The 3 BIGGEST challenges facing Project Leaders today ...

I was in a meeting the other day with the Board of a leading global brand exploring how they are going to create a high performance culture where success is inevitable. Among the many questions and discussions we had one of the solutions was a development programme for leaders. During the conversation I was asked why I'm creating ChangePro and why as a digital solution.

I mentioned that during my travels developing leaders and enabling organisations to be more agile and operating at pace I see a number of challenges and blockers to their success. I answered them by sharing what I believe to be the three biggest blockers I see facing Project Leaders in today's world. Just to make it clear I defined a project leader as anyone who is leading change aligned to the organisational strategy.

Blocker #1 - Strategic Incompetence: There is no clear strategy and organisational leaders don't understand the link between programmes/projects and implementing strategy, making change happen and creating the right culture. They only see implementation as an operational task - probably because the are experienced line managers! This leads to poor governance, trying to do too much at one time, the wrong projects being authorised and an over controlled and underled culture.

I also see so many companies using subject matter experts and separating out the Project Management element (delivering the solution) and the Change Management element (leading people through change). It needs to be on one coherent, aligned and sequenced plan!

Blocker #2 - Poor development of Leaders: Little investment in developing the skills, knowledge and mindsets of the people making the transformation happen. We need leaders who can create a high performance environment where success is inevitable. The world has changed and the rules about how to lead have been re written.

We need to educate leaders for our New World. We need to be clear about what we want from leaders and create a leadership blueprint. And then give them the tools to lead effectively in a fast paced world.

Blocker #3 - Lack of consistent framework to make change happen leading to slow decision making: I'm all for choosing the right methodology for the situation you are in but often I see no rigour being applied to the decision. Usually the choice of methodology is the company's or project leaders flavour of the day! I hear mandates like, "All projects must now be done in an Agile Way." Or, "We only use PRINCE2 around here." So wrong, we need to use the right methodology for the change situation we are in.

I also see too many different templates, forms, and confusing terminology being used to deliver projects and make change happen. An example is that I see terms like Project Plan, Scope of Works, Project Initiation Document, Powerpoint Deck, CPA, Excel Spreadsheet Plan, and Product Description all trying to do the same thing! So many people would describe their situation as confusing and like 'walking through treacle' to get anything done!

Why ChangePro?

ChangePro is my attempt to get organisations and leaders to slow down in order to speed up! In today’s fast paced and challenging world it can be a struggle to deliver projects effectively, it's a tough world out there! Many Project Leaders are feeling isolated, overwhelmed, stressed and struggling to work out how to deliver effectively. Sadly there are too many projects failing and we need to change that!

The pace of change and the need for agility have changed the rules of how to deliver projects effectively today. The problem is many Project Leaders or Organisations just haven’t caught up yet!

What is ChangePro?

ChangePro is a no-nonsense video-based, bite-sized learning journey developed by practitioners. It has been co-built by a team who really understand today's challenges. ChangePro provides a powerful learning journey combined with valuable project resources that really work. Available online, just when leaders need it, ChangePro shares an adaptable and scalable six-part framework plus all the people skills, project and change processes, useful guides, tools and templates that will enable you to:

1. Make change happen FASTER
2. Land benefits more EASILY
3. Ensure projects add MORE VALUE and are MORE COST EFFECTIVE

ChangePro aligns to and supports existing project and change methodologies such as APM PMBOK, Agile, Waterfall, HCD, PRINCE2, Lean, Six Sigma, ADKAR, AIM, and Kotter's 8 Steps etc. The ChangePro framework guides thinking and helps leaders to select the right approach for the context they are in.

Perhaps it will even give your Project Leaders their lives back; that would be a great outcome! I think we need more ChangePro Heroes in today's world.

Intrigued?

If this article has resonated with you then feel free to email me at [email protected] for a chat and to find out more.

Graham Wilson is the UK’s #1 Leadership Trainer, author of Leadership Laid Bare! and founder of Successfactory?

www.grahamwilson.com