Presentation Title: Help! Managing Projects and Stakeholders from Hell.
Session Abstract
I make one prediction: the projects and programs of tomorrow will be more complex and complicated, not necessarily because of the dearth of the technical know-how, acumen, or intellectual acuity of the engineer-project manager, but because of the complexity that people bring to the project management space. Can’t stand the fire; better get out of the kitchen! Doubtless, system interactions, uncertainties, ambiguities, and disruptions from technological innovations are often responsible for project complexities, but human behaviors are the chief culprit. Problematic and arduous projects are mainly the offspring of the monkey hands humans bring to the project environment.
In this interactive and action-packed presentation, participants will learn how to effectively engage difficult stakeholders in complex and complicated projects, hostile, and politically charged environments, and still, have fun managing them. You’ll receive the ruggedization to face any project out there. We shall explore principles that are based on successful, real-life projects, using some of the best research in persuasion science, leadership, and management. We shall focus on practical applications—people, processes, politics, and project purpose, including continuous buy-in principles, “Gratitude Altitude,” personal Net Performance Score (pNPS), “Pre-assignment @ charter” and shared ownership, logic-politics, managing up, participatory design principles, and more.
Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to
- Explore the winning qualities of an engineer-project manager that will enable you to manage any complex and complicated projects in any environment like a pro!
- Identify and define how a high personal Net Promoter Score can distinguish you as a superior leader in a politically charged environment
- identify continuous buy-in principles to be used as tools for managing complicated projects and stakeholders.
Takeaways:
- Simple strategies for navigating complicated projects and people
- Stir your curiosity about managing projects and stakeholders from hell
- A lot of practical tools ready to be implemented
