Every organization has a "DNA" for the way they do projects—the processes, work
environment, organizational support, training, and ‘know how’ of key job roles
such as project managers. Without intervention, an organization will continue
to replicate their project DNA each time they start a new project. And with
each new project comes the tendency to make the same project mistakes over and over.
How do you break the cycle and improve the success of your projects? Start by
recognizing that your organization has a gap between desired project performance
and the project performance being delivered. You’ll quickly realize that a key job
role impacts project success –the project manager. Every organization wishes they
had "more project managers like Joe or Maria." But how does an organization move
the bell curve forward and increase the percentage of exemplary project managers
across the organization? The answer is Project DNA, a solution developed by
Cognitive Technologies and based on the Performance DNA methodology co-developed
by our founder and PPG for the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD).
Why Project DNA makes a difference
Project DNA was developed specifically to analyze successful project managers
within the context of various projects within an organization. Unlike some performance
improvement methodologies, Project DNA examines what exemplary project managers are doing
right to produce better-than-average results and then uses the results to "fix" what other
project managers are doing wrong or are not doing. By understanding the gap between exemplary
project managers and average project managers in your organization, we can make recommendations
that move the 'bell curve' for project managers forward.
How we do it
Cognitive Technologies uses Project DNA to create a model of successful project performance based
on exemplary project managers and uses that model to drive improved performance. The methodology
consists of a series of phases, activities, and tools that guide this examination:
- Conduct business analysis to understand the organizational and project outcomes and goals
that must be met and the current gaps between goals and results your projects are achieving
- Identify key project managers who have demonstrated exemplary project performance and
produced the outcomes that matter
- Interview managers to capture the current hiring model, critical competencies/skills,
areas of difficulty, and the organizational and managerial support provided
- Conduct outcome analysis to document how the project managers view their job and the outcomes
they produce, which outcomes they consider critical or difficult, and the impact of the outcomes
they produce on organizational processes and other job roles
- Conduct a work process and task analysis with project managers to document the processes
and tasks used to produce critical outcomes and the barriers faced when doing so
- Conduct an influence analysis to examine the influences on project performance
(learning, job design, managerial support, organizational issues, processes, tools, workplace,
hiring, motivation) that act as facilitators or barriers to project success
- Consolidate data to reveal patterns, trends, and findings
- Develop recommendations to improve the performance of other project managers
In addition to Project DNA, Cognitive Technologies has conducted similar analyses for job roles
ranging from call center representatives, financial advisors, exterminators, IT specialists, and
EMT technicians, to mid- and top-tier executives. Pricing for Project DNA, including interviews,
analyses, reports, and recommendations starts at $25,000.
If you want to increase the percentage of exemplary performers in your organization without
hiring more people, contact the performance specialists at Cognitive Technologies.