Daily Biz Solutions

Our office decided we were going to implement a new programme management called MSP Programme Management. My boss has used different management programmes in the past and this time around he decided he was going to use MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) brought out by the Office of Government Commerce, an independent Office of the Treasury.

I must admit I was not looking forward to having another programme management implemented into the workplace as I hadn’t found the other ones that helpful. In fact they seemed to create extra work without any benefits being gained. Anyway, my boss told us why he felt MSP Programme Management would be suitable for us: activities can be focused on our business objectives by providing a framework for management to manage and direct the change process; there is overall improved control where costs of introducing new infrastructure and quality regimes can be measured and assessed; changes within the program can be planned and implemented in an integrated manner and current operations are not seriously affected; there is a better management of risk, as the wider context is understood easily and acknowledged; there is a smooth transition from current to future business operations, which prepares us for an efficient migration to new ways of working; there is more efficient management of resources; business benefits are derived through delivery of improved performance; and last but not least there is more efficient control and co-ordination of a complex range of activities due to a definition of roles and responsibilities.

My boss also likes the fact that MSP Programme Management comes with a Vision Statement, a Blueprint, Business Case Model, Project portfolios, and benefit profiles. A Vision Statement “outlines what a company wants to be. It focuses on tomorrow; it is inspirational; it provides clear decision-making criteria; and it is timeless.” A Blueprint is a model of the future business or its working practices, and processes and technology that will be required to deliver the capabilities as specified in the Vision Statement.

Our boss told us he had had training in MSP Programme Management. He had taken the MSP Foundation exam which consisted of 50 questions and lasted 40 minutes. He said the training they had received had enhanced their decision-making power and because he had been properly trained it would mean MSP would be correctly implemented in our workplace. I guess he must know what he’s talking about as he said he scored 90% in the MSP Foundation exam and he now has a globally recognized qualification.

When we started to use MSP in our workplace, we found there were clear lines of authority and management and it was flexible enough to respond to changes. There was also training and mentoring to support our teams and individuals at every level.

In conclusion, we are all very happy that our boss has implemented MSP into our work place, even though it wasn’t initially greeted with open arms. My boss said MSP Programme Management has been successfully implemented both in public and private sectors alike and I can vouch that MSP has been a huge benefit to our business. There is more efficient use of our resources, we have better management of risk, our timescales, budgets and quality standards are controlled more effectively, our roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and overall we are running a more successful business. As a direct result of having a more successful business, we have all been given healthy bonuses. So, if your boss informs you MSP Programme Management is going to be implemented in your work place, welcome the opportunity with open arms.

Brian Kelly wrote the Article ‘Why Our Employer Implemented MSP Programme Management’ and recommends you visit http://www.afaprojects.com for more information on MSP Programme management training.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_J_Kelly

It’s no surprise to business leaders that solving problems is a huge part of business success. Some business leaders thrive on managing problems, others don’t. But what makes some leaders so much more successful at it than others? Is it the techniques they adopt, the advisers they hire, or maybe the staff they deploy? In reality it’s a combination of all these factors, with a heavy emphasis on focus. The ability to focus on problems for what they are – nothing more, nothing less – just issues that require objective and realistic thinking and action to be solved. Here are ten tips for solving problems that many business leaders use regularly:

1. BELIEVE THAT – “The problem is the process, not the people” – 85% of service, quality, and productivity problems are directly related to the design and management of a business process. Problem solvers know this and look to change the process before asking individuals to change or improve.

2. LISTEN – to the people who work for you, with you, and even against you. Successful problem solvers know there are multiple perspectives to issues and problems. They endeavor to listen and understand them all and then take the best and leave the rest.
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All businesses today recognise the importance of good management that is based on firm and basic management skills-but how are these managers taught what are good leadership skills? Previously before the advent of training courses managers were expected to know the principles of good management and practise them with little in the way of assessment or training to ensure that all managers met certain standards. This would inevitably lead to inconsistencies in how leadership was practised and also result in poor practises being the norm-something which is not acceptable in the workplace of today.

If a business wants to have the best management and team leaders it is vital that they all possess excellent leadership skills such as the ability to work with people, to motivate others, provide negative and positive feedback, encourage their teams to strive for their targets as well as other aspects of the role. These are attributes that are not always inherent in a person and in order to provide a management structure that is positive and objective lead leader skills training can be a huge benefit.
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