Hello, this module focuses on how to manage projects in a complicated world. The world is changing rapidly and in unpredictable ways. Just consider the changes caused by new technology, worldwide trade and competition, social and political disturbances, and the environmental emergency.
You might think that project management has little to do with these major global matters. However, all kinds of organizations, whether large or small, are impacted by the world they operate in. How a company understands and responds to this complexity influences the projects it chooses to undertake and how it handles them.
This week, we begin by examining frameworks that help us grasp this intricate world. These frameworks guide our actions, responses, and decision-making in the face of complexity.
Next, we delve deeply into various methods and practices for managing projects when faced with uncertainty, instability, and change. These methods include linear approaches and life cycles, often known as the waterfall method, as well as iterative or agile approaches. You will explore the pros and cons of these methods, as well as the ongoing debates about them.
By the end, you’ll grasp how to use and blend these methods effectively to achieve successful project outcomes.
To start off this week, we’re interested in hearing about your experiences. Considering those major global issues like technology, competition, social and political changes, and environmental problems, think about how they impact your organization and the projects you’re involved in.
Feel free to share your experiences with fellow learners in the discussion.
Competition: Requires strategic resource allocation and encourages global collaboration.
Technology: Advances enhance firefighting capabilities and data-driven decision-making.
Social/Political Change: Influences community engagement, diversity considerations, and policy adaptation.
Environmental Crisis: Alters disaster dynamics, prompting sustainable practices in safety projects.
Change is constant in the world, to stay on top PMs have to change along with the complex and changing world. We need to be current on latest innovations and technologies in our field. Constantly searching for smarter ways to deliver the project with good speed and better quality.
Also we need to frequently review our potential customer’s need and their definition of quality as it changes with time, then prepare to beat their expectations. We can also leverage on our existing customer’s experience to know where we need to adjust and improve with the latest technologies.
Apart from the project implementation, there are two sides of a project we also need to improve;
1. The Business: This is the part of the project that focus more on the profit that comes to the organization from the project, and we must consider it and improve on it as we change with the changing world.
2. The Politics: There is always a political side of the project. There are people who are not part of the project but they wants to take the credit. Most of them are powerful politicians that can stop the project, some of them demand visit in “kind” before the project is lunched or completed. We need to understand the political atmosphere, find out what has changed, and play along legally.
Just as it was earlier said, changing ecosystem demands a change in our approach. If the nation is at way, our projects will definitely stop or we strategically adopt a project to support the war in building weapons of destruction, etc. Our environment determines our decisions and steps to be taken.
Collaboration, adaptability, and a forward-thinking approach are essential for Fire Services to meet the challenges posed by these global issues.
Big global issues, including technology, competition, social and political change, and the environmental crisis, have significant implications for the Fire Service and relevant safety projects in the following areas:
1. Technology: Advances enhance firefighting capabilities and data-driven decision-making.
2. Competition: Requires strategic resource allocation and encourages global collaboration.
3. Social/Political Change: Influences community engagement, diversity considerations, and policy adaptation.
4. Environmental Crisis: Alters disaster dynamics, prompting sustainable practices in safety projects.
Adaptability and collaboration are crucial for Fire Services in navigating these challenges.
Thinking About Complexity, as a facility manager, the rapid and unpredictable changes driven by these global issues, new technology, globalisation of trade and competition, social and political upheaval, and environmental crisis, significantly affect my organisation and projects in several ways:
1. Technology: Advancements in technology impact facility management through automation, smart building solutions, and the need for digital infrastructure, requiring adaptation and investment to remain competitive.
2. Globalization and Trade: Increased global trade and competition may impact procurement processes, supply chain management, and regulations, requiring a broader understanding of international standards and practices.
3. Social and Political Upheaval: Social and political changes can influence workplace dynamics, employee safety, and regulatory compliance, necessitating flexibility in managing diverse workforce needs and ensuring security measures.
4. Environmental Crisis: Environmental concerns impact facility management by driving sustainability initiatives, energy efficiency standards, and the adoption of eco-friendly practices, influencing building design and operations.
Adapting to these changes involves embracing innovation, staying informed of evolving regulations, fostering resilience in infrastructure, and integrating sustainability practices into facility management strategies.
Personally, these global issues like Technology, Competition, Social, and Political changes, Environmental problem, and other underlying issues impact my organisation, and Projects to be specific.
I was privileged to start writing as early as 7 years old, and I knew how to captivate anyone’s mind by painting pictures with my pen, but as I grew, my narrative about writing was shaped, most especially when I got involved with Projects that had deadlines.
I discovered being talented wasn’t enough to secure sales, because the world buy from people with persuasive words, and not people who spoke like English Scholars.
I decided to rely on Technology -Ai to help me in this but it only got worse with my Projects.
I was reprimanded despite being so verse with stuffs related to writing.
I had to take up a Copywriting course, and also followed up with testing my skills.
At first, I felt pressured and manipulated into thinking my writing was crap as hell, until I discovered that I needed more work to do on my skills.
My Competitors weren’t waiting for me, and so I had to keep developing myself.
I got a sense of relief when I made my first sale from just manipulating words to fit into my audience mind, until it got tougher with people who don’t fall for sweet-words.
I had to go deep into research to outsmart my competitors.
And when the projects became impossible to sleep, I discovered my competitors were strategically using AI without getting noticed or punished by the algorithm of Google and the likes, making them faster, and more efficient.
That helped me in delving deeper into related courses on how to manipulate prompts into Ai and tweak the results for an effective sales copy that carry every emotion and feel
I must say the experience is quite overwhelming but adventurous
Considering the discussion concerning the impact of the values and norms on the Ethical and Environmental Considerations of running Projects for MTD Company, I saw through Customers satisfaction, from the more revenues Generated by MTD
The world is changing in different aspect and most important in the area of technology which has impact on my working area and since we pioneer agile working we had to use computer more compared to seeing client f2f because updating record became most paramount. Politics has brought more issue that is affecting both the economy and the wok we do which makes it vital for a project manager to understand all aspect to help a project manager deliver successful outcome of a project.
Technology advancement in our world today has huge effect on the way we do things. It calls for training and retraining for a project manager to remain afloat with trends.
Competition can affect project execution from costing to quality.
Political and environmental changes can as well affect projects. For instance, areas of political unrest will have a toll on a project on the part of the project members and sponsors.
Areas prone to environmental hazards may also pose a treat to a project due to safety of project, team and the project itself.
Everyday technology keeps evolving. There is constant change in the way things are done. Competition bring the birthing of creativity as you have to constantly keep thinking about new ways of doing things to remain competitive and be above your peers in the same industry you find yourself and of course we cannot leave political, social and environmental changes because these core factors that we look at during project implementation or business setup. As a Project Manager. I would critically look at all these factors when considering a project to mitigate against failures and wasted efforts.
Dynamism in the World today in terms of field professionalism through technology driven concepts has called on all and sundry, inclusive Environmental Health and Safety Career where I’m part of, to constantly be as of these fundamental changes to remain relevant. This can be achieved through modelling out health impacts through the deployment of M&E tools which today is driven by technology. This is where the thoughts of complexity in project management and delivery is important.