PMOs and transformational change - a retrospective webinar Thursday 27 September 2018 Speaker: Mark Reeson RPP FAPM PMP AfCGI Director of Project Management M R Project Solutions Limited The link to the write up page and resources of this webinar: https://www.apm.org.uk/news/pmos-and-transformational-change-a-retrospective-webinar/

1. PMOs and transformational change –
a retrospective webinar
Thursday 27 September 2018
Mark Reeson RPP FAPM PMP AfCGI
Director of Project Management
M R Project Solutions Limited

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3. Transformational Change – Today’s Agenda
▪ Lessons Learned from Wednesday 23 May
▪ Two new project Case Studies to
implement the lessons
▪ Key skills for Transformational Change
▪ Challenges to Transformational Change
▪ Summary and Questions

4. ▪ Bloomsbury Holiday Inn
▪ Sold Out with a waiting list
▪ Joint SIG event with Change and
the PMO presenters
▪ Presentations covered change
projects from education,
government and TfL industries
▪ Workshop around introducing
Smart Change to any industry and
any sector
Lessons Learned from Wednesday 23 May

5. ▪ Post event discussion
▪ All project changes have successes
and failures as they progress
▪ Cultures and environments can be
different but there was a common
theme across all projects
▪ Taking all positive and negative
experiences, three key skills were
identified for a more successful
change
▪ Two key challenges also identified
needing solutions
Lessons Learned from Wednesday 23 May

6. Two New Project Case Studies
▪ Introduction of a new PMO into an
engineering business in Jeddah, KSA
▪ Start date November 2018
▪ Business is new to formal project
management and has suffered badly in early
project deliveries
▪ No structure at Business or Portfolio level
▪ Project Managers of varying experience and
qualification
▪ Project Directors with no qualifications and
only on-job experience

7. Two New Project Case Studies
▪ Introduction of Change to the education and
welfare of the Pope John Paul II Orphanage
School in Mathare Slums, Nairobi
▪ United Nations funded project – Funding
arrangement start November 2018
▪ School solely dependent on donations
▪ Education programme to cover standard
subjects plus project management life skills
to improve job prospects (80% unemployed)
▪ Welfare training and support to cover
personal health, community life, sexual
awareness and parenting

8. ▪ Lessons Learned identified three
key skills necessary for the
introduction of Change
▪ Essential skills for project buy-in
and acceptance
▪ People must accept the change emotionally
and feel valued to be committed to it
▪ Provision of clear, regular and transparent
communication
▪ Stakeholder involvement and a plan for
handover and responsibilities from Day One
Key Skills of Transformational Change

9. Implementing Transformational Change
▪ People must accept the Change emotionally to be Committed
to it
▪ Invest sufficient time and energy into the new
project supplying it with the right resources
▪ Accept there will be kick back to the change but
continue to pursue the end goal consistently
▪ Focus on the core reason for the change and not
quick fixes and patchwork solutions
▪ Stand firm when facing adversity, the change is
paramount to a successful future
▪ Do not try to make the business fit the change,
more so, apply creativity and ingenuity to
personalise the solution to the client

10. Implementing Transformational Change
▪ People must accept the Change emotionally to be Committed
to it
▪ Initial challenges at the early stage but small
progress is still progress
▪ The project will most likely go through numerous
iterations early but always remember the original
reason for the project
▪ Involve the people right from the beginning so
that they feel valued
▪ Watch for those that ‘know best’ and for ‘experts’
offering assistance post funding approval
▪ Remember the change belongs to the business
and not to you

11. Implementing Transformational Change
▪ Provide Clear, Regular and Transparent Communication
▪ Ensure that everyone involved with the change
knows what is changing and explaining the
consequences of not changing, at the earliest
opportunity
▪ Open communication from the start helps develop
partnerships and promotes idea creation
▪ Positive communication between the change and
the business will build greater trust
▪ Repeated reporting will build momentum to the
change as progress becomes more visible
▪ Communication is enhanced through practice and
demonstrating honesty and transparency

12. Implementing Transformational Change
▪ Provide Clear, Regular and Transparent Communication
▪ All news is still news, if and when bad news occurs
share it appropriately
▪ Encourage all forms of positive communication in
the project to involve everyone
▪ Honesty breeds loyalty and deception destroys
trust. Be truthful with the business and they will
deliver for you
▪ Language differences are not a barrier but a
benefit, use them to your advantage
▪ Communicate the vision regularly to ensure the
reason the change was started is at the forefront
of everyone’s mind

13. Implementing Transformational Change
▪ Stakeholder Involvement and a plan for handover and responsibilities from Day
One
▪ Failure to engage leads to failure to deliver, set
out a clear scope from the beginning
▪ Lack of engagement leads to the change being
owned by you and not the business
▪ Plan for handover at the earliest stage setting a
date or situation at which the business will take
responsibility
▪ Work within your parameters and allow others to
take responsibility for their own areas
▪ Regular and repeated engagement leads to
stronger relations and greater trust

14. Implementing Transformational Change
▪ Stakeholder Involvement and a plan for handover and responsibilities from Day
One
▪ Active dialogue with stakeholders helps the
business anticipate issues
▪ Clarification of responsibilities allows the business
to be a key part of the solution and reduces the
risk of litigation
▪ Knowing who your stakeholders are, what their
values are and how to engage with them is a
valuable investment for socially responsible
project managers
▪ Being praised by stakeholders for your
commitment to sustainable business change,
helps build business morale and recruitment

15. Challenges to Transformational Change
▪ Lack of Ownership
▪ Giving the business a voice helps build a sense
of ownership
▪ Having the ability to influence their strategy, project
or change helps them feel greater accountability for
their decisions
▪ Greater ownership of the project increases the
business’ empathy towards the changes required
▪ Learn to delegate authority as well as tasks as
leadership skills are developed as part of the change
▪ Build awareness regarding cultural diversity and the
different change-styles based on cultural imprints
▪ Empower the business to drive the change

16. Challenges to Transformational Change
▪ Clear Understanding of Expectations and Fears
▪ The perceived success or failure of a change or
project depends largely upon the people who
manage it and their expectations and fears for the
future
▪ Understand your own expectations and fears
before you share them with others
▪ Know what expectations you are asking of the
business and make them realistic
▪ Meet with the business and discuss both sets of
expectations to establish a mutual agreement
▪ Document the agreement and promote the
change ethos

17. Summary
▪ All changes have successes and failures as they
progress
▪ Three key skills for Initiating Change
▪ People must accept the change emotionally and feeling valued to
be committed to it
▪ Provision of clear, regular and transparent communication
▪ Stakeholder involvement and a plan for handover and
responsibilities from Day One
▪ Two challenges to Change Initiatives
▪ Lack of Ownership
▪ Understanding Expectations and Fears
▪ Transformational Change should be focused
around implementing improvements for the
future

18. Questions

19. This presentation was delivered
at an APM webinar
To find out more about upcoming webinars please visit our
website www.apm.org.uk/events