As professional Project Managers (including PMI, Agile Coaches, CSM, and PRINCE2 practitioners), we learn a variety of tactical maneuvers that predominantly focus on creating tasks, taking actions, asking others to take action, or creating systems, maps, and/or structures to manage the challenge at hand.

These are critical tools.

Yet over time, many of us reach a plateau in our skill development and professional learning. We’ve covered the core skill development courses, programs, and seminars, we realize that we already know this material inside and out.

And in one sense, that might be true—we have covered the majority of externally focused material in our field. But in spite of that, we’re left with a sense of wanting something more.

We experience first hand that the 4 and 5-step prefabricated methods we’ve mastered are no longer sufficient to address the organizational needs we are hired to solve. For those wanting to serve their organizations at a higher level there’s a sense of being stuck.

This is because while we’re masters of tactics, we typically know a lot less about how to work with the invisible, internal dimensions of teams—Drucker’s “strategy-eating” culture.

As Project and Program Managers, we have the opportunity to transform organizations by motivating, engaging, and elevating the people around them. But in order to do that, we have to become as adept at working with culture as we are at working with systems and behaviours.

Having just completed one of the preeminent advanced facilitation trainings in the world that addresses these internal dynamics of group culture (Integral Facilitator Certificate Program), here’s a short list of what I gained:

• The cultural skills to engage employees at a deeper level
• Refined listening ability that tunes into what people are not saying as much as what they are saying
• The capability to engage conflict with skill and surface the underlying dynamics and resistance
• The ability to facilitate energy levels in the group—increasing it or calming—depending on what most supports efficiency and action
• The know-how to navigate complex transformations to change mindsets and make lasting behaviour change

And I can assure you, these are the skills we need to avoid having our strategies eaten by our cultures.

As professional PMs, we owe it to the organizations and groups we serve to embody these developmental skills.

But let me also address one of the biggest objections I hear from my peers—that they already know enough.

As a PM, I appreciate how at the outset facilitation training might seem like overkill for us because this is what we do on a daily basis. Most of my PM friends think they’ve got enough facilitation skill already—but the truth is, advanced integral facilitation is nothing like the facilitation training courses you and I have taken over the years to keep our PM designation up-to-date.

Through Integral Facilitation, you’ll learn to author your way—and much more—to self-mastery. You’ll get the next-level support you need to be able to navigate through the powerful aspects of cultural dynamics that are always at work—whether we see them or not.

By combining cultural skill with the tactical abilities you’ve already secured, you’ll be able to open the way for creating breakthrough results for your organizations.

Under the pressure of navigating complex changes, the tactical steps we’ve all learned aren’t sufficient anymore. What we really need is to learn to create our own unique way of handling such complex challenges in agile, adaptive and emergent ways.

If you want to serve your organizations at a new level, I encourage you to get rigorous training in working with culture—and if you’re ready to begin, the Integral Facilitator approach will meet you right where you are, and take you to the next level.

The activity is in the format of a two hour facilitated discussion, with the audience as engaged participants, where many of the structures, key principles and success elements of integral facilitation will be demonstrated.

Key Takeaways

• How to facilitate a discussion so that everyone is engaged
• How to facilitate discussions with underlying tensions and come out stronger
• How to facilitate discussions so that participants take ownership of their items
• Using structure and perspectives to create agreements

Presenters

Marc-André Langlais & Michael Bertrand

Event Particulars

Date: 23rd August 2016, Tuesday Time:   7.00pm to 9.00pm, Registration and Refreshments starts from 6.30pm onwards Venue: Adventures in a Thriving World Pte Ltd | Integrity Room | 10 Anson Road |               #19-14 International Plaza | Singapore 079903 PDUs: 2 SPMI Members:  SGD 65.00 Non-Members:   SGD 100.00 SPMI Members please log-in to avail members' rate Online registration closes on 23 August, 12pm. Walk-in registration with cash payment is accepted at the event venue.

22 Sep 2016 | Professional Development |Time: 7.00pm to 9.00pm|

Do You Know What Your Company Does and Why it Does it?

PDUs: 2
    

Introduction
Organisations keen to have their employees engaged and aligned to the strategies and plans that they believe will enable them to succeed, are adopting a Business Model Canvas. Developed by Alexander Ostwewalder this simplified planning tool is utilised to

·          communicate the value proposition of the organisation (i.e. why do we exist?) that is relevant to their customers

·          outline how they are going to obtain the revenue from their marketplace enabling them to remain viable,

all outlined on one page.

It is a visual chart (shown below) with elements describing an organisation’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. It assists firms in aligning their activities by illustrating potential trade-offs. With the business model design template, an enterprise can easily describe their business model.

Participants in the workshop will develop their own Business Model Canvas that will challenge why they do what they do by validating the value that they bring to their customer segments. 

		John has operated at the executive level in the corporate and enterprise sectors. He is experienced in transforming organisations by implementing innovative cultures that have engaged employees in the task of turning these businesses from returning a flat to declining business result to substantial growth through changing the basis of competition. He is also experienced in the taking of products and processes to market and establishing new markets in the wider manufacturing, resource sectors, specialty retailing, services sectors and with a technology start-up company. An extensive career with 3M where he rose to be regional Technical Director while General Manager of the Industrial Markets Sector of 3M Australia and Executive Positions in the Specialty Retail Sector.
He is currently contracted to the Hargraves Institute. This is a member driven business best practices network of Corporate Australia in the public and private sectors. His focus with them is on Implementing Disruptive Business Models and Developing Leadership for Innovation by building the capabilities of these members to be able to sustain the transformation and have the skills in-house to handle this in the future, thereby making the organisation more agile. He currently lectures at the postgraduate level in Business Transformation, Portfolio & Program Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Adelaide at their Adelaide and Singapore Campus.

Who Should Attend

Event Particulars
   

Date: 22nd September 2016, Thursday Time:   7.00pm to 9.00pm, Registration and Refreshments starts from 6.30pm onwards Venue: Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre | 97 Tank Road | Teochew Building                   #03-13 | Lecture Room|Singapore 238066 PDUs: 2 SPMI Members:  SGD 65.00  Non-Members:   SGD 100.00 SPMI Members please log-in to avail members' rate Online registration closes on 22 September, 12pm. Walk-in registration with cash payment is accepted at the event venue.

23 Jun 2016 | Professional Development |Time: 7.00pm to 9.00pm|

Finding Business Value and Return On Investment in Projects and Programmes

PDUs: 2
    

Introduction
In a competitive world, every organisational department must stand up and be counted. Internal service departments such as Human Resources, Information Technology, Quality, Learning & Development and Marketing etc. perform essential functions to the company, but what is the value of what they do? 

As experienced Project Managers, we tend to spend more time before the project is chartered working with the Sponsor, Customer and Executive Group to derive not only cost, scope and time but also the business benefit - why we are doing the project in the first place. As the PMI moves towards the concept of the Project Manager delivering business value in addition to just deliverables, we need new skills to measure and advise the impact and dollar value of a project outcome.

In this presentation we'll explain how companies are determining business benefits of their internal programmes and initiatives, how they calculate their Return On Investment (ROI), and how the most perceptive professionals are getting in first to join the growing wave of Certified ROI Practitioners. Several case studies will be discussed, including the presenter's own experience in measuring the ROI of corporate initiatives in the fields of human resources, learning and development and information technology.

Colin Millward MBA PMP® CRP is a professional management consultant, trainer and presenter with a thirty year background leading financial computer systems implementations and other corporate projects in the UK, Middle East, United States and the Asia Pacific region. He regularly conducts management training at senior level for global organisations such as banks and oil companies, as well as the Hong Kong Management Association and the Singapore Institute of Management.  Colin is a Certified ROI Practitioner (CRP) with the ROI Institute, holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration, an Advanced Masters Certification in Applied Project Management and a PMP® certification with the Project Management Institute. He is also a Principal Mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre. Colin is Founder of The Business Evaluation Centre, Asia-Pacific partner of the ROI Institute.

   
Who Should Attend

• Project Team members /Program/Portfolio/Project Managers and Project Sponsors
• Project/Senior level management, executives and professionals responsible for projects
• Project resources who are aspiring to become Project Leaders.

Event Particulars
   

Date: 23th Jun 2016, Thursday Time:   7.00pm to 9.00pm, Registration and Refreshments starts from 6.30pm onwards Venue: Microsoft Singapore | 1 Marina Boulevard | Level 21 Auditorium | S 018989 PDUs: 2 SPMI Members:  SGD 45.00  Non-Members:   SGD 55.00 SPMI Members please log-in to avail members' rate Online registration closes on 23 June, 12pm. Walk-in registration with cash payment is accepted at the event venue.

26 Nov 2015 | Professional Development |Time: 7.00pm to 9.00pm|
Self-Leadership in times of Uncertainty and Change
PDUs: 2

INTRODUCTION

Post 9/11 the US Military described the world as Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA). To gain a level of certainty (control) in these times of change, we must exercise Self-leadership. Self-leadership is a mindset and a set of behavioral strategies that enable a person to lead themselves in such a way that others willingly follow. The results of self-leadership are greater influence and impact.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

ü How uncertainty affects your brain
ü How to avoid helplessness and pessimism
ü How to take control your ‘self’ and your environment 
ü How to influence others for success and impact

TOPIC OUTLINE