Month: November 2022

Corporate CPR Episode 60: The Impact of the Pace of Change in Organizations

/ Jana

On today’s show, we discuss the pace of change in organizations and the impact it is having on leaders.

Julie Noonan believes in unapologetic authenticity, candor, integrity and humor. She will tell you the TRUTH, even if it stings. Her strengths include:

  • Genuine love of people in all their messiness
  • Talent for idea-generation that helps her clients expand their thinking and innovate
  • Keen focus on maximizing the talents of others
  • Ability to recognize the inherent connections between concepts, disciplines, ideas and people to create better solutions
  • Firm belief in creating real relationships with clients to “meet the need beneath the need”
  • Intuition to “feel” the culture and energy in an organization to guide adjustments needed to better align with mission
  • Formidable ability to confidently, and tactfully, call “BS”, speaking truth to power
  • Stubborn resilience in the face of failure
  • Determination to continue learning and growing

Julie has years of executive-level experience in consulting in both the private and public sectors, as well as years of experience as a corporate employee. She has spent her career coaching leaders at all levels in many industries and through many challenges – both professional and personal.

Key Takeaways:

  • One important concept in today’s workplace to keep in mind is that we are in the last years of the boomer generation in the workplace. They will naturally be nervous about becoming obsolete at the end of their working years due to the changes brought on by the newer generations. Great leaders will maximize their value as long as possible.
  • Change impacts different generations differently. Boomers have initiated change most of their careers, and now they are more often the recipients of change. They are staying in the workplace longer, often retiring and then starting their own businesses or consulting because they are driven to contribute. Millennials tend to be more confident and collaborative, embracing change. Appreciating the value of each generation will lead to the greatest success.
  • For a successful change, involve influencers in the local office in initial testing and place them physically near those employees that you expect to struggle.
  • Allowing enough time for adoption of the change will save the company money over an unadopted change. Impatient leaders need to remind themselves that they knew about the change long before the employees. The employees need time to process the change as well. Educating them and answering questions will be a big key to success.
  • Sponsors should be well-regarded, influential, and be able to make big-ticket decisions.
  • First time sponsors – get help. Find an experienced change manager or a coach to help you get through the tough spots.
  • Great project managers can convey the project status to sponsors and committee meeting members in a simple way, but not be insulting.
  • Business analysts are valuable to consult with in the beginning to understand the concerns of the group early on.

Top 3 Takeaways:

  • Reverse mentoring. Putting boomers and millennials together brings out the best in both employees. The boomers can help develop the millennials in the company, and the millennials can help the boomers with current trends so they can stay relevant in the remaining years of their careers.
  • Coaching is not just for leadership development. It’s for any person in their career where they might need an extra set of ears or an objective viewpoint to help them through something that is blocking them from moving forward or being the best leader they can be. Check with your HR department to see if hiring coaches is an option or hire a coach from your own personal funds to improve your career.
  • Get change management involved as early as possible, even during the initial contemplation phase of a big change.

Connect with Julie Noonan:

Website: https://www.jnoonanconsulting.com/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnoonanconsulting/

Enterprise Project Management: Determining Your EPM Roadmap

/ Jana / Leave a comment

With the pace of technological growth rapidly increasing, businesses need to be agile. However, traditional project management approaches often put projects on rigid rails that don’t allow for flexibility. The solution is to integrate modern technology into your project management office. Enterprise Project Management systems make it easier for your team to collaborate on projects while helping upper management measure progress and address obstacles. EPM also boosts your data analytics capabilities. To implement EPM, you’ll first need a roadmap.

Enterprise Project Management: Determining Your EPM Roadmap

Start With Pain Points and Goals

Before you rush to buy a license for the top-rated EPM software, pause to consider what you’re trying to accomplish. A roadmap is not only meant to plan out the steps to deployment. Roadmaps include objectives and measurables so that you can determine if you’re on your way to a successful deployment. So consider your pain points when it comes to project management and execution. What obstacles do you routinely face?

Then, set goals that will help you determine whether your EPM implementation is actually benefiting the company. We recommend targeting specific KPIs so that you can measure performance using data. You may also set some larger goals, like increasing the number of projects successfully executed or reducing the overall time it takes for projects to reach completion.

Choose the Right Tools

Knowing what you want to accomplish with your EPM system is vital since it will guide your next and most important decision. What EPM tools should you acquire for your company? There are many options on the market, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. They also vary wildly in terms of pricing. Some operate on a per-user subscription basis, while others may charge based on the volume of activity on the platform or the specific features you select.

Choosing the right tools for your specific needs and goals will help you keep your implementation from going over budget. In addition, your staff will have an easier time using a system that was acquired with their specific needs in mind. Furthermore, the time it takes to implement an EPM system also varies from one product to the next.

Set Deadlines and Start Implementation

The next step is to focus on deadlines. Implementations take time, so don’t try to rush. However, you still need to have reasonable deadlines to ensure the deployment arrives on schedule. Systems engineers will be most involved in the early stages. Set a date for when the first working version will be ready so that you can then start testing the software with key team members. Expect changes during testing. Set another deadline for the final release.

Pilot and Perfect

Once your EPM system is ready for use, have your PMO draft a pilot project using the system. This first project will help you find possible problems that can be fixed before asking everyone to use the platform. The pilot group can also put together a list of best practices to help their colleagues adapt faster.  

An EPM implementation can be a complex process. At Project Genetics, we make it simple by providing expert assistance every step of the way. Book an intro call with Project Genetics to meet with one of our representatives face-to-face.

Cloud vs. On-Premise CRM: Which Is Best for Your Organization?

/ Jana / Leave a comment

Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to the process companies use to administer interactions and relationships they have with customers. There are many CRM software and hardware options available today, and among these options, there is an ongoing debate about whether to implement cloud-based or on-premise systems. Let’s take a deeper look at whether cloud or on-premise CRM implementation is better for your company.

Cloud vs. On-Premise CRM Implementation: Which Is Best for Your Organization?

Cloud CRM System Characteristics

Cloud-based CRM systems typically use the software as a service (SaaS) model, where a company pays a subscription fee to a software provider for access to its CRM software. This means your company data is stored online rather than using an on-site server, and users access the data they need through the internet. Cloud-based solutions are often designed with integration features that make them easy to blend with existing software and platforms.

Cloud CRM is typically less expensive as the provider manages all updates, backups, and maintenance. You won’t have to pay for expensive equipment, and plans can be scaled according to your budget. Another benefit is your team members can work from any location with an internet connection, providing great flexibility for today’s mobile workforce. Since everything is online, you’ll always be working with the most current versions of all documents.

On-Premise CRM System Characteristics

On-premise CRM requires on-site hardware and servers to store and provide access to company data. Software is installed either on the servers or on individual user machines, meaning the system can function without an internet connection. With the on-premise model, companies typically purchase a license that gives them ownership of the CRM software. This means it can be customized to suit the unique operational needs of each business.    

Since on-premise CRM is completely contained offline, there are some inherent security advantages. This is particularly true when it comes to system updates and maintenance, as performing these offline avoids the threat of bugs and cyber attacks. On-premise CRM does, however, require a company to perform frequent backups to a physical server to avoid potential data loss.

Comparing Cloud vs. CRM

When it comes to deciding between cloud-based and on-premise CRM, it mostly comes down to three factors: cost, customization, and security. Other key variables include the size of your organization, whether or not you have remote employees, and how vulnerable your company is to cyber threats. Large companies, for instance, are sometimes more concerned with maintaining internal control of potentially sensitive data, which favors on-premise CRM.

Purely on a cost basis, Cloud CRM systems are typically less expensive, as they charge on a per-user basis that can be scaled up or down as your company evolves. You’ll also avoid the personnel costs associated with maintaining IT personnel to manage servers and system infrastructure.

These are some of the factors that will help determine whether cloud-based or on-site CRM is a better fit for your organization. Contact Project Genetics to learn how we can help implement CRM and other solutions to help maximize your company’s potential.