Topic: Equality, diversity & inclusion

By Jonathan Norman
May 15th 2019

Embracing Diversity – Managing People Who Don’t Look Like You Short Report

Those of you who watch SAS Who Dares Wins on Channel 4 will have noticed that this year, for the first time, they have allowed women to take part in the military selection reality show. Star of the show – Director of Staff – Ant Middleton claims many times that he will not discriminate between the men and the women on the course. And yet by episode 3 he has already accepted voluntary withdrawal from half of the women, standing by and accepting their armbands as they hand them over in tears. He listens to the stories of their struggles with sympathy but very little empathy. In contrast the struggling men are told they are doing a good job, they are taken to one side and told to let it all out and then move on and several times Ant reflects how the male recruits are “just like me at his age”. This is not overt discrimination. And it’s not unconscious bias. This is an example of appointing in your own image. And we do it all the time, over and over again. Because it is easy to understand the motivations of those who are just like you. It is much simpler to manage someone with a similar background to yourself. And whilst the majority of people in positions of power are white, able-bodied men this pattern of appointing and promoting in our own image perpetuates this pattern. In order to achieve real diversity in our major projects we have to be brave enough to face this reality and we have to learn how to overcome it. This seminar aims to unpick some of the barriers to achieving diversity and to learn from those who are leading truly diverse teams.

By Jonathan Norman
April 19th 2018

Workforce transformation – how should the industry respond to changing attitudes and expectations of the workforce? Highlight Report

We are all living longer. In 1980 the average life expectancy in the UK was around 74, by 2000 it was 78, and in 2015 it had reached 81. And the trend is continuing so that by 2030, people will live to be well into their 80s. This will have a profound impact upon the workplace – pensions (at their current rate) will not support pensioners through an extended retirement. It will become necessary for people to remain in work for far longer than they currently do. Retirement ages will extend into the 70s. This will change the way that people wish to work.

Already we have seen the disappearance of “jobs for life” and with this inevitable extension to the working life it is possible that we will no longer even see “careers for life”. Those entering the workforce in their 20s now have the prospect of working for 50+ years. It is unlikely that they will chose to stay for all those years in the same profession – a trend we have begun to see in the working patterns preferred by Millennials.

This evening discussion will explore what this will mean for major projects? We will explore how we might need to invest even more in organisational learning to deal with a regularly changing workforce; how leadership skills might need to shift from process to people; how technology can help to fill some of the gaps and the expectations around its use; as well as whether significant social shifts over the next generation will require us to adopt flexible working patterns and different ways of measuring project value.

This evening seminar is free to attend for all member organisations and will appeal to everyone in the major projects community. Commencing at 18.30 concluding at 20.30.

By Jonathan Norman
January 24th 2018

Are we getting better at Project Initiation? Highlight Report

The UK has demonstrated a good track record for major project delivery when the conditions for success are right. But too often insufficient time is spent at the start of projects creating those conditions. This means that too often the UK track record for major project delivery has been poor.

As the Major Projects Association Chairman Sir Tim Laurence explains, “We do know that we should take time on initiation, but we are not always firm enough in our demands for time and resources to make sure everything is as clear as we can get it.”

Given the scale of the UK’s ambition to invest in major projects as a critical driver for the economy, it is vital that this performance in the early stages of projects is turned around. Since the Major Projects Association’s formation in 1981, many events have been held and many reports have been written in the attempt to understand why major projects go well and to learn when they go wrong. Getting major projects set up right from the start is repeatedly highlighted as the critical factor in project success and, conversely, its absence usually leads to failure. The Major Project Association’s recently published handbook on the subject highlights some fundamental lessons to aid major project professionals avoid the mistakes of the past. Delivered as the “ten tenets of major projects initiation” it is intended to help senior level sponsor, client and supply chain leaders across the public and private sectors.

Despite this major effort across the sector to analyse and improve performance, the question remains “are we getting better at Project Initiation?” It is a question that will be tackled at a forthcoming Major Projects Association discussion designed to help project delivery professionals to better understand how project initiation techniques are evolving to provide major projects with the best possible start.

By Jonathan Norman
November 8th 2017

Developing the next generation of major project leaders Short Report

Traditionally, the leaders of our Major Projects have had a technical background ensuring they are well versed in the sectors they are delivering. But with the emphasis of Major Projects shifting from their physical manifestation to their transformative impact, are the skills needed to lead Major Projects changing?

If the role of a leader is to unite people around common goals and focus their effort on achieving them, what is the impact of social technology and expanding global supply chains? When leaders are held to account by an ever widening, hyper-connected and multi-faceted set of interests, how does the traditional expert led, hierarchical model need to adapt to successfully lead across cultural boundaries and diverse points of view; to connect not just communicate?

At this full day seminar, we will explore what new skills are required of us as leaders, from cultural intelligence to designing and nurturing delivery cultures and even to consider whether in a networked system, a leader is required at all.

This event is free to individuals from member organisations. This is open to members of the Association for Project Management. Please refer to Rebecca Fox, Head of Commercial, APM for available spaces. email: rebecca.fox@apm.org.uk

In collaboration with APM
By Jonathan Norman
November 8th 2017

Developing the next generation of major project leaders Highlight Report

Traditionally, the leaders of our Major Projects have had a technical background ensuring they are well versed in the sectors they are delivering. But with the emphasis of Major Projects shifting from their physical manifestation to their transformative impact, are the skills needed to lead Major Projects changing?

If the role of a leader is to unite people around common goals and focus their effort on achieving them, what is the impact of social technology and expanding global supply chains? When leaders are held to account by an ever widening, hyper-connected and multi-faceted set of interests, how does the traditional expert led, hierarchical model need to adapt to successfully lead across cultural boundaries and diverse points of view; to connect not just communicate?

At this full day seminar, we will explore what new skills are required of us as leaders, from cultural intelligence to designing and nurturing delivery cultures and even to consider whether in a networked system, a leader is required at all.

This event is free to individuals from member organisations. This is open to members of the Association for Project Management. Please refer to Rebecca Fox, Head of Commercial, APM for available spaces. email: rebecca.fox@apm.org.uk

In collaboration with APM
By Jonathan Norman
November 8th 2017

Developing the next generation of major project leaders Full Report

Traditionally, the leaders of our Major Projects have had a technical background ensuring they are well versed in the sectors they are delivering. But with the emphasis of Major Projects shifting from their physical manifestation to their transformative impact, are the skills needed to lead Major Projects changing?

If the role of a leader is to unite people around common goals and focus their effort on achieving them, what is the impact of social technology and expanding global supply chains? When leaders are held to account by an ever widening, hyper-connected and multi-faceted set of interests, how does the traditional expert led, hierarchical model need to adapt to successfully lead across cultural boundaries and diverse points of view; to connect not just communicate?

At this full day seminar, we will explore what new skills are required of us as leaders, from cultural intelligence to designing and nurturing delivery cultures and even to consider whether in a networked system, a leader is required at all.

This event is free to individuals from member organisations. This is open to members of the Association for Project Management. Please refer to Rebecca Fox, Head of Commercial, APM for available spaces. email: rebecca.fox@apm.org.uk

In collaboration with APM
By Manon Bradley
October 25th 2017

Gender Balance Interventions in Major Projects

This study was undertaken to find if there were any proven interventions which improved gender balance within the predominantly male environments of major projects delivery.

By Jonathan Norman
October 17th 2017

Women in Major Project Leadership Full Report

The Major Projects Association has long maintained that there are a disproportionate number of women involved in the initiation and delivery of major projects. This is even more stark as you scale the heights of leadership.

Fewer than 20% of Directors within our member organisations are women and in the most senior roles that figure drops to less than 9%.

This half day seminar will hear why there are so few women in positions of power and what is particular about major projects that exacerbates these factors. We will explore the use of women-only groups and networks and discuss whether they help or hinder the journey for all people. The day will end with a group of panellists who have been asked to tell the tales of leadership within different sectors.

This event is appropriate for those who are seeking answers to the age-old question “Why are there so few senior women?” and for those who are keen to understand what it is like to be a woman in a position of leadership in the major projects community.

By Jonathan Norman
October 17th 2017

Women in Major Project Leadership Highlight Report

The Major Projects Association has long maintained that there are a disproportionate number of women involved in the initiation and delivery of major projects. This is even more stark as you scale the heights of leadership.

Fewer than 20% of Directors within our member organisations are women and in the most senior roles that figure drops to less than 9%.

This half day seminar will hear why there are so few women in positions of power and what is particular about major projects that exacerbates these factors. We will explore the use of women-only groups and networks and discuss whether they help or hinder the journey for all people. The day will end with a group of panellists who have been asked to tell the tales of leadership within different sectors.

This event is appropriate for those who are seeking answers to the age-old question “Why are there so few senior women?” and for those who are keen to understand what it is like to be a woman in a position of leadership in the major projects community.

By Jonathan Norman
October 27th 2016

Gender Balance – Majority Champions of Inclusion Highlight Report

In this interactive workshop delegates explored ways in which their organisations were seeking to engage their majority champions of inclusion, in order to ensure that their businesses have a sustainable and diverse talent pipeline that creates opportunities for all. To
achieve this greater engagement it was suggested that communication of EDI needs to change, as current strategies are not creating inclusion quickly enough.

For the engineering industry, which is facing a skills crisis, this is particularly critical as graduates and young professionals have many career options in sectors such as law and banking, where EDI efforts are more mature.