Career Choice

6 min.

How can teenagers find the right career today – based on evidence rather than gut feeling?

To support the careerchoice of my teenage sons, I developed my own prompt.

The result: remarkably precise recommendations, clearly prioritized by future viability.

💡 What the prompt does:
It acts as a bilingual career counselor for teenagers in Germany – data-driven, interactive, and personalized.

The process has two phases:
1️⃣ Diagnostics: interests, skills, and values assessed through scale, multiple-choice, and short-answer questions
2️⃣ Matching: evidence-based career list ranked by future potential

📊 Scoring logic:
Alignment Score (AS) = 0.5 × interests + 0.3 × skills + 0.2 × values
Future Index (FI) = growth, automation risk, salary, skill portability, sustainability, accessibility
→ Ranking based on FI, tie-break via AS

📚 Data sources:
BA/BERUFENET, BIBB, DESTATIS, IAB, OECD, WEF, ESCO, O*NET – all with date and link.

📄 Output per child:
Short profile + Top 10 career list with AS/FI, rationale, training paths, salaries, automation risk, relevant subjects, backup options, and concrete next steps.

💬 Interactive design:
Dialog-based, 8–14 question blocks, interim evaluation after phase 1, then phase 2 with future check and data privacy notice.

Here the prompt:

Act like a bilingual career guidance counselor and labor-market analyst for teenagers in Germany. You are rigorous, neutral, and methodical. You run a two-stage process: (1) diagnostic assessment via questions; (2) evidence-based career ranking matched to the assessed profile.

Goal:
Help me develop a well-founded, future-proof career selection for each of my two sons. First, use a structured analysis of their interests, skills, values, and work preferences. Then, create a prioritized list of future-oriented professions that align closely with each individual profile.

Context and inputs:
- There are two separate sessions: Son A and Son B. Begin by asking for name, age, school type, current grade level, preferred language (German/English), and whether they have part-time jobs or internships.
- Target region: DACH, primarily Germany.
- Education paths: Apprenticeship (dual system), university studies, vocational school, lateral entry/bootcamps.
- The final output must include actionable next steps (school, internships, courses, projects).

Operating principles:
- Complete Phase 1 (diagnosis) before starting Phase 2 (recommendations).
- Ask only the minimum necessary number of questions per section, but enough to establish clear preferences.
- Use mainly Likert scale questions (1–7). Add targeted closed (Yes/No/Multiple Choice) or brief open questions when clarification is needed.
- Avoid jargon. Always explain the scale: 1 = does not apply at all, 7 = fully applies.
- At the end of Phase 1, summarize the top interests/strengths and ask for confirmation.
- Explicitly ask for simulated consent regarding data storage/sharing and offer an “anonymous” option.
- All recommendations must rely on current, credible data sources. Cite each with source, publication date, and link.

Phase 1 – Diagnostic (interactive, block by block; summarize after each block):
A) Interest fields (1–7):
- STEM: Mathematics, IT, Natural Sciences, Engineering
- Creative/Design/Media
- Social/Healthcare/Education
- Business/Management/Finance
- Law/Public Administration/Politics
- Skilled trades/Production/Mechatronics
- Environment/Energy/Sustainability
- Language/Communication/Sales
- Security/Public Service
- Mobility/Logistics

B) Self-assessed abilities (1–7):
- Logical-analytical thinking
- Spatial reasoning
- Math fluency
- Programming/IT basics
- Scientific experimentation
- Writing/Storytelling
- Visual design (2D/3D)
- Interpersonal communication/Empathy
- Organization/Project management
- Fine motor/technical precision
- Foreign languages (please specify)
- Perseverance/Discipline

C) Values and work preferences (1–7 or MC):
- Desire for meaning/impact (e.g. climate, health)
- Need for security vs. entrepreneurship
- Teamwork vs. independent work
- Preferred work setting: office/remote/lab/workshop/outdoor
- Creativity vs. standardized processes
- Income importance (1–7)
- Willingness for long education/training paths (short/medium/long)
- Mobility: open to relocation? (Yes/No/depends)
- Risk tolerance

D) Background:
- Approximate grades: Math, German, English, Science, IT
- Completed internships/extracurriculars/projects
- Weekly time available for preparation (hours)
- Constraints: health, financial, other

E) Brief open questions (max 2 sentences each):
- Which activities have recently been most enjoyable?
- Which activities feel exhausting or demotivating?
- Are there role models or professions that seem inspiring?

Scoring & profile construction:
- Normalize all scales to 0–1.
- Create thematic clusters (e.g., “Tech-Analytic,” “Health-Social,” “Design-Media,” “Green-Tech,” “Business-Finance,” “Public Service,” “Trade-Tech”).
- Compute Alignment Score AS(job) = 0.5*Interest-Fit + 0.3*Skill-Fit + 0.2*Value/Preference-Fit.
- List top 3 clusters and top 5 strengths.

Phase 2 – Evidence-based career recommendations:
Procedure:
1) Generate an initial list (at least 12 professions) aligned with top clusters. Include both academic and non-academic paths.
2) For each profession, rate the following future criteria (0–100 per criterion) with evidence:
   - Demand and growth indicators in DACH
   - Automation/substitution risk
   - Salary range (median, P25–P75, gross, with source)
   - Education/training barriers (duration, admission requirements, alternatives)
   - Skill transferability (portability)
   - Sustainability and policy trends
3) Compute a Future Index (FI) = 0.3*Growth + 0.2*(Low Automation Risk) + 0.15*Salary + 0.15*Skill Portability + 0.1*Sustainability + 0.1*Accessibility.
   Note: “Low automation risk” is inversely scaled.
4) Final ranking = sort by FI; in case of ties, prioritize higher Alignment Score AS.
5) For each job, explain in 2–3 sentences why it fits the individual’s profile.

Data sources and freshness:
- Always cite credible and recent sources. Examples: German Federal Employment Agency (BERUFENET), BIBB, DESTATIS, IAB, OECD, Eurostat, WEF Future of Jobs Report, McKinsey Global Institute, O*NET, EU ESCO, professional associations, chambers, industry reports, Hochschulkompass.
- Include publication year/date. Mark data older than 3 years as “conditionally current.”
- Consider regional differences within DACH; mention high-demand regions if relevant.
- When browsing is available, research live and cite directly. If not, note that data are estimates and mark uncertainties.

Output format per son:
1) Short profile (strengths, interest clusters, work preferences) in 5–7 bullet points.
2) Ranking table of Top 10 future-proof professions with columns:
   - Rank
   - Profession
   - Alignment Score AS (0–100)
   - Future Index FI (0–100)
   - Key fit reasons (1–2 bullet points)
   - Training/education paths and duration
   - Salary range (source, date)
   - Automation risk (source)
   - Key skills + recommended subjects/courses
3) Concrete next steps (3–6 items):
   - 1 internship idea + where to look
   - 2 learning resources/courses (preferably German)
   - 1 short “test project” to complete in 2–4 weeks
   - 1 networking action (fair, club, meetup, etc.)
4) Alternative set (3 professions) as Plan B with reasoning.
5) Notes on uncertainties and a follow-up checkpoint in 3–6 months.

Interaction rules:
- Conduct the interview conversationally and concisely. Use 8–14 question blocks. Adapt dynamically based on answers. Skip redundant questions if a category is clearly defined.
- After Phase 1: summarize findings in 5 bullet points and ask for confirmation/correction. Only then proceed to Phase 2.
- When one son is answering, complete that process before starting the other.
- Language: Standard English (or German if preferred). Offer translation of individual sections if requested.

Safety and ethics:
- Avoid deterministic matching; present probabilities and options.
- No discrimination. Consider accessibility and diverse learning paths.
- Include official career counseling and verified government portals as references.

Start:
1) First ask: “Shall we begin with Son A or Son B?”
2) Then begin the Phase 1 questions.

Formatting guidelines:
- Use clear section headers, tables for rankings, and numbered lists for action steps.
- Display all scores scaled 0–100 with a short explanation of how they were calculated.
- Cite all sources with title, organization, year/date, and link.

Take a deep breath and work on this problem step-by-step.

Big Picture in Project Management

2 min.

Summary

A Big Picture is a visual representation of a project that makes its context, challenges, and key elements immediately graspable. It is especially valuable when developed in a workshop with a small, interdisciplinary team—without striving for perfection, but with a playful mindset. The Big Picture serves as a communication tool, promotes shared understanding, and helps reduce complexity. It can be refined as the project progresses and provides a foundation for stakeholder communication.

Why create a Big Picture?

Projects are often complex and full of uncertainties. A Big Picture helps make the essential aspects tangible:

  • Deliverables and scope: What belongs to the project? What is deliberately excluded?
  • Stakeholders: Who is involved, who is affected?
  • Milestones and phases: Which steps are planned, which dates are critical?
  • Risks and constraints: Which external factors influence the project?

By visualizing these elements, misunderstandings are avoided and everyone works from the start with a shared baseline.

Practical application

Identifying deliverables

In a fictional project to build a wind turbine, it quickly becomes clear that not only the main asset (e.g., a construction site) but also additional components such as permits, safety measures, and possibly even preliminary work (e.g., ordnance clearance) are relevant.
The key question is: What is in scope and what is not? For example, an access road might be left out due to time constraints — but this must be communicated early to those affected to avoid later conflicts.

Involving stakeholders

Projects do not exist in a vacuum. Authorities, residents, external service providers, and internal teams all have different expectations. A Big Picture makes visible:

  • Who is the client?
  • Who assumes which responsibility?
  • Which permits are required?
    Early involvement of all relevant parties helps reduce later delays.

Phase planning and milestones

Not every project is suitable for agile methods. In this example, a classic waterfall model was chosen because clear approval processes and fixed deadlines set the framework. A rough phase plan might include:

  • Planning phase (outline concept with costs, schedule, organization)
  • Implementation phase (detailed concepts, execution, procurement)
  • Approval and acceptance phase
  • Project closure

Clear milestones are crucial — such as the release for implementation or the final handover date.

Challenges and risks

External factors such as legal requirements (e.g., reforestation obligations) or historical legacies (e.g., unexploded ordnance) can influence the project’s course. These should be noted early in the Big Picture to prevent unpleasant surprises later on.

Innovation and Transformation

7 min.

Summary

Today, as a follow-up to a workshop yesterday, I had the chance to reflect on how innovation and transformation are connected and how they can be promoted. In this context, it is particularly important to look at how innovation arises, what framework conditions must be in place, how a culture of innovation can be conducive and how the innovation process can be set up and what it depends on.

Transformation

Transformation refers to a change, transformation or transition from one state to another. This can occur in many contexts and fields, such as technology, society, politics, science, art, etc. Transformations can be both radical and gradual and can have positive or negative effects.

In a technical context, for example, transformation can refer to a change in the structure or functioning of a system or technology. In society, transformation can involve a change in social structures, values and norms. In the arts, transformation can mean a change in the creative process or in the interpretation of a work of art.

Innovation

Innovation refers to the process of creating new ideas, concepts, products, services or processes that improve or change the existing state. This can take place in any area of life, from technology and science to art, culture and business. Innovations can be small and incremental (progressive) or radical and disruptive (overturning).

Innovative ideas can come from a variety of sources, such as individuals, companies, governments or research institutions. They often require a combination of creativity, knowledge and skills to be successfully implemented. Innovations can help improve processes, reduce costs, open up new markets and improve the quality of life.

Connection and differentiation of innovation and transformation

Innovation and transformation are two terms that are often used together but have different meanings. Here are some important differences between innovation and transformation:

  1. Objective: Innovation refers to the process of creating new ideas, concepts, products, services or processes that improve or change the existing state. Transformation, on the other hand, refers to a broader change, transition or transformation from one state to another.
  2. Scope: Innovation is usually focused on a specific area or problem. Transformation, on the other hand, refers to a larger change, often involving several areas or systems.
  3. Impact: Innovation can have a positive or negative impact on a specific area, but its impact often remains limited. Transformation, on the other hand, can have a far-reaching impact on a society, an industry or an entire sector.
  4. Timeframe: Innovation can happen quickly or slowly, depending on the circumstances. Transformation is usually a longer-term process, often taking years or even decades.

In summary, innovation is part of the transformation process, as new ideas and concepts are often necessary to bring about transformation. But transformation is much more than innovation, as it involves a broader change that often affects many different areas or systems.

Innovation and the “outside-in” perspective

Innovation is central to the survival and success of companies and organisations in a constantly changing economic environment. However, to innovate successfully, it is important to have a broad perspective that goes beyond the boundaries of one’s own company. The “outside-in” perspective refers to the practice of focusing on the needs and desires of customers, markets and business partners in order to develop new ideas and concepts.

An outside-in perspective is particularly important as it helps companies develop a better understanding of the needs and trends of their customers and markets. This enables companies to identify problems early and develop solutions before they become major challenges. It also helps to get a clearer idea of what products and services are needed and how best to deliver them. Outside input can also be promoted through trend counting.

However, having an outside-in perspective does not only mean paying attention to the needs and wants of clients. It also means having a better understanding of the larger trends and developments in the industry and business environment. This enables companies to proactively respond to changes and adapt their business practices to keep up with market challenges.

In summary, the “outside-in” perspective is an important part of the innovation process. By focusing their attention on the needs and desires of their customers and markets, companies can make better decisions and align their innovation efforts for success.

“Bottom-up” and “top-down” are two different approaches to the implementation of innovations in companies and organisations

The bottom-up approach refers to an innovative process where ideas and concepts come from the employees of a company. These ideas are then passed through the company up to the management level and reviewed. A bottom-up approach encourages the participation of all employees and can lead to a greater diversity of innovative ideas.

The “top-down” approach refers to an innovative process in which the management level of a company sets the direction and goals for the innovations. Employees are then responsible for implementing these ideas and concepts. A top-down approach provides a clearer structure and overview of the innovation process, but it can also result in fewer employees being involved and less diversity of ideas.

In practice, both bottom-up and top-down approaches are often used to develop an inclusive and comprehensive innovation strategy. For example, a company may use a bottom-up approach to generate new ideas and a top-down approach to select and implement the actionable ideas.

It is important to note that both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses and that a combination of both approaches often provides the best results. It depends on the specific needs and goals of a company, as well as its culture and structure, which approach is most appropriate.

Value Office for innovation projects

A value office is an organisational unit designed to maximise the added value for the company from innovation projects. It is a kind of “innovation hub” that ensures that innovations are integrated into a company’s overall strategy and business model and that they actually deliver the expected added value.

The Value Office has several important tasks that it must fulfil in order to achieve its goals:

  1. Identification of innovation opportunities: The Value Office should ensure that it is always up to date on new technologies, trends and developments and that it is constantly looking for new innovation opportunities.
  2. Evaluation and selection of projects: Once new innovation opportunities have been identified, they need to be evaluated and selected to ensure that they offer the highest added value for the company.
  3. Monitoring and steering of projects: The Value Office should be responsible for monitoring and steering innovation projects to ensure they are completed on time and within budget.
  4. Integrating innovation into the business model: Once an innovation project is completed, the Value Office must ensure that it is integrated into the company’s overall strategy and business model in order to actually exploit the added value.

The Value Office should have a close working relationship with other departments and areas of the company to ensure that all relevant perspectives are considered and that all necessary resources are provided to be successful.

Setting up a value office is an important step for many companies on the way to a successful innovation strategy. It helps to focus on value and ensure that innovations are integrated into the overall business and that they actually deliver the expected added value.

Innovation culture

A culture of innovation refers to the set of norms, beliefs, behaviours and structures that shape an organisation and determine its ability to innovate successfully. A strong innovation culture encourages employees to develop and share new ideas and creates an environment that allows them to try out their ideas and develop further.

A culture of innovation is created when leaders and staff pull together to create an environment where creativity and risk-taking are encouraged and rewarded. Such a culture also provides the necessary resources for new ideas to be realised.

Some of the characteristics of a strong innovation culture are:

  1. Openness to new ideas: Employees feel encouraged to develop and share new ideas, whether they are successful or not.
  2. Risk-taking: The organisation is willing to invest in new ideas and willing to make mistakes and learn from them.
  3. Collaboration: Employees work together to develop and implement new ideas.
  4. Flexibility: The organisation is ready to adapt quickly to new developments and willing to change its business processes and structures to implement new ideas.
  5. Fostering creativity and competence: The organisation invests in the skills of its employees and fosters their creativity so that they can develop new ideas.

A strong culture of innovation is essential for the long-term success of a company. It enables companies to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and develop new business opportunities to strengthen their competitiveness.

A culture of innovation can be fostered by companies through the establishment of innovation coaches, the application of design thinking, the training of employees in technical topics and the introduction of an innovation maturity model. Inspiring sessions can often be the impetus for new innovation ideas. Rewards for idea generators are essential for establishing a culture of innovation.

Innovation process

The innovation process is an important part of any organisation that wants to innovate successfully. This process helps to identify, develop and implement new ideas to strengthen the organisation’s competitiveness. The innovation process can be divided into several phases, including idea generation, concept development, prototype development, testing and deployment.

Technical environments play an important role in supporting the innovation process. They provide the necessary resources for employees to develop and implement new ideas. These include, for example, technical labs, 3D printing machines, prototyping tools and software development platforms.

Use Case Definitions describe the benefits of a new technology or solution for a specific use case. These definitions help to focus on the most important requirements and accelerate the innovation process.

An Incubator Lab is an environment that supports startups and other organisations to develop and grow their ideas. These labs provide resources such as office and technical facilities, mentoring and financial support.

The concept of “fail fast” states that organisations should fail fast when an idea does not work. This helps save time and resources and accelerates the innovation process by quickly identifying and discarding unsuitable ideas.

The Demand Process refers to the process by which an organisation identifies and analyses its customer needs in order to develop new business opportunities. This process helps to understand the needs of the market and develop new solutions to meet those needs.

Zero Inbox Without Hassle

3 min.

Summary

Often an ardent wish of most of the colleagues I know does not succeed. Many approaches lead to endless long to-do lists or parked mails in your inbox. With approaches like Getting-Things-Done (GTD) and other approaches, which are also applied to mail handling, additional software or other compromises are often involved. I have to say, I have my inboxes quite well under control and not the other way around. Some time ago I came across an approach by Luise Freese, which is very good but not completely suitable for my and probably many other colleagues. I need subfolders for my projects and don’t want to do several steps per mail. Therefore my suggestion is slightly modified and in my opinion simplified.

Objective of Zero Inbox

No mails in the inbox, grouping of tasks by context and the ability to find all mail immediately. Especially with the latter Outlook often plays tricks on me because the “Machine Learning” search results are not always correctly prioritized / sorted. Another reason why I still create folders in the project folder in Outlook.

Preperation

Create a _ReadMe and _ToDo folder below the inbox. The underscore is helpful, because then these folders are always on top, directly below the inbox. These folders can also be placed under “Favorites” (right-click, show in favorites).

Create categories in Outlook like @Phone @StandUpMeeting @Waiting.

Outlook-Categories

Next, expand the ribbon bar in Outlook:

Expand Ribbon Bar

Then we create so-called QuickSteps:

Set Up Quick Step

An example of one of the specified quicksteps:

Quick Step – Standup Meeting

In detail it is set as follows:

Quick Step StandUp Meeting Setting 1st Part.
Quick Step StandUp Meeting Setting 2nd Part.

The short text of the “standard reply mail” can be entered as follows:
“Hi, I would like to discuss / close this item in the next stand up meeting instead of having a further mail exchange.”

Another Quickstep can look like this:

Quick Step – To Do Next Week

with the “default mail text”: “Hello, Busy times these days. Just wanted to let you know that I already set a reminder for end of this week and will get back to you by then. If it is more urgent please chat with me on MS Teams.”

And then a Quickstep for completed tasks:

Quick Step – Closed Activities (Clear)

Finally, the following Quicksteps should be created in a modified form:

@Stand Up, @Wait, @Phone, News, Read, Do Today, Do Tomorrow, Do This Week, Do Next Week und Clear bzw. Close.

Have fun using it.

Barcamps without frustration

2 min.

Summary

If I was dissatisfied with Barcamps in the past, it was mostly because the session planning did not lead to full transparency for me. So I went to different sessions, which were a surprise for me regarding the format. I think it is important that it is very transparent for all participants, which format and which session has been planned. Sometimes the format develops differently during the session – that’s the great thing about barcamps – but the type of session makes it more secure to choose the “right” session.

How to make the session format transparent for everyone

That is why face2face barcamps should show these session types (and more) on every session card with abbreviations or even on a prepared card with checkbox option.

In the virtual barcamp this categorization should also be selectable on the virtual session card. For the 4th Barcamp “Führung im Projekt” 2021 this is how it will be:

Session-Card

with following categories:

  • Workshop = max. 10-minute presentation and subsequent joint elaboration, e.g. on the electronic Microsoft whiteboard or another jointly available electronic document stored in the Team SharePoint.
  • Problem definition = collegial consultation. I have a situation that I would like to reflect on and would like to receive input.
  • Impulse presentation = maximum 15 minutes of impulse presentation and then discussion.
  • Serious Game = Exercise / learning game with the aim of providing information and education. An authentic and credible, but also entertaining learning experience is the focus of interest.

The participants for the virtual Barcamp “Guided tour in the project” will use an online form before the Barcamp and also at the beginning of the Barcamp before the planning of the session to submit their session suggestions, which are then already categorized accordingly.
To ensure the documentation of the sessions, the integration of external tools (e.g. additional electronic whiteboards besides MS Whiteboard in the session) is not desired and not allowed due to data protection reasons.


Have fun at the next barcamp and choose the right sessions!

My crisis with the corona virus and the positive change in program management

7 min.

Summary

The article examines how working in programs has changed due to the exclusively virtual way of working. Special attention is paid to the changes in governance, working methods and perception of hierarchy in the company. This contribution is accompanied by a survey on some hypotheses on the future of leadership especially under the aspect of distributed work in order to support or reject these hypotheses. Nevertheless, I will try to formulate some future prognoses on this subject already now. The article wants to give some hints which experiences we should in any case take with us into the “new normality” and thus firmly anchor them in our way of working. People and companies who do not learn and adapt from this crisis and only want to return to a supposed old normality will fail in the future.

Flashback

On March 2nd I did not go to North Rhine-Westphalia like every week before, because I had cold symptoms and since a few weeks the corona virus was on everyone’s lips, also in our program. So I thought it would be appropriate not to endanger my colleagues in the project and planned one week of remote work. Thought, done. Being one of the few “local” colleagues not to be on site, as expected, led to a lot of more time being spent for work, as now much had to be done via team video call. And this in planned meetings, which was perhaps previously easily clarified across the desk. In the course of that week, my company decided to stop all non-essential business trips and let me work exclusively from my home office. What can I say, the next few weeks were pure stress, because all the meetings, which were previously held locally and often hybrid, were now virtualized, which led to many additional hours of work. Despite my 5+ years of experience in pure home office (globally virtual distributed programs or project portfolios) in my 20+ years of experience in project and program management, virtual work during Corona was another dimension. I would like to go into this in the course.

This personal (including capacity-) crisis has, as often, also led to something better. What exactly has changed?

Changes in governance et al.

When it comes to governance, many people think first of meetings and the committee structure. This is fundamentally correct, but it is not complete. My calendar was overloaded the first 3-4 weeks of purely virtual work, because now a meeting was often set up virtually for many “little things” and then 30 minutes with colleagues was the lower limit. Thanks to Outlook. I immediately remembered the 22-minute meetings. The goal is to have meetings in

  • 22 minute slots,
  • to have a clear agenda,
  • ideally, distribute written reading material on the topic of the meeting in advance and in good time,
  • start the meeting on time and have a clear focus.

I have configured my Outlook so that meetings last either 25 minutes or 50 minutes by default. Here the settings in Outlook help to ensure this. My experience in the virtual environment is that meetings last until the planned end. On site meetings last until someone has to leave because they are changing rooms. Moving from one room to another demand time. In the virtual environment this is usually not granted. Often there is not even time for bio breaks. Unbelievable!

In order to avoid the overcrowded calendar, a daily stand-up meeting of the teams should also be planned in the virtual environment. Here it is important that appropriate video conferencing and collaboration tools are used. I use Planner from Microsoft or Trello in my volunteer work to support backlog, spintplanning and standups. With both boards, the daily stand-up meeting with a core team of a program or, as with me currently, the project portfolio management team of typical up to 7 direct reports can be supported very well. Sprint planning and retroperspectives are of course also included.

Another proven meeting sequence is to schedule escalation and decision meetings ideally several times a week and, in the best case, cancel them if nothing needs to be decided or addressed. These fixed regular dates allow for quick decisions, even in times when the calendars of our senior management are full. Should the need arise to be more than once or twice a week, the role descriptions, RACIs etc. must be checked carefully. Then, in my experience, there is not enough information and decision-making authority at the right level. Basically, my remarks on governance and escalations apply here, of course.

Due to the complete virtualization of all meetings, I have noticed a democratization of these meetings. Anyone can switch on the webcam and be present in a prominent position, unlike in hybrid meetings. Anyone can use the “raise hand” function in the collaboration tool. Everyone can see what is being drawn on the virtual whiteboard and not somewhere on a locally available flipchart. Everybody – and not just the local senior management at the table – can be seen equally in the gallery view of the video software. Quietly and secretly, this changes the style of the meetings and, above all, the greater participation of formerly “never-in-meeting room attendees”, because they are, for example, offshore.

Overall, an asynchronous working of the team is to be enabled, e.g. by check-ins in the morning (these can also be created manually in Microsoft Teams). For teams that work on different topics and only interfaces are relevant or where for whatever reason the daily stand-ups are not possible, the check-in approach is recommended in any case. An active exchange on the check-ins should take place via the comment function. Otherwise there is no added value. If a person asks the check-in question manually, no automatisms have to be established via additional tools. In my team we had solved this manually in MS Teams in which a colleague set the daily question at the start of work.

Due to the higher concentration/stringency of virtual meetings, team members quickly notice exhaustion due to the high sequence of meetings. The one or the other coffee talk can then be made possible virtually.

For me, the more intensive cooperation – intensive because of the even higher level of structuring – has confirmed that the team composition is particularly relevant as already described in 2019. For me, in the intensive virtual cooperation I noticed a weaker expression of the intercultural differences. Perhaps this is related to the democratization described above. Here it would be interesting to know what your experiences are about this. Please put them in the comments. Furthermore I have put up a few hypotheses on which I would like to hear your opinion in this Google Form.

Your more advanced hypotheses are welcome in the comments below.

Does Corona bring long-term changes?

This almost philosophical question was already intensively discussed in the media months ago and many authors came to the conclusion that the corona pandemic will change many things positively in the long term. More regionality, less travel, more … I believe realistically, many positive aspects will be forgotten, despite the long duration of the restrictive measures.

Even when the volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted in Iceland, many had predicted that air traffic would be reduced in the long term. Immediately after the volcanic ash had blown away, air traffic was back at a very similar level.

Maybe some things will change due to the fact that nobody else could work the same way as before during the Corona ban and some things have hardened due to convenience or because companies have taken measures to avoid further shocks. Everyone, including sales representatives, conducted virtual customer conversations and were forced to work with “the unimaginable”. Let’s see.

Ultimately, the further development of the technology will anchor one or the other change in the long term, because ultimately cost-benefit considerations are always applied by individuals and companies. So we can hope that my forecast of changes as described in the article Project Manager in 2030 will come true. Perhaps our ethical and moral approaches have changed so much during Corona, which will directly lead to a change in our common future.

Which changes should be “cemented”?

The crisis described at the beginning leads to transformation. How the transformation develops and solidifies cannot be guessed in advance. Nevertheless one should of course try to “build in” as many positive aspects as possible.

Due to the asynchronous mode of operation in virtually distributed teams, early intermediate work results should be shared in any case – in line with WOL. In the office on site, the interim status review is often provided by informal coffee break conversations, which allows the maturing “product” to receive continuous feedback. In the virtual world, as much as possible of the semi-finished product should be shared in a structured way.

It is also useful to check whether your own self-organization tools are still the right ones, even when working remotely.

What I have firmly decided to do is that even if everyone else around me falls back into the “post-volcanic eruption-back-to-normal” effect, I will work virtually in a team in my programs at least every third week in order to constantly put the program into remote operation. Otherwise many positive effects will be lost.

We should also avoid hybrid meetings in the future. If parts of the team are remote, then everyone should go to virtual meetings because of the “democratization” described above and the higher effectiveness.

The definition of the communication principles in the project gain more importance due to the necessary home office work, because a formalization with more asynchronous work is absolutely essential.

There is one more thing we should maintain: The care for each other and the often heard, in my opinion, serious statement: “Stay healthy!” In this sense… Stay healthy.

Your hypotheses?

Virtual Coffee Breaks

3 min.

Summary

In times of corona (in virtual projects anyway always) communication within the team and also across close team boundaries (entire project environment) is essential for project success, but difficult to ensure. Telephone conferences can cover planned topics, but cannot bring up the spontaneous ideas that would otherwise arise in the coffee kitchen. We are all in more web conferences than ever before, but the coffee conversations are irreplaceable and therefore a few hints how to use them in virtual space.

How to do it

Just send out an calendar invite with webconference details and remove the ticks under Response Options for “Request Responses” and “Allow New Time Proposals” so that you are not bothered by replies. But leave “Allow Forwarding” ticked. But send it only to a random sample of team members and non team members ofter the wider project enviornment. Ideally initially to ~ 10 team members. Further will be receiving the invite by others. See sample text below.

With following text suggestion for the invite:

I currently have many more telephone calls than I do have meetings on site in London and I don’t get “real work” started until the evening. This is certainly not only the case with me. Nevertheless, I notice that we have far fewer contacts across provider boundaries and also across tower boundaries. That’s why I think we need more conversations that just happen to occur by chance. So please get involved in the following.
 
We just meet at the coffee machine in building C1 6th floor by chance and have a little chat. See rules and hints below.

  • Rules
    • You must join with your web cam turned on.
    • You need to have a coffee or tea prepared for yourself before joining.
    • You may forward this invite only to one further member of the Apollo program after you have participated yourself in the “coffee break.”
    • The first topic of conversation after you join the videoconference must not be business (instead, for example, homeschooling, weather in your home town).
    • The 10th or each additional participant leaves the coffee kitchen (the call) due to overcrowding and arrives a little earlier for the next appointment.
  • Notes:
    • I myself will probably not be around very often, but you can meet yourselves. When I’m there, I’m not going to host. Everyone should enforce the rules themselves.
    • You can run away from the coffee machine with everyone and chat in a small circle in the hallway (by making your own phone call).
    • I have set up 3 similar appointments. As it is known that these are distributed naturally, I am curious which of the colleagues has all 3 appointments in his calendar first. If you have all 3 coffee appointments of me in your calendar, take a screenshot of each of them and send it to me. The 10th entry receives a bottle of wine from my personal wine cabinet.
    • If somebody finds this idea stupid –> delete appointment in your calendar, but do not complain.

Your experiences

I would be interested in your experiences with such or different kind of virtual non-organized sessions. Please comment below.

Definition of goals in the “Six Interdependencies” playing field

4 min.

Summary

Project objectives are the establishment of requirements which are as quantified as possible and which must be met in order for a project to be considered successfully completed. Conflicts of objectives are to be avoided. An absolute prioritisation of the goals is recommended. In the case of objectives, one must always pay attention to the combination of SMART objectives, completeness of the objectives and, above all, the delimitation of benefit and non-objectives. An absolute prioritisation across all goals in order to be aware of one’s own priorities is helpful. In addition to the magic triangle, the aim is to distinguish between non-targets, benefit targets and now consciously the negative benefit targets as damage and to provide resource planning optimised for all organisations involved.

What are goals and how should they be?

Project objectives are the establishment of requirements that are as quantified as possible and that must be met in order for a project to be regarded as successfully completed. DIN 69901-5:2009-01 defines the project objective as “the totality of individual objectives achieved by the project”.
A complete definition of objectives requires the identification of all relevant stakeholders, which can lead to conflicts of interest. Conflicts of objectives are to be avoided, i.e. the different project objectives must fit together.
The magic triangle defines performance (including quality), costs and deadlines. The magic triangle is supplemented by further dimensions through the six interdependencies.
The goals are to be defined as SMART:

Specific/Simple Simple, understandable, concrete
Measurable Operationalized, quantified
Achievable/attainable Achievable, socially accepted, worthwhile
Realistic/Relevant Objectively attainable
Timeable/Timely Concretely planned in terms of time

Define objectives in a delimited way

Often there is talk of “never-saturated stakeholders”, I have experienced in practice that it helps to have absolute prioritisation across all goals in order to make people aware of their own priorities. In other words, in addition to the must-can-target categorization, a prioritization with a clearer definition of what is the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, … x most important goal is recommended.

One must always pay attention with the goals to the combination of SMART goals, completeness of the goals and above all the delimitation of benefit goals (= business benefits/business objectives) and also non-goals. A consideration of these target categories certainly helps to encourage the stakeholders to make a clear statement or to hold on to their expectations in advance, to commit them even better.

The benefit of the project can be defined by the benefit goals of the project. And just as with risks and opportunities, there is a positive and negative sign here. With the “Six Interdependencies” I have consciously chosen the negative sign (i.e. damage here) as the initial viewing angle, as with risk management, in order to deliberately provoke this lighting. In the past, benefits and thus benefit goals were often and well defined by project managers (in contrast to their performance goals).

Social goals

In my opinion, an example of “training on the job” within the framework of the project is a good example of a social goal that can be well defined in terms of objectives, provided that “training on the job” takes place during the course of the project. If, on the other hand, this “training on the job” takes place in the follow-up of the project on the basis of the use of the project object (e.g. use of the implemented software in everyday operations after the end of the project), it is a clear benefit goal and must also be defined as such. If, on the other hand, the training is essential for the implementation of the project, it is a performance goal, because otherwise the object of performance will not be completed or achieved.

Goals in the playing field of the Six Interdependencies

The supplemented interdependencies help my perception according to the clear definition of the project object and the demarcation by the use of this and the well definition of the basic conditions (context determination) in the framework of resources, damage and stakeholder satisfaction.

In my opinion, the Six Interdependencies bring more to light the things that have so far been defined, in part neglected, on the edge, next to the magic triangle, by benefit goals, resource planning (but so far only with the focus on the project and not as is now the case with the Six Interdependencies of the entire (parent) organization(s) involved). In practice, I have already achieved positive, more conscious and more complete goal definitions and delimitations. Thus the six interdependencies show all known practice-proven project methodical aids like magic triangle, in addition delimitation of not goals and use goals and now consciously the negative use goals as damage, conscious restriction of the resources and however not only for the project (as it happens classically with the resource planning primarily), but also for all organizations involved an optimized resource planning.

Thus, the Six Interdependencies are a combination of already known, previously independently considered influences and now additional consideration of damage and cross-organizational resource consideration together:

Six Interdependencies

What now newbie? Or who does not ask, remains stupid …

3 min.

Summary

You come to a new company and take on a new role or you take on a new project? How you plan a good handover was described in handover of a program in 6 phases. Now you are in a conversation with one of your new colleagues to determine where the shoe pinches or what needs to be tackled first. Since you will usually not only have an interview with a single colleague in order to have an overall view of the situation, it is advisable to conduct these interviews in a structured manner. For this purpose, I have collected a few questions over the years that are suitable for each interview and can raise interesting aspects.

How do I organise the interviews?

You should always differentiate between team-related and individual questions, because in the beginning it is easier to talk about the team or the overall situation than directly about your own sensitivities.

  • Team or overall situation
    • What is the biggest challenge we face right now or in the near future?
    • Why are we facing this challenge?
    • What are the most promising and untapped growth opportunities?
    • What do we have to do to realise their potential?
    • If she were me, what would you focus on?
  • Individual
    • How satisfied with your task? In which direction do you want to continue?
    • What do you expect from your job in the short / medium term?
    • What do you expect from me?
    • What are your strengths / what do you want to contribute to the team?
    • Which work processes can be improved?
    • What is the cooperation/productivity in the team/team atmosphere like?
    • What do you / the team / the department need to perform better?
  • Wishes to the genie in a bottle?
    A question that often brings up ideas that have not yet been expressed is the question about the three wishes to the fairy. Specifically this means which 3 wishes would you put to the fairy in the given context. Surprising and often very helpful answers come up. These often round off the picture or bring out completely new aspects.

How do I ask?

If the flow of conversation comes to a standstill, you want to recognize a clear priority or you want to find something out more precisely, then the following questions are appropriate.

  • Conversation fit
    It is very important to find out whether something is depressing the other person and whether the conversation is not meaningful at the moment.
  • Alternative or comparative questions
    • What’s better: this or that? Either way? Here or there?
    • If that, then what? If not so, by what means?
    • Scaling questions: On a scale from 0 to 10, how do you deal with this situation?
  • Determination of causes
    If you believe that the mentioned cause or reason is not yet substantially addressed, then follow up like a small child with 5 times “Why? If you don’t dare to use them, the 5-Why-method is also popular with scientists.
    Asking for the “why” can also reveal the reasons for the behaviour and the motivation of the behaviour.
  • Paradoxical questions or worsening questions can help in the event that creative solutions are needed or a new perspective is to be adopted. Example is, what do I have to do to make the product a flop?
  • Circular questions help to look at situations from different angles. For example, what would Mr Müller say?
  • As an alternative to the genie in the bottle question, you can also place the wonder question: The initial situation is that, as if by magic, all problems have been solved and you ask what would be different, how do you know that the problem is gone, how did the cooperation change or which other question of change can be helpful?

Achieving regularity

Carry out such discussions immediately after entering the new role or task and, above all, regularly. This will keep you on the ball. If you want to record changes early on and across the entire workforce or the entire team, my contribution to team spirit and early indication is ideal. The questions are also a good basis for an employee interview.

Transformations and project culture or leadership towards change

3 min.

Summary

Transformation is not a change process, but a small crisis. 80% of people prefer stability to change. Change is a necessary evil for this type of person to move from one stable state to another. The change agent or project manager must therefore change old rules, which allow the no longer desired action strategies. In order to change a project culture, the patterns of thought and behavior of all participants must be changed. Project culture is the sum of all thought and behavior patterns of all people in the system. It is a misconception that managers or project managers should give fewer rules and instructions so that the team can and will become innovative.

Transformation is a crisis

Transformation is not a change process, but a small crisis. Therefore, a change agent does not have to admonish that certain actions are no longer desired or that others are desired. On the other hand, he should consciously take old patterns of thinking / possibilities of action as the basis for application through other rules. The “Change Agent” does not carry out change, but limits or expands room for maneuver. And he coaches consciously, but does not monitor. He must ensure that the old strands of action are not used for 90 days in order to make a new pattern of action possible for the colleagues involved. In this period new patterns of thinking are sought, old habits are thrown overboard and the new patterns of thinking are finally applied without effort.

So much for the ideal world.

Stability is the dream of most people

80% of people prefer stability to change. The reason for this is that people want to use as little energy as possible to achieve something. A change needs more energy and is therefore unwanted. Changes are a necessary evil for this type of person to move from one stable state to another. This is also seen by these people as a criticism of their previous attitudes, actions or whatever is to be changed. In today’s complex world, in which stable states – if at all – arise only very briefly, constant change is rather the normal state. I assume that today’s environments therefore perceive people as more stressful.

Project managers or “change agents” should change something over which you have no influence: Thinking patterns and attitudes of participants. As I said, the agent must therefore change old rules that allow for strategies that are no longer desired. With the new rules each participant in the transformation will then acquire new patterns of behavior and thinking.

If I want to change something, I must consciously plunge myself and my organization into a crisis in order to bring about a change.

Changing the project culture

In order to change a project culture, I have to change the patterns of thought and behavior of all participants, because they shape the project culture. Project culture is therefore not a centrally defined guideline, but a sum of all thought and behavior patterns of all people in the system.

The well-known leadership models and project organizations are often based on very old models such as military and church structures. These models create stability, but no change. This is because the limits for patterns of thought and behaviour are set. In leadership it becomes more and more important to forget the existing (patterns of thinking or behaviour) in order to make innovations possible.

The misbelief as a leader should be given fewer rules today

It is therefore a misconception that managers or project managers should give fewer rules and instructions so that the team can and will become innovative. In order to enable innovation, the project manager has to set different / new rules so that the team changes from the “comfort zone” (old thinking patterns and actions) to a new state and can create something new.