Sara Shelton
Dec 16 2011
Avoiding the Danger of Facilitating SMEs
by Sara Shelton
Most projects will take a Train the Trainer (TTT) approach to save time and money. TTT can be an invaluable tool for projects and increase adoption rates for new processes and technologies. Handled poorly however, TTT can do more harm than good. If your TTT approach consists only of identifying SMEs, handing them a presentation and off to teach the class they go- you are setting your training up to fail.
TTT works when the SME has been trained previously as a facilitator. Teaching effectively is much more than knowing the subject matter, standing in front of colleagues and speaking. Where TTT approaches fail is that they don't teach the basics of good facilitating.
SMES often know the material too well. They can struggle to break it down to its most basic elements. For example, would you hire someone with a PhD in auto mechanics to teach your 15 year old how to drive?
Tagged: SMEs, Train the Trainer, Training
Apr 19 2011
Emotional Intelligence and Change Practitioners
by Sara Shelton
Understanding emotional intelligence (EI) is critical for most professionals but it is uniquely important for those who are instruments of change in an organization: process improvement professionals, project managers, and organizational change management SMEs.
Apr 19 2011
OCM's New Challenge: GenY
by Sara Shelton
In the past, the challenge for OCM practitioners has been stakeholders who were comfortable with the status quo (no matter what its inherent problems were) and therefore were resistant to new processes or technologies. With the influx of Gen Yers to the workforce, this will no longer be the primary challenge. Gen Yers are “digital natives” and inherently early adopters for technology. The changes your project is implementing will now be viewed as not going far enough, not using the latest and greatest technology and therefore will be judged as lacking. Gen Yers will likely be impatient and frustrated with the tardiness of companies to acquire and integrate latest technologies more quickly into their infrastructure. The Gen Y resistance will likely manifest itself in end runs where users find technical loopholes to use those unapproved technologies they desire.
Feb 04 2011
OCM the Missing Knowledge Area in PMBOK … or is it?
by Sara Shelton
Let’s first level set on Organizational Change Management (OCM). It is not Change Control which relates to changes to business, system or other technical requirements. OCM is the act of anticipating, preparing, managing, monitoring, measuring and supporting stakeholders through a transition. Regardless if that transition is large or small, technical, process, or organizationally driven.
People don’t fear change. We bring change to our lives all the time. We change jobs, get married, have children, move etc. People fear and reject change that doesn’t provide value to them or that they perceive as not valuable. As Project Managers, who by nature are inflicting change on an organization, you need to be prepared for your role in change management.
I submit to you that without realizing it, as an experienced Project Manager and/or PMP, you possess more knowledge than you realize to prepare you for your role in change management.
Tagged: OCM, PMBOK, PMI, Project Management
Jul 01 2010
Simple Stakeholder Analysis
by Sara Shelton
Stakeholder analysis is a formal way of capturing and documenting the level of engagement of key stakeholders. The scope and complexity of the analysis required depends on the scope and complexity of the change you are trying to implement.
A very simple stakeholder analysis would include at least the following data elements with a High/Medium/Low ranking for each stakeholder:
- Level of support needed
- Level of support demonstrated
- Level of interaction with the project team
The delta between these measurements should drive your change management and communications efforts. For example, a stakeholder who isn’t supportive of your project but from whom you don’t need a high level of support to be successful should not be your highest priority for change management efforts.
Tagged: Change Management, OCM, Stakeholder Mangement
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The words and opinions expressed here are those of each article's respective author, and do not necessarily represent the views of CapTech Ventures.