Glenda H. Eoyang, Ph.D. geoyang@hsdinstitute.org Strategy to Action: The Power of HSD Session 2: HSD and Project Management Glenda H. Eoyang, Ph.D. geoyang@hsdinstitute.org

Why HSD? Are you frustrated with the speed and unpredictability of change? Do you have difficulty explaining your reliable intuitions? Are you unsatisfied with your current approaches? Are you curious about chaos and complexity in business?

HSD Assumes Fitness is the foundation of success. Dialogue is only the beginning. Individual transformation is not enough. Prediction is sometimes impossible, and control is expensive. Valuable insights are TRUE and USEFUL. Possible futures are locked into today’s patterns. Answers have short shelf-life, but good questions serve forever.

Series Goal Manage projects Use methods and tools of human systems dynamics to move from strategy to action as you: Manage projects Plan for change Train and develop capacity Manage performance Communicate Lead virtual teams

Series Overview Introduction to HSD July 9 HSD & Project Management July 16 HSD & Performance Management August 6 HSD & Planning for Change September 10 HSD & Communications October 8 HSD & Training and Development November 5 HSD & Virtual Teams December 10

Your Guide . . . Glenda Eoyang Glenda H. Eoyang, Ph.D. geoyang@hsdinstitute.org Began managing projects in 1981 Learned many lessons: Surprise shouldn’t be surprising. More time >> less certainty More players >> less certainty Larger scope >> less certainty More interdependency >> less certainty More precision >> less certainty

Today we will . . . Explore the challenges of traditional project management. Recognize the diverse dynamics of projects. Explore ways to influence the dynamics of projects. See how Adaptive Action and the Decision Map influence project management.

What are your project management challenges? People have other agendas. Scope of project is too large/small. Resources aren’t available. Expectations/requirements change. Other projects compete. Leadership support is inadequate. Communications aren’t reliable. And . . . All of these challenges arise because of a lack of AGREEMENT among players, CERTAINTY of environment, or both.

Patterned Emergent Interactive Complex adaptive Landscape Diagram Know When Your Changes Are In the Zone of Self-Organizing Certainty Agreement Close to Far from Unorganized Random Surprising ___ _________ Patterned Emergent Interactive Complex adaptive Organized Orderly Predictable

Project Management Organized Expectations Close to agreement Scope Goal Budget Project team members Close to certainty Deliverables Rewards Schedule *

Managing the Organized Maintain agreement: Document assumptions and expectations Meet often Include few people Focus on narrow scope/goal Maintain certainty: Report often Keep communications close Hold scope constant Ensure few interdependencies

Project Management Unorganized Environment Far from agreement Individual agendas Understanding goals Personal styles Cultural differences Far from certainty Media attention Legislative/regulatory changes Competitor actions Technology glitches/opportunities *

Managing the Unorganized Increase agreement: Collect data over time Look for patterns Stay connected to near- and far-neighbors Increase certainty: Focus on things you can control/predict Build close connections Establish strong/impermeable boundaries Increase trust across the system

Project Management Self-Organizing Relationships Adapt agreement Team meetings Project reviews Customer feedback Dialogue Adapt certainty Short-term milestones Environmental scans Stories about environment & expectations Iterative project re-planning *

Managing the Self-organizing Adapt agreement: Ask questions Stay connected Listen and be willing to change Adapt certainty: Review/revise plans often Use participative planning processes Be transparent with assumptions/constraints Understand the stability of the environment

Strategy to Action HSD Tools Decision Map Adaptive Action Landscape Diagram

What? So what? Now what? Is happening? Do I see/hear? Project Management The Adaptive Action Process can help you stay in the self-organizing space as conditions change. Adaptive Action What? Is happening? Do I see/hear? So what? Does it mean to me/others? Can I learn? Now what? Can I do to improve fitness for me/others?

Decision Map Project Management The Decision Map helps you understand potential sources of agreement and certainty. World View Rules Reality

For more information: Contact Susan Heidorn for HSD and Project Management courses and consulting. Read some good books: Coping with Chaos: Seven Simple Tools, Eoyang Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons from Complexity Science, Olson & Eoyang Check out the HSD Institute website: www.hsdinstitute.org

Today we planned to . . . Explore the challenges of traditional project management. Recognize the diverse dynamics of projects. Explore ways to influence the dynamics of projects. See how Adaptive Action and the Decision Map influence project management.

What are your performance management challenges? Next time we will . . . Consider complex human systems dynamics of Performance Management. August 6 Same place Same time What are your performance management challenges?