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WHAT “PROJECT DNA” ARE YOU REPLICATING?
Introduction
Each organization has its own “DNA”—internal codes of working, behaving,
communicating, and relating. What’s in this DNA? Components include: formal
and informal systems, processes, management structures, guidelines. Other
organizational DNA includes norms for culture, communication and collaboration,
and approaches to learning and continual improvement. Because these
components are so pervasive and essential to “the way work gets done,”
organizational DNA has a profound effect on an organization’s ability to
successfully implement strategy and vision to achieve desired business
outcomes.
Organizational DNA tends to be Organizational DNA (whether good or bad) tends to be inherited and replicated
inherited and replicated throughout an by business or functional units throughout the organization. Many organizations
organization. operate in ways that limit opportunities to ”maximize the DNA.” Other
organizations have internal maturity surrounding its components, allowing the
organization to work to its fullest potential and optimize results. It is no surprise
that the fields of organizational/industrial psychology and human capital
assessment have focused on these components and their effect on the bottom
line.
This white paper extends the concept of organizational DNA to large projects and
illustrates how you can optimize your project DNA to improve your chances of
project success. First, we define project DNA and discuss the value of
examining the impact of improved project performance on different levels of the
organization. Next, we posit a model of high performance for projects, based on
research in the field of human performance, and apply this model to the field of
project management. Finally, we examine two approaches you can use to
understand and improve the current state of your project DNA.
• Business Results
Organization • Customer Satisfaction
Level • Corporate Reputation
•Process Management
Process Level •Lessons Learned
•Continual PM Process Improvement
Individual • Enhanced PM Skills
Performer • Achievement of Job Goals
Level • Improved Engagement & Retention
Managing
Influences
Information
Resources
& Tools
Key Work
Processes Outcomes
& Critical of the Job
Tasks
1
PMBOK stands for the Project Management Body of Knowledge, published by PMI.
Outcomes of the Job Project team members who know the outcomes they must
produce for the project to be deemed a success.
Key Work Processes & Key work processes are identified for the critical project
Critical Tasks management positions. Examples of a project management
work process is “Planning and organizing the project.”
Ability to staff the project from the beginning with the right
people and skills.
Empowerment by management.
But where should an organization start their effort to improve project DNA?
There are at least two approaches that can be used. One is a “top-down”
approach that involves rapid implementation of a PMO using
tools/templates/techniques that reflect established PM best practices. The
second is a “bottom-up” approach that focuses on understanding and replicating
the code for successful project management in your organization. Of course,
organizations may decide to combine these approaches to speed the replication
of positive project DNA.
Top-Down Approach
The top-down approach to improving project DNA focuses on improving the
processes, management structures, project environment, and tools (including
training on tool use). This can be accomplished by implementing a fully
functional PMO and empowering it (and the staff that supports it) to succeed.
This approach establishes a strong foundation for project management success,
which ensures the replication of good project DNA. New projects take on the
processes, environment, tools, and management structures already in place,
making adaptations that may be required due to project size and schedule.
Advantages of taking this approach include project team member recognition that
the organization is serious about project management, as well as immediate
results. For example, our company has established key components of
enterprise PMOs for clients in as little as 90-100 days. Applying this approach is
not without its challenges, however. It requires strong organizational and project
sponsor leadership. It also requires effective training for all project managers
and other project team members. And to minimize negative reactions to the
change, it is essential that the organization carefully handle communication
before and during the roll out of the PMO.
Bottom-Up Approach
The bottom-up approach to improving project DNA is more organic in nature. It
focuses on understanding what is already working well in your organization and
using these as “seeds” to extend project management success to other projects
and parts of the organization. This approach analyzes your organization’s Successful project managers are those
successful project managers via the components of the high performance model who consistently perform above
presented previously. Our company uses an analysis methodology called standard and produce valued project
Performance DNA. Performance DNA is a 4-phase methodology that enables us management outcomes.
to recognize and document the code for successful performance, as well as the
current barriers that are impeding success.
Summary
Project DNA already exists in any organization with large technology projects.
Much like organizational DNA, it affects each project’s ability to achieve
successful outcomes. Good project DNA, when replicated throughout an
organization, improves project outcomes, creates positive “lessons learned” and
enhances the skills of project team members. Negative project DNA can also be
replicated throughout an organization, resulting in consistently mediocre project
outcomes, fewer project managers who feel successful, problems retaining the
best project managers, and a dampened reputation.
Smart organizations ask the question “What project DNA are we replicating?” By
asking the question, they begin the process of examining how their successful
projects and project managers operate. This puts them on the road to improving
their project DNA and consequently, their project success rates. This white
paper has presented a model for high performance that can be applied to project
management and has discussed two approaches that can be used to improve
project DNA. Organizations can use these as guides to examine their project
DNA and find ways to optimize and continually enhance it.