There are certainly many lessons from the American presidential election, but I simply want to focus on one idea that I have believed in for a long time. That idea is very simple — change is good. While Barack Obama’s campaign was all about change, I would argue that the entire election was about change. Let’s take a look at how this change theme is important to project and program managers.
Project and program management, by definition, sits at the edge of change. In organizations, we have our processes, we have our organization charts and our organizational structure. Within all of that, whenever change needs to be made, a project or program is born. This is how organizations renew, revive, and review themselves.
The whole idea here is that built into the American political system, at least for the office of the president, is this vehicle for change, for renewal, for reviewing, and for reviving. While this process can be very arduous and has gotten very, very long, among other things, it still does provide that vehicle for reviewing, reviving, and renewing.
Within organizations, I think we need to ask ourselves if change is occuring enough. I have been in many different roles, in many different types of organizations. One thing that is definitely true in my experience is that change is good; and, that more often than not, more change is better. I am talking, more than anything else, about change in people. As the president of the United States comes up for grabs every four years and absolutely must change, by law, every eight years, we need to think about what needs to change simply by changing people and positions within organizations.
Projects and programs produce change. They implement strategic initiatives. In order for projects and programs to succeed, they must have the willing and enthusiastic sponsorship of executives who want to make changes happen. Often, it takes new executives, new leaders, new management, to bring about the needed changes. Even when many have done a great job, it often is time to turn over the reins for a fresh vision and a new outlook.
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John Reiling, PMP
Project Management Training Online
Learn Six Sigma Training Online
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1 Presidential Race On Best Political Blogs » Blog Archive » One Important Lesson From The American Presidential Election // Dec 8, 2008 at 10:33 am
[...] One Important Lesson From The American Presidential Election There are certainly many lessons from the American presidential election, but I simply want to focus on one idea that I have believed in for a long time. That idea is very simple — change is good. While Barack Obama’s campaign was all … [...]
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