IBM，將技術與最佳實踐方法結合（轉）

作者簡介：William G. Smillie系IBM公司業務諮詢服務部門學習與知識集團的合夥人。IBM業務諮詢服務部門的總部座落於美國紐約州阿蒙克市，是一家全球範圍的諮詢機構，它擁有超過40000名專業諮詢人員。Smillie的職責主要包括思想領導和最優方法的創新工作，用以改善工程與專案管理的績效。

現在，對工程與專案管理工作的投入正在變得越來越高。越來越多的公司已經開始將業務變革視為工程或者專案，並用專案管理的方法來運做。公司管理層和董事會逐漸意識到，將技術與最佳實踐流程結合會產生巨大而有競爭力的利益。實際上，我們在IBM業務諮詢服務部門的實踐中發現，如果沒有一個清楚並且強烈的商業目標，我們的客戶是不會對專案進行投資的。

過去，許多傳統的專案通常關注於在已有環境和運營條件下的執行工作。然而，業務轉型的新趨勢卻以各種新的形式挑戰著專案經理們。所以，現在我們必須要引領具有重大意義的組織變革的過程並提出價值主張。為了迎接這些挑戰，專案經理們必須在以下的三個重要的領域提高自己的才能。

首先，我們必須管理專案干係人的承諾。回報越高，需要改變的現狀就越多，或者幾乎是要重新定義從the status quo。人和組織具有一種抗拒變革的天性，所以，根據專案的總體管理策略來幫助設計並執行變革的計劃就成了我們的工作，然而，這些管理層的支持者卻依靠我們來建議如何開展變革的計劃並且有效反饋進展。在很多情況下，如果我們不把管理者變成變革執行團隊的組成部分的話，我們同樣無法完成這項工作。

其次，我們必須認識到商業利益的重要性。需要變革的方面越多，我們在取得預期商業利益中所面臨的挑戰越大。商業利益較少強調技術特性，而通常比較重視那些產生和管理商業產出的新途徑。在解決問題和提供建議的工作中，我們必須同時成為商業領袖的顧問。我們必須讓專案本身更多的關注於能夠促使專案首先上馬的商業價值，並且管理專案的成果以支援商業目標。

最後，我們需要在管理層和董事會進行有效的溝通。對專案支援的力度必須與回報的多寡相匹配。現在的業務轉型專案的狀態報告要經常被提到管理層的議事日程上來。至少，決策層應該召開月度的專案進展會議。我們在決策層的溝通能力會直接影響到那些影響專案進展的重大決策的及時性和質量。而且，我們傳達給專案支持者的並不總是好訊息。我們的任務是，告訴他們必須知道的資訊，而不完全是他們想要聽到的訊息，同時，確保他們做出或者批准某些比較艱難的決定。

接下來，一個人將如何去著手開發上述三個領域所提及的才能呢？IBM業務諮詢服務部門採用了一種簡單而強大的語言來交流這些重要的事情：“成功七要素”。它提供了一種通用的框架來幫助瞭解重要的工程或專案的健康狀況並且指導如何採取必要的糾正措施。

這七要素準確的觸及了上述三個領域帶來的挑戰。這七要素的前兩項要素是：“專案干係人承諾”和“商業利益的認識”直接的聚焦於這些挑戰。對於高層的溝通來說，這種語言對跨越公司和地域限制的管理層尤其有效。

公司正在進行業務轉型，因此，我們作為專業專案管理人員也在進行轉型。這種趨勢要求我們提高自己的管理技能並且用知識來武裝我們自己。那些精通並使用這些技能的專案管理者最終將會成為他們組織和行業裡的領軍人物。

原文:
　　　　　　IBM Combines Technology With Best Practices

By WILLIAM G. SMILLIE

William G. Smillie is a partner in the Learning & Knowledge group of IBM’s Business Consulting Services, a worldwide consultancy of more than 40,000 professionals based in Armonk, N.Y., USA. Smillie’s responsibilities include thought leadership and best practice initiatives to enhance performance in program and project management.

The stakes are getting higher in program and project management. It is becoming increasingly common for companies to initiate programs or large projects designed to drive business transformation. Executives and share holder boards are realizing the combination of technology and best practice processes can generate huge competitive benefits. In fact, in IBM’s Business Consulting Services practice, we find that our clients won’t invest in projects unless there is clear and compelling business case to do so.

In the past, more traditional projects typically focused on implementations within existing circumstances and operations. However, this newer trend toward business transformation challenges project managers in new ways. We now must shepherd significant organizational change processes and deliver on the value proposition. To live up to this challenge, project managers must increase competencies in at least three significant areas.

First, we must manage stakeholder commitment. The bigger the payback, the more things need to change – almost by definition – from the status quo. People and organizations tend to resist change, so it is our job, than, to help design and execute this program of change according to the overall management strategies of our projects. We cannot do it without the leader ship of executive sponsors, but those same sponsors count on us to advise them on how to proceed and to provide feedback on progress against these plans, In many cases, we cannot do it without change management professionals as an integral part of our team.

Next, we must realize business benefits. The more things need to change, the greater our challenge to achieve the desired business performance. The business benefit often is less about technology features and more about new ways of working and managing business outcomes. In resolving issues and recommending actions, we must be consultants to the business leaders. We must keep the project’s eyes and mind on the business case that drove the project launch in the first place and manage project results that support the business objectives.

Last, We must communicate effectively at the executive and board levels. The degree of project sponsorship must accord with the extent of the payback. Status reports for today’s business transformation projects often can be the stuff of boardroom agendas. At the very least, our monthly progress meetings are likely to be held on the executive floor. Our ability to communicate at the executive level will affect the timeliness and quality of the decisions our projects need to stay on track. And it’s not always happy news that we bring to our sponsors. Our job is to tell them what they need to know, not necessarily what they want to hear, and get them to make or endorse the tough decisions.

How, then, should one go about building competencies in these areas? One important action IBM Business Consulting Services has taken is to adopt a simple but powerful language to discuss these critical issues. Called the “Seven Keys to Success,” it provides a universal framework for understanding critical program or project health issues and for taking the necessary corrective actions.

The Seven Keys gets right to the heart of these three challenges. The first two of the Seven Keys, “Stakeholders Are Committed” and “Business Benefits Will Be Realized,” immediately focus attention on these issues. For senior-level communication, this language is highly effective with business executives across a variety of companies and geographies.

Business transformation is happening to our companies, and therefore, it’s “happening” to us as professionals. This trend demands that we sharpen our skills and re-equip our personal toolkit. Those who master these skills will become leaders in their companies and leaders in their professions.[@more@]