Written by Nevella Paul, MBA, PMP

PMI Atlanta’s Healthcare Forum attendees were pleasantly enlightened with the engaging presentation delivered by Brett Byrnes, Project Manager, Implementation Services at nThrive. Brett began has presentation with three intriguing questions:

1. Where do the Client expectations originate?
2. What is Statement of Work (SOW)?
3. How do they become mismatched?

These questions led into a case study that created an interactive discussion on project expectations and what to do when the expectations are not clearly defined. The case study focused on a Patient Accounting System (PAS) conversion project.

Brett delved into the case study by sharing the general background information, initial requirements and the standard timeline for the project. He discussed the importance of having a SOW defined at the beginning of the project and the need to continuously managing expectations throughout the project. The lack of a SOW will mostly like cause scope creep and other changes to the projects. These unmanaged and unexpected changes will create rework in the project management life cycle and subsequently increase the likelihood of project failure.

When this occurs, what do you do now?
Option 1: RUN AWAY or Option 2: Manage Expectations

You should manage the expectations by:

• Communicating with the Project Team
• Communicating with the Stakeholders
• Enact the Change Management Process

Executing these steps will help get the project back in line and increase the potential of project success.

Presentation key takeaways:

• If there is no SOW or SOW is not clearly defined do not move forward with the project.
• Plan, Plan, Plan before you execute! If it takes 4 months to plan, DO IT!
• Pre-planning, do more up front. It will save time and effort throughout the project.
• Everyone should know their responsibilities and they should be outlined in the Master agreement.
• Client responsibilities and “Our” responsibilities need to be quantified with dates.
• The Change Management Process is key in any project

Brett concluded his presentation with a question and answer session, and Lasondria Hill closed the meeting by thanking Brett and the Healthcare Forum participants.

Please join us Wednesday, April 16 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Healthcare Forum for the:

Keynote Presentation: “How a Combination of Treatments and Vaccines Is Creating a Paradigm Shift in Combating Infectious Diseases” presented by Darnisha Harrison, President and CEO, Ennaid Therapeutics

Location: Philips Healthcare
PHA Academy
One Deerfield Centre
13560 Morris Road
Alpharetta, GA 30004

Enrollment is underway for the Summer 2017 term of the Mentorship Programs offered at PMI Atlanta!

• The program is only open to PMI Atlanta members - participants may earn up to 8 PDUs AT NO COST
• WE NEED MENTORS! Mentors have the opportunity to share Project Management knowledge with another PMI Atlanta Member
• Mentors and Mentees will be matched according to goals/objectives or area of interest
• The enrollment period will last through April followed by a mandatory Kick Off Meeting, in early/mid May
• The mentoring term lasts about 3 months (much like a college ‘semester’) with a minimum of a 6 hour commitment (May-July 2017)
• Space is limited to the number of mentors who volunteer. A waiting list will be created for those that do not make it into the Summer term
• Those interested will need to complete a survey so they may be matched appropriately
• Email us to get started

PMI Atlanta’s Executive Board authorized (in early 2016) the creation of an annual report to the membership. This report represents a summary of events and accomplishments of the prior year, and a preview into the coming year’s strategic initiatives.

The initiative complements the State of the Chapter presentation delivered by the Chair at the December Holiday Party or the chapter’s first monthly dinner event in the new year. While these events are widely attended, attendance is limited considering the chapter’s size, and thus represents only a small fraction of the entire chapter’s 4,600+ membership. The net result, the majority of the membership has limited insight and remains largely uninformed as to goals accomplishment.

Our intent is to:

• hold ourselves (the Leadership Team) accountable to you (the membership) by producing a formal year-end summary.
• broaden our reach with respect to communicating accomplishments to a wider membership audience.
• increase membership satisfaction by demonstration of financial accountability and goals completion.
• increase member participation in chapter activities by increasing visibility into chapter affairs.
  
  

Our volunteer-leaders are among some of the most dedicated. They are fueled by a fire of optimism and highly motivated by situations in which they are held accountable for results -- and we are proud to communicate their accomplishments. We hope you find the information helpful and informative.

As you read the report, think of areas where you might want to become involved. We have many areas that need more attention and time.

On behalf of the entire leadership team, board members and volunteers that make it happen, we would like to thank you for your support. Your support and positive comments are the fuel that keeps us moving forward to make PMI Atlanta one of the largest and most active chapters in the world.

Sincerely,

Bill Kay, MSOL, PMP
Director 3, At-Large
PMI Atlanta Board

Lead Project Manager - Jim Rowland, PMP

by Mike Ososki, PMP, Public Relations Committee

We didn’t know where the voice was coming from. After being introduced, Jeff Tobe made his loud, high energy, and semi-invisible grand entrance from the back of the room. It was a good kick-off for PMI Atlanta’s March Dunwoody Dinner—and a powerful presentation of positive challenge.

Mr. Tobe is a professional speaker and author hailing from Pittsburgh, with a topical focus on customer experience (CX), creativity/innovation, and employee engagement. His thoughtful, humorous and clever style well underscores the content of his message. One of Jeff’s first audience directives was that when he asked us a question with an obvious YES answer, we should pump our fist in the air and shout ABSOLUTELY! And we did.

Our automaton habits were challenged, with exhortation that if we’ve always done something in a certain way, and that’s why we keep doing it, we must still strive to be open to change for the better. Often this practice is uncomfortable. As a simple demonstration of our resistance, Jeff had everyone switch their watch or bracelet to the other hand, and see if they could keep it there until bedtime. (Not that it’s better, but you get the idea :)

We are evolving out of the time-worn Customer Service and Satisfied Customer model into the new Customer Experience and Loyal/Engaged Customer model. For your customer, YOU are the brand and the company, so ask yourself: What is the customer experience of ME?

Comparing Cost vs. Value from a CX angle, our job is to increase value so it’s more important than cost. Constantly check with your “customer,” asking “What will increase the value SPECIFIC to you AT THIS VERY MOMENT?” Your customer is anyone you want to influence or persuade. Give yourself an A.S.K. (Alternative Solution Kick) and shatter the stereotype of the EXPERIENCE your customer expects to have with you ... go for the pleasant surprise, as in 1+1=3, and “If It Ain’t Broke, BREAK IT!” (in a good way).

Every transaction is always an experience for the customer. So how random or managed is the PM experience you are delivering? (Most PMs deliver experiences without thinking about them.) You will do well to anticipate and know what your customers need before they do. Engage customers by turning each touch point into a dialogue. What are YOUR touch points?

Project managers are change agents, and part of our work is to color outside the lines. Step one: figure out where the edge of the page is, so you don’t fall off. Be careful with the status quo mindset rooted in fear. Culture is based in the past, and your work is often to shift the climate. Always seek to influence and persuade of the benefit of your proposed change to your customer, because everyone’s favorite radio station is WII-FM (What’s In It For Me?).

Part of Jeff’s definition of creativity is “looking at something differently than everyone else.” He told a good archetypical story to illustrate how our assumptions and prejudice create our perspective. Maybe it’s always best that we seek not to change the world, but choose to change our mind about the world. From every challenge comes opportunity. Thinking of Harvey, the classic James Stewart rabbit film, Jeff exhorts that we “learn to see invisible opportunities where everyone else sees only visible limitations.”

Do you like to work with people who are fun, and have more fun at work? Of course you do, and it can be done. Coloring outside the lines is scary business, but we all need to exercise our “risk muscles.”