Learning Leader

A Model of Everything

The Holy Grail of the physical sciences, we are told, is the “Theory of Everything”. By this

I understand scientists to mean a single unifying theory that underpins the Universe, from the behaviour of the smallest atom to the movements of the 100 billion galaxies. We are seeing different sciences peek over their boundaries to others and realise that they are attacking different facets of our physical world with very similar models.Could there be a unifying theory that explains everything? That is the great quest.

In recent years we have seen something similar happening with the changing shape of management methods.  Models of change and methods from previously separate areas – such as project management and organisation development – are now beginning to ‘talk to each other’ and synthesise. We are seeing the emergence of common terms and of what some call ‘joined-up thinking’.

This is particularly evident in the area pearcemayfield comes from: methods and models whose development has been sponsored by the UK’s OGC and promoted by APM Group. Over the last fifteen years we have seen a convergence of language and a dovetailing of models in the following:

·         Project management (PRINCE2®)

·         Risk management (M_o_R®)

·         Programme management (MSP®)

·         Change management

·         Portfolio, programme and project support and assurance (P3O®)

·         IT service management (ITIL®), and

·         Maturity models (e.g. P3M3)

The OGC ownership of these has been significant in that it has worked towards convergence in successive publications of PRINCE2, MSP and M_o_R, for example, in a way that the ‘free market’ of ideas in business and academia might not have achieved so fluently; hence the significance of all the Registered Trade Marks above.

In particular, I would point to two ‘unifying’ pieces in particular:

1.       P3O, which has a unifying diagram. The position of a P3O system of support and assurance is such that it must move across all these different management areas with some kind of cohesion. A P3O insists on joined-up thinking.

2.       Change management. Although not yet adopted by OGC, this has been pioneered by APM Group. As a topic it is far too inclusive to insist on neat boundaries, such as with PRINCE2 project management. Effective change involves thinking about strategy, values, benefits realisation management, individual motivation, leadership … the works.

As we introduce clients to more members of this family of models, we are less likely to show disjointed links. Rather we find clients appreciate how much the recent editions of PRINCE2(2009)  and MSP(2007) build upon one another and other approaches.

Of course, we would claim some credit for that, having had a pearcemayfield author on both….:)

PRINCE User Group - Part 1: Implementing Best Practice Methods

Just back from the PRINCE User Group at Stoke-on-Trent my overall impression was that this was definitely one of the better PRINCE User Group conferences that I have attended over the last thirteen years.

There is much to report on but I will a short themed posting here and reflect on some of the other points that arose later.

There were three particular presentations on implementing best practice in large organisations:the UK Government's approach from Alan Harpham, Manchester City Council and Barclays. I found these common themes in all three:

• they all treated these implementations (knowingly or not) as business change programmes, where behaviours were more important than merely installing the artifacts of best practice (templates and procedures);
• all three identified divisions, departments, specialist business units that were power stakeholder groups and gave them ownership through some best practice group internal to them (e.g. Centres of Excellence or COE's);
• the implementation of best practice was given an owned branding or flavour generally but particularly within each COE, but remained generic best practice; and
• each COE was given a minimum 'core' of best practice (e.g. a core PRINCE2 project management) that they were encouraged to supplement in tailoring to the particular needs of their unit, but they were not allowed to mess with the core, which in turn provided a cross-organisational lingua franca.

Finally, Lt Col Chris Barkes of HQ Land and I did an impromptu duet on Does MSP Work ... Really? when we were asked to stand in the breach for a speaker who could not make it. I will post the results of that session here tomorrow.

PUG (aka PRINCE User Group)

I'm off to exotic Stoke-on-Trent tomorrow morning to attend this two-day conference, and will report any gleanings.

PUG has outgrown its acronym and now aims to support not just the community using the PRINCE2 project management method, but other best practice approaches from OGC including MSP programme management and M_o_R management of risk.

Apparently the bookings are way up on recent years, thanks in no small part to the leadership of PUG being taken up by good friend and associate, Eddie Borup, founder of Customer Projects.

More later.