Brainstorming Global Project Management

What are the best ways to build trust on a global project?

How can we build teams that are seperated by time, place and culture? How can we facilitate culutral understanding? What are the impacts of teams that don't understand each other culturally? What are the warning signs that our projects have trust issues? Our scenario is in 2012 what are the tools, skills and knowledge we will need to perform global project management. How can we improve as individuals, teams and organizations to deliver tangible and intangible benefits? What Techniques might change? How can we use technology? What kind of soft skills shall we improve to perform global project management better?

ITEC Global Project Management

Interactive Visual brainstorming

Technology in Global Project in 2012

Today, companies are engaging not only local/domestic assignment but global projects. The number of global projects is increasing and global projects are more challenging compare to those of locals. Global Projects are hard because of Time zone difference, having a Face-to-face meeting, Language problems, cultures.. If we can solve those problems, stress free global project management. Project managers will need to utilize technology efficiently in order to do the global project management. 

5.Road map
Project managers will need to utilize technology efficiently in order to do the global project management.

We are going to discuss about it

in detail from now.

<Problems Body>

(1)Time Zone

(2)Space

(3)Language

(4)Travel Zone

(5)Culture

<Solutions body>

Solution for the problems:

(1) Virtual office

(2) Automatic real time interpreter

(3) Infrastructure for information sharing

+

Project management automation

Hiroshi Sakaguchi

Shin Mizuguchi

Hitomi Michino

Mio Ohira

Presentation Communication and Culture

Communication is a key factor in project Success, The differences in culture are one of the crucial elements in project risk. This presentation shows how to plan for Cultural diversity in Projects.

Poor communication is the factor that most often causes a global project to fail. Nearly 28 percent of more  than 1,000 respondents singled out poor communications as the number one cause of project failure. 30% of people in class survey believed 60-80% of projects failed due to poor communications. Communication constraints on global projects are "The Culture GAP", Different backgrounds,  Reactive thinking and Negative thinking. The way to overcome these are to have an Open mindset,   Positive thinking and Respect for each other. How to do this we need to Remove communication barriers and Solve Logical Barriers. How do we  Solve Mental Barriers (Culture differences)? We need to communicate formally and informally. Better communication can  Understand and respect each other Solve Physical Barriers Use technology as supporting only where appropriate Get face-to-face communication if required. Use technology as supporting only where appropriate Get face-to-face communication if required.

Hoi Fan Wong

Akihisa Iwakawa

Masaki Iwakura 

Collaborative Brainstorm

What rules would you include for your team on a Global Project. The main team is in Japan. Team Members from around the world will be working on a global project together. How can you manage team expectations from a Japanese perspective?

Share your thoughts here collaborate together.....

2010 S2W3 JBP

Brainstorming Global Project Management

What are the best ways to build trust on a global project?

How can we build teams that are seperated by time, place and culture? How can we facilitate culutral understanding? What are the impacts of teams that don't understand each other culturally? What are the warning signs that our projects have trust issues? Our scenario is in 2012 what are the tools, skills and knowledge we will need to perform global project management. How can we improve as individuals, teams and organizations to deliver tangible and intangible benefits? What Techniques might change? How can we use technology? What kind of soft skills shall we improve to perform global project management better?

2011-02 GPM

Interactive Visual brainstorming

Brainstorming Global Project Management

What are the best ways to build trust on a global project?

How can we build teams that are seperated by time, place and culture? How can we facilitate culutral understanding? What are the impacts of teams that don't understand each other culturally? What are the warning signs that our projects have trust issues? Our scenario is in 2012 what are the tools, skills and knowledge we will need to perform global project management. How can we improve as individuals, teams and organizations to deliver tangible and intangible benefits? What Techniques might change? How can we use technology? What kind of soft skills shall we improve to perform global project management better?

2010 S2W1 GPM

Socio-Culture, Uncertinty and Organizational Risks in Global Projects

All Projects are inherently risky. Additionally global projects are prone to socio-cultural risks due to cultural difference. Because we are working on global projects, and global projects could have more socio-cultural, uncertainty, and organizational risks than domestic projects in nature.  Socio-Cultural Risks:  All Projects are inherently risky. Additionally global projects are prone to socio-cultural risks due to cultural difference.   Uncertainty Risks: Natural disasters are commonly uncertainty risks.  Impacts & probabilities are hard to predict. But yet need to prepare for it. Organizational Risks: Organizational risks are everywhere right from selecting project, planning to project closing. Need to know this risk at each stages of project in advance.   Risk is like wine. Either too much or none of it can kill the party!   Roadmap: You should know the risk well (it`s source, probability, impact). Apply your tolerance and plan accordingly your mitigation. We pick up 3 most could-be-serious risks in each of our categories.

One of the major risk in the category of organizational risks is "Lack of Subject Matter Experts" especially when project across multiple domains.

We ranked its impact 4 and likelihood as 4.   Have SME’s in your team to make domain related risks as foreseen as possible and manage that risk effectively.  The "Cultural Gap" matters most in socio-cultural risks. The bigger the  gap, so as the related risks.    We ranked its impact 3 and likelihood as 4. To manage these risks 1) Respect local cultures 2) Develop global mindset 3) Develop cultural intelligence 4) Understand the importance of language. Never underestimate cultural difference the top risk in the category of uncertainty risks is "Natural Disaster”. We ranked its impact 5 and likelihood as 2. Our suggestion to deal with this risk is 1) to distribute key assets, 2) identify unchangeable factors for running project and insure them, and 3) include disaster management plan in your project plans.

We picked up examples of risks with high impact/possible to occur. As we have seen, You should know the risk well (it`s source, probability, impact). Apply your tolerance and plan accordingly your mitigation.  Socio-Cultural Risks:  All Projects are inherently risky. Additionally global projects are prone to socio-cultural risks due to cultural difference. Uncertainty Risks: Natural disasters are commonly uncertainty risks.  Impacts & probabilities are hard to predict. But yet need to prepare for it.  Organizational Risks: Organizational risks are everywhere right from selecting project, planning to project closing. Need to know this risk at each stages of project in advance.   Risk is like wine. Either too much or none of it can kill the party!   Risk is directly related to reward, if you take it in controlled way.

Workshop Participants Created a Survey in the Workshop to create data for their Presentations.

How many % of communication problems are caused by cultural differences?
	0-20%   3 27% 20% to 40%   4 36% 40% to 60%   2 18% 60%80%   2 18% 80% to 100%   0 0% Other   0 0%

How many % of the communication problems are caused by physical restriction or poor communication technology?
	0-20%   1 9% 20% to 40%   5 45% 40% to 60%   4 36% 60% to 80%   1 9% 80% to 100%   0 0%

How many % of communication problems are caused by missing ground rules, like lack of agenda, failure to attend on time etc.
	0-20%   0 0% 20% to 40%   3 27% 40% to 60%   6 55% 60% to 80%