{"id":14722,"date":"2020-01-28T15:42:44","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T22:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=14722"},"modified":"2020-01-28T15:42:44","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T22:42:44","slug":"executive-imperatives-necessary-ingredients-to-improve-organizational-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=14722","title":{"rendered":"Executive Imperatives: Necessary Ingredients to Improve Organizational Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A widespread desire to improve organizational performance\nmay be sated by focusing on a key set of executive imperatives\u2014necessary and\nhigh priority actions. Personal experiences reveal that an essential focus on\ncreating excellence in people, processes, and the working environment reaps\ntremendous benefits and enables executives and their organizations to achieve\ndesired objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a long career as a program manager in high tech new\nproduct development and from working with a wide variety of organizations\nworld-wide, I observed a wealth of executive practices, some effective for\nimproving organizational performance and many not. A distillation of executive\nimperatives provides fodder for achieving more optimized results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A search for and concerted effort to improve project\nmanagement is an internal activity within an organization aimed at operational\neffectiveness. This is a necessary but not sufficient effort to create a truly\nexcellent organization. What is also required is an overt, explicit effort to\nachieve successful outcomes THROUGH project management. When executives in an\norganization come to recognize the importance and phenomenal contribution of\nproject, program and portfolio management, they benefit from bountiful\nharvests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating excellence IN project management is the application\nof methodologies, viewpoints, insights, and leading practices to optimize\nproject-based work. This goal is necessary because projects are the means\nto achieve almost anything in every organization. Without good project,\nprogram, and portfolio management, achieving results is\ntenuous. Traditional efforts are not sufficient in an environment where\ninternal and external forces are both driving and restraining performance in an\naccelerating manner. Organizational maturity requires that you reduce\norganizational \u201ctoxins\u201d and create \u201cgreen\u201d organizations, using a systemic\napproach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assess the\nEnvironment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The imperative facing executives in all organizations is not\nonly to embark on a quest to manage project management processes, but also to\ncreate a \u201cgreen\u201d environment that encourages project-based work and to\neliminate pollutants and \u201ctoxic\u201d actions that demotivate project managers and\ntheir teams. This means you search with unrelenting curiosity for leading\npractices. It also means, when these practices are revealed to you, that you\nare prepared to take action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Progressively improving practices, also called\norganizational maturity, requires that project leaders and management reduce\norganizational \u201ctoxins\u201d and create \u201cgreen\u201d organizations.  \u201cGreen\u201d in this context extends the physical,\ntangible thinking about project work into the non-physical, intangible personal\nworking relationships that affect our working environments. In this sense,\n“green” is good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without the \u201cgreen\u201d foundation, organizations experience\nfailures, overruns, and dissatisfied stakeholders. These “toxic”\nproject environments are usually permeated by political practices that create\nuneasiness and frustration among all except those who wield these negative\npractices with power. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A \u201cgreen\u201d view creates an environment for consistent,\npredictable, and sustainable success and views every project as a means to\nimprove. The focus is on overall organizational success, not just on individual\nproject performance. People then feel like they are constantly contributing to\norganizational and personal knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Executive Actions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior managers often insist on doing things their way, even\nthough they are new to that position or portion of the business and do not\nunderstand project management. People who apply sound project management\npractices and achieve consistent successes are extremely valuable, if not in\nscarce supply. The executive imperative is to tap the collective wisdom,\nrecognize talented individuals within the organization, and get out of their\nway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common in many situations, projects operate with little\nformal control or have been given solutions to produce that were unclear or\nperhaps even wrong. This amounts to working on a solution in search of a\nproblem. Such situations invariably create resistance from stakeholders. Taking\ntime to interview key stakeholders and as many senior managers as possible\nsurfaces real problems that need solving and identifies true definitions of\nsuccess that meet stakeholder requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognize that when people accept a project assignment without a clear problem statement that everyone agrees upon, they are being set up for failure. It will take courage, time, and effort on their part to push back. Effective negotiating skills are necessary; if not present, support training to develop these essential skills. The executive imperative is to engage in negotiations, clearly define problems, prioritize the importance of solutions to those problems, and set expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successful executives are open to coaching from below\u2014they\nnot only welcome these inputs but actively seek them. In order to get an agenda\nimplemented, they know project sponsorship represents an opportunity to turn a\nvision into reality through a set of assigned resources<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The executive imperative is to support organizational\nlearning, even at the risk of tolerating some failures. Sponsors at all levels\nset the tone for how failure and learning are perceived. Take the time to share\nthinking, standards, and expectations. Provide appropriate rewards, not only\nfor successes but also for failures that led to heightened understanding about\nrisks, things to avoid, and innovative approaches. The goal is to establish\nhigher priority for continuous learning that gets recycled into new best\npractices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vital Ingredients<\/strong>https:\/\/englundpmc.com\/successful-projects\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pieces<\/a>
Chapters in the Englund\/Graham Book<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I often present ten vital\ningredients or pieces of a puzzle that comprise an environment for successful\nprojects.  The pieces, however, will not stay together without glue. The\nglue has two vital ingredients:  authenticity and integrity. Authenticity\nmeans that managers mean what they say. Integrity means that they do what they\nsay they will do, and for the reasons they stated to begin with. It is a\nrecurring theme in every environment where people interact that authenticity\nand integrity link the head and the heart, the words and the action; they\nseparate belief from disbelief, and they often make the difference between\nsuccess and failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major upheaval requires authenticity and integrity on the\npart of all managers. Most change efforts do not fail from lack of concepts or\nfrom lack of a description of how to do it right. Most change programs\nfail when managers are hoist on their own\npetard<\/em> of inauthenticity and lack of integrity. This failure happens\nbecause, when involved in the situations where managers violate authenticity\nand integrity, people sense the lack of resolve, feel the lack of leadership,\nand despair of the situation. When managers speak without authenticity,\nthey stand like the naked emperor: they think they are clothed, but everyone\nelse sees the truth. When managers lack integrity, they do not \u201cwalk the\nwalk,\u201d they only \u201ctalk the talk.\u201d  People\nsense the disconnection and become cynical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Management cannot ask others to change without first changing themselves. Implementing a more project-friendly environment and perhaps creating a project office depend upon resolve to approach needed changes with authenticity and integrity. The executive imperative is to avoid \u201cintegrity crimes\u201d that cause disconnections between beliefs and actions. An integrity crime will most likely not send you to jail but will erode all confidence that followers have in their leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rethink Failure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe we need to rethink our views about failure. Truly,\nthe only failure is if we fail to learn from each and every project, regardless\nof the outcome. Assess how your organization views \u201cfailures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A more enlightened view that creates an environment for more\nconsistent, predictable, and sustainable success is to be a learning\norganization that views every project as a means to improve. The focus is on\noverall organizational success, not just on individual project performance.\nPeople then feel like they are constantly contributing to organizational and\npersonal knowledge. The point is to \u201cget it right the last time\u201d\u2014meaning that\nexperimentation, trial and error, bad ideas, foolishness, fun times, craziness,\nscrappiness, collaboration, and creativity\u2014all have their space to operate,\nfinally leading to successful outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increased learning appears when people receive more\nfeedback. The executive imperative and case for feedback hinges on establishing\nshared values and putting them into practice. The results will be\nextraordinary. Craft, with participation from all key stakeholders, a clear,\nconcise, convincing, and compelling vision statement about portfolio success.\nHelp all project and program stakeholders visualize how their roles contribute\nto that success. Early in each project, take the time to emphasize the\nimportance of each person\u2019s contribution. Make, and ask for, explicit\ncommitments to be accountable for overall success and to extract the optimum\ncontribution from each other. Demonstrate these values profusely every day,\nboth by soliciting feedback from and providing it to others. Regularly\nrecognize results that project and program teams contribute to organizational\nsuccess. The executive imperative is to create an environment of support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much more explicit executive support is needed in modern\norganizations if they truly wish not only to survive but to prosper by creating\nvalue through project-based work. It may be necessary give up a sense of\ncontrol in order to get results. Control, after all, is an illusion. Nature is\nfirmly rooted in chaos. People try to convince themselves, and their bosses,\nthat they are in control of their projects. They may come close to this\nillusion, and project managers usually are far more knowledgeable about the\nproject or program than anyone else. Try as they may, however, the fact remains\nthat far more forces are at work in our universe than people can ever\nunderstand or control. This does not relieve executives or people in their\norganizations of the obligation to achieve results. What should you do?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Action<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus on results and constant\ncourse corrections to stay on track. Capture the minimal data required to keep\ninformed. Seek information that supports action-oriented decision-making. Just\nbecause you can capture every conceivable piece of information does not mean\nyou should, nor can most organizations afford to do so. It is ill conceived\nluxuries that support \u201cfeeling comfortable\u201d through excessive reports and\nmetrics. Continuous dialogue with stakeholders and reinforcing intended results\nhelps relieve anxieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Establish a portfolio management process that links\nexecution to strategic goals, defines criteria for project selection,\nprioritizes projects and programs, and communicates this information to all\nproject stakeholders. Furthermore, sponsors need to engage in negotiations about\nobjectives and constraints for each project, clearly define problems,\nprioritize the importance of solutions to those problems, and set expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating excellence in project management includes upper\nmanagers creating an environment and\/or project manager taking the initiative\nto manage the sponsor role. Sponsor activities and behaviors vary with the\norganization. Many studies point to the lack of good project sponsorship as a\nmajor case of difficulties and problems on projects. Well-executed sponsorship\nby senior executives brings better project results. Be part of a team to make\nthis happen through a defined sponsor selection process, a development path,\non-going mentoring, constructive evaluation and feedback, and applying\nknowledge management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The executive imperative is to get educated on the role of\nproject sponsorship and to set specific goals within the organization about\nwhat it means to achieve excellence in project sponsorship, such as all\nsponsors fully vetted through a training course, 100% of projects have sponsors\nassigned and active throughout the project, and sponsors present summary of\nbenefits achieved through projects and programs at quarterly reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get Prepared<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Success\nstarts with a strong commitment to improve. Leaders become better prepared as\nsponsors of major projects by taking inventory of their talents, skills, and behaviors and putting appropriate action\nplans in place. The executive imperative is to get educated on what\nproject sponsorship means and to set goals for effective sponsorship that lead\nto excellence in project sponsorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ideal situation is proactive sponsorship\u2014having project\nsponsors who are committed, accountable, and serious about the project,\nknowledgeable, trained, and able not only to talk the talk but also to walk the\nwalk. Such people are trustworthy in all respects. Their values are transparent\nand aligned with the organization and its strategy. Such sponsors protect the\nteam from disruptive outside influences and back the team up when times are\ntough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know that results are possible but may not follow a clearly defined path. Avoid \u201ctoxic\u201d practices that demotivate project teams. An executive imperative is to focus on creating excellence in people, processes, and a \u201cgreen\u201d working environment. Believe that these efforts will reap the results that the organization is chartered to produce. Set a goal to create excellence in project sponsorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus on ultimately creating excellence THROUGH projects,\nprograms, and portfolios. Creating excellence through project management means\nachieving greater results from project-based work\u2026which helps an organization\nrealize competitive advantage by executing strategy through projects in a\nportfolio\u2026and significant advancements in maturity of people, processes, and\nthe environment of a project-based organization. Consciously apply executive\nimperatives as necessary ingredients that make the difference for improved\norganizational performance. Pay attention to the vital ingredients that make\nthe difference in creating sustainable success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be flexible and enjoy the ride!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Randall L. Englund <\/em>is an author, speaker, educator, trainer, professional facilitator, and consultant for the Englund Project Management Consultancy (www.englundpmc.com<\/a>).\u00a0 He draws upon program management experiences within Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) for 22 years. He is co-author of seven books in the business and management field, teaches online graduate university certificate programs, and is a frequent seminar leader for the Project Management Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Randy Englund and the books he’s co-authored<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A widespread desire to improve organizational performance may be sated by focusing on a key set of executive imperatives\u2014necessary and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":14725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,844,850,939,1351],"tags":[288,1382],"class_list":["post-14722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership","category-integration","category-organizational-leadership","category-change-2","category-values-2","tag-executive","tag-imperatives"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/books-2019b.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14722"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14728,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14722\/revisions\/14728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}