Entrepreneurial
Skills Toolkit
Tactics and Tools for
Applying Entrepreneurial
Project Management Skills
CEB PMO Leadership Council
CEB PMO Leadership Council
Content Publishing Solutions
General Manager
Haniel Lynn
Executive AdvisorTM Team
Boris Alexandrov
Chris Cooper
Parijat Jauhari
Beth McGraw
David Mengel
Alicia Mullery
Print Designer
Arna Kulshrestha
Benchmarking Research
Team
Joydip Bose
Harsh Gupta
Prashast Gupta
Piyush Jain
Petya Kehayova
Disha Luthra
Lindsay Mutimer
Kenneth Pyle
Rumki Saha
Kate Sedano
Anisha Sharma
Christine Wichmann
Editor
Mary McMenamin
Executive Directors
Shvetank Shah
Kavitha Venkita
Practice Manager
Matt McWha
Senior Directors
Miles Gibson
Chris Mixter
Consultants
Elizabeth Schumaecker
Jeff Stottlemyer
Veena Variyam
Analysts
Blair Ganson
Max Green
Pooja Gupta
PMOEC0202214SYN
Contributing Designers
Angeeta Baweja
Nicole Daniels
Casey Labrack
Varun Parashar
Confidentiality and Intellectual Property
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These materials have been prepared by The Corporate Executive
Board Company (CEB) and its affiliates for the exclusive and
individual use of our member companies. These materials contain
valuable confidential and proprietary information belonging to
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CEB is not able to guarantee the accuracy of the information or
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or losses that may arise from a) any errors or omissions in these
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any recommendation made by CEB.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary • iv
Introduction • 1
How to Use This Toolkit • 4
Project Manager Entrepreneurial Skills Self-Assessment • 5
I. Stakeholder Partnership • 7
Relationship Management • 8
Communication • 27
Influencing • 39
II. Judgment • 53
Decision Making • 54
Analytic Ability • 65
III. Risk Management • 81
Decision Making • 82
Organizational Awareness • 102
IV. Team Leadership • 109
Teamwork • 110
Leading and Supervising • 118
V. Ownership and Commitment • 137
Achieving Personal Goals and Objectives • 138
Business Results Orientation • 158
VI. Learning Agility • 169
Learning and Researching • 170
Adapting and Responding to Change • 179
VII. Business Knowledge • 193
Organizational Awareness • 194
PMOEC0202214SYN
iv
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Organizations are rapidly changing their strategy and structure to
pursue growth opportunities in a quickly shifting business landscape.
In response, PMOs must deliver business outcomes in the face of a
continuously changing portfolio—including the significant increase in
unplanned demand, the rapid rise of new project types, and the growing
use of programs. PMOs can only achieve that goal if project management
staff can adapt to changing circumstances. As a result, PMO leaders
are looking for flexible project managers who can make quick decisions
and seamlessly navigate risks and ambiguity. These high-performing
project managers possess a set of Entrepreneurial skills that help them
effectively navigate a dynamic project environment.
However, less than 30% of project managers currently possess these
Entrepreneurial skills:
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
Stakeholder partnership,
Judgment,
Risk management,
Team leadership,
Ownership and commitment,
Learning agility, and
Business knowledge.
Project managers who demonstrate these Entrepreneurial skills are 40%
more likely to deliver project business outcomes than are their peers.
Applying Entrepreneurial Skills in Day-to-Day Work
Project managers at all points on the performance spectrum struggle
to align expectations for Entrepreneurial behavior with their day-to-day
project management activities.
This toolkit provides proven tools and templates that will help you quickly
identify your Entrepreneurial skills strengths and gaps, prioritize skill
development efforts, and demonstrate these skills in your day-to-day
PMOEC0202214SYN
project management activities. These resources come from CEB’s crossfunctional membership, including IT, HR, finance, sales, marketing, and
R&D leaders.
Who Should Use This Toolkit?
This toolkit is a valuable skills development resource for employees at all
levels of the project management career path, either as an introduction
or as a refresher. Potential users include:
■■
■■
■■
■■
Project coordinators,
Part-time project managers (i.e., anyone who manages a project in
addition to, or instead of, his or her usual non–project management
responsibilities),
Project managers, or
Program managers.
When Should You Use This Toolkit?
Use this toolkit frequently in your day-to-day project management
activities, as an input to long-term career planning. Opportunities
for using the toolkit include the following:
■■ Applying key lessons in your daily work after attending the
CEB Project Management Development Accelerator (PMDA)
training program
■■ After your organization has participated in CEB PMO Project
Manager Effectiveness Diagnostic
■■ Identifying your development priorities
■■ Creating your individual development plan (IDP)
■■ Transitioning to a project management role for the first time
■■ Returning to a project management role after a long absence
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (CONTINUED)
An Integrated Approach to Entrepreneurial Skills Development
We provide an integrated approach to help project management staff
understand, develop, and apply Entrepreneurial skills. This toolkit
references several supplementary Entrepreneurial skills development
resources:
■■
■■
■■
■■
■■
Entrepreneurial Skills Reference Guide—Gain a detailed understanding
of the Entrepreneurial skills and their associated competencies, key
behavioral indicators, and project management–specific examples.
Entrepreneurial Skills Self-Assessment Tool—Evaluate your strengths,
and identify opportunities for Entrepreneurial skills development.
Individual Development Plan Templates for Entrepreneurial Skills—
Build a tailored skills development plan using prepopulated templates
for each Entrepreneurial skill.
Project Management Development Accelerator—Develop
Entrepreneurial skills via highly interactive, scenario-based role-playing
exercises.
Entrepreneurial Skills Toolkit Portal—Access customizable versions
of all the tools included in this toolkit to help you more easily apply
Entrepreneurial skills in your day-to-day work.
PMOEC0202214SYN
v
vi
HOW WE CAN HELP: ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Increase your effectiveness as a project manager using our step-by-step action plan and implementation resources.
Key Development Steps
CEB Resources
Learn About
Entrepreneurial
Skills
Understand the seven Entrepreneurial
skills critical to delivering project business
outcomes.
Entrepreneurial Skills
Reference Guide
Assess
Entrepreneurial
Skill Proficiency
Evaluate your current proficiency level
for each Entrepreneurial skill–related
competency, and identify critical gaps.
Entrepreneurial Skills
Self-Assessment Tool
Align
Development
Priorities With
Skills Gaps
Continuously track progress by ensuring
that your development plans are relevant
and reflect the Entrepreneurial skills and
competencies you must build.
Individual Development Plan
Templates for Entrepreneurial
Skills
Develop
Entrepreneurial
Skills
Develop the Entrepreneurial skills that have
the biggest impact on project management
effectiveness.
CEB Project Management
Development Accelerator
(PMDA)
Apply
Entrepreneurial
Skills in
Daily Work
Demonstrate Entrepreneurial skills in
regular project management activities.
Entrepreneurial Skills Toolkit
© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. PMOEC0202214SYN
CEB Project Management
Development Accelerator
instills the behaviors
demonstrated by top
performers to drive project
success.
■■
HOW WE CAN HELP: CEB PROJECT MANAGEMENT
DEVELOPMENT ACCELERATOR
Process Skills Are Necessary but Insufficient
Relationship Between Project Manager Skills and Business Outcome Attainment
Our curriculum is based on
proven tactics from the most
successful project management
organizations.
Entrepreneurial Skills
Process Skills
High
Advanced
■■ Judgment
■■ Learning Ability
■■ Ownership and
Commitment
■■ Stakeholder
Partnership
Degree of
Business
Outcome
Attainment
Sponsor Expectations
Medium
Competent
■■ Process Tailoring
■■ Financial Reporting
■■ Resource Allocation and Task
Delegation
■■ Stakeholder Management
Baseline
■■ Methodology
Fundamentals
■■ Deliverable Creation
■■ Workflow Planning
■■ Reporting
Low
Low
Contact Us to Learn More:
Medium
High
Source:CEB analysis.
+1-866-913-8101
[email protected]
www.executiveboard.com/it
© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. PMOEC0202214SYN
Introduction vii
viii
© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. PMOEC0202214SYN
Introduction
© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. PMOEC0202214SYN
1
To consistently deliver
project business benefits,
PMO leaders are looking
to create a more
Entrepreneurial project
management workforce.
■■
■■
Top-quartile project managers
are 40% more likely to
consistently deliver project
business outcomes than are
their peers.
They are successful because
they demonstrate key
Entrepreneurial skills, such
as stakeholder partnership,
judgment, and team leadership.
Entrepreneurial Skills Toolkit 2
THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT STAFF PMOs ARE LOOKING
FOR
Project Manager Effectiveness at Delivering Business Outcomes
Indexed
154
160
100
80
0
Bottom-Quartile Performers
From Process Oriented…
Top-Quartile Performers
…to Entrepreneurial
Are process administrators
Are project Entrepreneurs
Deliver on requirements.
Deliver business outcomes.
Manage stakeholders.
Forge business partnerships.
Mechanically manage triple
constraints.
Effectively manage risks
to business value.
Resist scope change.
View scope change as an
opportunity for greater value
delivery.
Make process-oriented decisions.
Make value-oriented decisions.
n = 67.
Refer to Making Your PMO
Adaptive to learn more about
our analysis of project manager
effectiveness.
© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. PMOEC0202214SYN
Source:CEB analysis.
ENTREPRENEURS EXCEL IN SEVEN KEY SKILLS
Entrepreneurial Project Management Competency Model
I. S
ta
Pa keh
rtn old
ers
e
hip r
ess
sin e
u
dg
.B
VII owle
Kn
■■
Communication
■■
Influencing
Learning and
Researching
Business
Results
Orientation
p
hi ent
rs
ne itm
w
O mm
V. Co
d
an
■■
Achieving
Personal
Goals and
Objectives
■■
Teamwork
■■
Leading and
Supervising
■■
Decision
Making
■■
Analytic
Ability
■■
Decision Making
■■
Organizational
Awareness
nt
Adapting
and
Responding
to Change
■■
Refer to Entrepreneurial Skills
Reference Guide for additional
details on Entrepreneurial skills,
competencies, and behavioral
indicators.
Relationship
Management
I
an II. R
ag isk
em
en
t
■■
■■
dgme
VI. Le
■■
Organizational
Awareness
II. Ju
arni
Agili ng
ty
■■
M
Entrepreneurial project
managers demonstrate key
competencies that fall into
seven skill categories.
IV. Team
Leadership
Source:CEB analysis.
© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. PMOEC0202214SYN
Introduction 3
Entrepreneurial Skills Toolkit 4
HOW TO USE THIS TOOLKIT
The toolkit comprises an introduction and seven chapters. The introduction includes guidance to help project management staff assess their Entrepreneurial
skills and prioritize opportunities to address critical skills gaps. Each chapter provides an overview of an Entrepreneurial skill and its related competencies and
also includes a set of best practice tools to support the application of the skill in your daily work.
1
2
3
4
Entrepreneurial Skills
Self-Assessment
Entrepreneurial Skill
Overview
Related Competency
Overview
Tools for Applying
a Competency
The introduction includes a
self-assessment tool to help you
identify Entrepreneurial skills
development opportunities.
Based on your skills gaps,
go to the corresponding
Entrepreneurial Skill Category
in this toolkit.
Each chapter corresponds
to an individual
Entrepreneurial skill and
includes a skill overview
and a guide to applying
the skill in day-to-day
project management
activities.
Each chapter includes
an overview of related
competencies and insight
on the key behavioral
indicators for each of
the competencies.
Each competency section
includes a set of best
practice tools and templates
to help project management
staff demonstrate that
competency during
their day-to-day project
management activities.
© 2014 CEB. All rights reserved. PMOEC0202214SYN
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