“using simulations to train future project leaders at nasa” by lawrence suda- serious play...
DESCRIPTION
Lawrence Suda speaks about “Using Simulations to Train Future Project Leaders at NASA” at Serious Play Conference 2012 ABSTRACT: The essential message of this presentation is about training future project managers at NASA and about project team behavior: how the simulation technology behaves, how people behave and how the simulation and people behave, and sometimes misbehave, together. Ultimately the real test of the people on the project is not so much what they know; it’s what they do with their knowledge. Making a decision is not the same as implementing it. Knowledge, insight and project wisdom are needed to fully execute a successful project.TRANSCRIPT
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Experience.
Lawrence Suda
Using Simulations to Train Future Project Leaders at NASA
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Performance Simulations
• People learn by doing in a risk-free environment
• Learners:– are encouraged to experiment– learners drive the experience– get realistic and individualized
feedback throughout the experience– must master certain behaviors to
achieve higher overall performance metrics
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Business Simulations
Project Leadership ExperienceAdaptive Project LeadershipApplied Agile Project ManagementGlobal Project LeadershipPortfolio & Program LeadershipBusiness AcumenVirtual Project LeadershipChange LeadershipOperations ManagementStrategic Business ManagementSupply Chain Management
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Simulations Mapped to Levels
4
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Business Simulations Scope
Large-Scale Team Exercise – 24 to 35 + hours to completeSimulation Integrated into Learning Design – Mixed MethodologiesOpen-ended, Multi-layered, Multi-dimensionalSystems and Detailed Levels of ComplexityInstructor Facilitated but Learner DrivenClassroom or Virtual or BothTeams Are Not Competing
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Validation
Vetted over 30 years with world class organizations and literature review
– NASA’s PM Model– NASA Project Mirror: Assessment & Development Center– GE Project Leader Research & Model– Nortel Networks PM Model– MITRE– Royal Bank of Canada– Department of Energy– Merck Leadership Model– Management Research Group Leadership Model– NASA Team Study & Assessment– NASA Leadership Model– US Navy Project Execution Study– PMI Career Development Framework– Alcatel-Lucent– Hewlett-Packard
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Transitioning Into Project Leadership
TechnicalDiscipline Actions
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Program/Project Manager Levels
Program/ProjectManagement Actions
Low
High
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Dimensions
• Technical --- Leadership• Technical --- Abstract• Productive --- Practical• Narrow --- Broad• Task Orientation --- World View• Defined Goals --- Moving Goals• Discipline Specific --- Multidisciplinary
TechnicalDiscipline Actions
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
Program/Project Manager Levels
Program/ProjectManagement Actions
Low
High
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Major Clusters Competency ResearchFocus Groups & Individual Interviews
Personal Leadership Team Leadership NASA Agency Acumen Communication Effectiveness Strategic Perspective and Thinking Project Management Skills and Knowledge
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Team Learning
Team Learning
Shared Meaning
JointPlanning
PublicReflection
Coordinated Action
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Workshop Themes and Modules
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Learning Objectives
The overall purpose of the workshop is to improve our understanding of human and project complexities and to develop effective approaches to leading complex projects. More specifically we want to develop skills in:
• Improving project team performance• Leading in complex environments• Developing adaptive leadership skills• Developing defensible, flexible, adaptive plans• Using information to make better decisions• Identifying and managing project tradeoffs• Understanding unintended consequences of decisions• Recognizing when to focus on technical versus adaptive problems•Learning from successes and failures
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Typical Agenda
Introduction Plenary
Case Diagnosis Simulation (Teams)
Case Discussion Plenary
Theory Plenary
Planning Simulation Teams
Execution Simulation Teams
Debrief Plenary
Application Plenary
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Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
Introduction
Leadership Context Setting
360 Feedback
Team leadership
Mind Mapping
Film
Scheduling
Resource Planning
Film
Personal Styles
Team Styles
Presentation
Project Review
Team Work & Knowledge Transfer
Film
After Action Reviews
Feedback To Teams
Reflections
Action Planning
Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
Introduction to project simulation
DefinitionScheduling
Film
Risk Management
Quality & Budget
Management
Project Execution
Simulation
Simulation
Simulation
Simulation
Simulation
Complete Simulation
NASA Project Leadership Lab
Simulation
SimulationSimulation
Simulation
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4-Day Learning Design
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Short Lectures
• Defensible Planning• Project Execution
– Problem Solving, Decision Making
• Team Leadership– Performance, Motivation, Start-
up & Maintenance
• Adaptive Leadership
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Planning Phase
Hear Lectures & Simulation Planning
Scheduling Resource Risks Quality Budgeting
Create & Defend Plan
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Time (week number) CR CR CR CR CR CR TR
1-Jan 8-Jan15-Jan 22-Jan 1-Feb 8-Feb 15-Feb 22-Feb
1-Mar
8-Mar
15-Mar
22-Mar 1-Apr 8-Apr
15-Apr 22-Apr
1-May
8-May
15-May 22-May 1-Jun 8-Jun 15-Jun 22-Jun 1-Jul 8-Jul
Staff Quality 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Task ID# ppl SD
HW PR CC
TW IM
TEC
1 2 X X X 2 2 2 3 2 X X 2 2 2 6 2 X X 2 2 2 2 2 7 1 X X X 1 1 1 X X X X X X X 8 2 X 1 1 1 X X X X X X X 9 3 X X X 3 3 3 16 2 X X 2 2 2 2 2 19 2 X X X 2 2 X X X 20 3 X X X X X 3 3 3 21 2 X X X 2 2 2 1 X X 1 1 1 X X X 4 1 X 1 1 X X X 5 2 X 2 2 X X X 10 2/V X X X 2 2 2 2 2 X X X 11 2/V X X X 2 2 2 2 2 X X X 12 2/V X X 2 2 X X X X X X X X 13 2 X X 2 2 2 X X X X X X X 14 2 X 2 2 X X X 15 2 X X X 2 X X X 17 4 X X 4 4 4 X X 18 2 X X 2 2 2 X X
Total staff 2 2 2 3 3 3 8 8 9 9 9 8 7 5 10 10 10 4 4 3 3 3 2 2
SDHW PR CC
TW IM
TEC Note
Senna 7 7 9 6 5 6 9 1 1 1 3 3 3 Mayes 4 4 8 0 8 6 6 1 1 1 3 3 3 Franz 2 3 7 4 8 0 4 CC CC HW 2 2 2 Banks 3 7 4 3 4 1 4 Dance 7 4 8 3 7 7 8 Bilko 6 5 7 3 6 0 6 Inc Bovis Brown Samin Unter Ltd Burns 6 5 6 0 7 0 6 Candy 9 6 9 5 10 8 9 Mindy 10 9 3 9 3 0 7
Example Tools – Scheduling & Resourcing
In the workshopparticipants develop plans using both computer andmanual tools
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Planning
4-person teams (instructor shown) develop an overall strategy and approach. They develop a detailed plan that includes: project priorities, critical path schedule, workload leveling, human resources plan, training, risk management, quality, budgeting. They must defend their strategy and plans.
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Project Execution Phase
Hear Lectures & Simulation Control
Problem Solving, Decision Making Decision Trade-offs Re-planning Control Cycle Control Tools
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Implementation
Teams make tactical decisions on three levels as they implement their plan: Project, Task and Staff. During the exercise, they must actively manage the project as conditions change as a result of their decisions and unknown events that create more issues and problems. Note: Instructor can introduce more issues and problems. Participants report status on a monthly basis. They have control tools to assist them as they proceed through the simulation exercise.
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Some Typical Disruptions
– Resignations & Absenteeism– Resources pull for other projects– Large Scope Change– Scope Creep– Customer wants more meetings– Sponsor wants project sooner– New technology doesn’t work– Team performance is low– Key staff member resigns– Budget cuts– Estimates are wrong– Poor Morale
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Project Competition
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Performance Summary
KPI PLANNED ACTUAL
Final Cost 693,000 875,000
Completion Week / Date June 17 June 20
Open Quality Issues 0 – 2 0
Quality Issues Reported 30 – 40 47
Quality Issues Fixed 30 – 40 47
Labor Cost / Hour 64 74
Technology Cost / Hour 60 75
Overtime Costs 6,315 20,486
Training Costs 10,000 4,000
Utilization % 83 87
Performance % 100 83
Absence Rate % 2 1
Communication % 6 4
Number of Resignations 1 1
Staff Pulled Away Weeks 6-8 5
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25
Simulation Debrief
• What were your results? (brief overall description)• Did you keep your risk mitigation plan updated?• What contributed to your successes?• What were your major simulation / project challenges?• How did you overcome any challenges?• Describe your team dynamics.• Did you capitalize on team diversity?• Did you notice movement through the team development process?
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• Lead in ambiguous, complex environments
• Improve individual performance
• Develop team effectiveness and improve team performance
• Develop defensible, flexible plans
• Align project work with organization’s strategy
• Think strategically and conceptually
• Translate strategies into concrete actions
• Plan systematically and establishes objectives and priorities
• Manage risk -- knows when too much risk is being taken, when the right amount is being taken, know the consequence and communicate to the team and to leadership
• Learn, develop and model new team behaviors
• Develop personal leadership skills
• Demonstrate sensitivity and encourage innovation and creativity
Reported Learning
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NASA Comparison of PM62, PM61, PM60, PM59 Participants’ Mean Ratings
3
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
4
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5
1 2 3 4 5
PM62 PM61 PM60 PM59
2
2.2
2.4
2.6
2.8
3
3.2
3.4
3.6
3.8
4
6 7 8 9 10
PM62 PM61 PM60 PM59
MeanRating
MeanRating
Questions about Instructor and Session
1. Instructor Effectiveness2. Discussion were effective in reinforcing
learning (not asked in PM59)3. Activities were effective in reinforcing
learning (not asked in PM59)4. Instructor stimulated thinking5. Overall rating of learning experience
Questions about Information Presented in Session
6. Relevant to job7. Likeliness to apply back on the job8. Usefulness in increasing knowledge/skill to be
an effective Project Manager9. Value to assist in the achievement of goals as
a Project Manager10. Usefulness back on the job
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• PMI Global Registered ProviderAdvanced PM = 21 to 35 PDU’s
• American Council on Education (ACE) Accredited for Graduate Credits– Stevens Institute of Technology– Drexel University– Duke CE– e-Cornell– EADA (Barcelona Spain)
Accreditations
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Application
• High Potential Leadership Training• New Employee Orientation• Introduction of New PM Initiatives• Kick-off or Wrap-up of Conferences• Create Project-based Organization• Culture Change• PM Certification Capstone
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Manager Involvement - Getting Participants’ Managers to be part of the learning process.
Training Time Compression - Pressures to reduce training time and time away from work.
Work Pressures on Participants – Work while at training
Travel Funds – Budgets are reduced.
Budget Pressures – Develop funds for new work reduced.
Training Outsourced to One or Few Vendors.
Measuring Effectiveness – ROI.
Technology Challenges & Learning Design Challenges – Particularly with Large Scale Sims in Virtual Environments
Changing Organization, Program, Project Dynamics – e.g. Agile PM
Current & Future Challenges
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Thank You!
Lawrence SudaPalatine Group, Inc.New York City, NY
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www.seriousplayconference.comwww.seriousgamesdirectory.comwww.seriousgamesassociation.com
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