SPM Group - Latest News

What We Learned in 2011 That Can Be Applied in 2012.

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:55:00 GMT

As a consulting company it is always worthwhile to look back and see what has happened over the past year. What trends did we experience and what did we learn? Taking it one step further is to consider what we learned that needs further application or attention in 2012. We took time as a team to consider a whole host of lessons learned that need further work in 2012. With a critical eye we have honed it down to a magic five things. In an increasing complex and volatile environment knowing where to put focus will be fundamental for the coming year. Be ready for change - whatever it is. Developing leaders who can anticipate, and then execute on changes when they appear has been receiving increasing attention. "Lead change" and "ability to execute" are top leadership capabilities in today's volatile market. We have started to see... READ ALL FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED >>>

Hungry in Brazil

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:20:00 GMT

Going to the PMI conference in Sao Paul (August 15-17) and travelling in Brazil taught me two key lessons: 1. People everywhere are hungry for skills and knowledge – There were over 700 participants at the conference almost exclusively from the Sao Paulo area. Approximately 400 people attended my session on Conflict Management. Well over the original estimate of 250 attendees the people in the audience hung on to the experiences, approaches and tools that I shared with them. The maturity of the audience was awesome, the questions and dynamics amazing – their hunger for more in the human aspects of managing projects was clear. Feedback since my return has been incredible. 2. Brazil is a rising star and needs encouragement and support from countries like ours – What a beautiful country with rich diversity and passionate people proud of who they are and eager to show what they are capable of! As Canadians with a similar passion and pride we can be strong partners for them in the world of project management.

How Well Does Your IT Department Provide Services?

David Langan — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:48:00 GMT

Kevin Pashuk asked that question after taking on the CIO role at a large college. What he discovered was disconnected and meant facing hard facts - and change. Who does Kevin turn to for strong project management professionals? Find out at http://turningtechinvisible.blogspot.com/2011/08/310-crucial-survival-skills-for-21st.html

How Do You Leverage 'Gold Standard'?

David Langan — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:34:00 GMT

What standard would you give your current initiatives? Are your objectives being achieved and delivered on time and within budget? Would they meet the levels of gold standard? When faced with these questions Cindy Blancher-Smith, Director of Mines for the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, gave The Mining Act Modernization (MAM) Phase 1 a 'gold standard' label. Here is some of what Cindy had to say: "...SPM demonstrated leadership in many areas of this initiative and trained our staff along the way in using a project management approach with their work. The SPM consultant is very perceptive and uses a results based approach... driving to a solution..." Strong discipline, application of process and expectation management are critical to achieving great results and can make the difference between success and wallowing in a mire of challenging projects. There has never been a better time than right now for you to put these types of practices in place. Here's a list of quick wins to help you get started on achieving gold standard .....

How Are You Going to Cut Your Budget?

David Langan — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:04:00 GMT

The Globe and Mail recently reported that the OPG generated a profit of $151-million during the first quarter of the fiscal year. “This is made possible by focusing on cost reduction initiatives and on completing projects on time and on budget.” said President and CEO Tom Mitchell. (“OPG profit climbs on cost cutting”, Friday, May 20, 2011) In addition, successful U.S. Federal Government programs found that government agencies could reduce costs 20-30 percent by implementing project and program management best practices according to a study by the Project Management Institute (PMI ®). What better time than now to ensure best practices are being applied to your strategic undertakings? Effective program management creates a dynamic environment that enables you to respond swiftly to change, manage risk, optimize resources, and improve the performance of your program delivery. Learn how the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry realized the benefits of project management by reading the attached case study “Ministry Act Modernization".

Project Sponsor As Core Team Member

Administrator Account — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:04:00 GMT

Recently I was teaching one of our human dimension skills seminars and the question about who was on the core project team was posed to the participants. Someone said the project sponsor was always part of their project team. When questioned further they indicated that in fact the sponsor was also responsible for activities and deliverables in the project plan. This surprised me since we always position the sponsor on the project organization chart above the project manager and team in the overall hierarchy. It made me wonder how projects are using their sponsor and what level of active involvement do they play. Click HERE to read more

Overcoming the Hurdles of Executing Strategy

David Langan — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:19:00 GMT

Study after study, executive after executive indicates that no matter what the corporate strategy is (good or bad) there is an overwhelming lack of success in actually executing the intended strategy and realizing its expected benefits competitive advantage or business transformation, today there is no room for any margin of error. With the recent major economic shift of the marketplace and an increasingly complex world, overcoming the hurdles of execution is essential to survive and indeed thrive.

Business Transformation Through Program Management

David Langan — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:13:00 GMT

As organizations emerge from one of the worst economic crises in recent history, they are focused on recovery and adjusting to a dramatically changed landscape. The impact has been felt by all organizations big or small, public or private. The magnitude of change contemplated spans a wide spectrum from minor tweaking of business strategy to full scale business transformation. One fact is certain - given the experience during the economic downturn, it is critical for organizations to ensure these transformations are successful and deliver targeted benefits.

Project Management Institute (PMI®) honors SPM Learning Ltd. With Professional Education Provider Award

Colin Vermander — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:52:00 GMT

SPM Learning Ltd. was awarded the prestigious Project Management Institute (PMI®) Continuing Professional Education Provider of the Year Award 2010 in the Corporate/Government/Association Category for exceptional skills in the delivery and implementation of a professional development program in project management. Lindsay McMurray accepted the Award during the PMI Awards Ceremony at PMI® Global Congress 2010 - North America in Washington, D.C on October 9, 2010. The full press release is available for view and download in PDF below. View/Download Press Release: PMI CPEP Award 2010

Karen McClure Speaking at ADRIO, PMI and CMC joint Event – Oct 30th

Shawna Moore — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:32:00 GMT

Karen McClure an SPM Senior Associate will be discussing Collaborative Contracting for IT Projects. To find out more information please click on this link. View /Download Brochure: COLLABORATIVE CONTRACTING FOR IT PROJECTS

SPM Group Launches New Separate Company – SPM Learning Ltd.

Shawna Moore — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:31:00 GMT

SPM Group Ltd. is pleased to announce the spinoff of its learning solutions division into a separate company – SPM Learning Ltd. “This separation will allow the division to grow into a full- fledged learning and development company to meet the changing needs of our clients for more than just project management training”, said Catherine Daw, President of both companies. The focus for SPM Learning will remain true to its roots to provide organizations and their people with the capabilities to effectively execute corporate strategy. Its expanded service offerings include leadership, team development, and additional staff development capabilities together with assessment tools. View/Download Press Release: SPM GROUP LAUNCHES NEW SEPERATE COMPANY

SPM article in the Ivey Business Journal

Shawna Moore — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:42:00 GMT

Competitive knowledge is increasingly being outsourced to Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) vendors indicating a shift in the opinion that core business activities cannot be outsourced. The KPO opportunity represents both benefits and risks for organizations and managers must find ways to avoid costly failures. This article describes the benefits and risks of pursuing a KPO strategy. To view the complete article please use the following link: http://www.iveybusinessjournal.com/article.asp?intArticle_ID=905

Catherine is a panelist on future of PM at Project Executive Forum - May 20

Shawna Moore — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:14:00 GMT

Catherine will be a panellist on May 20 to discuss the challenges and future of project management. The Project Executive Forum is part of the Project World Canada conference taking place from May 17-20. The forum is an opportunity for senior leaders and executives to share and discuss key issues and trends with respect to delivering business results and value to corporations. http://www.projectworldcanada.com/toronto/project-executive-forum.html

Catherine will be speaking at Queen's Leadership program May 18th

Shawna Moore — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:13:00 GMT

Catherine has been invited to participate as a presenter at Queen’s Executive Development Centre’s first summit for Leaders of Organizational Effectiveness. She will be speaking to SPM’s Top Ten Trends for 2010 which are centred on issues leaders are facing in the changing landscape of talent management and executive development. The summit is being held at Queen’s University on May 17/18.

Why Program Management is an Essential part of Strategy Execution

Shawna Moore — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:41:00 GMT

Much has been written about the gap between strategy formulation and strategy execution. Alarming statistics published during the last 6 years of unprecedented growth prior to the recession, assert that 66% of strategies were never executed and of the remaining 34% only 50% were consistently meeting expectations and generating the ROIs predicted. View/Download: Why Program Management is an Essential part of Strategy Execution

CSTD Features SPM Article in eNewsletter

Shawna Moore — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:18:00 GMT

SPM is pleased to announce that Catherine Daw's article, Team Learning: A Lead Talent Management Strategy is the feature article in their eNewsletter this month! To read the article click here.

Wall Street Journal Highlights Kolbe's Strengths!

Shawna Moore — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:01:00 GMT

We at SPM Group are certified Kolbe specialists. Contact us to find out what the Kolbe Assessment can do for you and your organization! Click here to read the article!

PPM Trends 2010: Presentation

Shawna Moore — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:19:00 GMT

The discipline of project management continues to evolve and develop as businesses select and manage strategic, value creating projects. The evolving field of portfolio management is even more critical in today’s market. This presentation looks at the trends, challenges and sustainability of portfolio management. View/Download: PPM Trends 2010

Team Learning: A Lead Talent Management Strategy

Shawna Moore — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:37:00 GMT

Today as the world continues to face the challenges of a long, slow and bumpy recovery, talent management is increasingly rising up the CEO agenda. Most of the cost cutting is done and now executives are looking for ways of holding on to those left behind as well seeking new blood. It’s about recruiting, retaining and developing the right people for the right roles as well as building succession in leadership for the longer term future of the company. With the endgame of increasing efficiencies, productivity and helping organizations live beyond its current leadership the drive for improved talent cannot be ignored. View/Download: Team Learning

Top Ten Trends for 2010

Shawna Moore — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:21:00 GMT

2009 was a year of wait and hold as many organizations tried to determine which strategic initiatives to undertake and how much risk to assume with so much uncertainty. As we neared the end of 2009 we began to see a certain level of pent up demand – many companies had completed any necessary downsizing, finished key projects and programs which still needed to get done and looked for other ways to survive the effects of the recession with minimal downside risk. View/Download: Top Ten Trends for 2010

SPM Appoints Lindsay McMurray Vice President of SPM Learning

Shawna Moore — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:03:00 GMT

Lindsay McMurray is Vice President of SPM Learning, a division of SPM Group Ltd. Lindsay brings extensive experience in training and business development. He brings expertise and unique solutions to help corporations and government navigate the challenges of learning & development within the business and technological landscape of today’s continually changing environment.

Article - The Risks and Benefits of Knowledge Process Outsourcing

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:20:00 GMT

Many organizations now consider Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) as a viable option to increase operational capacity, access specific business process knowledge and reduce costs. The evolution of BPO is Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), the outsourcing of process requiring analytical thinking and judgement. Embarking on an outsourcing effort is not for the faint of heart. There could be negative repercussions on employee morale and public opinion and the probability of failure is high. This article describes some of the benefits, challenges, risks and program management aspects you should know before evaluating a process outsourcing effort specifically around KPO.

New Opportunity! Vice President for Training & Learning Solutions

Shawna Moore — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:27:00 GMT

SPM Group Ltd. is looking for a Vice President for Training & Learning Solutions.

Article - Change Management; the Missing Link for PM Success

Shawna Moore — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:43:00 GMT

Whenever I make a presentation on project management best practices, I always point out that if project managers are oblivious of the impact of change management variables on their projects, these projects will be challenged or even fail. Here I am not speaking of the management of change requests from project stakeholders that could result in scope creep or project deliverables that bear little resemblance to original project objectives or scope. This conversation often results in an ah'ha moment for many in the target group because it allows us to recognize one of the key reasons why projects fail - our inability to address or lack of acknowledgement of the symptoms of change that permeate our projects. Even if the project team produces the 'Rolls Royce' of deliverables, guess what? The project may still fail because of such issues as lack of buy-in or resistance to change. So, should we be considering these management disciplines as two disparate areas? What are the consequences for our projects if we do?

SPM to Participate at Showcase Ontario 2009, September 21-23rd, 2009

Shawna Moore — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:15:00 GMT

Over the years, the conference has evolved from strictly a technology show to one that encompasses a wide and varied learning experiences.