MPS turns 15 – what we learned
On our 15th Birthday, Lynne Maciver reflects on lessons learnt in starting up in business. Monday 19th April, 2021 Maciver Project Services turns 15 today. I remember clearly the leap from [...]
Business Planning Preparation Checklist
Business Planning Preparation Checklist It can be tempting to open a new document and start typing. One of the things I have learned from years of writing business plans is the need to [...]
Ways to reduce project costs
Ways to reduce your project costs Looking to reduce your project costs? We have outlined several approaches for you to review and consider within the context of your organisation and specific [...]
Doing more with less
Doing more with less - making changes to deliver efficiencies Organisations are on a constant treadmill to produce more and grow. One way to do this is to find ways of [...]
Creating growth for a stronger future
Creating growth for a stronger future Organisations improve and grow with strong leadership, clear direction and efficient delivery. Creating growth for a stronger future is now more important than ever with pressure [...]
Project Magazine: Social Media in Projects
Does Social Media have a role in Project Management? The February 2011 Issue of the Association for Project Management's Project Magazine features an article with contribution by Maciver Project Services' [...]
Project Manager Competencies – Soft Skills & Behaviours
Behavioural Competencies are an important component of their skills and capabilities alongside technical and contextual competencies.
So you want to be a Project Manager?
Project Manager competence is an area where the individual and the organisation both need to accept responsibilities. Helping project managers build the skills they need to do a great job is as important as the individual taking responsibility for developing their skills and behaviours in a supported environment. Both will result in strong project management practices and project successes.
Creating an adaptive organisation culture the Zappos way
A company's culture is a result of how people in the organisation currently work, it is not what you think or hope it to be. To bring about cultural change in an organisation it is important to do things differently, making changes happen will lead to cultural changes and must be led from Senior Management.
The Soft Skills Debate
Soft skills for Project Managers is a topic that is regularly raised without any real resolution of where the balance between technical (hard) skills and people (soft) skills lies. The question is too simplistic, soft skills encompasses a wide range of skills and anyone responsible for delivery will need a mix of hard and soft skills to get the job done.
Kotter’s Leading Change Step 8: Institutionalising New Approaches
Kotter's Leading Change Step 8 Institutionalising New Approaches Overview The final step in Kotter's process for Leading Change* is the institutionalisation of new approaches into the organisation. An organisation's behavioural [...]
Kotter’s Leading Change Step 7: Consolidating Improvements and Producing Still More Change
Kotter's Leading Change Step 7: Consolidating Improvements and Producing Still More Change Overview In any change process, beware celebrating change too early. In Kotter's seminal book Leading Change* the change process includes [...]
Kotter’s Leading Change Step 6: Planning for and Creating Short-Term Wins
Kotter's Leading Change Step 6 Planning for and Creating Short-Term Wins Overview Planning for and creating short-term wins as outlined in Kotter's seminal book Leading Change* is important to the long term [...]
Kotter’s Leading Change Step 5: Empowering Others to Act on the Vision
Kotter's Leading Change Step 5 Empowering Others to Act on the Vision Overview The time to empower others to act on the need to change should happen once the foundations are put [...]
Kotter’s Leading Change Step 4: Communicating the Vision
Kotter's Leading Change Step 4 Communicating the Vision Overview There is little point in having an agreed vision for change if it is not communicated. Communicating the vision is the fourth step [...]
Kotter’s Leading Change Step 3: Creating a Vision
Transforming an organisation takes vision. Kotter's seminal book called Leading Change outlines eight steps to turn a vision for change into reality. The third step in his process is creating the vision, this is done once a sense of urgency for the change has been created and a powerful guiding coalition is formed to then create the vision.
Kotter’s Leading Change Step 2: Forming a Powerful Guiding Coalition
To deliver transformational change in your organisation, a powerful guiding coalition is needed. Kotter's seminal book called Leading Change outlines eight steps to deliver change, the first being establishing a sense of urgency followed by forming a powerful guiding coalition which is examined here.
Kotter’s Leading Change Step 1: Establishing a Sense of Urgency
The first step in Kotter's steps to transform your organisation is to establish a sense of urgency, in effect ensuring there is motivation for the change to take place. Change is hard and without a strong uniting force that underpins their understanding of why the change is necessary to the survival of the business it is unlikely to gain traction and succeed.
Kotter’s Leading Change – Steps to renew your organisation
John P. Kotter's seminal book Leading Change published in 1996 is now more than ever a go-to book to understand how to deliver change in businesses and organisations. Kotter's eight steps to transforming your organisation are explored including: Urgency; Powerful Guiding Coalitions; Vision; Communicating the Vision; Empowering Others to Act; Short-Term Wins; Improvements and More Change, and; Institutionalising New Approaches.
Planning – what makes a good project plan?
A good project plan is a key tool for the project manager, but how do you know if your plan is a good one? It should underpin communications and decision making regarding delivery dates, use of individuals time, budget 'burn' rate, and tell you something about the culture of your team.