We live in a dynamic, ever-changing world where we can expect lots of changes. Project objectives, requirements and collaboration rules are subject to change, performance levels may fluctuate and even the vision may vary. Knowing this is one thing. Doing something about it is another thing. In order to cope with changes and lead our projects to success we have to be flexible and adjust our plans accordingly. However, a flexible project plan alone is not sufficient to master project dynamics. One of the prerequisites for project success is to actively create a culture of learning. It is an environment where team members are not punished when they make mistakes; making mistakes is normal. What we want to do is build project teams that are capable of learning from mistakes and mastering change. This cannot happen overnight. The key is that from the very first day we establish learning routines in our projects. Learning has to be part of our daily project routines. This holds true for individual projects as much as project organizations including programs and project management offices. This lecture sheds light on project organizations and how they can create a learning culture for all projects it coordinates. The lecture starts out with explaining the need of a learning culture in project organizations and outlines how we can create this culture. One example is the definition of learning standards which address team synchronizations, project reviews and training. Other examples include facilitating knowledge sharing across projects and setting up innovation days. The lecture explains the critical success factors of learning in a project organization. It identifies common learning obstacles and shows how we can overcome them. The lecture closes with an illustration of the benefits of a project learning culture. Last but not least, it shows how a learning organization can nurture the ground for project success. About the author, Thomas Juli: Thomas Juli is an experienced, enthusiastic and results-driven manager. He provides leading-edge program, interim and operational management offering more than 13 years of progressive leadership and management experience in various functions including project and program management, management consulting, business analysis, professional training and academic teaching. He is a PMI-certified Project Management Professional (PMP)® and Certified Scrum Master (CSM®) by the Scrum Alliance. He is managing director of Thomas Juli Empowerment Partners, a professional service organization for innovative empowerment, consulting and interim management. In 2011 he co-founded i-Sparks (www.i-sparks.com), the provider of a new open innovation platform that inspires people and organizations to grow their ideas into projects for success. Prior to starting his own consulting business he worked for SAP and two leading management and IT consultancies, Sapient and Cambridge Technology Partners. He consulted for various

1. The Learning Project Organization
Session ISS 13
Thomas Juli, Ph.D., PMP®, CSM®
Thomas Juli Empowerment Partners & i-Sparks

2. Why Learn?
© 2011 by Thomas Juli 2

3. © 2011 by by Thomas Juli
© 2011 Thomas Juli Picture © Sabrina Gonstalla | Pixelio.de 3

4. Grow a Learning Culture
in a Project Organization
Farmers don‘t grow crops.
They create the conditions for crops to grow.
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Grace Winter | Pixelio.de 4

5. Prerequisite for Project Success
Actively create a culture of learning
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Michael Ottersbach| Pixelio.de 5

6. This Session We Will Look At
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7. This Session We Will Look At
o Critical success factors for a learning project
organization
o Tools to help cultivate learning
o Innovation and learning
o Learning challenges
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © WRW | Pixelio.de 7

8. Critical Success Factors (CSF)
for a Learning Project Organization
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de

9. CSF 1
Build a common vision of and for your project organization
.
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Photo retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/39uvg8c 9

10. Motivation Statement
What is your driver behind creating a project organization?
Motivation
Statement
The issue(s) of …
2. Who 3. What are the impacts of
1. What are the issues your (individuals, groups, organiz these issues or risks on
project organization attempts ational units, etc.) is affected them? What happens if
to resolve? Why? by these issues or risks and these issues could not be affect(s) …
how? Why? resolved? Why?
The impact(s) of which is
(are) …
© 2011 by Thomas Juli 10

11. Organizational Pathology of Learning
- or - What happens if you don‘t learn
© 2011 by Thomas Juli 11

12. Organizational Pathology of Learning
- or - What happens if you don‘t learn
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 12

13. Organizational Pathology of Learning
- or - What happens if you don‘t learn
1. Institutional / organizational ignorance: not seeing what‘s going on
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 13

14. Organizational Pathology of Learning
- or - What happens if you don‘t learn
1. Institutional / organizational ignorance: not seeing what‘s going on
2. Institutional arrogance: no capacity for sensing, reflection, and dialogue
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 14

15. Organizational Pathology of Learning
- or - What happens if you don‘t learn
1. Institutional / organizational ignorance: not seeing what‘s going on
2. Institutional arrogance: no capacity for sensing, reflection, and dialogue
3. Institutional hubris: not knowing your authentic self; inflated self-image
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 15

16. Organizational Pathology of Learning
- or - What happens if you don‘t learn
1. Institutional / organizational ignorance: not seeing what‘s going on
2. Institutional arrogance: no capacity for sensing, reflection, and dialogue
3. Institutional hubris: not knowing your authentic self; inflated self-image
4. Institutional disinformation: not serving the whole; self-absorbed
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 16

17. Organizational Pathology of Learning
- or - What happens if you don‘t learn
1. Institutional / organizational ignorance: not seeing what‘s going on
2. Institutional arrogance: no capacity for sensing, reflection, and dialogue
3. Institutional hubris: not knowing your authentic self; inflated self-image
4. Institutional disinformation: not serving the whole; self-absorbed
5. Institutional sclerosis: lack of experimentation and renewal capacity –
strategic shifts and significant innovations unavailable
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 17

18. Organizational Pathology of Learning
- or - What happens if you don‘t learn
1. Institutional / organizational ignorance: not seeing what‘s going on
2. Institutional arrogance: no capacity for sensing, reflection, and dialogue
3. Institutional hubris: not knowing your authentic self; inflated self-image
4. Institutional disinformation: not serving the whole; self-absorbed
5. Institutional sclerosis: lack of experimentation and renewal capacity –
strategic shifts and significant innovations unavailable
6. Lack of infrastructure / corporate collapse: not focusing on real
performance; destruction of structure
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 18

19. Vision Statement
What do you envision for your project organization?
Vision
Statement
The project organization
1. What would be the
2. What benefits can
ideal resolution to the
we expect from the 3. What do we need to
identified root problem
improved situation do to achieve this? will (help) …
addressed in the
and who benefits from Why?
Motivation Statement?
it? Why?
Why? It will benefit …
In order to achieve the
solution we have to …
© 2011 by Thomas Juli 19

20. Learning Organizations
are organizations ...
 where people continually expand
their capacity to create the results
they truly desire,
 where new and expansive patterns of
thinking are nurtured,
 where collective aspiration is set free,
and
 where people are continually learning
to see the whole together.
© 2011 by Thomas Juli 20

21. 2 Key Abilities of Learning Organizations
1. design the organization to
match the intended or
desired outcomes
2. recognize when the initial
direction of the organization
is different from the desired
outcome and follow the
necessary steps to correct
this mismatch
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Thomas Max Müller | Pixelio.de 21

22. CSF 2
Nurture collaboration in your project organization and your projects
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Stephanie Hofschlaeger | Pixelio.de 22

23. CSF 3
Promote performance
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Karl-Heinz Laube | Pixelio.de 23

24. CSF 4
Cultivate learning on the individual, project and organizational level
and be smarter:
learn from other people‘s, projects‘ and organizations‘ mistakes
24

25. CSF 5
Ensure ongoing results
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Harry256 | Pixelio.de 25

26. Build
Vision
Nurture
Ensure Learning Collaboration
Results
Project
Organization
Cultivate Promote
Learning Performance
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27. Tools to Grow a Learning Culture
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28. Team Synchronization
 Time-boxed to 15
minutes
 Best when held first
thing in the morning
 All team members are
required to attend
 Primary objective: sync
 Start on time
Ask 3 simple questions
What did you What will you What
accomplish accomplish impediments are
yesterday? today? in your way?
© 2011 by Thomas Juli 28

29. Status Reporting as a Learning Tool
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30. Internal Project Reviews

31. Internal Project Reviews

32. Internal Project Reviews
32

33. External Project Reviews

34. External Project Reviews

35. Review Session – Best Practice
There are a few things to keep in mind when you plan,
prepare, and conduct review sessions:
• Regularity
• Focused, results-driven lessons learned
• Various locations

36. Training
36

37. Learning and Innovation
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Gerd Altmann | Pixelio.de 37

38. Emerging Futures
„We have the need to sense our own emerging future in order to meet
today‘s challenges. ...
In this kind of ... environment, making decisions based on the habits
of past experience is no longer optimal – or wise. ...
You need to develop the capacity to avoid imposing old frameworks
on new realities.“
Senge et al (2005), Presence, page 84
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Andreas Trapp | Pixelio.de 38

39. Emerging Futures
„We have the need to sense our own emerging future in order to meet
today‘s challenges. ...
In this kind of ... environment, making decisions based on the habits
of past experience is no longer optimal – or wise. ...
You need to develop the capacity to avoid imposing old frameworks
on new realities.“
Senge et al (2005), Presence, page 84
39

40. Learning Challenges
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41. Project Environment Not Open to New Ideas
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42. Project Environment Not Open to New Ideas
-> Possible Mitigation
 Take concerns seriously
 Develop / revisit / adjust
motivation and vision
statements – together
 Prioritize stakeholders and
their needs.
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Manfred Kepp | Pixelio.de 42

43. No Feedback or Learning Culture
NO
FEEDBACK
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44. No Feedback or Learning Culture
-> Possible Mitigation
 All
feedback counts
 1:1 meetings
 Regular
feedback sessions
 Delta statements
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Pambieni | Pixelio.de 44

45. Lack of Time
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 45

46. Lack of Time
-> Possible Mitigation
 Find quiet times
 Learning as part of scope
 Combine feedback sessions with other
events
 Revisit project schedules
© 2011 by Thomas Juli
Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 46

47. „What do you do as a leader in order to support a
fast paced innovation process?
What is your leadership work?“
A good reply:
„My real leadership work is that I facilitate the
opening process.“
© 2011 by Thomas Juli 47

48. © 2011 by Thomas Juli 48

49. Picture retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/5rjt8pa 49

50. © 2011 by Thomas Juli
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Bernd Boscolo | Pixelio.de 50

51. © 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © ViewFotoCommunity-877619 51

52. © 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Stephanie Hofschläger | Pixelio.de 52

53. Picture © Stephanie Hofschläger | Pixelio.de
The Good and Evil of

54. Picture © Stephanie Hofschläger | Pixelio.de
The Good and Evil of

55. Promote Performance
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Karl-Heinz Laube | Pixelio.de 55

56. Promote Team Performance
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 56

57. And Have Fun!
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Rainer Sturm | Pixelio.de 57

58. Acknowledge and Celebrate Performance
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/2v632h6 58

59. Fail Early to Learn Quickly
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © iStock 14047443 59

60. Take small steps
Ensure Ongoing Results... one at a time
© 2011 by Thomas Juli © NASA
Picture 60

61. Grow a Learning Culture
in a Project Organization
Farmers don‘t grow crops.
They create the conditions for crops to grow.
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Grace Winter | Pixelio.de 61

62. Prerequisite for Project Success
Actively create a culture of learning
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Michael Ottersbach| Pixelio.de 62

63. © 2011 by Thomas Juli 63

64. Ignite Sparks of Innovation
Don‘t talk. – ACT!
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture © Gerd Altmann | Pixelio.de 64

65. References & Book Recommendations
Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning
Organization (2006th ed.). New York: Currency Doubleday. Denning, S. (2010). The
LeaderʼsGuide to Radical
Senge, P. M., Scharmer, C. O., Jaworski, J., & Flowers, B. S. (2005). Presence: Management: Re-inventing the Juli, T. (2010). Leadership
An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society. New Workplace for the 21st Century. Principles for Project Success.
York: Crown Business. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. New York: CRC Press.
(20% conference discount at
Scharmer, C. O. (2009). Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges. San www.crcpress.com; use code
Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. 813DA at checkout)

66. Thomas Juli, Ph.D., PMP®, CSM®
Managing Director, Thomas Juli Empowerment Partners
Co-Founder, i-Sparks LLC
Web:
www.ThomasJuli.com
www.TheProjectLeadershipPyramid.net
www.i-Sparks.com
Blog:
www.thomasjuli.wordpress.com
Email: tj@thomasjuli.com
Twitter: thomasjuli, i_sparks
LinkedIn
Xing
Phone: +49 (0)15 15 16 333 22
© 2011 by Thomas Juli Picture of sparks © Stefan Schwarz | Pixelio.de 66