Next Level 'A state of mind'
What has been first introduced to us nearly a year ago has become something which is now part of us. I remember well the first session in April 2010 were we have been introduced in the world of "Project Managing new style". A very active trainer consultant presented us new way of looking at Project managing. Some of us might have thought that this would be in interdepartmental activity for the Project Managers, an idea possibly supported by the term, but in fact a development influencing the whole company. We have agreed to the made proposals and the project was kicked off. Looking back at this moment it does look a long time on the other hand I remember very well the time and effort from the core team spent in the first months to absorb the ideas and translate them to the Nedcon situation. This team has become the early adopters of the ideas and they have begun to spread the message.
Basic Procedure Conception
We're we at the moment? As mentioned in the title of this message we are being informed, trained and willing to adopt the message. Two rounds of mindset trainings are almost completed and under guidance of the core team is the information presented to a larger group of colleagues within Nedcon. If I mention the oil spill effect does everybody know what I mean, but the relation to pollution can also be made so let's call it snowball effect has taken place and Next Level has become part of our coffee talks.
Overview
In the detailed trainings and implementation session that are currently organized the smaller steps of our primary process are defined and detailed. Activities will be more detailed communicated, in scope, time and budget. The experience at this moment is that this step is more difficult to us, it automatically meand that we have to think about what we have to do before we start.
And with this statement I'm at the second important lesson the Next Level is teaching us. I'm certainly not meaning to say that we are at the moment doing things wothout thinking - it is more the opposite. We are realizing project with an enormous high degree of technology, and it is this final result that is so much appreciated by our customers, but actual fact is that we are not so successful in translating these efforts in euros earned. Here we will improve, from day one we will think about the project and the execution hereof, were are the risks, were the opportunities, were can we outsmart the competitor, were do we pot effort and were not, are we fierce on our claims and charge for the changes etc. etc.
All and all an exciting development and it is good to recognize the change of mind in the company, on many desks at Nedcon the Next Level cube has become a part of the outfit. At the end of the day it can only be us who will make our company successful, we are realzing projects and herein we must take our responsibility in the knowledge that every individual task is important and part of this success.
I do not want to end this article very heavy but do know that many people ask themselves "is this process worth the money, what's in it for me". The return on investment of the Next Level project cannot be easily culculated and summrized in an extensive excel sheet. If you reverse the thought you'll see that this does make our company stronger and the harvest will pay for the seed.
Above I've mentioned the activities employed, we will proceed with trainings and implementation of tools and procedures. Formally the Next Level involvement will end in April 2011. I've also described the primary process as a chain of individual processes and activities.
This is a bulletin of Bad Hoogakker, employee at Nedcon.
Erwin Fuchs, leading trainer and consultant in this project
To the jobprofile of Erwin Fuchs