2024 IMPACT Summit

So many strategies fail - even those which are viable and well thought through, because they don't get implemented.

When it comes to delivering innovation and growth, why do we focus so much on methodologies?

This session explores how PMOs can create biomes with the perfect conditions to enable growth and innovation. Find out how to create aligned ecosystems and supportive, collaborative environments. Understand how the PMO should partner with the organization to design ecosystems where strategic initiatives can truly thrive.

In the Project Economy where organizations are becoming more dependent on change and project outcomes, PMOs are in the spotlight. Historically, our Project Management industry has utilized PMO Maturity models as a guide to building long-lasting successful PMOs. However, as we all know project success rates have not risen at the pace we all expect. Following analysis of industry research, years of client engagements, and interviews with PMO leaders from around the world we’ve discovered focusing on Maturity is misguided. The better option for PMO Leaders is to drive Organizational Capability. Project processes and requirements are enterprise-wide, yet we’ve only focused on the PMO for outcomes. Shifting to Organizational Capability requires the organization to operate together, in synch, to deliver the enterprise portfolio.

In this session we’ll discuss the Organizational Project Delivery (OPD) Journey. You'll understand how to build and improve Organizational Capability and learn steps you can take immediately to move the needle.

Creating High-Value PMOs: Strategies for Today's Leaders This session will provide you with strategic frameworks and essential components for building and sustaining high-value PMOs. Learn to align PMO strategies with organizational goals, implement effective governance models, and utilize KPIs to optimize performance. Discover how transformational leadership and change management can foster a culture of continuous improvement. This webinar is a must-attend for PMO leaders aiming to drive organizational success and achieve superior project outcomes.

Knowing where you want to go while staying flexible and able to pivot when needed is the concept behind strategic agility. Strategic Agility embodies the fusion of steadfast direction with dynamic responsiveness to emergent market dynamics. While organizations must forge a comprehensive strategy grounded in purpose, vision, and objectives, they must equally embrace the inevitability of flux and disruption.

Strategic Agility denotes more than mere survival; it signifies the capability to thrive amidst uncertainty and disruption, consistently enhancing performance. Navigating through perpetual change demands transformative strategies and visionary leadership, enabling organizations to not only adapt but also drive positive change and redefine industry benchmarks.

Addressing formidable challenges frequently necessitates substantial transformations that endure, eschewing a return to antiquated practices. Thus, organizations must instigate enduring changes that not only address present issues but also anticipate and mitigate future challenges. Vital to this endeavor is ensuring that all modifications are sustainable in the long term and do not divert back to old ways of working, adapting as new insights emerge necessitating further pivots.

In the realm of business, change is not merely a constant but a cornerstone of progress. Thus, organizations must cultivate a culture of adaptability and resilience to navigate the ever-shifting terrain with confidence.

Is the role of the PMO for decision makers clearly understood? PMOs have moved into areas of evolution, incorporating strategic alignment down to execution, providing lean mechanisms, and enhancing decision-making criteria for leadership. Yet, many PMOs still stagnate when it comes to getting business decisions.

Over and over again we hear that executives want the structure and value PMOs provide, even creating new PMOs in the organization. Portfolio managers create useful, and less burdensome, processes to derive the highest value work, ensuring execution capabilities through resource demand, value realization, and strategic alignment. But when asked to cancel, hold, or sequence the work differently, leadership is unable to provide the governance required to make those tough decisions.

How do we counteract this? What additional information is needed; who are the actual stakeholders that can help drive to decisions? Let’s talk about this with real world discussions.

The presentation is meticulously crafted to empower team leaders and members by deepening their understanding of key principles in psychological safety, Positive Intelligence™, neuroscience, and leadership. Its core aim is to equip participants with the knowledge and practical skills required to foster an environment of engagement and inclusion within their teams. By incorporating interactive, hands-on activities based on human-centered design (HCD), the presentation facilitates the application of these concepts in real-world settings. Participants will gain valuable insights into creating a collaborative and inclusive team culture, emphasizing the importance of open communication, mutual respect, and creative collaboration.

This initiative focuses on enhancing team dynamics and performance, guiding attendees through the process of implementing strategies that promote psychological safety and leverage neuroscience insights for better team functioning. The integration of Positive Intelligence™ principles further enriches the learning experience, offering innovative approaches to leadership that can transform team interactions and outcomes.

Participants will leave with a comprehensive toolkit for building high-functioning, diverse teams that excel in creativity and collaboration. The ultimate objective is to lead participants towards fostering team environments that are not only more successful in achieving their goals but also more fulfilling for each team member. Through this presentation, attendees will be empowered to create lasting changes in their teams, leading to enhanced collaboration, increased engagement, and superior performance.

Mental strength is the ability to productively regulate your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, even in adversity. It's how you manage internally, so you can lead better externally. In today’s increasingly chaotic, distraction-laden work world, building the habits that increase your mental strength is how you train your brain for achievement. It’s why mental strength is THE leadership superpower of our times. In this session, learn how to become mentally stronger by building the 6 core mental muscles that equate to mental strength (fortitude, confidence, boldness, decision-making, goal-focus, and messaging)

I've been a remote project manager since 2016. I've seen team members and leadership struggle with successfully delivering projects in a remote work environment. It really doesn't have to be so difficult. I've built tons of successful relationships and networks while being fully remote. Let me show you what's important using both sides of the story! We live in a remote world now.  In the last few years, people have been working from home more than ever before.  So, how do we make this sustainable and effective?  How do we minimize the impacts of the perceived drawbacks of remote work?  Well, it's all about building trust and effective relationships on both sides.  We'll explore how remote employees can set themselves up for success by being present, proactive, and accountable while also setting boundaries both at home and with work.  We'll also look at ideas employers can follow to enable their employees and companies to flourish while everyone is remote related to training, understanding, trust, and respect.  Remote work is the future but it takes effort on both sides to make it effective.  Let's talk about how!

When it comes to leading change, compassion without accountability gets you nowhere, but accountability without compassion gets you alienated. The good news is that you no longer have to choose. Compassionate Accountability is a both-and breakthrough that resets our mindset and leadership behaviors to embrace the synergy between compassion and accountability. Join Karin Hurt’s CEO conversation with best-selling author, Nate Regier, where he shares the big idea from his new book, Compassionate Accountability, reveals the secret behind a Compassion Mindset, and describes practical examples of how project managers can build connection AND get results at the same time.   

Introduction to Resilience:
1. Define resilience in the context of project management.
2. Explore the importance of resilience in navigating challenges and overcoming adversity.
3. Set the stage for the discussion on building resilience in project management.
4. Reinforce the importance of resilience in project management.
5. Empower attendees to apply resilience-building strategies in their own projects.

Welcome to Kind Transparency: Leading with Authenticity. In this interview, we delve into the crucial aspects of leadership, influence, and stakeholder engagement. Join us as we explore practical strategies for fostering genuine connections, inspiring others, and navigating complex organizational dynamics with authenticity. Get ready to enhance your leadership skills and create positive impact with Kind Transparency as your guide.

Many managers are uncomfortable hearing or using the word “love” in the workplace. But, given the employee “defections” of the last year, maybe it’s time they got over it. Both research and experience dedicate that if employees don’t feel valued, appreciated – dare I say “loved”? – they will eventually leave.

Managers have always struggled to keep their best employees, but that challenge has become particularly intense during The Great Resignation. Perhaps because employees now expect what they previously only hope for – meaningful work, supportive bosses, regular resignation, and a chance to learn and grow. So, how can today’s managers meet these expectations? By following some simple advice that has been around for more than 20 years.

With over 25 years of management and leadership experience, Annmarie Curley will guide you through the cutting-edge intersection of neuroscience and leadership with a focus on communications and engagement to elevate your leadership approach and boost your team's performance.

Discover how leveraging the body's intelligence system can unlock unprecedented levels of communication, cohesion, and innovation within your teams. This session is designed for leaders eager to embrace the future of leadership by integrating the principles of neuroleadership into their management strategies.

Join us to learn how to effectively engage your project teams, sponsors and stakeholders, navigate the complexities of human behavior, and lead with empathy and insight in the modern workplace.

In today's rapidly evolving project management landscape, the traditional tools and techniques often fall short in addressing the complex dynamics of team leadership and stakeholder communication. This session introduces a groundbreaking approach by integrating the principles of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) into the fabric of project management. Our journey will begin with an exploration of the NLP Model of Communication, offering a profound understanding of how our perceptions shape our reality and, consequently, our project outcomes.

Attendees will be equipped with insights into the foundational aspects of NLP, focusing on how to harness the power of language to foster a deeper connection with their teams, inspire unparalleled motivation, and navigate through challenges with agility and grace. A key highlight of the session will be the concept of "Perception is Projection," illustrating how project managers can transform their communication strategies to resonate more effectively with their audience, thereby enhancing leadership presence and project success.

In today's interconnected business landscape, effective communication with stakeholders is not just about sharing information but about building genuine connections that inspire and engage. Drawing from John Maxwell's influential work, "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect," this presentation will explore practical strategies for enhancing stakeholder communication. Participants will learn how to leverage —purpose, presence, clarity, empathy, and respect—to not only convey messages but also to resonate deeply with their audience. These principles will be discussed through real-world examples, showcasing how improved communication can lead to better project outcomes, enhanced team collaboration, and stronger business relationships.

Learning Objectives:
- Understand the importance of connection in communication
- Learn practical methods to apply the five key principles to stakeholder interactions.
- Develop actionable steps to transform communication techniques immediately following the session.

This presentation aligns perfectly with the Impact Summit's focus on innovative leadership and communication strategies. As organizations strive to navigate the complexities of the modern business environment, empowering professionals with the skills to connect effectively with their stakeholders is more crucial than ever.

This session lays out the need for leaders to focus on organizational culture over everything. Using personal stories, data, and anecdotes from twenty-years coaching leaders, the presentation will push the audience to examine what limiting beliefs are holding them back, to rewrite those beliefs, and to ultimately, Fear Forward, in order to create thriving, purpose-driven, and impactful teams that make real impact for each other and their clients.

Success does not just happen—it is made to happen! Success is born of behaviors and choices that lead to exceptional performance. Based on Neal’s new book, Power Skills that Lead to Exceptional Performance, Neal reveals 8 critical, best-practice, results-oriented Power Skills that can promote your professional and personal success. Implementing some of these Power Skills may initially cause your palms to sweat and your heart to race. However, your personal limitations at work and across your life are directly impacted by your willingness and tenacity to deliberately embrace and execute on these Power Skills.

Every project professional knows they must wield the power of communication to great effect. The manner in which we present our ideas is critically important when speaking with our team, our stakeholders, and our prospective customers. The most effective professionals are masters at crafting narratives that are both compelling and memorable. Data-heavy presentations simply won't cut it. The presentations that influence your audience to take action must include strategic stories. Storytelling is a highly effective way to connect, captivate and communicate your core message to your colleagues. Employ the power of storytelling to take your career to new heights!

In today's increasingly complex, dynamic, and uncertain project environment, the role of Project Sponsors is crucial for achieving project success. As business environments continue to evolve, the demand for adaptive leadership intensifies, especially for Project Sponsors who must adopt multiple roles to effectively steer their projects. These roles encompass being a Champion, Visionary Leader, Business Owner, Empowered Governor, Change Enabler, Strategic Navigator, Connected Networker, Benefit Realiser, and Pulse Checker.

This presentation will illuminate the essential nexus between the multifaceted roles of Project Sponsors and the critical capabilities and practices needed to navigate complexities and achieve desired project outcomes. We will delve into common deficiencies in project governance and highlight the pivotal role of Project Sponsors in addressing these challenges.

The session will offer actionable strategies to enhance the adaptability and effectiveness of Project Sponsors, which are vital for leading projects to success. I will also explore how Project Sponsors can effectively collaborate with project managers and support structures like PMOs to bridge governance gaps and establish a resilient project environment.

Join me for an exploration of practical approaches to strengthen project governance through adaptive leadership. This presentation will feature case studies, showcasing the interconnected dynamics essential for project success, and present a framework to equip Project Sponsors to drive projects toward breakthrough outcomes.

Based on his book, Managing the Gray Areas, Jerry Manas explores the most difficult dilemmas leaders face, and offers powerful guidelines for making decisions and examining issues from broader perspectives.

Attendees will gain an upper hand through an understanding of three primary concepts:

1. Leading by Questioning – Attendees will see how a leader’s job is not to have all the answers, but to ensure the right questions are asked.
2. Examining Issues from Broader Perspectives – Attendees will learn valuable leadership tools for practicing systems thinking, holistic ethics, and information-based management.
3. Integrating Opposing Values and Concepts – Attendees will learn how to reconcile their own ideals with the ideals of others, resulting in empathetic solutions that better meet the needs of multiple parties.

Business coaching has evolved from fad to

In today's fast-paced and constantly changing business environment, Project Management Offices (PMOs) face unique challenges in ensuring the successful delivery of projects. The age of disruption, characterized by rapid technological advancements, shifting market demands, and evolving customer expectations, requires PMOs to be agile and strategic in their approach to talent and contractor acquisition and resource allocation. This session will provide PMOs with practical insights and strategies to identify the right people to deliver projects effectively in this dynamic landscape while avoiding overallocation.

Talk Outcomes:
1. Enhanced Talent Acquisition Strategies: PMOs will gain actionable strategies to improve their talent acquisition processes, ensuring they can attract the right candidates with the necessary skills and mindset to thrive in disruptive environments.
2. Pitfalls to Avoid: Participants will understand the benefits of finding right-fit contractors and team members and how to ensure they are prepared for and have the skills for the project.
3. Increased Agility and Adaptability: PMOs will learn how to identify and cultivate team members who are not only technically proficient but also adaptable and resilient, essential traits for navigating uncertainty and change.
4. Commitment to Continuous Learning: A successful, sustainable PMO integrates training and upskilling into its practice, frameworks and governance structures.

By the end of this talk, PMO leaders will be better prepared to face the challenges of disruption head-on, with a robust strategy for finding and nurturing the right teams to ensure project success.

This presentation positions the Project Management Office (PMO) as a dynamic and proactive force in organizational success. It highlights the PMO's pivotal role in knowledge management, emphasizing the importance of leveraging knowledge as a critical asset for competitive advantage. Additionally, the presentation underscores the significance of stakeholder engagement, pointing to the collaborative nature of effective project management. By framing the PMO as an "IMPACT Engine," it conveys a sense of transformation and strategic importance, suggesting that the PMO not only manages but also drives substantial value and impact within the organization.

In the presentation "The Benefit of Managing Benefits," Louise will outline the core theories behind effective Benefits Realisation Management (BRM). She will illustrate these theories with practical examples from a case study, demonstrating how BRM can be successfully implemented in real-world scenarios. By bridging theory and practice, the presentation aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how strategic benefits can be identified, measured, and optimised, ultimately aligning projects with organisational objectives and delivering substantial value.

For organizations to survive, they need to prioritize. However, to thrive, they need to communicate those priorities to teams to determine what matters most so they can synchronize their attention, efforts, and investments. Those teams, in turn, must be composed of individual contributors and front-line managers who treat prioritization as more than a personal productivity or time management hack. The struggle is real.

Prioritization is a deceptively tricky topic that lurks behind the scenes but informs everything. It’s a fundamental skill for organizations, teams, and ICs, and most people accept that it’s essential, but we are not taught how to do it. You can prioritize almost anything, not just goals, projects, and tasks; values, for example. Our main challenge is finding new methods to reach goals amongst multiple teams with conflicting priorities. There is some good news: there is a repeatable process model. And some approaches are better than others, especially for organizations and teams. This conversation will take the topic to a new level. It will also help you gain a profound new level of clarity about creating better plans and making smarter decisions.

The presentation will showcase practical examples aligned with our company's mission to advance sustainable goals through large-scale infrastructure projects and PMOs. We will delve into the profound impact that PMOs can have by offering robust support and change management practices for high-complexity, large-scale projects from leading infrastructure companies. Key topics include:
• identifying potential threats when implementing sustainability strategies
• emphasizing the crucial role of PMOs
• leveraging PMOs to achieve global impact.
Additionally, the keynote will present cutting-edge solutions for developing resilient strategies and highlight the pivotal role of PMOs in facilitating digital transitions.

A Case Study on Starting up a PMO Startup

Welcome to Simplexity!

In a world often overwhelmed by complexity and ambiguity, we crave clarity, simplicity, and practical solutions. It's with this spirit in mind that we present to you our "Simplicity Manifesto." This manifesto isn't merely a collection of ideas; it's a call to action, a personal compass for navigating the intricate maze of complexity that often permeates both our personal and professional lives.

This session will have you thinking differently about what PMO success will and should look like in 2025. Learn from the latest PMO Squad Research Report around PMOs discovering the areas where PMOs are excelling and where PMOs can improve.

Join Rachel Hentges as she dives into the data related to PMO performance, people, processes and technology! Ensure your PMO starts 2025 off in the right direction!

This presentation delves into how Agile methodologies, enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI), are revolutionizing not just project management but the broader scope of Project Management Offices (PMOs). It highlights the role of AI in elevating Agile frameworks, which are pivotal for PMOs in navigating the complexities of modern, technology-driven environments. We will explore the strategic integration of AI within PMOs to foster adaptability and innovation across projects. This session will showcase practical examples of AI applications that streamline decision-making, optimize resource allocation, and enable dynamic project oversight, aligning with overarching business goals. Attendees will learn strategies to meld AI tools with Agile practices effectively, ensuring their PMO remains resilient and proactive in the face of rapid market changes.

AI is here to revolutionize the world. The hype is everywhere, and most companies have set out to find ways to leverage it. There are countless webinars on it that all talk about an exciting future and all the things AI will be able to do for us. But how can you use AI in your PMO today? What are the actual, practical use cases? And which tools actually work?

Join us for an enlightening webinar that explores the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence for PMOs. Discover how AI can help you today through practical examples showing how to use AI to your advantage today.

In this engaging presentation at the IMPACT Summit by Laura Barnard, we'll delve into the transformative journey of Project Management Offices (PMOs) as they evolve to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing business landscape.

We will explore cutting-edge strategies and innovations that PMOs must adopt to stay relevant and effective. Emphasizing agility, technology integration, and strategic foresight, the discussion will focus on how PMOs can lead organizations towards future readiness, fostering resilience and driving success in an increasingly complex and uncertain world. Join us to discover how your PMO can not only survive but thrive in the future of work.

Many projects fail due to unforeseen risks. This presentation will review the project's operating environment and the risks to which it may be subjected. The best time to avoid some risks is when stating the scope and selecting the project strategy. We will present risk management as a closed-loop control system and the need to adapt to risks identified and emerging events. For our control system to be effective, it will require metrics and monitoring, which can be challenging. We will help you rise up to meet that challenge.

Effective project governance is a major determinant of project success - not just the delivery of assets, but the realisation of business outcomes and benefits that these assets enable. This presentation explains what project governance is and addresses the key factors that contribute to this success including:
- treat change differently to business as usual
- a single point of accountability to ensure efficient decision making
- ensuring business accountability for project success
- how to avoid having decision making committees clogged with stakeholders
- clarity around who makes what decisions.

The presentation describes the fundamental steps in establishing an effective project governance framework.

Leadership likes to claim that they're making data-informed decisions, but are they really? The law of GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) teaches us that the quality of your decisions is only as good as the data that informs them. Is the quality of your data sufficient? How do you know?

Companies try to embrace Agile to work more efficiently and deliver outcomes faster. Many hit a wall and wonder why Agile is not working. There is a serious misconception held that Agile methodology mean NO planning and NO documentation or artifacts. Companies that pursue Agile with this misconception will fail.

That said, we don't need to spin our wheels in unending planning mode. That, too, defeats the purpose of "begin agile". We need "just enough" planning to help realize the promise of Agile practices and outcomes. Join Anne and this talk to learn what may be "just enough planning for successful Agile delivery".

This session is designed to equip PMOs with the knowledge and tools needed to leverage Microsoft Teams as a powerful project management platform. You'll learn:

- How to structure Teams for optimal project organisation
- Best practices for communication, file sharing, and meeting management
- How to integrate Teams with other project management tools
- Tips for utilising Teams apps and bots to automate tasks and enhance reporting
- Strategies for overcoming common challenges and ensuring user adoption

By the end of this session, you'll have a comprehensive toolkit to streamline project delivery, boost productivity, and empower your PMO to achieve its goals.

Accidental PM's are individuals without specific PM training who have been tasked with managing a project outside of a PMO and without formal oversight. As PMO leaders, embracing these PMs and supporting their development as well as the delivery of their projects represents a value add to the PMO rather than a risk.

Scott will delineate a holistic approach to requirements analysis incorporating the frameworks like INVEST, SMART, and REAL. This will illustrate the power of AI in reshaping how teams analyze, build and collaborate around requirements. You’ll gain an understanding of defect prevention strategies that are not only cost-effective but integral to sustaining long-term software quality.

Furthermore, Scott will elaborate on translating requirements seamlessly, using AI, into test assets, including functional, security, UAT and other test types. The talk concludes with providing practical knowledge and tools for professionals looking to enhance their software delivery toolbox with AI.

Let's set the tone for a productive and joyful second half of 2024 by unlocking the secrets to success in Projectland! We're kicking off 2024 with a focus on YOU by taking a deep dive into personal development strategies with the esteemed Ruth Pearce. Ruth will be sharing insights from her upcoming book, "Be Hopeful, Be Strong, Be Brave, Be Curious: How Coaching Can Help You Get Out of Your Own Way and Create A Meaningful Life."

And enjoy Dawn putting Ruth on the spot with impossible questions!

This interview aims to highlight the importance of the sponsor's role and offer a glimpse into the strategies and practices that can enhance their involvement and effectiveness throughout the project lifecycle.