The Lens Collective

Association for Project Management (APM)

• Publisher: Association for Project Management (APM)
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781903494318
• eBook ISBN: 9781903494363
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Project Management
• Index: Business

The term 'lens' has been specifically chosen for this guide to reflect the analogy between human vision and the interaction of people. This context also facilitates the analogy between the tools and techniques used to enhance, correct, protect and improve this interaction. This guide, written by the APM People Specific Interest Group, is intended to help individuals reflect upon their capabilities, increase their awareness of others and successfully apply new perspectives to their projects.

The lens collective

PERSPECTIVE

The term ‘lens’ has been specifically chosen for this guide to reflect the analogy between human vision and the interaction of people. This context also facilitates the analogy between the tools and techniques used to enhance, correct, protect and improve this interaction.

The eye is the vehicle through which the brain understands distance, shape, form, colour, shade, light, dark, and dimensions. These are based upon frames of reference shaped by, for example:

•culture and beliefs;

•values and ethics;

•experience and upbringing;

•preferences and prejudices;

•education and influences;

•context and external factors;

•perceived opportunity and risk;

•mood and behaviours.

Throughout our lifetime, our vision evolves, becoming stronger or weaker. Sometimes intervention is required in the form of glasses, contact lenses or surgery. Equally, our own frames of reference evolve over time, adapting and reshaping through exposure to variety.

The human dimension gives each of us the capacity to choose to evolve according to our circumstances. We have the ability to employ tools to refine our perspectives. We can identify which corrective action may prove useful and implement effective tools. When seeking to improve or correct vision, we determine the type and intensity of lens required in conjunction with the existing range of products, such as glasses, telescope, microscope, periscope, magnifying glass, endoscope, night-sight or sunglasses.

In project, programme and portfolio management, there are infinite and complex human dimensions. This guide offers lenses to enhance, correct, protect and improve relationships, behaviours and outcomes within these environments.

GUIDELINES

The APM People SIG was formed to acknowledge that the most complex aspect of project management is people. We seek to emphasise the people dimensions of many recognised areas within project management, i.e. procurement, risk, governance, planning, etc. Specific processes, tools and techniques within these areas may be garnered from the appropriate APM SIGs.

Defining the lens collective

•It is a suite of tools providing thought provoking questions centred upon people.

•It represents knowledge capture of project management from practitioners, subject matter experts and academics.

•It encourages project managers to reflect and consider alternative courses of behaviour.

•It enables project managers to utilise those aspects that are pertinent to their current circumstances.

•It provides a context, summary question and series of challenges to assess the current status.

•It prompts individuals to expand their understanding and analysis of project challenges or contexts.

•It creates opportunity to widen knowledge to diagnose and respond to particular conditions.

•Each ‘lens’ employed can also be utilised to close out issues, phases and the project itself.

•It presents insights to pertinent issues that may be alleviated through employing it.

The lens collective is intended for:

•inexperienced, upcoming, learning or junior project managers;

•project managers who are experiencing people related difficulties;

•project ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• The lens collective
• Bibliography
• Back Cover