Phew! Just completed a PM Course on another batch of 24 professionals !
Thanks Allah swt that we did quite well from the response that we had. However, we must continue to listen and learn from my customers.Then only we will LEAD.

My retired friend just sent me an email. He said he is going to hold a wedding for his daughter by end of this year,and he also registered to go for Haj and start a business. That is three projects in ojne year!!!

I will try to assist him.

Yesterday, I passed through a road in Pahang. I was shocked to see the level of PM by the contractors in doing million ringgit projects.

Looking back to the number of projects given out by the government, Malaysian contractors who keep on getting jobs should have improved by now. Now I believed what my guru said that no matter how much works they do , they will never learn and will keep making mistakes all the time.

Why?

Just came from a wedding function. We had to wait for 30 minutes due to shortage of foods. In Malaysia, it is almost impossible to estimate how many people will come to your family wedding. My cousin invited one thousand ,but he anticipated two thousand people will come but the two thousand also come with additional kids.

The only way is to get extra foods on stand by with with the cooks .

This is the most difficult part in scope management if we treat wedding as a project;-0

A contractor friend told me about his business philosophy-sub all work to ensure you lock in your profit. When I asked why he did not do thw weork himself and make extra profit, he told me his people will cheat him and he has lost money.

In Malaysia,many main contractors are just project managers.

To-day,I received an email from a friend who attended a course my partners have conducted for the past 8days. He valued it 10 times than what is being paid! That makes another day for me:-))

It reconfirmed my aspiration to be a teacher. But I must be warned:

WHO DARES TO TEACH MUST NEVER CEASE TO LEARN....

How do I go about translating ideas into reality? One management consultant who turned himself into a writer has this to say:
Concentrate on the process of becoming a writer. and less on dreaming to be a writer. Personally, I love to write;in fact I write everyday in my blogs and in my special interests mailinglist with the hope one day day I could work on a book( any genre) and become a writer.
I think project management methodology is quite applicable in turning myself into a management consultant and later to be a writer;-)

When we talk about ideas, we must be able to articulate and to validate before we create a project. My friend Peter is helping me on this aspect. Thanks Peter.

Now, I began to understand why teachers remain as teachers despite their low income and degrading respect by materialistic society. When we finished our second module to train JKR professionals , a few of them thanked us for opening their eyes to elevate them to the next level of knowledge,undertanding and competence in managing their projects. We even provoked them to re-examine their axioms, premises and assumptions to the brink of ridicules.

I feel grateful and proud( in all humility) to be part of a team that taught the elephants on how to dance. The earth is vibrating when the elephant starts to dance.The rest in ther 'animal' kingdom will follow soon.This is a joy that one gets for being a member of a team that makes a difference. Let's get M.A.D

Only crazy people creates the change. Normal people remains complacent in status quo forever.

Let me share with you what happened yesterday at the Project Management course for a govt. department.

One engineer confided in me that he now realised the importance of having the knowledge and tools to manage his projects.He was cynical all the way until yesterday.When his department wanted to make changes and comes with new format of reporting,he told a friend that he won't do it. But now, when he gets some knowledge and realised his folly, he is all the way to support our efforts to use proper project management knowledge! He also told me this is one course that he did not sleep;-)

I thought it was people ego's or arrogance that they belittle our efforts to do proper project management. Now, I also learned and realised that these people are just ignorant.

I think he is not the only one who has converted. I was so happy yesterday that I rewarded myself with a cafe latte at Gloria Jeans at KLCC-sitting alone surfing the Internet using wi-fi and smiling from ear to ear....It makes my day.

Sam told me that he managed to conclude the objective of his IT project with a client. Thank God that he did it.Now, he can concentrate of WHAT the is going to do i.e scope planning!

I am glad to hear about it.

This week, my team went to Terengganu to give a talk on JKR new progress reports and its rational. About 100 persons attended the two days course-50% from JKR and the others from contractors and consultants. My observation indicated that only a few know PMBOK and also a few only who are really interested to learn. The majority is just being to learn to comply with JKR new requirement. It is their ignorance that failed to motivate them to learn to upgrade themselves to the next level of competence.

To-day , I discussed PM basic concept with two of my disciples. The rest are 'busy' some where.
next topic will be on planning.

Yesterday was the first time I gave a talk at a university. The talk was on Project Management.
Ons professor whispered to me that he doesnot know even half of what I am talking about!

I reminded my friends that many of us thought that change is a VO most of the time. VO means change in scope of work( not necessarilly so). Change is ANY change that affect scope,cost and time( and I add quality and risks).

Any change must be updated every month, but many assumed that once a plan is approved, everyone must abide by it all the way until end of contract.

To-day, I discovered that JKR can design projects at one -third of the cost done by the consultants! The questions lies:Can JKR deliver the goods on time?

By thye grace of Allah swt, my proposed business project will be financed via another project of a friend. This is NOT a coincidence- it is a help hand down from the heavens.

To-day, my partner and me discussed on a project. Now, we gathering data on the possible cost and solutions to our business proposal.

To-day I briefed my potential client on the use of web in various functions in project management.

* is a sign of Power point slide:
This is my opening speech at JKR Workshop on Project Management.

*Welcome to PM World Of Knowledge-slide show as a background before the talk.
*Knowledge is proud that he has learn?d so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.

Then, a new slide:

*Learning Project Management.

Title of the Talk: Learning Project Management

Greetings and thanks to JKR

Welcome the participants of the 2nd Intake of PMC.

Let me introduce myself.My name is Mohd Adib Awang Noh , the leader of XPM. I will give a short note of introduction. XPM is a group of people namely Dr SM Yeoh, Mr Peter Wood , Mr Lau KE and me who shared their common passion in PM knowledge . They form a group to impart their knowledge and expertiser to those who wish to learn and provide consultancy services on request basis.

We will take you on a journey to discover PM World of Knowledge in the 12 days of this course . Dr SM Yeoh, Mr Peter Wood and Mr. Lau would be talking and discussing about the art and science of project management and I will talk about the spiritual part at the beginning of the course and I?ll participate in the class discussion later on.

Let me quote Peter?s example on Rudyard Kipling six wise men.

*Slide show of the quote.

Let me borrow only three of the above wise men to demonstrate my points of: WHY, WHAT, HOW


Let?s start with WHY we learn PM?

May be it is best that I used myself as an example because I was a JKR engineer.I joined JKR in July, 1976-a long time ago. When I was transferred to JKR Pasir Mas Kelantan to manage education projects there, no body really guided me to do my work. Then, I was almost 24 years young and a gungho engineer who can?t wait to get his hands on managing projects messing around with projects. I was given a list of education projects in Kelantan Barat, two TA?s and few technicians under my command. What do I know about the projects? Just read the contract documents.That?s all. Good luck to you, Adib.Does that sound familiar to YOU?

Since I was trained at British University, let me borrow a good English phrase- I muddle through project management to deliver my projects. The boss will ask; Bila project boleh tender? The DO will ask bila project boleh siap. The contractor will ask: Bila dapat progress payment? At that time, I don?t even understand JKR 203C conditions of contract!

All the way, it was a struggle. Why? Because I was working in a struggling organization then. Now, you boss or leader knows the importance of PM knowledge. That is why we are all here-we to teach and you to learn. The main purpose, I believe is to strengthen and enhance JKR?s core competency i.e project management. May I quote Hamel from HBR:

To survive and to thrive , the organisation must nurture their core competency.

When I met Dato Zaini, I told him I have 25 yrs experience in PM-in JKR construction projects and corporate projects. Being an engineer & lawyer as he is, he said sarcastically.?Not 25 yrs of experience but 25 yrs of services. And one year of experience repeated 25 times! Imagine that: ONLY ONE YEAR OF EXPERIENCE.Dato Dr Wahid is more kind. He said JKR engineers has only 2 yrs of experience and repeated by the no of years of service divided by 2!. Some will agree and many will disagree with their views but there is some truth in it. But honestly, over the years that you have worked for JKR, how much do you really learn from your experiences? How much knowledge, skills and tools and techniques that you have acquired based solely on your experience?

In my case, I admit I do not know that much until I started learning to discover the world of knowledge of PM since early 2000.

In early 2000, I told Tan Sri Omar that I would like become PM consultant? Then, he asked me: What do I know about PM? Well, I told him that I was a JKR engineer for a few years and was CEO of a listed company on KLSE. Tan Sri Omar said: ?Adib: Go and learn.. take this book(Fast Forward MBA in PM) and go to London to meet people in APM? Then I ask: Do you mean that what we have been doing in JKR is not project management? He replied: NO!(To my understanding:what it means is NOT the project management as what it should be). After that I dared not asked! Not many dare to ask him any question when he was the DG at that time.

Then my odyssey in PM began and I am still on that journey until to-day..so all of you are welcome to board the ship and began our journey to discover or rediscover PM WOK!

Actually, we don?t learn much from our experience.At first I don?t agree with Dr SM Yeoh that I don?t learn from experience. Then , I ponder for a week and finally agreed. In term of knowledge, I learn more in the last two years then in the last twenty years. We must learn from our leaders (bosses don?t teach) and from our teachers. I also then discovered PMBOK and PMI, APM and meet interesting people along the way..something like a pilgrimage. In a pilgrimage( ex Haji), everyone may have the same roadmap-the road ,laybyes,stops and destination BUT everyone will have his own personal journey.

People questioned Dato? Dr Wahid ( behind his back ofcourse) and me on why they now have to learn PM? The older engineers of JKR could still completed the jobs without learning PM? I don?t know Dato? Wahid?s answer but mine is simple. My 90yrs old grandmother told me she used to walk from Bachok(20km) to Kota Bharu for half a day but I would prefer to take my car in half hour. The Pharaoh has built The Pyramid but he did not use any PM software. Well, Pyramid took 200 years to be completed but we wanted our project to be completed by yesterday.

I hope that short story of my personal experience in JKR answers the first question of WHY.

Let?s go the second question: What?

This is very interesting question. The personal lesson that I learnt is that I do not know what I do not know. I only know about PMI and PMBOK only there years ago even though it has been there since 1969! Not only to me, but also to JKR top management as well!

My JKR friend whispered in the canteen:?After working for 10 to 20 years in JKR, you mean I have to learn PM again? You must be joking. I know what there is to know in managing a project.?

Let me go back in time and relate from my personal experience.Two years ago , when I began my journey of discovery in the world of knowledge of PM, I discovered to my horrors that there are lot more to project management than just scheduling, contract administration, CPM etc. Actually, many of us have some knowledge of PM but not properly structured and inadequate in certain areas. Our level of knowledge is only at the level of knowing-and certain aspects are very superficial. Our job is to improve your knowledge on those aspects. Let?s me show you just the body of knowledge in PMBOK-



*Slide show on PMBOK areas. Go through certain areas that many JKR people are not aware of.Show also the Interaction of other management knowledge.


My partner Peter and Dr Yeoh will take you through PMBOK and the five processes in the next 8 days. How about the tools? Are we going to use ?keris dan lembing? when others are using satellite guided missiles? Mr. Lau will take you another 4 days on the use tools and techniques to plan, monitor and control your projects.

And that is THE WHAT you are going to learn.

Next, The question of How do we learn?

Attending this training is one of them! This is the easiest way. But let me forewarn you that REAL learning comes from applying the knowledge.Let me quote Kung Fu Tze: The essence of knowledge is not having it, but applying it.Sad to admit, as always the truth hurts ,that many of us still lack the knowledge ,what more of applying it.

Let me show the competency Training Model from Australia



@Go through the model box by box. Explain the role of reach party.@

Our job is to impart knowledge. Your job is to learn.

*Slide show of Cycle of learning
@explain the cycle@

Real learning comes from applying the knowledge

Being knowledgeable is NOT enough, you have to be competent

*Slide shows: Competent Project Manager

The PMgr must work operate within:

*Competent Project Team

And supported by:

*Competent Project Organisation

Looking at those requirements, now, you can have a good guess or wonder why many projects fail to achieve their objectives or meet or exceed the stakeholders expectations.!

Before you go ahead with the learning of PM, let me caution you that someone very close to you is always present to block your learning. You can?t see him or her because it is inside everyone of us. It is called our ego-it derives its energy from ignorance. The ego that used to whisper to me:? I already know what there is needed to know in PM.?

So ladies and gentlemen, just put it aside our ego cum ignorance for the next 12 days of learning ? and then may be ,let me know whether you really knows what you think you know!

I think that is enough for the introduction. I will summaries our training modules on the last day and talk more on the meaning of competence-That is our destination. Then, my job will be easier.

Thanks.

How do you go about managing your projects from a cafe?

Put all your projects on Project Web Central and get all project managers to connect to that server.Not once but at least once everyday!
You install the hardwares and the softwares but to make it successful, you must educate the people in project management and the use of IT for communication.

Project intranets will only work if people use it. Intranet is just like a knife- just a tool. Given to unskilled, nothing happens. However, a simple knife can turn into powerful weapon if it is given to McGyver.