Now that the champagne flutes have been washed and packed away, Project Management Tipoffs rings in the New Year with its own kind of celebrations and anticipation. And what are we anticipating? The industry trends for the New Year, of course!

With regard to current PPM trends, Arras People will - in early February - once again release the 2012 Project Management Benchmark Report, compiled from the PPM Census responses of those in and around the project management world throughout the UK and (for the first time) the rest of the world.

I would like to rally a final push to increase the participant numbers (We really do need your input to create a great report!); around 12 minutes of your valuable time is all we ask! The reward for you will be exclusive access to the 2012 Project Management marketplace report which will give you salary, day rate and other data sets which will provide you with an unique insight into how you compare with your peers. Secure your access to the report - take the 2012 Census Today.

Many thanks to all who've taken the Census already. You're always welcome with Arras People.

In addition to giving you this fantastic chance to receive the Benchmark Report, Project Management Tipoffs slips on their Nostradamus shoes, and solicits the educated guesses of some leading project management personalities. Last year's predictors - Pawel Brodzinski, Robert Kelly, Todd Williams and Ron Rosenhead - will this year look back on their 2011 guesses, then look forward with their best forecasts for 2012. Additionally, our newest predictor - Kate Nelson - takes a stab at the matters of change management being on par with project management.

And as we continue to show you some of the best from this past month on our blog and some of the best of the internet for project management knowledge and insight, Ken Burrell will handle the book review duties for the month, looking over Peter Taylor's "Leading Successful PMOs".

As always, be sure to check out the teaspoon-sized version of Tipoffs - the Arras People Podcast.

SPECIAL NOTES: Click here to learn more about our podcasts and subscribe to our regular feed, or here to download us on iTunes. For the on-the-go, instantaneous information public, Project Management Tipoffs and Arras People are ready for you.

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"I think we will find aspects of project management, and its associated discipline, including risk, increasingly becoming more a part of general management ability. I also think that coming back the other way there will continue to be a requirement from 'clients' for project managers to be able to see the wider organisational and business context of a project. I would like to see an increase in the use of more agile project tools and techniques, even within structured waterfall style projects." - Dean Bennett (via LinkedIn)

Dean Bennett is a Consultant, tackling Organisational development, CPD & Change management - Kenilworth, Warwickshire

EDITOR'S NOTE: Last year, Project Management Tipoffs solicited the predictions of guest contributor Todd Williams for the upcoming year in project management. Following up on those forecasts today, Todd reflects on how his educated guesses for 2011 turned out, and tries his hand at forecasting what lies ahead in PPM in 2012. 

Words: Todd Williams

"I think if you look at the literature, articles and posts on different groups, one area that needs more focus is project risk management. Even on the manager's choice in the Project Sponsors group on LinkedIn, they are talking about project pain, which to me means someone didn't proactively manage risk. I think people will need to take it to the next level; beyond just completing a deliverable and truly analyze and mitgate their project risks." - Mark Cichonski (via LinkedIn)

Mark Cichonski is Director of Operations at Lean Sigma Professionals - Charlotte, NC, USA.

Pawel Brodzinski is well-known for his Pawel Brodzinski on Software Project Management blog, and he is also dipping his toe back into the Project Management Tipoffs reflections and prognostications pond. How does he feel his forecasts for project management in 2011 went? He took a stab at it for our blog, How to Manage a Camel. And for 2012, he's got a few things to tell us about certifications, project success and failure in the Gilded Age of PM Certification, and how much companies value the urge to improve (not merely certify). You'll definitely want to check it out, as no stone in the pond is left unturned!
 

"Looks like Agile will be the new certification to get in 2012. Our training firm has made a large investment in Q3 and Q4 2011 to prepare to teach the PMI-ACP Exam Prep in 2012" - Chris Goethe (via Twitter)

Chris Goethe, PMP_^® is Director of Business Development for PMI accredited trainers Velociteach, Kennesaw, GA, USA

EDITOR'S NOTE: Last year, Project Management Tipoffs solicited the predictions of guest contributor Ron Rosenhead for the upcoming year in project management. Following up on those forecasts today, Ron reflects on how his educated guesses for 2011 turned out and determines the current shelf-life of those prognostications. 

Words: Ron Rosenhead

OK readers, I did not win the lottery recently or the football pools. Does this mean that my predictions for project management are way out of touch or meaningless? NO!! So, here are my predictions for 2012.

Project Office: I predicted for 2010 and this past year that project office parametres would be stronger. In fairness, they do take time to be formed and become more mature. In the more mature and enlightened companies, I see this function getting stronger, and in the less mature companies, I see a possible goodbye for them!

Project Sponsors: I see this group being targeted by companies for development. The role is heavily misunderstood and people are either selected or volunteer but have had little or no training for the role. I see this as a growth area in 2012.

Focus: Business success depends on turning the strategy into successfully delivered projects. This means really focussing on what is needed, NOT on the "nice to haves". With this in mind, I see a sifting out of the "nice to haves" off the project register, alongside a real focus on who should be trained and how should they be trained?

Will I win the lottery? Doubt it, but I do feel more confident with these predictions...

Ron Rosenhead is has been a Guest Prognosticator with Project Management Tipoffs for three consecutive years (check out his 2009 statements). Ron is career-long veteran of project management training, consulting & coaching, and he shares his experiences and learnings on the Ron Rosenhead blog. Currently, he serves as CEO of Project Agency, a London-based training organisation.

"I've worked with standard project management tools and recently started working with Agile tools including Scrum. Close adherence to standard PM seems at the surface better suited for convincing the sponsors that what is going on is well managed, but breaking away and mixing up the toolkit a bit seems to allow for pockets of performance that get more done and feed the 'want it now' sponsor need. Once the appetite for the latter is developed, it becomes a little easier to encourage a shift in the approach..." - Melody Stierheim (via LinkedIn)

Melody Stierheim is an Applications Analyst II & project management specialist at Partners HealthCare - Providence, RI, USA.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This year, we welcome back Robert Kelly, co-founder of #PMChat, to assess how his 2011 predictions turned out and how 2012 looks by comparison.

Words: Robert Kelly

With regards to my first point on PMs needing to self-promote and build a personal brand, I don't think that was really stepping out on the ledge. The social media movement was well on its way and the PM Community certainly stepped up. So much so, I was amazed with my local PM Chapter (NCPMI) and its decision to not move into this space. I offered to assist with establishing their Twitter presence, and after an early agreement, they contacted me and asked that I not continue any efforts in that space. That was shocking to me! The ability to drive awareness of the group, their educational offerings, and the sheer knowledge out there is an amazing tool. For any organization and individual to pass on the opportunity, I feel is almost negligent at this point.

Increased adoption of collaboration tools in the PM space was something I saw would take off. While I believe it has to a certain degree, it still tremendous room for growth. At my current client, we leverage a Project Wiki on the Intranet in which I provide daily status updates, links to documents and training videos, and I write a project blog that folks can sign up for the RSS feed. Additionally, we leverage Chatter within Salesforce for similar activity...making announcements, sending links for training registration, short videos for communications, etc. Considering this is a heavy Sales Team environment and they live within that platform, Chatter lets me engage with the end-users throughout the engagement and has significantly improved adoption. For my business, we are seeing clients ask a lot more about collaborative tools and are happy to share with them AtTask and ProjectVantage... our two platforms of choice. This is another space that I see growing in 2012.

Increase in approved projects...at least here in the states, I will say (humbly) that I nailed that one. I don't have the numbers in front of me but in speaking with placement agencies, talking with out of work PM colleagues, and seeing my own inbox flood with contract opportunities, I would say there was a major uptick in approved projects over 2011. Folks out of work for 3, 6, and even 12 months since 2009 weren't asking me to help share their resume, but instead "Hey Rob, I have these two opportunities and one pays x and is with company y, the other is only paying 1 but is working on a new iPhone/iPad deployment. Which should I take?" As with my prediction on the collaboration tools, most folks would like to have seen more in 2011 but will be pleased with 2012.

A new prediction for 2012...away with the Gantt Chart! In the last month, I have spoken with a dozen potential clients that have all said something similar to the following:

"I do not want a PM who can't get their head out of their Gantt Chart. I need business leadership, communication, and drivers. We have a lot of ambiguous initiatives, across a lot of competing resources/functions and we someone that can help drive priority and teamwork. If I didn't see another Gantt Chart or MS Project Plan, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest."

In 2012, PMs must develop their business acumen, understand the industry they play in (competitive landscape, trends, etc), and let go of the heavy jargon and rigidity of PM process. And no, Agile is not the silver bullet here with regards to rigidity. Most execs do not care about all the modelling and formulas behind a sales forecast. Sure, if the numbers are off then the financial analyst brings up his/her MS Excel workbook to dive into the details. Point being...team members, stakeholders, etc., don't care about the tools of the trade and don't want to learn your acronyms. Execute, be consistent, and speak business-speak.
 

Robert Kelly is the founder and Managing Partner at Kelly Project Solutions. In 2011, he founded and became co-partner with Rob Prinzo of the networking forum/pre-game online radio show for project management, PMChat (which meet regularly each Friday at the #PMChat hastag on Twitter). Robert blogs regularly about his PM experiences at Kelly's Contemplation.

"Are those of you in the Construction Sector getting bored of hearing 'things probably won't get better for a long, long time'? The 'what does the future hold for us?' question is a futile one. It's more constructive to ask ourselves 'What can we do to improve our opportunities?' There has been a lot of noise about PMP status being an inevitable requirement for progressive PMs: I'm not sure, but despite having been both employed and in part-time education for the last 7 years I am willing to consider further accreditation to improve my chances of progressing." - Harry Smith (via LinkedIn)

Harry Smith is a Quantity Surveyor & Project Manager for Armsons, Derby, UK

EDITOR'S NOTE: This year, we welcome Kate Nelson of Change Guides, a member of the Arras People Project Management Training Directory, to address the importance of change management in 2012 project management best practise.

Words: Kate Nelson

Lots of people in organizations have experience with project management. But far fewer have experience with organizational change management.  

A project is usually a temporary effort aimed at creating some product, service, or outcome. Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to execute that project. Change management is the focus an organization makes to get people to use, adopt, or make the most of that product, service, or outcome.

Eighty six percent of projects report that they use a structured approach to manage projects. Far fewer, however, use a structured approach to managing the people elements of a change. And unfortunately, successful projects that lead to results expected from a project needs both. Projects don’t equate to real business results until people change the way they act or think.

Every year, most organizations go through a strategic planning cycle to define areas of focus to become bigger, better, or both. Often, those plans spin out projects to turn some of those great ideas into reality. At the heart of it, many of those ideas involve change for the people who work in the organization… new systems they will have to use, new processes they will have to follow, new mindsets they will have to adopt.

Studies show that the majority of projects in organizations fail. With all of the well-intentioned effort expended and money spent, results are often elusive. Team members are taken off of their line jobs, organizations get defocused, and money is spent on consultants and tools. But still, more than 70% of projects either fail to recoup the money they spent on the project in the first place, or they never achieve the results they sought from the effort.

Project team members almost always work hard to achieve the results the project is seeking. They gather data, review documents, and attend meetings. They solve problems, and they analyze root causes. But that is not enough if project managers lack effective change management skills. And less than a quarter of all project management teams have training on how to manage the people elements of the change.

Often times, organizations launch change initiatives thinking that having effective project management will ensure a good outcome. But project management and change management are different. While project management seeks to ensure that that the team, budget and timelines are managed effectively, change management seeks to get the people in the organization (as well as stakeholders outside of the organization) ready, willing, and able to work in new ways.

The focus of the project management team is generally on defining the scope of the project, tracking and resolving issues, and tracking the project budget. The focus of the change management team is on behaviors, resistance, stakeholder commitment, leadership behaviors, communication, and infrastructure supports and reinforcements.

Specific efforts should be placed on helping the people in the organization change. A systematic process to manage change should be integrated with project management efforts.

Good projects are managed carefully and thoughtfully by project managers with coordinated processes. But real results come from good projects that include effective change management also.

A well managed project that no one understands, cares about, or knows how to do will not make an impact on the organization. Effective efforts must be made to get people ready, willing and able to adopt the changes. Because change in an organization only happens when individuals change.

Kate Nelson is a partner at Change Guides, LLC and the co-author of The Change Management Pocket Guide (2005) and The Eight Constants of Change (2008). Along with co-partner Stacy Aaron, Kate runs Change Guides in an effort to provide quality training services in the emphasis of change management through webinars, certification prep and even half-day or 1-day training programmes. Kate can be reached at kate.nelson@changeguidesllc.com.

"What I have begun to see is a specialization / categorization of PMs. In my programs I'll have 20 to 50 PMs. I catagorize them according to the 'type' of project. Such as a PM whose project is focussed on the deployment of something vs. the development of something, etc. (Some projects are in fact equal focus in all components). However in the CVs I review, I am now seeing PMs catagorizing themselves as 'Delivery PM', 'Development PM', etc. The categorization / specialization has pro and cons. The PMs excel in the one area but at the same time then limits them a bit. This limiting may be going away as companies mature in their understanding of running large programs. A large program is not just 'many projects run together'. It is an entity as you know all its own." - Madonna Swanson, PMP (via LinkedIn)

Madonna Swanson is a principal at TeamMEDD currently working as global program manager at Ernst & Young - New York

Author: Peter Taylor
Publisher: Gower
Size: 186 pages

There are plenty of books "out there" on project management tools and techniques, and plenty about setting up and running Project Management Offices (PMOs). Peter Taylor has set out to write a book to guide all would-be and current PMO leaders, focussed on leading PMOs rather than managing them. It includes views from various PMO stakeholders, from Project Managers to C-level executives, and some accounts from successful PMO leaders.

What makes this book different from others is that it touches only lightly on the mechanisms of project / programme / portfolio management and how a PMO runs, and instead focuses on the features and attributes of successful PMOs, and by extension the features and attributes of successful PMO leaders.

The book starts by drawing together some basic PMO principles and concepts, defining in chapter 1 what a PMO is and what it does. It then describes the various types and operating modes of PMOs, as well as the stages of PMO maturity that a PMO can be expected to move through (from ad hoc to optimised). It gives suggestions for the basic services a PMO could offer, and the first of a very insightful series of Acid Tests (it asks how long it would take the CEO of your organisation to recognise your name; too long and you need to invest a bit of time working on your profile!).

Chapter 2 examines what makes a PMO successful, delivered in the form of a series of accounts or "voices" from leaders of successful PMOs. It contains some pithy and memorable maxims from each leader (e.g. "Tailor your PMO to your business needs"; "Aid but don't burden"), most of which you should probably know and be doing already, but there are probably some that you don't. The second half of this chapter presents the results of Peter's own survey of 822 project managers and PMO managers (to which I contributed, so I shall be invoicing Peter in due course for my 1/822 = 0.1% share of the profits). This produces some interesting statistics, most of which conclude (unsurprisingly) that PMOs are a Good Thing.

Having dealt with the PMO, chapter 3 offers to the PMO leader the following advice from several voices (viewpoints): be passionate about projects and project management; don’t be afraid to lead a unique PMO that fits the needs of the business; the PMO will succeed better under a leader than a manager (i.e. a champion rather than an administrator).

Chapter 4 outlines how to start a PMO, beginning with obtaining executive support by describing the "pain" that the PMO will ease, writing a business case to show the costs and benefits of setting up a PMO, and quantifying the costs of not having one. It recommends using the current situation as a baseline, measuring the effects of PMO implementation (increased maturity, more successful projects), and using the (hopefully) good results to market the PMO to all stakeholders. To avoid the extinction that befalls many PMOs, it advocates demonstrating the PMO’s continuous improvement; starting with the business and linking back to projects – not the other way round.

Chapter 5 rounds the book off by looking in the crystal ball to a time in the future when project managers no longer need PMOs, and Executives on fast track graduate programmes spend a stint in the PMO as well as in Operations, Sales and Finance. I think this is some way off, but I think that what Peter is getting at is that PMOs will exist as long as they add value to organisations; the trick is in seeing how the value can be added and to add it.

This book analyses the various types of PMO and their characteristics without recommending any single one as the panacea to all project management ills; rather it invites the reader to consider which is the best fit for their own business. It provides check lists, tests and suggested actions to help PMO leaders to evolve their PMOs to continually add value, thereby increasing the chances of PMO longevity.

Peter has found an excellent tone of voice in writing this book; it sounds like a seasoned "old pro" mentoring a well-respected up-and-coming colleague. This book lacks the humour of The Lazy Project Manager (which initially disappointed me), but by the time I had reached the end of the book (which at 186 pages including appendices took me only a couple of hours) I found I was no longer missing it.

All in all I found this an enjoyable and informative read, with some new thinking based on original (informal) research. I would recommend this book to all PMO leaders, and those aspiring to become so. At £35 RRP it isn’t cheap, but it's the kind of book you’ll come back to again and again.

This book is available from the Gower website at a discount to Arras People/Camel/Tipoffs readers.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER: The Managing Director of Brilliant Baselines Ltd, Ken Burrell is a Masters degree-educated and PMP_^®-certified freelance PMO Manager with four years' PMO experience and five years’ project management experience in Engineering and Financial Services. Ken gives senior managers analysis to make project portfolio decisions, and gives project and programme managers support to deliver solutions. Ken is motivated by challenge and adding value in the Project/Programme/Portfolio arena.

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