S7E16730 August 2023

S7E167: newPM - Human-centric data-driven project delivery with Donnie MacNicol and Jonathan Norman

S7E167

S7E167: newPM - Human-centric data-driven project delivery with Donnie MacNicol and Jonathan Norman

0:000:00
100%

In this episode the fellas talk about the role and future of the newPM and explore how Project Managers will move toward a data-centric project environment and just what does that men for project delivery? Donne and Jonathan are approaching this differently, they are focusing on the human centred approach, and in a world of tech, gadgets and information, perhaps this is what projects really need?

Donnie MacNicol is the founder of Team Animation which works across multiple sectors energising leaders and teams delivering complex change to maximise value and certainty of success through a focus on the human dimension. Donnie acts as a catalyst to support organisations to improve their collaboration and productivity – aspects that will be critical to tackling the many challenges we face today including climate change and in particular in meeting the NetZero target Jonathan Norman was a business publisher for 26 years, specialising in topics including project and programme management. Following six years as Knowledge Manager at the Major Projects Association, he now works freelance as project strategy and knowledge consultant, specialising in communities of practice, as as a freelance development editor for business book authors.

A big thanks to our sponsor for making our podcast happen. InEight.com

Guests

Donnie MacNicol

Donnie MacNicol

Complex Change Catalyst / Programme Director at Team Animation Ltd

Donnie MacNicol is the founder of Team Animation which works across multiple sectors energising leaders and teams delivering complex change to maximise value and certainty of success through a focus on the human dimension. Donnie acts as a catalyst to support organisations to improve their collaboration and productivity – aspects that will be critical to tackling the many challenges we face today including climate change and in particular in meeting the NetZero target

Connect
Jonathan Norman

Jonathan Norman

Freelance Knowledge Manager at Self-employed

Jonathan Norman was a business publisher for 26 years, specialising in topics including project and programme management. Following six years as Knowledge Manager at the [Major Projects Association](https://majorprojects.org/), he now works freelance as project strategy and knowledge consultant, specialising in communities of practice, as as a freelance development editor for business book authors.

Connect

Related Episodes

More conversations on similar topics

S4E91

S4E91: The Art of Complex Change Management with Donnie MacNicol

In this week’s pod we welcomed Donnie MacNicol to talk about the art of complex change management. Donnie is the founder of Team Animation which works across multiple sectors energising leaders and teams delivering complex change to maximise value and certainty of success through a focus on the human dimension. Donnie acts as a catalyst to support organisations to improve their collaboration and productivity – aspects that will be critical to tackling the many challenges we face today including climate change and in particular in meeting the NetZero target. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: Change management is treated differently from Project Management. It should be regarded on an equal footing Project and Programme Managers should have a change management responsibility as part of their job description IMA can be used to structure conversation based on personality preference. This is similar to the Insights When companies do offsite meetings, they often discuss business issues during the morning and focus on people in the afternoon as it is seen as lighter and easier. This should be reversed Not enough people use tools such as Insights / IMA to understand the stakeholders when trying to understand complex projects When starting on a complex project, try to ingest as much knowledge as possible and seek to diagnose the key problems and root cause of failures. Be cynical when reviewing change projects. Who really stands to win or lose from the success of a change being implemented? Managers could implement a stakeholder map with a RAG status on who would benefit from the change being implemented The main learning point from people in project management has been cultural, getting managers and organisations to truly care about people and personality types. Models such as Insights, DISC and IMA have supported this The main reasons for change project failure are nonsense! It does not seek to ask why the reason for failure happened. Root cause, not symptom Consultancies are often the main beneficiary from project failure! Here are links to some of the topics that were discussed: IMA Model – Personality Types: http://ima-pm.co.uk/ Opiner - Video Research Resource: https://opiner.app/ ----------------------------------------- Join us next week when we’re joined by Jo Lucas to talk about rewilding organisation and minimal interference approach to change management. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Proudly sponsored by PlanAcademy.com Ineight.com JustDo.com Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! Dale and Val

Listen Now
S8E177

S8E177: AI in Project Delivery with James Garner

In this episode, the guest, James Garner, discusses the role of AI in project management and its future implications. He shares his origin story and how he got into the field of AI. The conversation covers the definition of AI in project management and the different levels of AI sophistication. The guest also talks about the pace of AI implementation and the factors that contribute to the fear and adoption of AI. The episode concludes with a discussion on the government's generative AI framework and the importance of making project data freely accessible. The conversation explores the changing landscape of construction, the benefits of AI in project functions, the evolution of associations with AI, governance and safeguarding AI, and various other topics related to AI and technology.Takeaways AI in project management is a broad term that encompasses various levels of AI sophistication, from simple automation to more advanced machine learning and neural networks. The future of project management with AI involves a gradual progression towards increased automation and predictability, allowing professionals to focus on value-added tasks. The pace of AI implementation in project management is expected to be gradual but exponential, with constant advancements and increasing adoption. The fear of AI in project management can stem from a lack of understanding, time constraints, and the rapid pace of technological change. Education and accessibility are key to overcoming these barriers. The government's generative AI framework and initiatives like data trusts are important steps towards making project data freely accessible and fostering collaboration in the industry. The construction industry is evolving with the adoption of AI, robotics, and 3D printing, leading to changes in site operations and improved safety. Consultancy services, such as engineering and architecture, can benefit from AI by streamlining workflows and providing innovative solutions. Associations like APM and RICS have a role in setting standards and guidelines for AI adoption in the construction industry. Governance and safeguarding of AI are crucial to protect data privacy and ensure responsible use of technology. Common misconceptions about AI include the belief that it is a recent development and the lack of understanding about its potential impact. Leadership is a combination of nature and nurture, with the potential for individuals to develop leadership skills through training and experience. Recommended book: 'The Singularity is Near' by Ray Kurzweil, which explores the future of AI and predicts the point at which machines surpass human intelligence. James, an accomplished data leader in the construction industry, began his journey as a Quantity Surveyor in 2000. After earning a first-class honours degree, he wrote his university dissertation on data and digitalisation in the construction sector. James quickly built a strong portfolio, becoming a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 2002. In 2012, he was elected as a Fellow of RICS for his significant writing contributions to the RICS Black Book technical standards.   Throughout his career, James has worked on prestigious projects, including buildings for Imperial College and various Oxford University Colleges. Whilst employed at Gleeds as a Quantity Surveyor, he became head of the Education sector for London. In 2020, James took on a new challenge as Head of Insights and Analytics at Gleeds. This opportunity allowed him to further his skillset and qualify as a data analyst in 2022, launching the company's data analytics and research capabilities. Project Chatter is Proudly Sponsored by Deltek

Listen Now
S10E224

S10E224: Why We Forgive Bad Behaviour At Work with Lisa Martello

We spend a fortune on governance, tooling and RACIs, then lose our best people to one person who nobody will have a difficult conversation with. Lisa Martello has spent her career in rail, from a Transport for London graduate scheme to programme and director roles at HS2 and beyond, with detours into utilities and construction. By night she runs Catching Bees, a 20,000 strong following built on holding a sarcastic mirror up to workplace behaviour: the exec petting zoo, the strategic seagull, talent stretching, the one way flex. In this episode she makes an argument most organisations quietly avoid. We are far too forgiving to the people behaving badly, and far too demanding of the people on the receiving end. The victim gets a list of actions: gather examples, prepare, call it out in the moment, call it out afterwards, book the meeting. The culprit gets the benefit of the doubt. We also get into: Writing bids and then wishing you could deliver them, and what changes when you become the client Why the fun is seeping out of projects at exactly the point teams need it most The five step slide from benefit of the doubt to resignation, and where leaders usually intervene too late How "below the line behaviour" gets weaponised to shut down anyone who says the project is in trouble Code switching, unprofessional hair, and the role model who arrived at exactly the right moment Skanska's two word intervention, "not cool", and why sitting in the discomfort works better than a meeting Three steps out of dickhead territory, including the "is it me" moment that stopped Lisa from performance managing someone out of a job she has since excelled in Imposter syndrome as a preparation engine, and a healthy disregard for authority A serious conversation with a lot of laughing in it. FIND LISA AND CATCHING BEESCatching Bees on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catching_bees/Catching Bees on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/catching-bees/Lisa Martello on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-martello-2b65463b/ FIND USWebsite: https://projectchatter.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectchatterpodcast/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectChatterPodcast The Project Chatter Podcast has been running since 2018 and is free to access, always. If this episode was useful, share it with one person who needs to hear it.

Listen Now

Enjoyed this episode?

Subscribe to never miss a conversation with project experts