Learn how to thrive in todays world of business and project management.

1. The Biggest Trend
in Project Management
and How To Thrive
Diane Dromgold

2. Organisations are only doing
two things:
1. Stuff that gets today’s results
(business as usual); and
2. Stuff to get tomorrow’s results
(projects).

3. A brief ‘modern’
history of projects
Society had a problem.
We needed a way to get things done –
things that couldn’t be achieved in
normal daily operations and activities.

4. We invented the corporation as a way to
get things done that couldn’t be done
otherwise…
In the 2003 film, “The Corporation”
Noam Chomsky said corporations were groups of people chartered by
the state to perform a particular function (that they couldn’t perform on
their own); and
Mary Zepernick Director Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy
stated that corporations operated under charters constrained by:
• how long they could operate;
• the amount of capitalization allowed;
• what they made and did; and
• provided for the shareholders being responsible. Sounds a lot
like a project

5. Corporations got complicated,
bureaucratised and rigid
5

6. Then they needed a way to get
things done
So they invented …. Projects!
(mini corporations)

7. Projects (or mini corporations)
• Temporary organisations to get something
done that has no other way of being
achieved;
• Established with clear accountabilities, for
specific periods and to achieve specific
things;
• Sits outside existing structures; and
• Controlled by the boss (project manager).

8. They worked…
and organisations wanted more.

9. Enthusiasm for using projects
keeps going up
1990 2000 2010 2020 2030
60
50
40
30
20
10
Some commentators
argue we’re already
here
RNC evidence
(1000+ cases)
%
% of org.
spend on
projects
The project
driven
organisation

10. Enter the productivity and
efficiency consultants
Maximum utilisation of all resources
•Matrix reporting
•% allocation of time to
line and project activities
•People working on several
things at the same time.

11. Projects no longer
stand alone
This is the biggest trend in
projects and their management
today.

12. Business
Project
ProjectProject
Project
Yesterday

13. Business
Projects
13
Today

14. It’s all blurry now

15. It’s not going back
any time soon.

16. How do we…? ??
??
??

17. …succeed without overt
control?
?

18. Succeed with competing
demands on people?
?
?

19. Plan and budget without
control over resources?
19
Those were
the days my
friend
?
?

20. Get people to do
what we want them to do…
and when we want them to do
it?

21. No matter what we learn
in project management education.
No matter what tools,
procedures, processes and
reports we need to use…

22. … It’s all about you
and them.

23. Think in terms of
campaign management...
Influence is the key.

24. Being Influential
“Seek first to understand;
then to be understood.”
St Francis of Assisi - Stephen Covey

25. Notes to self
 Work out who cares – and what it is they care about
 Run the project they want – not the one I think they should want
 Craft the project story – and get everyone on script
 Don’t take people’s commitment for granted – no one works for
or with me unless they want to
 No one buys in unless it works for them
 I need to know who has the power of yes – and the power of no
 Beware the delegate sponsor.

26. Talk to us –
Diane Dromgold
Managing Director
RNC Global Projects
Head Office
Level 57
19-29 Martin Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Other Offices
Singapore; Hong Kong; USA;
Canberra
www.rncglobal.com
ddromgold@rncglobal.com
0419 622 649
+61 2 9238 1990