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‘Power’ and ‘Influence’ are two words you will constantly hear if you are seeking to find the path to successful corporate leadership. They’re not lightweight terms, as the timeline of human history has shown. So, learning how to properly use power and influence is most likely to be one of the keys to finding the right path to success.
I’ve been interested to read about the world recognised Colin Gautrey and The Gautrey Group via their website. With a huge portfolio and wide reaching expertise they aim to provide the appropriate skills and training to people in all levels of the corporate workplace to help them achieve optimum, yet balanced levels of influence and, hopefully, genuine success in their chosen field. And that’s an achievement nearly all of us in the corporate arena, at some point, has found to be a challenge, perhaps especially in recent times.

Click here to browse The Gautrey Group’s website…

Portfolios Programs Projects – simply making them happen

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I love it when people send in feedback and yes, I am reading it all. The feedback I received below came from a client who was commenting on their PMO (not an RNC PMO).
Some of the things they observe and find frustrating:

• Making procedures which form a sort of unimaginative straight jacket within which tasks must be performed
• Interfering with the process instead of just looking at the results
• Thinking that only the way in which they want it done is the right way
• Not trusting that it will work out all right.  If they can’t leave the PM to do the job then either the PM or the PMO should go.

You may or (hopefully) may not recognise some of these characteristics. At any rate, this type of feedback serve as a handy wake up call… perhaps it should encourage all of us to remember to look constantly for better ways to work with our clients. What are your thoughts?

Enjoy your day, Diane

Portfolios Programs Projects – simply making them happen

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There were so many reasons for us to be thrilled, proud and feeling just great last Wednesday night. It was a privilege to take part in FICAP’s annual “Who Wants To Be A Rockstar” event as a platinum sponsor, but we were also very proud to see our own fantastic Ray Trevisan up there on the stage. Thank you Ray!

Thank you to everyone who came along to support this year’s event and cheer on the talented line-up of rockstar wannabes. Congratulations to Zurich’s Sophie Koo, winner of RNC’s Best Female Artist. And hats off to the amazing people behind FICAP.

Click here to read about the other successes of the night, and find more information on the fantastic efforts by FICAP to raise money for some truly worthwhile, youth-focused charities.

Portfolios Programs Projects – simply making them happen

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There’s just over a week to go to FICAP’s 2012 charity event, “Who Wants To Be A RockStar”. This year, RNC is proud to be a platinum sponsor and we’d love to see you there! Financial services professionals by day take to the stage to become Rockstar wannabes for the night for this unique industry event. It’s going to be a fantastic night, but more importantly, everyone on stage and off will be helping to raise funds for two worthwhile organisations – YWCA NSW and Open Family Australia.

So don’t forget…
Wednesday March 21st, from 6pm, at The Metro Theatre, 624 George Street, Sydney

And we’ll see you there!

Click here to read more about “Who Wants To Be A RockStar” in Rachel Davis’s article.
And go to the FICAP website to read all about their incredible work in raising funds for charities that benefit young people - www.ficap.com.au/ or click here.

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I should have known you’d be interested in what clients don’t like. Previously, I published a list showing why RNC clients like our RNC PMs. You might have noticed that the LIKES list wasn’t about academic PM knowledge or the skills required to manage a project (even though we are proud of our reputation in these areas!). From the start, our clients need to know they can work with us, and vice versa. There’s no point moving on if you can’t get that right, and that’s what the LIKES list was all about.

So, I won’t keep you waiting…. You want to know what clients don’t like. And just a reminder, this is a summary of what clients didn’t like about non-RNC PMs. So I guess it’s what makes us different to the rest.

Clients didn’t like the non-RNC PMs because they:

• Didn’t act like they were engaged with the business
• Didn’t do any more than the minimum
• Were precious and hard to work with
• Wanted to tell us what we need, rather than doing what we want
• Were way too focussed on paperwork, structure and reports… and didn’t understand that all I wanted was the bloody project delivered
• Were full of excuses
• Thought I’d be impressed with PM stuff (like big docs and complicated plans)
• Didn’t fit into the culture
• Didn’t read the politics
• Played the politics
• Thought the project was theirs and tried to belt us over the head with it
• Seemed superior
• Were not good with people

I could go on… this list has the potential to be a l-o-n-g one, but I think this sample definitely conveys the essence of what’s not to like. I sure am glad they aren’t talking about us!

As an aside, I was with an internationally acclaimed organisational psychologist yesterday and learned the following: The single biggest attribute of people who succeed is charm (yes, I know we all think we are charming, but I’m now on a mission to find out what it is and I’ll let you know).

Diane

Portfolios Programs Projects – simply making them happen

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One of the most rewarding aspects of running a business is knowing that your clients are satisfied with your services, comfortable to be entrusting you with their projects and programs. In other words, they like you!  I was truly gratified recently when three RNC clients acknowledged their appreciation in words… and pictures.  

One client re-worked the RNC logo to express their sentiments:

Another told us that “hiring RNC was the best thing we did last year”.  
And that’s not all… yet another said that their RNC PM “is the best in the organisation”.

I gathered all this positive feedback together in my mind to figure out where the points of difference were. That is, the difference between a PM… and our RNC PMs.  Well I’ve now distilled it into a few common denominators:

Clients like the RNC person because they:

• Get the job done
• Are a low emotional overhead i.e. not precious, not needy and don’t play negative politics
• Just get on and do the job
• Focus on the job requested, not the job they want to do or think the business should want
• Are friendly and accommodating (no sharp edges)
• Know what they are doing and other people respect them
• Have a way of getting people to do what they want without being too pushy
• Seem to have an ability to read the organisation and work within and across it to get the job done;
• Don’t seem like a contractor, and they have our best interests at heart.

Knowing this certainly helps to make every day worthwhile.

By the way, conversely, I wanted to find out what is was that non-RNC PMs were doing that brought about negative feedback.

I received some interesting comments too… so stay tuned. Enjoy your day, and thank you!

Diane

 Portfolios Programs Projects – simply making them happen

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Santa arrived at glorious North Steyne beach on a beautiful sunny day ~ in an RNC sponsored surf rescue boat…

(Even Santa knows the right company to use for his projects – When the project matters, it really does matter who’s delivering it.)

Merry Christmas!

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I see the decorations, hear the music and feel the summer air…  must be coming up to Christmas and summer. 

Hopefully you’ll have a chance for a bit of a break.  It’s been a busy year and it’s time for some relaxation – and fun. 

Don’t know why, but this year I’m drawn to the beach.  I love it.  Seeing the waves, hearing the surf and snatches of conversation, and walking on the sand is refreshing and rejuvenating.

As I write this, the sun’s shining and I can hear squeals of delight from people splashing about in the shallow surf.  I can feel the sun’s warmth, smell the sea air and catch the occasional aroma of sunscreen.   It’s a perfect day.

Two people go past with sand on their feet and boards under their arms – smiles as wide as Australia.

Whatever you do over Xmas and the summer, whatever sport you watch, music you listen to or whatever you do to relax, I hope the season brings you joy and rejuvenation.

My very best wishes for 2012.

Diane

Might see you at the beach!

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 A client changed our logo to say thanks for delivering.
Gotta love that!!

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Nothing!… if they are any good. The distinction came about because of frustration by business that project managers delivering projects with IT components were not willing, or able, to understand that the project was supposed to deliver a business benefit and deliver the project to achieve the business need.   But how do you tell?

Ask the PM what they are delivering.  If they say, for example, “getting commercial product to market sooner”, they can deliver a business project (even if the whole project is IT,  such as documentation management system).  If you ask the same question about the same project and the answer is ” implementing a document management system”, you can be pretty certain they aren’t focused on the business and would call themselves an IT PM.

There is ongoing debate about whether there is any such thing as an IT project and I am in the camp of thinking not.  I was told emphatically last week that the NBN is an IT project…… but in my view it’s providing better access to the community.  One person says it is rolling out the biggest infrastructure in Australia’s history and another says they are opening up the world for Australians – I know which one I’d want leading the project.

And that brings me to another point.  From my perspective, the PM is the person responsible for driving and delivering the outcome, rather than just keeping all the forms, reports and plans up to date. That responsibility, in my opinion, is a project admin role.

A couple of years ago I visited NASA and was amazed and delighted that no matter who I spoke to (and there were hundreds of PMs in attendance at an internal conference), every single response, in answer to the question, “what project are you working on?”,  referred to which overall outcome they were on. Truly, not a single person said, for example, that they were increasing the capacity of the ventilation system….. 
Clearly, they were heading for Mars!

Hope it helps,
Diane