When it comes to project management, the emergence of Agile methodologies has transformed the way businesses conceptualise, plan, and execute projects.

The key to achieving success in any Agile initiative lies in the Agile project manager—a pivotal figure tasked with uniting diverse components to accomplish project objectives. This role carries a multitude of responsibilities, with a primary focus on fostering adaptability, promoting collaboration, and guaranteeing that projects align with expectations. Being an Agile Project Manager demands a blend of versatile skills and qualities, making it a multifaceted and intricate position.

Comprehending the intricacies of this role can sometimes be challenging. Nevertheless, the prosperity of a business frequently hinges on the Agile project manager’s ability to foster collaboration among different departments and empower teams through clear communication and effective leadership. Therefore, when everyone grasps the manager’s role, project success becomes more probable, and the deployment of Agile methodologies can be carried out with precision.

What is Agile Project Management?

Agile project management stands out as a dynamic and iterative approach to overseeing projects, placing a strong emphasis on flexibility, collaboration, and a customer-centric mindset. In contrast to more traditional methodologies that often follow a rigid and linear path, the Agile framework embraces change and gives priority to delivering incremental value to stakeholders through early and ongoing deliveries.

By nurturing adaptive planning and encouraging cross-functional teamwork, Agile methods empower teams to swiftly adapt to evolving requirements and market dynamics. To delve deeper into the principles, practices, and advantages of Agile Project Management, feel free to explore our comprehensive blog post.

Recent years have witnessed a remarkable surge in the popularity of Agile values, signifying a fundamental shift in project management practices. Organizations across various industries are now embracing Agile methods to enhance their responsiveness and elevate customer satisfaction.

The Roles in Agile Project Teams

Within an Agile project team, a diverse array of crucial roles collaboratively propel projects towards fruition. It’s worth noting that the specific composition of these roles may vary depending on the unique needs of each team.

In the Agile Business Consortium’s DSDM project framework, various roles play essential parts. These roles encompass the Business Sponsor, who holds responsibility for the project’s overall scope, finances, and alignment with broader business objectives. The Visionary, on the other hand, guides the project’s overarching vision and direction.

Additionally, the Technical Coordinator ensures that the solution adheres to technical standards and fulfills the specified requirements. The Team Leader leads and manages smaller segments and intricate components of the project. Meanwhile, the Business Analyst focuses on identifying opportunities and changes within the broader business context that could impact the project.

The Solution Developer takes the business requirements into account, using them to shape the solution, while the Solution Tester carries the responsibility for performance testing at various stages of the project’s development.

In agile teams, you usually encounter a range of diverse roles, all customized to suit the specific project objectives. This diversity is integral to promoting adaptability within the team. However, amidst this diversity, one role remains constant and pivotal – that of the agile project manager. The agile project manager is responsible for orchestrating coordination and championing the core principles of agility.

What is an Agile Project Manager?

An Agile project manager occupies a multifaceted role that seamlessly combines top-level leadership with facilitation in the context of an Agile project setting. Their central objective is to mold the evolving workspace for the solution and cultivate collaboration among members of the Solution Development Team. The project manager offers guidance to team members, steering them without imposing intricately detailed project blueprints on the development process. Rather than adopting a rigid “command and control” approach, they embrace a facilitative style to direct the project.

The role of the Project Manager plays a pivotal part in guaranteeing the success of a project. It involves a wide range of responsibilities, starting from ensuring effective communication with stakeholders to overseeing the strategic aspects of project planning and scheduling. Furthermore, the Project Manager is responsible for tracking progress, handling risks and challenges, and fostering team empowerment and motivation.

From the project’s inception to its deployment phase, the Project Manager remains at the core, playing a vital role in maintaining efficient coordination and communication throughout the entire project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities of an Agile Project Manager

Agile Project Managers bear a range of vital responsibilities that distinguish them from traditional project manager roles. This position demands flexibility and serves as a central pillar within the agile workflow.

Some of the key responsibilities include:

• Orchestrating the project’s progression from inception to completion.
• Cultivating transparent communication and collaboration within the agile team.
• Fostering an environment where team members can autonomously organize and make decisions.
• Offering coaching and training to facilitate the adoption of Agile principles and ongoing improvement.
• Aligning project objectives with the broader organizational goals.
• Facilitating effective collaboration and integration across various functions.
• Guiding the development team in crafting and adhering to a delivery plan.
• Monitoring project advancement and the project timeline.
• Identifying obstacles and promptly addressing issues.
• Ensuring timely management of risks and resolution of impediments.
• Cultivating a culture that embraces adaptability, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Striking a balance between customer feedback and needs, and technical constraints.
• Encouraging ongoing feedback loops to refine processes and deliverables.
• Collaborating with stakeholders to gather and prioritize requirements.
• Empowering the team to embrace change and adapt to evolving circumstances.
• Advocating for Agile practices within the organization.

The precise duties associated with the Agile Project Manager role will fluctuate depending on the specifics of the Agile setting, the project’s characteristics, and the demands of the business.

What is the difference between a Traditional and Agile Project Manager?

The differentiation between a Traditional and Agile Project Manager hinges on their approach to managing projects:

Traditional Project Managers

The traditional approach leans heavily on a “command and control” style, where tasks and processes are meticulously prescribed. It places significant emphasis on extensive upfront planning, striving to establish a comprehensive project roadmap right from the start. The traditional Project Manager’s primary responsibilities revolve around task allocation and supervising individual contributions.

Agile Approach

The Agile approach, in contrast, places a premium on collaboration and adaptability, nurturing a spirit of teamwork and open communication. It embraces iterative and agile planning, enabling fluid adjustments throughout the project’s course. It promotes shared leadership within self-organizing teams, empowering members to collectively steer decisions and shape outcomes.

The Essential Skills needed to be a Successful Agile Project Manager

Becoming a skilled Agile Project Manager entails developing a well-rounded set of technical, interpersonal, and leadership abilities to effectively navigate projects within the ever-changing Agile terrain. Agile Project Managers bear the ultimate responsibility for overseeing Agile projects throughout their entirety. This role demands a diverse and adaptable skill set, including:

• Strong Organizational Skills: The capability to handle intricate projects, allocate resources efficiently, and guarantee timely task completion.
• Excellent Communication Skills: Adeptness in conveying concepts, requirements, and project status at different organizational levels, fostering transparency.
• Risk Management: Expertise in recognizing potential project risks, evaluating their potential consequences, and formulating strategies to mitigate them.
• Conflict Resolution: The skill to navigate conflicts and variances within the team, cultivating a constructive, agile atmosphere, and enhancing team efficiency.
• Adaptive Leadership: The capacity to adapt one’s leadership approach to match the team’s requirements, promoting autonomy and self-organization.
• Agile Expertise: Comprehending the Agile manifesto and its four core values can be highly beneficial. Moreover, having a deep familiarity with an Agile framework like the DSDM project management approach, coupled with proficiency in Agile tools, is indispensable for effectively executing Agile projects.
• Flexibility: The ability to navigate the inherent uncertainties and changes that come with Agile work while keeping the focus on objectives.
• Collaboration: Readiness to collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and customers to collectively deliver value.
• Customer-Centric Approach: Prioritizing the comprehension and fulfillment of customer needs, leading to customer satisfaction and fostering collaboration.
• Decision Making: Exceptional critical thinking skills and the ability to make well-informed and timely decisions.

Agile Project Management Certifications and Training

With Agile project management methodologies taking a prominent role in the project management landscape, APMG provides a comprehensive array of top-tier certifications for individuals to select from. Our agile project management certifications and training programs empower project managers to cultivate their skill sets and gain proficiency in Agile methodologies.

APMG Agile Courses and Certifications:

• Agile Project Management: Discover how to implement the foremost framework for Agile project delivery.
• Agile Program Management: Explore the art of crafting adaptable Agile programs that can adeptly respond to changes in business requirements.
• Agile Business Analysis: Attain expertise in the role of a Business Analyst within an Agile setting.
• Agile Change Agent: Enhance your practical skills in Agile and change management
• Scrum: Acquire the expertise to maximize the benefits of Scrum through Scrum Master and Product Owner training.
• DASA DevOps: Revolutionize your organization’s IT capabilities by incorporating the principles of DASA DevOps.

By obtaining an APMG certification, project managers can become highly skilled in Agile processes and widely recognized Agile methodologies, giving them a significant competitive edge.

Conclusion

In today’s evolving landscape, organizations are progressively acknowledging the importance of flexibility, collaboration, and iterative advancement. Project managers have taken on a new role as enablers of this transformative shift. Through their embrace of the Agile mindset, project managers are not merely overseeing projects but actively steering teams toward adaptability and a customer-centric approach.

Ultimately, by embodying the principles of Agile and fostering an environment that promotes Agile values, project managers lay the foundation for prosperous, innovative, and customer-focused projects in the dynamic modern business landscape.

 

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Simplifying organizational change can lead to enhanced change momentum and effectiveness. Here, momentum isn’t merely about speed; it involves alignment and synergistic actions that create a multiplier effect. Effectiveness, as per the Oxford Language Dictionary (accessed on 30/7/23), refers to the capability to achieve a desired or intended outcome.

Consider the current organizational change you are involved in. How much of your professional effort is dedicated to minimizing efforts that don’t align with the agreed change plan, resolving conflicting priorities, ensuring commitments are fulfilled, and ensuring that when change tasks are marked as complete, they are truly 100% accomplished rather than just “almost good enough”?

They recently went to a meeting where the RAG (Red, Amber, Green) status was being used to discuss progress. A senior person started talking about different shades of red to avoid dealing with reality-based reporting, which created a heated discussion. This person felt hesitant to admit that obligations had not been kept.

Here’s a valuable tip: Be cautious of “watermelons” when implementing change management focused on velocity and efficacy. Watermelons can potentially manifest in various aspects of the change process, including front-end loading, planning, iterations, process application, and interactions within change delivery. The term “watermelon” symbolizes a lack of authenticity and transparency.

Expanding on the example of RAG/Traffic Light mentioned earlier, watermelons resemble a green exterior but harbor red inside! Change management practitioners should exercise keen vigilance to identify and address the presence and acceptance of “watermelons” across all components of change delivery.

Below are some areas that, drawn from years of experience as a change management practitioner, have consistently proven to facilitate and simplify the effective implementation of change across diverse cultures, organizational types, and challenging circumstances.

1. Organizational History and Culture

When assessing the history and culture of your organization, a crucial aspect to concentrate on is its capacity and willingness to embrace change.

This is the sphere where obstacles, hindrances, and hurdles to implementing efficient change can arise. Alarmingly, these influential elements are frequently disregarded or dismissed due to the ‘honeymoon effect’ or unwarranted optimism that things will be different this time.

There exists a possibility of substantial denial from board members and subsequently their reporting chains regarding the organization’s history and culture. The expressed perspective is typically more optimistic than the reality based on the facts.

For example, in 2021, You worked with a company that was about to introduce SCRUM in order to improve project delivery. That indicated to have made a proposal to the Board six years earlier about instituting SCRUM, which had eventually failed, during a conversation with senior management. you wondered whether, six years later, the same factors that had contributed to the earlier poor implementation of SCRUM were still in action. He replied that all those circumstances were still in place. As a result, they had low expectations for the current attempt’s success.

2. Front-end Loading

How often does the journey of organizational change commence without a genuine and transparent strategy backed by appropriate resources? Initiating organizational change doesn’t necessarily mean that everything needed is already in place or will be immediately available, considering the evolving nature of the delivery environment. What it should entail is an unbiased evaluation of the situation as it stands at the decision-making point, which must be clearly comprehended and endorsed by the Board and/or Steering Committee.

A robust, fact-based business case, accompanied by a PESTEL (Political, Environmental, Social, Technical, Economic, Legal) analysis, should be utilized in this context. These elements should form the foundation for the decision-making process concerning whether to proceed or halt the change program.

This analysis should encompass an authentic and transparent Risk and Issue Assessment, accompanied by a well-defined approach to meticulous risk and issue management. (No “watermelons”!)

3. Fractional Resourcing

This concept draws inspiration from the well-established principle in Banking, where Banks operate under the assumption that not all depositors will simultaneously demand their deposits in full. This is where the notion of the “fraction” comes into play. It pertains to predicting what fraction of deposits will likely be withdrawn and when. The consequential decision revolves around how the bank manages the “fraction” of deposits it expects to remain. It’s a blend of mystery and the art of Banking!

As a product of the change Business Case, PESTEL analysis, and Risk and Issue Assessment, the identification of resource requirements is probable. In all likelihood, there will exist a disparity between the resource demand and the available resources.

Fractional resourcing becomes important at this point, possibly increasing the subtleties and complexity of change implementation. Allocating resources to routine duties against those necessary for the transformation program could create tension within the organization. Here, “fractions” of a person’s time are divided across numerous responsibilities, usually managed by different managers. they realize that this leans toward matrix management, a workable organizational strategy if done well. However,  many firms claim to use matrix management, but closer inspection reveals that they lack the necessary management structures and supporting procedures to achieve the predicted productivity benefits that have been taken into account in the change delivery plan.

Closely intertwined with fractional resourcing is the absolute necessity for a maturity assessment of the available internal resources. This assessment should outline what resources, in terms of numbers and skills, might need to be either hired, contracted, or partnered with for the successful execution of the change project and the realization of its intended value.

The resource profile needed is not solely based on quantity but also on the specific skills necessary for successful plan implementation. Both resource quantity and skills are imperative. To create a strong resource requirement profile during change delivery, the criteria of capability, competency, and capacity related to the detailed task specifications from the change plan can prove invaluable. This process also presents a chance to identify resource-related risks and issues and develop corresponding mitigation strategies. Ensuring commitment from all organizational levels, from the Board to departmental line managers, in supporting the change resource requirements is a critical challenge and a potentially significant hurdle for successful change implementation.

4. Authentic, Transparent, and Flexible Change Management Planning Process

Most organizations employ a planning process, which can differ in terms of frequency, approach, and complexity.

There’s a significant potential for increased challenges in change management delivery when the current planning process is applied to organizational change management without a thorough, reality-based process review.

Regular operational activities follow established processes. However, any change management initiative is distinct from business as usual (BAU). Therefore, it’s essential to assess the suitability of existing planning and other processes as part of the initial stages of change management. This evaluation aims to ensure that these processes are appropriate for supporting both BAU and change management efforts.

However, this proposition can often overwhelm many organizations. As a result, there’s often an attempt to forcefully fit the change program into the existing planning and management processes. This approach might not yield optimal efficiency or effectiveness.

Any decision should be made consciously rather than relying on habitual choices.

Another important aspect to address to mitigate difficulties and challenges involves determining the level of flexibility or rigidity required for the planning process. This consideration is closely tied to the dynamic nature of most organizational operating environments.

If we view a plan as a valuable and necessary tool that reflects our best estimation at a given moment, then it’s logical that the plan and its associated components should be regularly reviewed, updated, and communicated. This should happen as the assumptions underlying the change plan evolve, driven by factors like PESTEL analysis and the changing dynamics within the organization.

This approach aligns well with an AGILE methodology for organizational change management. It emphasizes the importance of minimizing work in progress and prioritizes delivering valuable outcomes with agility.

5. Transparent Communication Process Enabling Easier Organizational Change

Consider this perspective: it’s not always necessary for everyone to possess complete knowledge in order for tasks to be accomplished efficiently. However, let me provide some context to this observation.

In certain organizational cultures, status might be linked to having a deep understanding of information. Unfortunately, such status associations can sometimes hinder the smooth flow of information, leading to a potential impact on the timely completion of valuable work.

For those working in the realm of change management, it’s essential to prioritize both the initial stages and ongoing evaluations of the change management communication process. This includes assessing the effectiveness of both the overall process and the individual components within it.

 

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The effectiveness of alignment as a metric is limited because not all strategic objectives have equal importance.

Alignment of Strategies is Meaningless

Organizations don’t exist simply to exist. Every decision made within the organization should be evaluated based on its ability to achieve prioritized strategic objectives. This means that before considering any improvement initiatives, such as programs or projects, the organization must first determine how it aligns with its overall strategy.

This also includes determining the metrics and indicators that will allow for a fair assessment of its impact. As Tilley (1963) stated, “strategy is a representation of the organization’s goals and aspirations. Both the attainment of goals and growth as an organization are critical for successful strategy implementation.” This becomes increasingly relevant when considering that in 2020, only 52% of organizations achieved at least two-thirds of their strategic objectives.

Therefore, as Stephen Jenner says, “what’s important is not the alignment of strategy, but rather its ability to bring value”, particularly in terms of realizing benefits. Benefits are quantifiable improvements that help achieve one or more strategic objectives. It’s crucial for the strategy to be clearly defined so that these benefits can be consistently measured.

To put it simply, contribution refers to the role or impact of an individual or element in producing an outcome or facilitating progress. On the other hand, alignment refers to the arrangement in a straight line or proper relative positions (Oxford Concise English Dictionary 1999). Hence, determining the impact of each proposed spending within a portfolio on achieving strategic objectives is central to effective benefits management.

The saying “you can do anything but not everything” holds true in strategy implementation. Many organizations allocate resources, such as personnel, funding, equipment, materials, technology, property, and other essentials, on a large scale without having a clear understanding of their strategic priorities. Despite an organizational strategy being a crucial factor in determining the organization’s future in an evolving digital economy, if the organization is unable to achieve its strategic objectives, the strategy becomes ineffective and the organization’s purpose remains unachieved.

The purpose of strategy contribution should be to advance the organization and its business model toward its desired outcomes, such as growth or transformation. On the other hand, relying solely on strategy alignment is unlikely to bring about these results or deliver the desired benefits, and may even result in digital disruption, especially when resources are mainly focused on maintaining the daily operations of the business. For instance, Kodak failed to capitalize on the potential of digital photography, a technology it invented in 1975.

Boldly going nowhere

According to researcher Marcus Buckingham, “ordinary organizations play checkers while exceptional ones play chess.” In checkers, all pieces are identical and interchangeable. However, in order to win at chess, you must understand the strengths and weaknesses of each piece and why each one is unique. This means that strategy contribution should lead to the proper allocation of funds to various spending proposals, both in progress and planned, in order to reflect the priority and importance of the organization’s strategic objectives.

Merely mentioning “strategy alignment,” as is common among many organizations, particularly in program and project business cases, is not sufficient. Stephen Jenner suggests that a spending proposal can easily be aligned with any strategic objective without specific measures and metrics. Alignment alone is not a reliable indicator as not all strategic objectives carry equal weight. It is important to prioritize and rank the strategic objectives to show which are the most important.

Strategy contribution is vital because the purpose of portfolio and benefits management is to enable the accomplishment of strategic objectives, not just alignment. A portfolio may seem aligned to a certain cause by expressing belief in it and discussing it, but without taking any actual actions. In other words, “alignment” is a misleading term in performance management that leads to inadequate strategy implementation. To be comprehensive, the business case should include a benefits map and benefit profile that clearly explain how the proposed spending will contribute to the organization’s strategy and performance.

The major flaw in portfolio management is the widespread “checklist” approach to strategy alignment, which gives organizations a false sense of measuring the portfolio’s strategy contribution. This bureaucratic and externally imposed approach, also known as “tick-box culture,” creates a gap between official perception and actual outcomes and results. Too often, strategy alignment is used as a default excuse when the benefits of a specific idea cannot be clearly expressed. Essentially, strategy alignment is frequently cited as the reason why the benefits cannot be communicated more effectively.

This is the way!

According to the Praxis Framework, portfolio management involves the choice, classification, ranking, and improvement of an organization’s programs and projects to align with its goals and available resources for delivering benefits. A comprehensive portfolio and benefits framework should be established by every organization to provide a uniform and effective method for estimating the expected strategy impact from all work proposed for the portfolio. Mature organizations align their portfolio categories with the benefit categories defined in the benefits framework, which ensures the portfolio and benefit categories match and facilitates benefits identification and quantification. This also creates a fair environment for comparing business case options, evaluating investment opportunities, and prioritizing the portfolio, especially when optimizing the portfolio for maximum strategy contribution.

 

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Your chances of making the needed adjustments will increase if you follow these recommended policies and processes. The ability to objectively evaluate the culture of your company is also important.

Given the title, They sincerely ask the readers’ indulgence in stating that most organizations have some sort of written policy and procedure. The way policies and procedures are applied differ greatly between organizations. Making a positive organizational culture is an important aspect that is usually overlooked or underestimated. The influence of the current organizational culture and the transition to the culture needed to embed the intended change outcomes must be openly and transparently discussed in order to achieve this.

You have worked with organizations that are attempting to manage organizational change and will continue to do so. Most people are so afraid that they choose to ignore “the elephant in the room.” That is to say, everyone is aware that changing the current organizational culture will take discussion, agreement, and conviction. However, it is usually overlooked as people become preoccupied with “doing stuff.” This element of organizational culture has the potential to permeate all levels and functions of the organization. A misaligned organizational culture with the goals of the change program cannot be addressed by any policy or procedure and should not be.

It is nearly impossible to create policies and procedures that are 100% error-free. The organization must put up its best effort in regard to policy and processes. This is enhanced by an organizational culture that offers the necessary attitudes and behaviors for applying not just the letter but also the spirit of the policy and procedure.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of best-effort policy and procedure with the appropriate organizational culture, nor should it be minimized by “getting stuff done.” Without the proper mindset and behavior, policy and procedure are a substantial, if not the most important, factor in bringing about successful and efficient organizational change.

The types of knowledge supporting organizational change management, project management, and IT infrastructure are well-established and well-documented. Why are the ethical standards indicated in these and other bodies of knowledge not being upheld with knowledge, rigor, and conviction? They think organizational culture has a big influence. Here is one instance. Any organizational change must start with timely, accurate, consistent, and transparent reporting. The majority of organizations who are working on changes or other projects will claim that they have policies and procedures in place that address status reporting. The “watermelon reporting” issue will almost probably cause problems for these same organizations. What I mean by “watermelon reporting” is that they use a customized traffic light system or RAG to show what was planned against what was achieved. Everything green on the outside but red on the inside is called “watermelon reporting.” How often are reporting policies and procedures followed? The organizational culture and a deficiency in consequence management are directly responsible for the non-application or incorrect application.

Every organization is unique, whether in terms of its objectives, size, available products, or services. Due to the fact that each individual within any organization is a unique individual, they are all very different. There are a few basic areas that every organization can use, but they will need to be customized to suit best the organization’s resources and the change being implemented. Keeping with recognized excellent practices as they are is a powerful recommendation for any change management. Only differ from these when there is a very good reason, and then document the change’s need and expected benefit. Another suggestion is to set up a time for “front-end loading” at the beginning of any change program. This involves putting as many of the resources needed for success in place from the start. A strong risk and issue status is a key artifact for any written change policy and process if having everything in place is not possible.

Recommendations for policy, procedure, and application

From the Plan of Record (POR) through the different plan iterations and final delivery and approval of the commissioning Business Case, all of these should be documented and used to support the project planning process.

• Is there a realistic business case supporting the implementation of the change? Are changes to the initial Business Case under-documented version control as work progresses? This can be needed if it is decided to stop the project or program due to a change in circumstances.
• Existing definitions of the terms “policy,” “procedure,” “practice,” and “process” and how they should be used?
• Are there established, supported, and documented methods for using good practices? For example, what project management strategy should be used? Should the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) be used?
• Is the AGILE Manifesto and SCRUM Guide to be followed, and is there agreement on what this means for application?

 

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Making a digital strategy is overly prioritized by many firms as a commercial need. You don’t need a digital strategy, according to (Nieto-Rodriguez & Speculand, 2021). It’s important to understand the difference if you want to develop a plan for a developing digital economy. When offering your organization’s value proposition, strategy is the conscious decision to “perform activities differently or to execute various activities, better than market competitors” (Porter, 1996). The most important thing to realize is that strategy is all about “choice.”

Unfortunately, organizations frequently make poor decisions while planning to adapt to the current state of the digital infrastructure. They fail to take into account the possibility that by the time they finish the digital transition to the current environment, the technological environment would have completely changed. Therefore, technologically astute CEOs understand that technology is a moving target and start to modify their company and business model to fit the future infrastructure. A moving target must be led if you want to hit it, according to any quarterback, football player, or hockey player. Aim where the target will be rather than where it is now (Kane et al., 2020).

Why it matters?

According to McGrath (2019), changes in the business environment, or “inflection points,” can either result in new, entrepreneurial opportunities (like those offered by Amazon and Netflix), or they can have disastrous effects (e.g. Blockbuster and Toys R Us). According to former Intel CEO Andy Grove, an inflection point is the “moment when the fundamentals of business are going to shift” (Nieto-Rodriguez & Speculand, 2021).

Only those executives who can “see around corners”—more specifically, recognize disruptive inflection moments before they occur—are in a position to succeed (McGrath, 2019). Change can either provide an opportunity to achieve new heights or signal the start of the end. For instance, the market leader in aerospace, Airbus, is testing hydrogen combustion technology to produce the first commercial aircraft with zero emissions by 2035. In contrast to its competitors, Airbus sees the change as an opportunity to “lead a changing target,” while for others, the inflection point may signal the beginning of the end with decreasing market share.

Our business and society are still being digitally disrupted at an unprecedented rate thanks to new technology. Organizations must create a future where they invest in the knowledge and creativity of their workforce if they want to survive. In the future, humans will have the power to fully utilize new technology to create platforms that support or facilitate the development of novel, cutting-edge goods, and services (Deloitte, 2017). Platforms serve as the structural basis on which businesses can provide customers with complementary technological products and services.

Amazon is a prime example of the new type of ambidextrous business that is always looking for the most creative business concepts. It focuses to meet the requirements of its customers even before they are aware that they have them, such as free shipping. Organizational ambidexterity is the capacity of an organization to manage its operations now while creating new methods to meet the shifting demands of tomorrow (Lerner & Zieris 2019).

Today, a strategy must include carefully coordinated decisions regarding the business model with the greatest potential for value creation, the competitive position that captures the greatest amount of value, and the implementation processes that continuously adapt to the changing technology while developing the capabilities needed to realize value over the long term (Collis, 2021). Because of this, according to Blain (2021), “the rapid pace of how we live and work today is driving incremental and radical change in business and is becoming the new normal.”

While some companies are able to keep up with this rapid change, many others are falling behind. Worldwide, the rate of change is catching companies off guard. It’s no longer a question of if and when to transform businesses in order to get ready for a digital future; it’s rather a matter of how quickly to convert (Blain, 2021).

“The pace of change has never been this quick, and it will never be this slow again,” once declared Canadian President Justin Trudeau. There is something great about technology, especially in a digital setting. It modifies every aspect!

 

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Increase project success using the tried-and-true methods of quality and ongoing development.

This article can be quite short. If you will, a lean one. Because it combines the effectiveness of the Lean methodology with the quality management techniques of Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma is useful to project managers.

By removing waste (Lean) and using statistics and data to identify and remove any aspect of a process that doesn’t contribute to the best result, Lean Six Sigma progressively improves the output quality of a process (Six Sigma). Lean Six Sigma allows you to identify the project’s most valuable components, resulting in optimal efficiency.

That basically sums everything up. However, we won’t stop there. What exactly about Lean Six Sigma ensures the success of every project? In order to respond to this inquiry, we would want to provide an overview of Lean Six Sigma before discussing one of its most popular tools: DMAIC.

What is Lean Six Sigma?

Lean Six Sigma is a potent management technique that emphasizes ongoing development. It consists of Lean (which focuses on improving productivity and eliminating waste from a process) and Six Sigma (which focuses on effectiveness and the removal of errors). Lean Six Sigma has a number of belts, usually known as levels. They start at Yellow Belt and go all the way up to Black Belt, much as in martial arts.

Lean Six Sigma was created by well-known corporations like Motorola and Toyota and has since spread to become a widely used global methodology in the manufacturing, industrial, and public service sectors. Lean Six Sigma has been recognized with significant improvements to business performance and processes throughout the years.

Lean Six Sigma is globally applicable and has the ability to help businesses in all areas, despite being particularly well-liked in certain.

What is DMAIC?

Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control is referred to as DMAIC. For the improvement of processes, Lean Six Sigma uses a systematic and tested methodology. Every stage of the DMAIC cycle has its own tools and affects the outcome in some way. DMAIC assists businesses in locating the main causes of errors, removing them, and thus improving process quality overall.

The formula Y=f(x) must be kept in mind constantly while using DMAIC and Lean Six Sigma projects in general. According to this mathematical formula, the result of a process, Y, is the sum of several variables, the x’s. So, if you are aware of the Y, you are constantly aware of what the result of a particular phase must be.

Any variable, including order volume, workspace separation, and date, can be used as the x. These all may have an effect on Y. To ascertain which of the x’s has the most influence, DMAIC uses statistics and data. Following the completion of this step, we may utilize one of the many tools in our toolbox to optimize this variable in a measurable way and improve the quality of the overall process.

Imagine going through each step of a process utilizing tried-and-true tools while using a strategy like DMAIC. You may be confident that the proper problem is being addressed since data and statistics are being used. Results are virtually assured by the method’s structure! DMAIC is thus one of the ways Lean Six Sigma may help project managers.

 

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Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

New Business Resilience Fundamentals course and certification

The level of change and business risk in the world is unprecedented in recent generations. While some businesses freeze and fail, others improve, grow, and even succeed. Resilience makes a difference.

It is more important than ever for organizations to incorporate resilience into their routine operations in the increasingly VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) business world.

The ability to thrive in emergency situations is now crucial as crises become more frequent. Our concept of resilience has transformed as a result of the pandemic. Before Covid, it mostly focused on business continuity and IT disaster recovery.

One description of a resilient business is one that can not only tolerate shocks and disruptions in the business environment but also adapt to them and benefit from them.

BUSINESS RESILIENCE – A practical guide to sustained progress delivered at pace

The Business Resilience Framework is explained to readers and organizations in this new guide. For organizations that want to achieve sustained progress, it consists of five domains: Principles, Roles, Resilience Foundations, PACE Culture, and Progress Cycle. These five domains serve as the foundation for implementing business resilience at pace.

It’s a helpful manual for enhancing current procedures and increasing organizations’ resilience by capitalizing on what the company already performs well. It outlines how managers should regularly assess their business environment and change their goals based on the level of disruption, from gradual innovation and improvement in good economic times to focus on a specific issue during a crisis.

The advice is intended to assist organizations in moving forward rather than simply recovering after a significant disruption.

This guide provides the framework that was missing, according to a speaker at a resilience conference in 2021: “What is missing is not more great ideas, but a practical framework within which to implement them.”

“Business Resilience and sustainability are certainly hot topics and the new role of Chief Resilience Officer has emerged; this certification provides a new dimension for leaders and professionals to deliver more customer value and a competitive edge in today’s and tomorrow’s VUCA conditions, building on existing best practice to deliver a step-change in resilience throughout the organization.” David Roberts, CEO & Chief Resilience Officer, Resilience Professionals

Business Resilience Fundamentals

APMG has created a 3-day Business Resilience Fundamentals training and certification in collaboration with the authors of the book. The training creates a range of supportive tools to develop and improve organizational resilience as well as guide participants through the application and adaptation of the Business Resilience Framework.

“Businesses spend a lot of time and money on business interruption and disaster recovery plans for their IT systems This guidance expands that concept to cover the whole organization so when your next black swan arrives you are far better prepared to deal with it. Following the advice in this guidance are good business practice and excellent corporate risk management.” Richard Pharro, CEO, APMG International

 

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Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com