Welcome to the asapm May 2010 Newsletter! Welcome to the asapm May 2010 Newsletter!
This is an Opt-in Newsletter from asapm, the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management. We are USA-IPMA, the USA member association of International Project Management Association. Enjoy!
In This Issue
1. Change Agents: President's Message, by Stacy Goff
2. Nominations Sought for asapm 2010 Elections
3. asapm Partnering With Sept. 19-21 2010 Resource Planning Summit
4. Program & Project Manager Power, by Hodgkinson, Hamilton & Byatt
5. asapm 2010 Dialogue Webinar Series Update
6. Young Crew: 2010 IPMA Young Project Manager Call for Nominations
7. IPMA World Congress Abstracts Due May 30
8. Adding Risk To The Project Baseline; Simon’s SOOP
9. asapm Involved With Asia Pacific Federation Launch
10. aPRO Update; Including Mochal Webinar and Duncan Podcast
11. James R. Brady Reviews Blue Ocean Strategy Book
1. Change Agents: President's Message, by Stacy Goff
Our Change Agents blog embraces the change that the practice of Project Management brings to the USA, and to Society. We post below teasers from this month's triple header of blog postings; click the bold, italicized heading to see the whole posting.
The 26th National Space Symposium Blasts Off in Colorado Springs
The opening ceremony for the National Space Symposium April 12, 2010 was an excellent kick-off for this largest-ever four-day event. With over 8,000 participants, and a standing room only crowd in the Colorado Springs, Colorado Broadmoor Hotel’s International Center, the proceedings soared with the venue. All sessions and events were fully sold-out.
Although called the National Space Symposium, this event attracts participants and featured honorees from all over the World. The Space Foundation, organizers of the National Space Symposium, strives to highlight Space achievements of all nations. The nature of the proceedings, audience and announcements demonstrate that global interest:
* The event moderator, Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham, acknowledged the anniversary of the first human in space, Russian Yuri Gagarin, on April 12 1961; and many other notable April space events.
* China’s first man in space: The Symposium crowd honored Yang Liwei, China’s first man in space, October 15, 2003, who stood for the applause of the audience.
* Of great significance was the very long ovation for the Poland trade delegation’s representatives, out of respect for their tragic airplane crash and loss of lives the weekend before the event.
In addition to stellar performances by the Canadian string ensemble Barrage, the Opening Ceremony, sponsored by Northrop Grumman, focused upon awards and recognition. more
Overcome the Double-Whammy of Executive Grief Over IT and PM
An intriguing article in the 1st Quarter, 2010 CIO Insight magazine summarized the results of some (in our opinion) major research by Valuedance and Harvard Business Review. The article, Not So IT Smart, was filled with (appropriate for the magazine) insights, including a significant perception gap about performance on a range of key factors, as perceived by Business and IT Leaders. We urge you to read that well-researched and well-written article—after, of course, reading this posting.
Executive Grief over IT
I recall the challenges of 30-35 years ago, when it appeared that Executive Managers just didn’t get it, about the proper use of what we then called DP (Data Processing). Then we changed the name of the practice to Management Information Systems (MIS), perhaps thinking that relabeling the same behaviors would change things. Of course, there were, even then, stellar examples of savvy Executives who knew how to make DP the centerpiece of competitive advantage; but those appeared to be in the minority.
Most of us either assumed or hoped that those Execs who refused to even use a keyboard would soon retire, and their successor would eventually become the visionary strategic leader, who would bring us out of our wilderness. But for most, it never happened. In fact, the criteria listed as differing perceptions in the above-referenced article are much the same as they were over 30 years ago. more
Do You Have a PM Certification or a Certificate?
We have noticed a significant recent increase in advertisements for "PM Certifications", resulting in "Certified Project Managers", that are really Certificates in a pm-related training. It would seem that some fail to understand the difference.
The increase in "certification" promotions makes sense, in part, because, the competition in the training industry is stiff. And as we frequently note, Billions of $USD spent in various project management-related training has led to little-to-no improvement in organizational project and program performance. Thus, organizations ranging from educational institutions to training companies are adding new certifications in project management. Or are they?
Most of these offerings are certificates, not certifications. And while I believe the offerers to be misguided, rather than intentionally misleading, these misstatements damage us all while they continue. Why? Because Executives funding these programs are expecting PM performance results they are not receiving. more
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2. Nominations Sought for asapm 2010 Elections
The asapm Board positions that are up for election in June 2010 are Vice President and Director of Standards, and we invite you to sign up, or to nominate a colleague(with their permission). See the asapm website for the descriptions of the offices and the responsibilities. asapm is increasingly engaging members in the wide range of programs we are managing, and even if you are not interested in running for office, we encourage you to look at the activities of each Board Member, and volunteer to serving on each Board Member's committees.
The current office-holders are not running for re-election. VP Richard Toledo is currently heads-down on an exciting new start-up, and Director of Standards Tim Jaques is completing his super-human efforts as Project Manager of asapm's aPRO project. To submit a nomination, either for yourself, or for another member, for the open offices, contact asapm VP Richard Toledo (Elections Committee Chair).
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3. asapm Partnering With Sept. 19-21 2010 Resource Planning Summit
Mark your calendar for the September 19-21 Resource Planning Summit, in La Jolla, CA, just North of San Diego. asapm has participated in Dick Rutledge's events twice in the last several years, and have always been impressed with this Dean of the PM Conference world. Originator of the Project Leadership Conferences in the 1990s, others "went to school" on Dick's conferences, to discover the secret sauce of successful conferences. In our recollection, he and Adam Kahn (now running the ProjectSummit series) wrote the book in the 1990s on how to hold a rewarding and useful PM conference.
This year, in addition to attending and staffing an asapm booth, we are working out the details for a possible asapm-specific session. Members will receive a discount for the conference, attend a Sunday afternoon session that is dedicated to our topics, and also participate in the mainstream conference sessions. Watch your email for a survey that inquires about your interest.
Why this conference? With Dick's events, you'll see professional speakers, with deep, relevant, and current insights. And, rather than the newcomers-to-PM audiences we've seen in many events, Dick's audiences are the decision-makers who fund operations, new products, and projects, and approve Advanced, Performance-competence based PM Certifications, and Organizational Performance Assessments in PM.
See the Resouce Planning Summit Newsletter, on the asapm website. It features a drawing for 3 iPads for early registrations (through June 15). Or, see the Resource Planning Summit website, where the speaker list is gradually being expanded, and where you register for the event. Dick tells us that asapm Members will receive a $100 discount for this event. We hope to see you in La Jolla September 19-21!
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4. Program & Project Manager Power, by Hodgkinson, Hamilton & Byatt
Editor's Note: Our Three Musketeers of Program Management are back, this time with an interesting story about the way they write their articles, a a unique, distributed derivation. Gary Hamilton is located in Tennessee, Gareth Byatt is in Sydney, and Jeff Hodgkinson is in Arizona. They rotate revisions by email from the first draft to the final. Each author has originated a subject idea, then the three truly collaborate and complete the article. They do this for fun, but their main motivation is earnest support of their fellow program and project managers. They plan to do a few each year and will send to asapm as they are finalized. Thanks guys!
An Analogy… Years ago as kids, when we didn’t know (or worry about) what project management was, our "Bodies of Knowledge" were comic books (we acknowledge that many adults read such material today). We couldn’t wait for the next monthly or weekly issue to come out of Superman or X-Men, or the Fantastic Four, or Spiderman to name just a few. Of course, not all comic books involved superheroes, but many of them did. Each superhero in our imaginary worlds has at least one or more special skills or powers that made them champions for justice and “the greater good”. Let’s not forget the arch nemesis and villains like Lex Luthor, Magneto, or Dr. Doom that had similar powers but used them for the wrong intent.
Today we probably all know some of our colleagues as ‘superheroes’ for the efforts they give or the results they achieve individually and/or with their team. Are they considered our champions or Olympians in program and project management? Do you admire them for their strength the same way one might respect a person who can undertake admirable feats of physical endurance or run at incredible speeds? More
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5. asapm 2010 Dialogue Webinar Series Update
Planning continues for the asapm 2010 Dialogue Webinar Series; the topics have been selected, and presenters or facilitators are being solicited. We originally planned to begin the series in May, but interest in our new aPRO Standard is drawing time away from some of the same volunteers who are working on the series. Some of the topics will be true Dialogues, involving discussion and interaction; because of the interaction, the number of participants will be limited. Others will be classic webinars; primarily presentations, with some q&a.
The currently-planned topics include:
We are currently looking for members to help facilitate this series; if you are interested, contact asapm President: Stacy Goff. Watch the Members Only section for Dialogue series updates, and look for an email blast to all readers when we schedule and open up the registrations for the first in the Dialogue series.
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6. Young Crew: 2010 IPMA Young Project Manager Call for Nominations
IPMA's Young Crew has produced a Press Release that announces the call for nominations for the 2010 IPMA Young Project Manager Award. Introduced in 2006 at the IPMA Young Crew conference in Shanghai, China, the IPMA Young Project Manager Award recognizes rising talent in the project and program management industries by honoring young project managers for their accomplishments early in their careers. These honorees have demonstrated invaluable impact to both their profession and their companies, and are on the fast track to becoming influential project leaders on an international scale.
The IPMA Young Project Manager Award is open to project managers ages 18 to 35 at the time of application who have worked or are currently working on a project for at least six months. The criteria for evaluation of the award are based upon the International Competence Baseline (ICB), and finalists will be chosen based upon the strength of their overall nomination package. Members and non-members of IPMA are eligible to apply. Finalists will each receive a financial sponsorship of 1,500€ to attend the IPMA Young Crew Conference and Workshop in Istanbul, Turkey October 30-November 3 2010.
This year, Young Crew has implemented an online application. Access the application at SurveyMonkey. All applications must be completed by midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST) on June 30, 2010. In addition, Young Crew has selected an esteemed award jury that will assist in selecting the finalists for the award. See more information about the award at the IPMA website. IPMA is also looking for two additional professionals to join the jury. If you have any suggestions, please send an email to ycaward@ipma.ch. See the full press release at the asapm website.
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7. IPMA 2010 World Congress Abstracts Due May 30
Presenters now have less than a month to complete and submit your abstracts for the November 1-3 2010 IPMA World Congress, in Istanbul. And now, we have received word that Speakers who are IPMA members (asapm members are automatically IPMA Members) receive an additional 150 € discount. That makes the price 700 €, rather than 850 €. Thanks to Congress Chair, Prof. Dr. Çetin Elmas, President of Project Management Association in Turkey, for making this event even more attractive to speaking members of the IPMA Family.
The IPMA Council of Delegates participants viewed the latest version of the promotional video in late March, and were very impressed; see what you think! The second release of the Congress Brochure is also available, showing the timing of all the key events, the Scientific (or Research), and Practical Streams of the Congress, and the evening events that are always a highlight of the IPMA Family experience.
There are a handful of important dates, in addition to the Abstract due date, for those who intend to present papers. Here are the dates to note:
Abstract Submission Deadline: 30 May 2010
Final Paper Submission Deadline: 30 July 2010
Final Announcement With List of Accepted Papers: 15 August 2010
Registration of persons submitting papers Deadline: 15 September 2010
Congress Dates: 1-3 November 2010
For those who have not produced an abstract for an IPMA World Congress before, there is an automated submission process, but it is good to prepare your abstract in a document, before you go online. Here are some suggestions:
Contact Stacy Goff if you have any questions about your Abstract Submission. But don't delay; it appears that not only is the venue hotel filling up, the nearby hotels are quickly filling as well. The Turkish organizers have arranged a very reasonable rate for the recommended hotels, compared to the rates we found at our favorite travel websites. See you in Istanbul!
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8. Adding Risk To The Project Baseline; Simon’s SOOP
Editors Note: What Means SOOP? It means Simon’s Observations on Projects, and he's baaack! In his inimitable stream-of-consciousness way, Simon Harris treats us to another joyride on a project management topic. Hang on!
Putting Risk in the Baseline(s): Standards writers are beginning to catch-up with practitioners and describe management of risk for threat and opportunity beyond the opening line of their topical chapter. But they still stop short of meaningful insight into what risk is and so how to put it into the baseline plan.
Risk (Re-?) Considered: There are many definitions of risk around. Mostly they say less than 2/3rd of what we need in order to manage risk within the day-job of ‘execute project to baseline plan’.
I will start my definition with ‘risk is a future conditional state’: nothing more. Consider the words: future thus prediction, conditional thus uncertain, state thus change of status quo. Now I can move you on to consider that that state has causes (note plural) and the state has consequences (also plural).
Every Silver Lining: Every silver lining I see in projects has a cloud around it; that is, every future state has a whole collection of impacts each of which is a candidate for action (for now ignore the added complexity that any one consequence may be caused by more than one condition).
Likewise every future state has a collection of causes. Some causes are alternatives to each other; any one will cause the future state. Some causes have to happen in combination to create the future state. More
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9. asapm Involved With Asia Pacific Federation Launch
Colorado Springs, CO: asapm Headquarters, May 9, 2010. The new Asia Pacific Federation of Project Management (APFPM) was successfully launched in Hong Kong on Saturday 24th April 2010. At the end of a long day of dialogue, the launch was celebrated at the Annual Dinner of the Hong Kong Institute of Project Management.
asapm was represented at this launch event by one of our favorites, Dr. Paul Giammalvo. He reported back on the events of the formation meeting, and the evening dinner. He also provided us with a copy of the official formation Press Release, which we have adapted for our audience. We were originally reticent to participate, until we did a bit of research on APEC, the Asia Pacific Economic Community, that this federation is based upon, and encountered a State Department research report citing, "Why America Needs APEC". A range of other searches showed us that there are opportunities and challenges with APEC, and we thought, why not get project management, the discipline for society change, constructively involved?
The evening dinner included Hong Kong luminaries; the Hon. Dr. Raymond Ho Chung-tai - Member of Legislative Council, Ms. Ada Fung - Head of Hong Kong’s Public Housing, and the Federation meeting delegates from Hong Kong, India, China, Nepal, Japan, United States, Indonesia, and Australia; plus, 120 other guests. Presenting to the dinner Dr. Bill Young, the APFPM's new Chairman elect, announced the formation of the new Federation. APFPM is an organisation, he said, that will link and help develop and strengthen Project Management institutions across the Asia Pacific region. more
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10. aPRO Update; Including Mochal Webinar, Duncan Podcast
The April 5th launch of asapm's new aPRO Standard was hugely successful, with responses and requests coming from all over the world. aPRO is the asapm Performance Rated Organization, an organizational assessment in PM Performance, with an outcome of either a list of opportunities for improvement, or a certification as a performing organization. As we dig out from our self-induced deluge, here are some of the high points:
Actions:
The next Registered Assessor 2-day training will be announced soon; and, asapm is soliciting volunteers for the role of aPRO Program Manager, and for the Program Team, now that aPRO is transitioning from a development project to an ongoing program. If you are interested, contact asapm President: Stacy Goff.
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11. James R. Brady Reviews Blue Ocean Strategy Book
Editor's Note: The March asapm newsletter mentioned the Blue Ocean Strategy, and Dr. Brady, our prolific book reviewer, acquired it and reviewed it for us. His review was originally a private caution about relying too much on this one book. After discussing the review with the Blue Team lead, we decided to publish it. Enjoy!
Audience and Purpose: This 2005 book is aimed at anyone interested in pursuing the authors' "Blue Ocean" strategy for achieving business success. Dr. Kim was formerly with the University of Michigan School of Business Administration. Dr. Aubergine was one of his students. The authors are now professors and co-directors of the "Blue Ocean Strategy Institute" at the INSEAD business school in France. A quick review of various "Blue Ocean Strategy" websites suggests that the authors are now using the book as the basis for creating or sponsoring several high-end training, publishing, and consulting enterprises. Their main website is: www.blueoceanstrategy.com This site includes a "press section" with an extensive array of color photos of the authors---which visitors may download. The biographical data suggest that neither author has previously worked outside of academia. After looking at their extensive PR material, I wondered if they are using a "Blue Ocean" or a "Red Ocean" strategy for their own business.
Overview of the Book:
1. Self-entanglement in semantic games: The authors open their exposition by trying to discredit such previous studies of corporate success as: In Search of Excellence (Tom Peters and Bob Waterman, 1982) and Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (James Collins and Jerry Porras, 1994). Kim and Mauborgne thus complain that the earlier studies were defective because some of the companies classified as "successful" later encountered problems and declined. The authors then announce that they have come up with a new and better business innovation strategy and supporting "analytics". These include rejecting the "traditional" idea of focusing on individual "companies" or "industries" as the "units of analysis".
Instead, they advocate the use of "strategic moves." A "strategic move" is defined as: "...the set of managerial actions and decisions involved in making a major market-creating business offering." They then report: "...our study shows that the strategic move, and not the company or the industry, is the right unit of analysis for explaining the creation of blue oceans and sustained high performance." (page10). However, when they later cite specific examples of "strategic moves", they are forced to revert back to using the commonly more
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