Managing Eve

In spite of years of parochial schooling, I have come away with a view of the creation story that differs somewhat from what the nuns must have hoped. In my view, the great heroic figure of the story is Eve. She is everything that I respect in a person: irrepressibly curious, courageous, undaunted by authority. Most of all, she is intent upon personal growth, determined to fulfill not just some but all of her promise. 

Remember the story of her “fall.” She was told that she might eat of everything in the garden except one thing: She could not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The fruit of this tree was not food at all, but understanding. If she ate it, she would know things that she was not intended to know, hence the proscription.

  

Eve's response to this rule was, essentially,“No way, Adan”. She was not about to allow her growth as a person to be so limited. She ate the fruit and took the consequences. I hope that I would have been so brave in her place.

  

Eve working for You

  

If you are a great manager, then I have a hunch you've got one or more Eves working for you. She and those like her are at least part of the reason for your success. These are the people who form the heart and soul of effective organizations. But how on earth do you manage them?

  

Comprometerse con el proyecto

Un Director de Proyectos no será eficaz si está permanentemente abrumado por el entorno. No va a entregar un buen producto si se queja constantemente de la empresa, de la falta de recursos disponibles capacitados, de lo infradimensionado que está su proyecto, de lo mal que se ha vendido, de la inmadurez corporativa en gestión de proyectos, las pesadas herramientas corporativas, la burocracia excesiva, la falta de apoyo de la dirección, etc. Es muy posible que tenga razón en todas estas quejas, pero lo primero es el proyecto, y al proyecto le perjudica mucho que quien lo dirige piense así. Además, no se puede demostrar, pero ocurrirá esto: esta persona tendrá mala suerte.

Change Management by PMI

Nowadays, most companies keep competing ferociously, but only a few will achieve sustainability in the long term. There is a difference between survival and sustainability. Any organization is really sustainable when it can adapt itself to the changing environment, being today much more changing than in the 90s. We don't need to change everything, however. Organizations must keep faithful to their principles about vision and mission, but anything else is subject to change: Change must be allowed in order to gain more contracts, increase benefits and value to shareholders. Change may produce more sales to customers, of better quality products. Change could bring a better workplace for people, following optimal processes supporting the business.

Plenty of books have been written about change management already. In this blog you can read some texts by Tom DeMarco, who has developed admirably the psychological factor of the organizational change and the human behavior at corporate change.

In order to learn about the non-psychological aspects of organizational change, I must recommend this document recently published by PMI, entitled Managing Change in Organizations. You can download it (for free, for a limited time) visiting PMI website at the following link: http://www.pmi.org/Knowledge-Center/Change-Management/Change-Management-Form.aspx

La gestión del cambio según PMI

En el entorno económico actual, las organizaciones compiten ferozmente y pocas lograrán la sostenibilidad a largo plazo. Hay una gran diferencia entre supervivencia y sostenibilidad. Las organizaciones sólo son genuinamente sostenibles si pueden adaptarse a la realidad cambiante, y hoy día la realidad cambia mucho más rápido que en los años 90. Tampoco es que haya que cambiarlo todo: deben seguir fieles a sus principios sobre la visión/misión, pero hay que aceptar que todo lo demás está sujeto a cambios: Deben cambiar continuamente para ganar más contratos, aumentar los ingresos y el valor para el accionista. Deben cambiar para vender y entregar productos y servicios de mejor calidad a los clientes. Deben cambiar para que la gente trabaje cada día mejor y también deben cambiar para optimizar y cumplir los procesos.

Sobre gestión del cambio se ha escrito mucho. En este blog he publicado traducciones de algunos textos de Tom DeMarco, que desarrolla admirablemente el factor psicológico del cambio organizacional, el lado humano del cambio en las empresas. Como muestra pueden leer los posts: Todo el mundo odia el cambio y Un modelo de cambio eficaz.

Para abordar los aspectos no psicológicos del cambio organizacional, les recomiendo la lectura de un documento publicado recientemente por PMI. Se titula Managing Change in Organizations. Puede descargarse (gratuitamente por tiempo limitado) a través de la web de PMI, en el siguiente enlace: http://www.pmi.org/Knowledge-Center/Change-Management/Change-Management-Form.aspx

Adapting Covey's habits to Project Management

In 1989, Stephen Covey published his bestselling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People which was chosen the most influential business book of the 20th century. Many people see in the 7 Habits paradigm the keys to manage daily life better, but also to achieve sustainable long term effectiveness. If somebody needs effectiveness more than anyone, this is the Project Manager. Good habits make success in Project Management. As effective people, Project Managers should follow the 7 Habits Covey’s paradigm. 

In my humble opinion, this is necessary but not sufficient. Wouldn't we need a “character ethic” for Project Managers?