Challenge

Experiencing declining job satisfaction within project management and acknowledging the need for a cross-functional approach in the company, project director Peder Pedersen, aspired to develop more resilient project managers and prioritize their performance strengthening. Therefore, the project director asked Business Learning to develop the project leadership competencies among the company's project managers and help them achieve their desired performance.

Approach

Business Learning constructed a five-module project excellence program for the project managers where one of the learning goals was to bring the leadership element of project management to the next level, utilizing experimental action learning. Before and after each module, the project leaders prepared readings and tasks to integrate the learning. Following the first three modules, two leaders set the direction for the performance and expectations of the company's continued project leadership. The participants later worked in network teams to fulfil their promise to the company's management. An important factor within the approach of our consultants was to foster the relationships between the project leaders to enable knowledge sharing and systematic and conscious working with the teachings for effective performance impact.

Impact

The project excellence program was a major success. Due to the personal development implications that this program implied for the participants, the training was a defining moment in their project management careers, where 4 of the participants were promoted during the program. The focus was switched toward project managers to take more leadership towards the steering committees, where the project managers started to be more daring and assumed responsibility for their projects, compared to their earlier comfortable approach.

Customer Testimonial

"Excellent program for self-evaluation, reflections, sparring with peers, and personal development. Probably one of the best programs I have participated in. It gives a whole new way of looking at your stakeholder and leading a project."

– Peder Pedersen, Project Director