clear goal, areal sense of purpose and mission and is able to work as one team” “We were able to say right at the start that there wasn't uncertainty. We ‘were saying: don’t worry, continue your holiday. The plan isto fly back on the day you're expected to fiy back if that ‘changes, we'll ell you. You should be able to get back to the airport you're expected to get back to, and if not, we'll put you ‘ona coach or in a taxi and get you there ‘at no additional cost,” explained Gareth Davies, the Df?"s director general for DCE Ce Rte eC Se er nd aviation strategy at the Department for ee tcc collapsed on 2 October 2017, which led peer een ee) people. Pitkethly’s team collaborated with ene eee vce 60 planes from other arlines to bring back an estimated 98 per cent of customers within hours oftheir original fight time. Se ee er ret eet ant ene Se treed challenges was keeping everything Pa ckeueeee) Corer oraner caren enon ee ee) Pree rece We had to be ready for that, butt our Brexit, security, aviation and maritime, so Gini Service World (CSW) earlier this yea. ‘Call centres were set up in Gateshead and Glasgow to handle thousands of customer queries, while the social media desk targeted messages towards key Thomas Cook resorts, directing holidaymakers tothe official operations ‘website, While most customers sought only reassurance, more complicated requests were sent toa GAA escalations team, who had to intervene in the absence of Thomas Cook MARCHING To A cRoss- DEPARTMENTAL DRUMBEAT -Atwin-prong communications approach meant that while customers were being reassured the Operation Matterhorn headquarters was focused on creating a steady drumbeat across government departments (including the Foreign Office, HM Revenue and Customs, and ‘he Department for Business, Energy and Industral Strategy) to ensure the return fights were going to plan. ‘The DIT operations centee was manned 24/7 capitalsing on approaches developed by the Cabinet Ofice civil contingencies secretariat, 35 wel as staf training for ano-deal Bret. Dame Deitdre Huston, chair of the CAA, oversaw the UK's biggest ever airlift at sts headquarters inkondon’s Docklands, leading a team of 500 staf stationed at Stansted and other airports around the world CAA staf had to wawl through “Thomas Cook's 150 different reservation Ce eR neg cause the thing we were trying te avoid eae Cea Deere hes ort ST ey ee ree eae ee eres Cn eee ace! ee ra Se errata HEED 522s 2020 proversystems to find holidaymakers who were thought to be overseas between 23 September and 6 October 2019. “The data we received from the company was not as we would like it, which gave us extra difficulties, Its the worst TPve seen for a company of this size,” Andy Cohen, head of ATOL, who helped coordinate the repatriation, told The Independent atthe time The DfT operations centre was manned 24/7, capitalising on approaches developed by the Cabinet Office civil contingencies secretariat NEWS ANALYSIS: “I think it’s a great example of what government can do when it’s got a clear goal, a real sense of purpose and mission and is able to work as one team,” Davies told CSW, Just pity the two elderly women who were frst repatriated after she collapse of Monarch in 2017, only to be repatriated again just two years later. PICKING UP THE TAB ‘Ninety-four per cent of people were flown back on the original day oftheir cancelled ‘Thomas Cook fight, but such success comes ata price ~ the expected cost of Operation Matterhorn is though to be around £100m, Around 6o per cent of the cost for the fights was funded by ATOL, but the rest will be paid by taxpayers. ‘To help with similar situations im the fuvure, tke UK government has pledged to create a special administration regime that would allow the CAA to grant a temporary operating licence to enable a company’s planes to repatriaxe passengers, rather than needing t0 source planes from elsewhere, proseer soainc 2020 QQNEWS ANALYSIS HS2: long-term major projects need strong oversight The UK’s biggest ever infrastructure project requires a fresh approach he first phase of the UK's High Speed 2 ra scheme, from London to Birmingham and Crewe, received formal government backing after the Oakervee Review recommended in February that the controversial project should continue “on balance”. Phase 2b - to link London to Manchester and Leeds via Birmingham - wall be subject +o further review to find cost savings and to ascertain how it might integrate with she Northern Powerhouse Rail project. ‘A decade after it was launched, with a price tag that has increased from fssbn to £106bn, and a completion date of 2049 (20 years later than intially planned), Ho is a case study inthe complex nature of long-term major programmes of work, It's clear that rigorous oversight is anecessity when ambitions are this big, and cheve ate essons to be learnt, INCREASED SCRUTINY “The review’s report is a comprehensive appraisal of challenging projet” said Douglas Oakervee, who chaired the review “Thelieve the recommendations help offer seaway forwaré, a means of increasing scrutiny and oversight, protecting the interests of passengers and taxpayers, and rebuilding confidence in an important piece of ertical national infrastructure ‘which will do much to rebalance the economy. Lam dlighted that a decison fon the project has been made, and it 4s now the job of the government to take this ambitious project forward.” ‘APM has made i clea that it supports the need fora credible long- ern programme of major projects of all ypes to ensure that economic and societal benefit are fully realised, Yet E stability of often controversial major 5 projects can only be achieved through HTD sees 2020 prover lear goals, plans to achieve them, a frm funding commitment anda genuine ‘commitment co these projects with the broadest stakeholder support possible “All major projects will have challenges across their lifespan and HS2 is a significant long-term project. Ultimately, projects like this need to be measured ‘on the evonomic and social benefits they produce,” said Debbie Dore, chief executive of APM, “Although we recognise there isa diversity of views about HS2, we welcome the independent report as part of a robust and eredible process of external assurance ~ a good. principle of project management for major projects involving public money.” RESTORING DISCIPLINE Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he wants to “restore discipline” to the management of the project, and has decided to move two ofits responsibilities -to deliver the northera, leg ofthe line beyond Birmingham, and the redevelopment of the line's [proposed main terminus in London at Euston - outside of HS2's scope. The For more Rear Cy mT pene is Serena speaker. Book your place at apm.org ere ‘main northem section wil be renamed High Speed North and wil be integrated ‘withthe existing rail network alongside the Northern Powerhouse Rai line. Meansshile the decision to terminate the line at Euston oF at Old Oak ‘Common, a west London interchange with Crossrail is subject to review. Infrastructure projects are by their very natute wild beasts to tame. The sron law of megaprojects according to Bent Flybjerg, professor of major programme management a the University of Oxford's Said Business Schoo is that they are “over budget, Cover time, aver and aver again’, as he explained tothe Financial Times. Yee such risks, common to long term major projects are worth aking forthe broader Societal and economic benefits they bring ~ something the Oakervee Review and Johnson's decision acknowledge. ©The project to restore the Houses of Parliament has entered a key phase lorkon the renovation of Elizabeth ‘Tower began in 2017 and is due to complete in 2021, Swathed in scaffolding its avery public reminder lof the fragile state of the Palace of ‘Westminster, While the Sir Robert McAlpine project team behind Big Ben's renovation didn’t have to contend with 1 temporary hiatus of work so the clock could chime on Brexit day (costing an estimated £500,000), i's areminder iat projects on such iconic public landmarks draw more attention than ‘on ather historic buildings - especially when it comes to taxpayers’ money. Early this year, parliamentary authorities had to revise the cost of the restoration project up from £61.1m to £79.1m (E50m ‘more than the original estimate). The hike was blamed on the discovery of extensive Second World War and pollaion damage to the stonework, and asbestos in the belfry, among other factors, “With the best will in the world these are major, complex engineering projects and i's just not fair on anyone to have them ran by anyone other than the best professionals,” fan unnamed parliamentary source close tothe project told The Times, The Palace of Westminster's upcoming £35bn refurbishment continues to take shape after parliamentary authorities announced in January that David Goldstone, previously chief operating officer at the Ministry of Defence, will ‘become chief executive of the body tasked with the restoration. Mike Brown, ‘commissioner of Transport for London, ‘ll step down in May to become Az strong sponsor board, accountable to parliament, will be tasked wit keeping the renovation of the U: World Heritage site on time and to budget. The delivery authority will ‘be up and running by the end of the ‘year, 8 MPs prepare to decant from the site in 2024 for up to seven years, as the 10-year project progresses, sco The neo Gothic Palace, designed by ‘Augustus Pugin and Charles Barry and builtin the mid 1800s, urgently requires restoration andi considered by experts to be adisaster waiting to happen, In April 2010, there was a very public reminder ofthe building's parlous state ‘when water leaked into the ‘chamber in the middle of a debate, Andy Piper, the design director of the restoration, cold The Times that “services have just been installed on top of other services. I’s an absolute maze’. He considers the task ahead to be one of “reverse archaeology”, and ‘would be impossible to tackle MPs remain n situ, “Once we start caking things apart, we're bound to find more and more. It's not the sort of thing that can be done with parliament still functioning andl the security needed, he added. Currently £60m is spent ‘every year just patching up problems Liz Peace, chairwoman of the sponsor board, and former chief executive of the British Property Federation, has made clear ‘hat she would like to use the restoration project as away to make the palace more environmentally friendly. But modernising histori site can open the door to divisive ‘opinion, as bore out by restoration plans for Notre-Dame in Pars. And like all projects on histori buildings like these, there isa fine balance berween restoring and renewing, and preserving history. “We've not realy trying to take it back toa particular date ~ i's been sma constant state of evolution for a thousand years. Ths isn't ike any other project and everything has to be considered carefully,” explained lead architect Julian Flannery to The Times. ‘The decision to decant MPs rather than keeping them on-site and working around parliamentary business will save axpayers an estimated £2.2bn, according co Deloite, By the time the project is hoped to complete in 2033, will most Likely be the most expensive restoration {in British history. On top of the £3.sbn, figure, nother £z.sbn has already been allocated to the refurbishment ofthe Northern Estate, a collection of buildings for the rchoused MPs and civil servants along Whitehall and Parliament Street, and the creation of a new, temporary debating chamber. The Lords will move to the nearby QE conference centre. ‘As a project of such public significance, avthe very heart of politic, there is no douit that its progression wil be a cause of much debate, © proseer seainc 2020 EEE= | = | SoS sicund eC RC 4 Nominate someone outstanding today Thomas Sutherland, whe completed his Technical Apprenticeship for Leonardo and now works en the Eurofighter Typhoon Radar integrating current and next-gen systems, was named IET Apprentice Racecourse ‘After senior management identified both his technical and leadership talents, Thomas secured sponsorship for university and was placed on a Deo eee eee ae en roles. Talking about his award win, Thomas said: DU Rue eee Cr acca ace night shared with some truly remarkable people. | oe ee eS ce eee a eee RC ean eee mean ena “Having my name mentioned amongst these ees eee eee See career forward, as this is really just the start. “The award has boosted my career significantly, aa) ee a) from people | work with and new connections within the industry shows how highly the | eee aad "Following the win, the IET has given me the Eta ees PRE rs en ean ede eee the Apprenticeship pathway and create Ce ae eee Nominations close Help us shine a light on exceptional 15 May 2020 individuals, like Thomas, by nominating them for an IET Achievement Medal, or IET Apprentice or Technician of the Year Award. Rime Conus The Institution of Engineering and Technology {IET) Is registered as a Charity in England and Wales eran ier eet eo a eee eee etches real Faraday House, SixHils Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SGI 2AV, United Kingdom.PERSPECTIVES Teva The Road Not Taken Project management and poetry have creativity in common, and we ve 4 are all heroes of our own career stories, says Mike Clayton DM esteseiad one or more points in our life or career when we made a big change in direction, Teading us to forever wonder: what if? This common experience makes Robert Frost's poem ‘The Road Not Taken’, which Imemorised many years ago, incredibly resonant for most of us. I would argue that poetzy bas alt in common with project management, though I wouldn't push the metaphor too far, Both require a structure and are creative disciplines with rules that can be broken ‘when we have good reason, In project management, the choice of approach needs to fit your goal and your context T try so get this across to the people I rain. We constantly face problems shat need resolution. A project is “a unique transient endeavour”, according to the APM Body of Knowledge, so we revel in the new situations that can ‘occur every day. Without creativity, oar fixed methodologies would never be tenouigh to meet every challenge. Bus, of course, some project managers are more creative, innovative or contrarian than others, and perhaps they are the ones who will be better able to adapt to the more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) project environments ‘we experience now. Certainly, Pve noticed you can’t ge through a professional journal these days without someone using the VUCA acronym. Hor this edition of Project, i's my turn. Tam sure this kind of adaptability is vital part of our 2020 job description, although I am less certain that it’s enough ~as always, balance is essential. The maverick will only succeed in contexts shat demand the greatest innovation. In others, we must temper that creativity ‘with a willingness to embed it within structure, What will happen to the outliers? These are the ones whose natural inclinations are towards adventure and uncertainty; the explorers who chart now worlds and the entrepreneurs who set out to create something new. These people risk everything for a dream. ‘We must be careful in analysing their success, Through a rear-view mirror, i epee rae Bre coise yal (ae LO eco ma r eth Gta ro ga nls Pata a Ra Cae cae Dneshoienen tls etek nets Potocacd is ‘ean seem too obviously inevitable. The ‘ruth is more subtle and drenched in ‘confirmation bias. For every successful ‘explorer we read about, like cover star Mark Wood or Eden Project maverick Timm Smit, there may be a dozen, a hundred, or ‘even a thousand who fail to reach theit dreams, but we rarely get to hear their stories, In the end, who do we notice? What about you? You may follow a familiar career path that echoes those of many of your peers. You may traverse the nine steps ofa project management ‘career, rising from beginner then practitioner to expert and love the journey. Or you may choose something different, At some point you may get off the staircase or finda different way. to climb to the top. I certainly have, but ees not forget that we ate all the heroes of our own story. Fach of us sees our vin path as in some way exceptional. We are all as unique as the ‘wansient endeavours we manage “These choices have led you to where you ate today, and they wil lead you to an uncertain career future. The big anetions fascinate us in retrospect but at the time wwe rarely give them much significance. Think that is the poine of Prost’s poem. Iesnot chat the ‘oad less travelled by” is beter or worse. It isnot eve path we take is, objectively any more unigue then the one next to it. What Frost de saying is often neglected: “shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence.” He's forecasting that ‘welll make up the story of our lives, based fon our choices, and that we'll create a sory of choice and difference, but we can never know what might have been Happily in our profesional ives, we set objectives for Our projects before we rake our choices. In realty, however, how ‘many of us do that with our careers? © © Mike Clayton is a project management speaker and trainer, the author of several project management books and founder of OnlinePMCourses PROJECT SPRING 2020PERSPECTIVES. Cultivating the right mindset for a new decade cople often ask me how long it takes to form a new habit. OF course, it depends how complex the habit is. [¢ takes a lot longer to improve emotional intelligence than it does co master a new gym routine, but neroplasticity promises that, with dedicated effort, change will come. ‘This principle of neuroplastcity - the power to create new pathways in the subconscious and conscious parts of cour brain ~is the key to any deep and lasting shift in our habits and minset t's important not to avercomplicate i. Everyday examples of neuroplasticity are all around us. When a colleague at MIT Sloan decided to find out mote about the neuroscience research going on there, she shared a story of meeting one of the neuroscience professors, who asked her what she had for lunch the previous Tuesday. As she focused on remembering, then told him the answer, he said: “That's neuroplasticity! You just strengthened the connection for that particular memory simply by reealing it” ‘This may seem like @ small thing, but itis a simple example cof how we strengthen connections in the brain with every thought or memory. ‘Try it yourself, right now. By recalling an event, you fire up another connection between the neurons in the memory area of the hippocampus, deep inside ETD 5221s 2020 prover With effort we can forge fresh ways of thinking, strengthening our higher-level brain functions such as complex decision- making, says neuroscientist the brain. The more you relive a memory andor the more intense the emotions associated with that memory, the stronger the connection becomes. Remember the phrase: ‘neurons that fire together, wire together ‘The brain is dynamic, flexible and ble of rebuilding its pathways with dedicated effort. Whenever I hear somebody say, “It's just the way Lam” (hear this alot when Task people ‘what's Keeping them stuck or limiting their goals), I challenge this belief. I's so important that you fully grasp what neuroplastiity means; in particular, what it means for you personally. ‘Think of your brain asa tangible structute like the hardware of a computer = the keyboard, monitor and drive, Your mind is the intangible software ‘that you run on this computer. But in ‘his metaphor, you are not a computer ‘hat sits on your desk, powerless to change. Instead, you are both the coder who upgrades the software to transform the data (your though: and the engineer working behind the scenes to fine-tune the hardware itself (your neurons). You also control the power supply that fuels the ‘computer, with energy determined by the choices you make about what to eat and drink, wien and how you exercise and meditate, who you interact with and where and low you lve. You are the architect, designer and housekeeper, with the power to create, maincain and prune neural connections, This process is neuroplasticity in action Brain scans show that all sorts of| activities can induce change in the brain, but three factors in particular have the ‘most impact, How much of each of the following factors do you currently have in your life, and how might you be able to introduce more of them? Novelty: new experiences such as ‘wavel, learning new skills and meeting new people. Novel experiences can even stimulate growth of new neurons, ‘Acrobic exercise: this has been found to increase oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain and allow us to release brain derived neurotrophicPEN OCR OES IC Prenonmtg Puta oca ica PSOE Coy Led Drones ton tas the stronger the oteus oan oom Touma Peta) Povvaiten rset Sr een cy -EXTREME PROJECTS ‘Two hundred metres from Bverest's peak, Wood and his uvee tearm members, inching a British doctor and two Nepalese guides, were roped omto a safety Jin, breathing through oxygen masks “Vou fel knackered. Every step that you take isa thought Ifyou stand there and think of all the badness about i, you wil fal, and you wll head back own,” he explains softy. “The mind is an incredible tool because t wil allow ‘yout to push through things that you feel youre generally not capable of doing” ‘That night was manus 45 degrees with a battering somph side wind, but things were going well the tam had found its pace. ‘Wood was second in line, with his Nepalese guides atthe front and back, and his doctor Just behind him Then climbers started coming down the mountain telling im not to climb; that conditions were horrendous. “ut we were there atthe centre ofthis project, atthe zeal core oft, and we ‘were working effectively,” says Wood ‘That's when he sawhis lead guide drop tohis knees and fall straight into the ‘mountain face. “It was piteh black, I went up behind him and pulled him close,” says Wood, “I pushed his goggles back to look at his eyes, which were al over the place.” Leaving him ina sitting position, ‘tll conscious but close to dying, Wood ‘went back to find his team doctor. But his doctor was unable to go on, as his feet were ‘frozen, and Wood then saw his other guide abseiling down, away from the situation, “All ofthis happened within 20 seconds, and I needed to make a decision,” says ‘Wood. “I looked up and I could see the hhead-torches ofthe climbers reaching ‘the summit - was that close. After 72 days on the mountain, Twas that close.” ‘Wood chose to abort the expedition and bring his guide down to basecamp, where he quickly recovered. twas a very close call. After a year of training, ‘Wood's promises to the schoolchildren and his sponsors lay in tatters, ‘There are two forms of decision making ona project, says Wood. The fists reactive, made with click of your finger. “suit on experience taining and boeing in horible situations,” he says. “That's the quick decision you make on ‘the spot" What's imporcant isco make a decision ~ inaction ean be lethal for any project. “The worst ching you can do isnotmake a decision, because you are going down axoad that isn't working “insinctively you should know when ‘ings arent working that's wien you step back and speak to other people. The key to leading project is comms, but you need to know how to communicate ‘you speak to individuals you get fast, clear reactions. Ifyou pata deision out to everybody, it prompts an opinion and makes it very dificult for everybody to say Yeah, i's fine" Wood explains. ‘Wrong or ight, a decision taken cetremis must be debriefed by everyoneinthe team ifthe project sto continue successfully, essons ate to be learned and leader is to remain in control, The way dois to run ‘hot’ and ‘col debrief, according to Wood. hot debrief records everyone's reasoning and felings when they are stil close tothe situation (Wood likes pe these). “To record it in the moment fs so important” he says, because your memories of it will change overtime, and you wall forget the pressures you were facing. ‘Wood recommends making hard copy ofthe recording, getting everyone to read itand then runping a cold debrief week or two later “I say, This is why we made these decisions, and ifsomebody has got something on their mind, this is the place to say it’ Everybody in the room should have the freedom to say everything they want to say at that point.” ‘These debrie® allow everyone to unpick what happened, make peace with the decision and understand the lessons that vwill inform the ture of the project. >>Bau ary Bringing his team of four together to discuss what went on atthe top of Everest was critical for Wood to understand what had happened. He discovered his guide had keeled over because, trying to save ‘money, he hadn't eaten the right food to sustain him, Ie could have been prevented ithe had spoken to Wood beforehand. ‘The lessons: honesty and communication are key fora project's outcomes Honesty, with yourself as aleader and with your project team, is one of Wood's mantras. He describes the High Arctic, Where he has led expeditions to reach the geomagnetic and geographic north poles, as “the most incredible place on the planet”, and areal learning ground. “You stand in the Arctie and it strips away the pretence that you carry around. It exposes who you really are,” he explains, eyes drifting to the middle distance. ‘There is nowhere to hide ~ its where SPRING 2020 PROJECT Physically drained after ‘the long descent fom '8,000m on Everest - but happy te stilbe alive ‘you can learn about yourself, the team and its dynamics. The expedition teams ‘Wood likes best, by the way, are the ones swith a mishmash of different types. “Thea it when i’ all male athletes, because they are the worst team to guide — they are so egotistically driven," he reveals, ‘2go isthe big thing to be controlled. Everybody has an ego, but the ego in our ‘environment means that ifyou get toa point where you are cold and weal ‘you need to tell everybody ~ because if ‘you are weak, you can weaken the team and the whole expedition. A wiathlete ‘ill want to go onall the time, and it's about holding that back sometimes.” ‘Wood admits that his biggest fear on an expedition is finding @ reason to five in. “Usually on an expedition you ate looking for a way out, for an excuse to get back to comfort,” he explains. “When we've done training in the polar regions with big groups of 30 people, and somebody is injured or weak and wants to get out, then we calla plane. You watch how many people want o leave wien shat plane comtes in, and it's the people you wouldn’t expect - the toughest.” Discovering your own weaknesses as project leader can put you at an advantage because you can mitigate them. Wood tells a story of being on ‘50-day solo expedition of over 700 miles from the west coast of Antarctica +o the South Pole with only his iPod to divert his mind from the 360" of white nothingness. On the second day, he lost his iPod and his ski bindings broke. “That day, I zemember pitching my tent and staying in it for 36 houts thinking Sean’ do tis’. I satin my tent and T broke down. I was looking for reasons {0 give in, So, I phoned my frend who does alot of expeditions, had warned him that I as going to phone him up in ‘he first week and tell him I wanted to abort the expedition. I knew that, Even shough Pd done 14 major expeditions