Better Thinking About…the Interdependency of Project, Risk, and … · 2015. 1. 18. · Better Thinking About…the Interdependency of Project, Risk, and Knowledge Management Exploring

Better Thinking About…the

Interdependency of Project, Risk, and

Knowledge Management

Exploring Connections Between Deming’s

System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK) & the

Art of Project Management

Don McAlister

BTA Webinar

16 October 2014

Don McAlister In2In Forum June 2014 1

What I’d Like You to Know About Me •  Born & raised in Western Canada; School, Career & Life in USA •  Chose Space career at age 13; BS Aero Engrg 1972, Texas A&M •  40 yrs at Rocketdyne in Engrg & Project Management; working

with amazing people doing amazing things; Retired December 2011 •  My Retirement Life Portfolio

–  Family – Husband of 38 years, father of 2, grandfather of 3 –  Work – Consulting for U.S. Gov’t & Private Businesses –  Service – making the world a better place as a Rotarian –  Music – Jazz Keyboard/Vocalist; President, Simi Valley Jazz Club –  Learning –

•  Finding, Understanding, Exploring and Sharing Connections •  Sharing ideas, opinions via Internet Blog ( donmcalister.com ) •  In2:InThinking partner >35 years

–  Informed, Inspired, provoked, and fulfilled Don McAlister In2In Forum June 2014 2

My BTA Project Management Journey

•  October 2012; “BTA About the Interdependency of Project, Risk and Knowledge Management.” – My ideas on the nature of, and reason for, the intimate interdependency of project, risk and knowledge management –  Next Steps: Better thinking framework to find and organize my

ideas and exploration of future connections •  October 2013; “BTA Deming’s SoPK and Project Management.”

– My evaluation and selection of SoPK as a useful framework for organizing and focusing future exploration –  Next Steps: Explore and Map SoPK and PM Connections

•  October 2014; “BTA The Connection Between Deming’s SoPK and the Art of Project Management. – My focus on PM Leadership Art, my exploration of SoPK in a PM Art Context, and an integrated SoPK/Better PM Leadership Art framework –  Next Steps: TBD


PM Leadership Art & Science

•  Leading complex human endeavors like Projects, requires science AND art. –  Both are necessary, although my experience

is that art competency is bigger contributor to long-term success

•  Well-established and effective frameworks and tools for Project leadership science –  Project Management Body of Knowledge,

PMBoK –  Projects In Controlled Environments,

PRINCE2 •  Few resources however for developing and

applying Project leadership art competency


Explora(on Topic for another day: Is the “leadership art” really a separate set of aAributes and acCviCes, or is it a set of things we don’t understand well enough yet to call “science.?”

Typical Business Emphasizes Project Leadership Science Over Art

•  Businesses generally treat Leadership Art as a secondary skill –  Focused on the “stuff” of the Project and not the people

connections, which are really how the “stuff” gets done –  Art is harder and more ambiguous to talk about –  Leaders commonly selected based on their Science competency,

which is the focus of the predominate “Command & Control” style •  Customers are risk averse, and want mature, controlled

processes and strong Leadership Science competencies. –  Real satisfaction however, when the PM provides a

“personalized”, “artfully managed” relationship with the customer.


Failure Inves(ga(ons Consistently Show That Most Troubled Projects Get That Way Because of Failures in Leadership Art

Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK)

•  Appreciation for a System

•  Understanding Variation

•  Theory of Knowledge

•  Psychology


I used SoPK as a provoca(ve thinking tool to explore Leadership Art Competencies in the

Project Management Context

Mapping PM Leadership Art Attributes to the Elements of SoPK


•  Interdependence Model used to guide and map my SoPK exploration •  Provoke thinking •  Documenting ideas •  Visualize relationships

•  Mindful that “All Models Are Wrong But Some Are Useful”

Planning & Risk Mgt Integration & Control

KM PM

ET E2.0 Systems Thinking

Resource Leadership Creativity

Findability Collaboration Communication

Map & Capture Organize & Share

Planning & Risk Mgt

Effectiveness

Trust & Participation A

cces

s

Velocity

Critical Thinking

Quality

Thro

ughp

ut

Understanding

Wisdom

Communicatio

n

Collaborat

ion

&

Appreciation For A System

Understanding Variation

Psychology Theory of Knowledge

Property of D.S. McAlister, 26 Apr 2014

Better Project Management

SoPK/PM Art Exploration & Mapping Methodology

•  Used a bit of a “Reductionist Thinking” approach by looking at each element separately

•  Brainstormed each element of SoPK from my personal PM perspective –  My perspective is not a traditional

view of PM competency needs

–  Key role of each element •  5 ideas for better PM thinking,

actions, practices and/or behaviors


When I Think of Appreciation for a System, in a PM Context I Think of…


Connec(ons, Scale, Complexity, Constraints & Cultures

Customers & Their

Customers

Apprecia(on for a System

Project as a Knowledge

Transforma(on Organism

Rela(onships Landscape

Peripheral Situa(onal Awareness

Matrix Organiza(on Crossfire

Insights Into My Thoughts on Appreciation for a System & PM

•  Projects are complex organic systems that flow and transform knowledge into new products & services

•  Leaders must understand the full direct and even indirect dimensions and complexity to make effective plans and decisions –  Knowledge flow depends

interaction relationships lubricated by trust, inspiration, and empathy


When I Think of Understanding Variability in a PM Context, I Think of…


Rhythms, PaOerns & Differences That MaOer

Promo(ng

Diversity

Understanding Varia(on

Communica(on & Alignment

Meaningful, Predic(ve Metrics

Risks & Opportuni(es

Cause Networks vs Root Cause

Myth

Insights Into My Thoughts on Understanding Variation & PM

Don McAlister In2In Forum June 2014

•  Leaders feel and understand the inherent system rhythms, tempo, dissonance and uncertain(es

•  Risk is lack of, or uncertainty in knowledge that makes a difference

•  Assump(ons are decisions that we make, consciously or unconsciously, to ar(ficially eliminate uncertainty for our convenience.

•  Variability is the norm, embrace it, don’t ignore it –  Margins; Buffers; Reserves; Cause Networks;

Learning bias; Diversity –  All cost and schedule esCmates are probabilisCc not

determinisCc –demand esCmates with confidence levels

•  In complex system failures also have natural variability –THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A ROOT CAUSE

12

When I Think of A Theory of Knowledge, in a PM Context, I Think of…


Knowledge Marshaling, Flow, Transforma(on

A Theory of Knowledge

Learning Bias

Knowledge Sharing

Strategies Knowledge Domain

PM’s As Knowledge Manager

Risk Domain

Insights Into My Thoughts on a Theory of Knowledge & PM


•  Project Managers are knowledge managers –  What customers want and What the

Business “Knows” and “doesn’t know”

–  Project Plan is a knowledge transformation plan

–  Sequence and monitor the flow and transformation of knowledge through the people in the project

–  Ensure that connections Knowledge flow is lubricated with trust, empathy, generosity & fun

•  Lead across the Knowledge Domain –  Learning bias finds “UnK-UnK’s”

If only we knew what we knew, And it wasn’t locked up in the minds of so few.

If only we’d captured the knowledge and shared. If only we’d done that, we might have been spared.

All of the time and all of the cost, And all of the promise and opportunity lost.

Ah…if only we knew what we knew.

Don McAlister, 20 March 2014

Project Management Across the Knowledge Domain


When I Think of Psychology in a PM Context, I Think of…


Rela(onship Management Skills

I don’t really like the term “Psychology”, but haven’t anything beAer…yet

Psychology Safety,

Fairness & Team Morale

Ren(ng Brains & Borrowing

Hearts

Empathy, Vulnerability & Humor

Poli(cal Savvy Social &

Emo(onal Intelligence

Insight Into My Thoughts on Psychology

•  Prefer “Social Intelligence” –  Awareness, empathy, adaptability –  Charisma, humility, vulnerability, & humor –  & Horror of Horrors… even Political Savvy

•  Work is accomplished through people connections and good connections require relationship management

•  PM’s primary job is to understand connections and manage relationships

•  Must create an environment of trust, safety, respect, diversity and inclusion. How? –  Commitment to caring about and helping each-other succeed –  Team morale feedback is a key leading indicator of project

performance - Surveys, Discussions –  Social interaction outside of the project


Characterizing the SoPK/PM Interdependencies


Managing Risks

Managing Human Uncertainty

Focusing on What MaAers

ConnecCon EffecCveness

Connec&ons,)Scale,)Complexity,)Constraints)&)Cultures))

Customers)&)Their)

Customers))

Apprecia2on))for)a)System)

Project)as)a)Knowledge)

Transforma2on)Organism))

Rela2onships)Landscape)

Peripheral)Situa2onal)Awareness)

Matrix)Organiza2on)Crossfire)

Knowledge)Marshaling,)Flow,)Transforma5on)) Rela%onship,Management,Skills,,,

SoPK Element Interdependencies


Reducing the Unknowns

Nurtured ConnecCons

Customers)&)Their)

Customers))

Apprecia2on))for)a)System)

Project)as)a)Knowledge)

Transforma2on)Organism))

Rela2onships)Landscape)

Peripheral)Situa2onal)Awareness)

Matrix)Organiza2on)Crossfire)

Connec&ons,)Scale,)Complexity,)Constraints)&)Cultures))

Knowledge)Marshaling,)Flow,)Transforma5on)) Rela%onship,Management,Skills,,,

An Integrated Framework for Better Thinking About SoPK & PM Art


Planning & Risk Mgt Integration & Control

KM PM

ET E2.0 Systems Thinking

Resource Leadership Creativity

Findability Collaboration Communication

Map & Capture Organize & Share

Planning & Risk Mgt

Effectiveness

Trust & Participation

Acc

ess

Velocity C

ritical Thinking

Quality

Thro

ughp

ut

&

Appreciation For A System

Understanding Variation

Psychology Theory of Knowledge

Property of D.S. McAlister, 26 Apr 2014

Better Project Management

Rela(onships Management

Managing Uncertainties & Risks

Focusing on What Matters

Con

nect

ion

Effe

ctiv

enes

s M

anaging Hum

an Uncertainties

•  Knowledge Trans-formation Organism

•  Customers & Their Customers

•  Relationship Landscape •  Matrix Org Crossfire •  Peripheral Situation

Awareness

•  Risk & Opportunities •  Meaningful Predictive

Metrics •  Communication &

Alignment •  Promoting Diversity •  Cause Networks vs

Root Cause Myth

•  PM’s are Knowledge Managers

•  Managing Across the Knowledge Domain

•  Knowledge Sharing •  Managing the Risk

Domain •  Bias for Learning

•  Social & Emotional Intelligence

•  Empathy, Vulnerability & Humor

•  Renting Brains but Borrowing Hearts

•  Safety, Fairness, Morale •  Political Savvy

Parting Thoughts •  This framework accurately depicts my thinking on the subject,

but I’m concerned that it looks too much like a definitive model or tool –  Just intended to be a snap shot of my thinking today and a point

of departure for dialogue and better thinking in the future •  I hope, this work may be useful to you and provoke your own

thoughts on Leadership Art •  If you’re interested in more detail on some of these ideas, I

invite you to check out my blog archives at www.donmcalister.com


A beOer thinking journey is restless and unbounded. This is just a sight-‐seeing stop where you heard a story.

If you found something interes(ng…great! Make it part of your own story and journey.

Better Thinking About…the Interdependency of Project, Risk, and … · 2015. 1. 18. · Better Thinking About…the Interdependency of Project, Risk, and Knowledge Management Exploring

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