2015 to be a tough year for project management

ESI International, a project management training company, predicts that project managers (PMs) will see more hybrid environments, an increasing demand for talent management, and a growing need to align project outcomes more closely with organisational strategy this year.

“All too often people talk about strategy and execution independently. In the coming months we will see a heightened focus on managing the critical links connecting the two, as more organisations begin to view strategic execution as a core discipline,” said Raed Haddad, Managing Director for Asia Pacific, ESI International. 

“The impact on project management is substantial. Project managers, who are typically held accountable for delivering project outcomes, will now also be responsible for how those deliverables impact the business. This will require a retooling of their skill sets, but in the end it elevates the PM’s role as a critical enabler of business strategy, and that’s a very good thing for project managers who can make the jump.”

ESI’s top trends for project management include:

• PMs will not get the training they need 
• Gaps remain between the constraints of cloud-based platforms and business expectations
• PMs sacrifice project transparency and avoid difficult conversations  
• Talent management within the PM community comes back into focus, with the ability to find and hire top PM talent dwindling  
• The disciplines of change management and project management continue to merge as PMs become responsible for delivering project and business outcomes 
• Project management and business strategy better align to the benefit of the organisation, with project outcomes linked to organisational strategy 

“The project manager’s role will continue to evolve in 2015,” said Haddad. “Improving interpersonal skills, learning the discipline of strategic execution, and becoming well versed in change management practices should be on every PM’s list of new year resolutions.”

Click here to download ESI International’s top 10 project management trends.

Managers in Oman fall short on delegating

Delegating to focus on your strengths may sound simple, but it is not, say two ladies from Scope Quantum, a company which specialises in project management and consultancy services for health, safety and the environment (HSE). 

Source: Scope Quantum

"Most leaders admit to struggling with spending more time doing what their subordinates should or could have done," explains Zeenath Jaleel, Consultant, Scope Quantum and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) practitioner.  

"We found that if a manager is on leave, work often gets delayed because their subordinates have not been given the trust and training to follow up on tasks. In my own experience in Oman, I have found that when I delegate and empower my team members, their resulting achievements are quite impressive," Jaleel said. 

"I am a HSE Team Lead at Areej Vegetable & Oil Derivatives, with HSE Officers working under my supervision. We got more done than planned simply by empowering the HSE Officers to do the job and giving them the freedom and trust to implement the plans based on their own initiatives. Marwa Al Kharusi, a Senior HR Specialist, has also found that effective leadership is when one is able to motivate his or her team members by delegating and empowering."

It is this crying need to clarify roles and responsibilities in the project management environment that has inspired Scope Quantum to offer a three-day workshop in Muscat, Oman titled "The Art of Delegation, Motivation & Empowerment in Project Team Management" at the Radisson Blu Hotel from 4 to 6 March this year. 

According to the the organisers, this is the first time that both Human Resources and Project Management are discussed with mutual reference at the same workshop.

"It will be three intensive days of interactive sessions, lunch included, with case studies and lessons learned in various industries specific to Oman," Jaleel said. "Everything is carefully designed so that participants are able to create a comprehensive action plan on the final day."

This is Jaleel's and fellow speaker Marwa Al Kharusi's first workshop for 2014. In late 2013 the two conducted bespoke training for mining company Vale in Sohar and received an average rating of 8  out of a maximum satisfaction score of 10.

The workshop targets managers, supervisors, team leaders and anyone who works with teams for projects. Jaleel has led project teams for PDO, Vale, and Areej Vegetable Oils & Derivatives, and conducted bespoke training sessions for clients in project management, risk management and health & safety management. 

Al Kharusi is a qualified professional trainer who has offered soft skills and behavioural training for over five years both in Oman and internationally. Al Kharusi has over 10 years of experience as a human resource specialist, and has coached potential entrepreneurs and students in association with Injaz Oman and Junior Achievement USA. She was also Project Leader for the Total Management team event organised by Omantel.

 

For further enquiries or to register for this event, contact Scope Quantum at admin@scopequantum.com. A maximum of 30 participants will be accepted for the March workshop. The company will consider opening up additional sessions if interest is high.