 | Knowledge Sharing
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I wish all our alumni a happy season. Let me share with you about some basics for change and project management.
Change
We cope with changes at work, at home and in our environment. At home, changes that are created by our personal choices are controllable by us. Changes that are imposed on us by our employers at work, we are expected to accept in the interest of the company. In our environment, changes that are enforced on us by government’s legislations with good intentions are for compliance.
Steps to improve
- Recognize that we encounter changes in our life continually
- Accept the changes are for development and growth
- Determine to learn the skills to manage the change process for the better
We are faced with new challenges as the changes impact on us. At work, the changes are always managed by someone with aims to have them controlled and succeeded consequently. The person must have a strong commitment to monitor and improve the change process continuously for the desired result.
A series of steps
- Understand the present situation
- Understand why the change is needed
- Identify the measurable benefits from the change
- Identify the expected consequence, constraints and risks
- Plan for contingencies
- Communicate during the change process with stakeholders
- Implement the change
- Respond swiftly to the problems raised
- Make improvements quickly for the issues
- Measure the benefits
Project
At work, these steps are the set of skills and techniques used by someone i.e. a manager. The vehicle carries all these is the project. It describes the activities creating change.
Project is a collection of activities carried out with a clearly defined starting situation and ending result for satisfying a specific need.
Project Management
To manage the dynamic change process to achieve the clearly defined need in a controlled and structure manner, by using skills and techniques.
Steps to improve
- Recognize the need for learning the hard (technical) tools and skills: such as baseline plan, logic diagram analysis, estimation, scheduling, PERT critical analysis, control system, risk log, launch and evaluation skills.
- Recognize the techniques for optimizing the team members’ performance: such as effective communication to manage performance and work progress, effective negotiation for conflicts and disputes among members.
- Taking a disciplined approach – using multi skills to achieve success.
Project Manager and Leadership
Steps to improve
- Recognize that we need leadership skills and adopt a style for the changing situation such as autocratic (you will approach), democratic (will you approach) and transformational (to inspire the members for their best attempts). There’s no one style fits all situations, but a mixture to adapt the changing situation for the best.
- Accept we cannot control a project team, but to lead it.
- Stay objective-oriented i.e. focus on the defined objective and ignore the glitches.
- Stay change-oriented i.e. concentrate on the need for change from present state to future situation that will consequently bring a better condition.
The quantifiable benefits can be compared by any cost-benefit analysis at the start, interim and closure of the project. Let’s remember to appraise the project for change as a learning experience, not just a job done, when accomplished.
I wish our changes bring health, more happiness and prosperity.
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Best Regards,
Curtin Alumni Hong Kong Chapter
Ruby Chiu Kw
Chair of Executive Committee
 | A registered society in Hong Kong |
