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WHAT TO DO, WHO DOES WHAT, WHEN TO FINISH

• WHO it’s presented to

• HOW it’s approved

• HOW it’s delivered

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WHAT IS A PROJECT PLAN? WHEN DO YOU NEED 1?

1. Project Goal

• work phases

1. Input

• research / audit

• background/brand docs / business plans

• stakeholder interviews

1. Output

• work

• deliverables

• presentations

• sign offs

• timelines

• fees

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PROJECT PLAN CREATION

DA

1. WHAT

• scopes

• phases

• deliverables

1. WHEN

• timeline calendars

• critical milestones

e.g. Gantt chart

RACI |:| Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed

1. WHO

• teams & stakeholders

1. HOW

• communication plans

• methods/preferences

1. WHAT YOU NEED

• resources/interdependencies

1. INFRASTRUCTURE

• applications

• project management software

e.g. Zoho, Milanote, Asana, Trello, Todoist

• shared drives

• file management

Tu

PROJECT PLANS = LIVING DOCS

Tu

PLAN WORK + WORK PLAN

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BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUES: HOW TO INNOVATE IN GROUPS

Q

Einstein: “55 minutes defining & 5 minutes solving”

Tina Seelig: define problem -> reframe question

GUIDED GROUP BRAINSTORMING

• authorities advised to stay outside

1. quantity > quality

2. - criticism

3. + crazy ideas

4. build on people’s ideas

• write question, use talking stick

NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE

• anonymously write ideas

• top-ranked ideas = sent back to participants/subgroups

e.g. form, tech features

GROUP PASSING TECHNIQUE

• sit people in circle, people write idea, pass paper to next, add thoughts until everyone gets paper back

• explain evolved idea & write each one up, vote

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ADRIANA VUJCIC

• learned about consulting in MGMT 1000

• she wanted consulting, BUT consulting didn't want her

Y2: commercial banking, BDC

Y3: business analyst, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan

• first tech exposure, managed Microsoft dynamics applications

  • translator between tech and business

2+ YEARS: banking tech, EY

What is a consultant? What do you do as a tech consultant in the financial services industry?

• when company does project, needs more manpower/expertise

tech consultant:

• implementation project (long-term)

e.g. 2 projects for over a year

• separated from politics

• project management

  • meet deadlines

  • keep executives in the know

  • request more resources

How do workplans fit into your work?

• depends on audience

• gives everyone vision for today/tomorrow

• useful for status report

  • GREEN: On track

  • AMBER: At risk

  • RED: Need specialized resources

Brainstorming techniques

• hard to understand project scope

e.g. credit union had applications in servers and had to move it to the cloud; “what applications?” “where/what servers?”

• have facilitator

• come up with 1st draft of scope, break down by team

• multiple sessions

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DIVERSITY

D

presence of differences

• race & ethnicity & nationality

• gender & sexual orientation

• religion & politics

• socioeconomic status

• langu/age

• dis/ability

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EQUITY

D

• justice

• impartiality

• fairness

within procedures/processes/distributions by institutions/systems

• understand outcome disparity’s root causes

-

INCLUSION

D

outcome ensuring all are welcome

met when you/institution/program = truly inviting to all

achieved when all fully participate in decision-making processes & development opportunities

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INTENTIONAL INTERSECTION

celebrate diversity -> embrace equity opportunity -> experience inclusion

-

WHAT CAN I DO?

• seek ways to embrace diversity

• advocate for equity

• call out injustice

• be ally

• create spaces where everyone is welcome

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EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

D/A

brain’s ability to see feelings coming & to use/listen/manage // EI & EQ

1990

recognize emotions

• discern between different feelings

• adjust inner state

• communicate better

John Mayer and Peter Salovey

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PERCEIVING

D

ability to detect in face/picture/voice

EI foundation, makes all other processing of sentimental info possible

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USING

D

hearts ⇔ heads

change what to do to effectively channel feelings

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UNDERSTANDING

D

ability to comprehend complex relationships & describe how moods evolve over time

-

MANAGING

D

ability to regulate feelings

control sentiments, manage moods, influence emotions

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IMPROVING

D

• mindfulness

• exercise

• therapy

• education

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HIGH EI

Q

Peter Salovey: “People in good moods are better at inductive reasoning & creative problem solving”

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NEDA RIAZI

• volunteer work

• fashion & beauty marketing

  • LULU magazine -> Rogers

Y3: L’OREAL BrandStorm competition

• new mens skincare brand

• Regionals finalist @ Montreal

• internship -> full-time offer

4 YEARS: Marketing Assistant

e.g. taught English in Costa Rica for ¾ weeks

• international development sector

• back to Toronto @ speciality coffee shop WHILE exploring Sub-Saharan Africa social enterprise

  • Zambia: operations director for offbrand solar panel provider

e.g. light, egg incubators, irrigation, sprayer, refrigerators

9/2023: London School of Economics for Master of Science & Development Management

What is a social enterprise?

D

mission = solve social issue / development challenge with self-sustainable model

e.g. distribute solar sprayers for cotton farmers on installments for monthly revenue

• energy access in home

• generate income BC increased yields if efficiently spraying crops

• self-fund unless you have a certain unit #

Personal thoughts about career shift

sustainable development goals

• humanitarian aid

• UN agency

+ business skills

• likes new challenges

e.g. would develop app that told about every industry

• Zambia

• Senegal

• UAE

• UK

Why was it important to take a break from work to study? Why study?

learned overarching structural elements

• study organization history & policy space & stakeholders

• fill knowledge policy gap

e.g. gender barriers to just transition & water security for Central Asia and Western Balkans

What do DEI & ESG & CSR mean?

ST

ST

D/A

CSR

marketing strategy

e.g. vegan, cruelty-free, fair trade

consumer demand transition -> calling out greenwashing

ESG

rank organizations on how well they’re doing on different indicators of ESG metrics

consider entire global value chain: How do retailers affect the whole chain?

Non-State Market-Driven Government Systems || voluntary systems |:| NSMD

• separate free-standing foundations, registered as NGOs

e.g. L’OREAL Fund for Women, Shell Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation

• unrestricted funds

  • allow local autonomy

corporations know marketing/branding/communications, social enterprises/NGOs need

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MICHELLE GUPTA

2017: BBA

2017-: P&G (Brand Management, Oral Care Business)

• Crest toothpaste and white strips

• Oral-B toothbrushes

Why’s EI important?

crux of building relationships

• get people energized for idea

• build support

• create strong teams

• recognizing how you come off / how people perceive you

• understand what may be driving someone else’s actions to best address to achieve wanted business outcome/relationship

enabler of businesses: 1 + 1 = 3, 5, 6, 7…

“most critical soft skill”

more important in personal life

How did you start to recognize EI’s benefits? How’d EI impact you as you started your career?

GD

50% realizing how you come across

50% understanding & addressing other people

post-P&G: noticed in herself…

when under pressure, response = short with people (short answers, cold manners)

• people thought she got upset with them BUT just stress response

ran into situations where people sat her down “am i doing something wrong?”

reflect on how to show up and manage stress and come to work in stress

began to learn with other people leading bigger teams

e.g. no response/engagement

fundamental disagreement OR nervous about big chance How’s this going to impact me? Is this going to have me spending a ton of time at work?

= better business result

when interaction with peers/customers/suppliers/regulators/shareholders

when receiving feedback, EI can help you

What coaching did you receive from P&G, and how’d it contribute to developing EI?

GD

• regular performance reviews (few times a year)

  • strengths

  • opportunities

• really hard to take that, but someone tells you to be better at communication/analysis

respond to feedback:

• take feedback as gift

• if someone takes time & effort, they genuinely want success

• work with one to accomplish career goals

• RATHER than defensively reacting to feedback

• mentorships to have sensitive/delicate conversations

e.g. disagree with passionate idea by coming off as respectful

big oil company project: 2+ allnighters/week for 6 months

gather feedback from other 8 people

“i feel compelled to tell you that your written documents need a lot of improvement”

showed first draft v.s. post-revision and had follow-up morning discussion

thought about quitting & leaving town before looking back

thanked 35+ year FRIEND post-retirement

Role models?

• leader who did unbelievable job of creating inclusive environment

• 8 people in circle brainstorming idea

• ⅞ = loud v.s. ⅛ = reserved

  • whenever ⅛ spoke up, they were cut off halfway through answer & pivoted through conversation

  • thought they were being jerks but didn’t do anything

  • leader engaged person in complementary way

  • e.g. “i actually think you have really great experience” & pulled into conversation without highlighting quietness

  • created space for genius ideas

  • ensured everyone else truly considered thought by replaying

e.g. “hey, that was really smart and what i liked what about what you said was __”

• genuine way to make more inclusive team conversation, totally led us to better business end spot

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What can students do to learn more about EI as a topic, and what actions can they take in courses to become more proficient & sensitive?

GD

traditional: Google, books

v.s.

practical: look for role models, pay attention to what works & figure out how to reapply

• ask for feedback

e.g. “that was a tense conversation in that team meeting, do you think i appropriately handled it or is there anything i could’ve done better?”

• when working with people, assuming “good intent” >>

if someone annoyed you, jumped to conclusion “that person’s lazy & doesn’t care”

~ almost never true

• disagree with project direction

• don’t feel delegated work matches skillset

• other reason to disengage

can’t be afraid to engage with person & have conversation about how they’d feel comfortable with contributing even more

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WHAT’S A WORKPLAN?

• action plan that helps a team achieve its goals

• usually in the form of a table or Gantt chart

• How long they will take to complete

• How they interact with each other (interdependencies)

• Identify when key decisions or milestones will occur

• Who is responsible for each action

• How progress will be tracked and communicated

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APPS & TOOLS

• Microsoft Excel

• Often used for simple / less complex project workplans

• Microsoft Project

• Free to Schulich students on Microsoft 365

• Often used in business for large / complex projects

• Many others including Asana, Trello, Monday.com

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WHY’S BRAINSTORMING IMPORTANT?

• Simple technique to get lots of ideas on a particular topic

• Quick results

• Easy for everyone on your team to participate and have their voice heard

• Non-hierarchical

• Can be done anywhere, any time

1. As a team, identify the question, issue or problem you want to brainstorm

• For five minutes, each person on your team should write as many ideas as they can think of to answer the assigned question

• One idea per Post-It note or piece of paper

• Place your answers in a pile in the middle of your team’s table

1. Team reads aloud each idea and creates or identifies a category to group it under

• If you get more ideas while they are being read aloud, write them down and put them in the pile!

• You should end up with a manageable number of categories (~5 or so)

• Each team member should now vote

• 2 votes per person for their preferred category

• Another 2 votes per person for their preferred idea

• Synthesize the voting and determine the best category and idea to pursue

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APPS & TOOLS

• Microsoft Whiteboard

• Free to Schulich students on Microsoft 365

• Use the “Topic Brainstorm” template

• Miro Whiteboarding solution (https://miro.com/whiteboard/)

• Particularly good for remote or virtual brainstorming sessions

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GREAT BRAINSTORMING IDEAS

LEGO New Product Ideas

The LEGO Ideas platform allows fans to submit their designs for new LEGO sets. Many successful products, like the LEGO NASA Apollo Saturn V, have emerged from this collaborative and crowd-sourced brainstorming approach

Nike's Just Do It Advertising Campaign

This iconic slogan came from a brainstorming session at Wieden+Kennedy, Nike's advertising agency. The simple yet powerful slogan helped redefine Nike's brand image and is considered one of the best advertising campaigns in history

Google's Gmail email service

Gmail was developed during Google’s "20% time" policy, where employees were encouraged to spend 20% of their time on projects they were passionate about. This policy, akin to structured brainstorming time, led to the creation of many innovative products, including Gmail

• Post-it Notes

The Post-it Note was invented by 3M scientists Art Fry and Spencer Silver. During a brainstorming session, they discussed how to use Silver's weak adhesive, which led Fry to suggest its application for bookmarks in his hymnal. This idea evolved into the now-ubiquitous Post-it Note

• Disney Theme Park Attractions

Walt Disney was known for his "Blue Sky" brainstorming sessions, where the motto was that no idea was too crazy. These sessions led to the creation of many iconic attractions and innovations in Disney theme parks

• The iPhone

Apple's development of the iPhone involved extensive brainstorming sessions among its engineers and designers. The team's collaborative efforts led to groundbreaking features and the revolutionary touch interface

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DEI

• Workplace Diversity: Implementing practices to ensure a varied workforce that reflects the diversity of the society

• Equity Policies: Establishing policies that ensure all employees have access to the same opportunities, resources, and rewards

• Inclusive Culture: Building a culture where all employees feel they belong and can contribute to their fullest potential

CSR

• Sustainable Practices: Implementing practices that do not harm the environment or society and ensuring long-term sustainability

• Ethical Operations: Conducting business in an ethical manner, including fair labor practices, responsible sourcing, and honest marketing

• Community Engagement: Investing in the community through philanthropy, volunteering, and local development projects

ESG

• Environmental: Assessing how a company performs as a steward of nature. Key issues include climate change, resource depletion, waste management, pollution, and deforestation.

• Social: Examining how a company manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates. Key issues include labor practices, human rights, health and safety, and community impact.

• Governance: Evaluating the quality of a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights. Key issues include board diversity, executive compensation, corruption, and shareholder rights.

DEI, CSR, & ESG IN ACTION

• Procter & Gamble's Gender Equality Initiatives

• Accomplishment: Procter & Gamble (P&G) has committed to gender equality through initiatives like the "We See Equal" campaign and by promoting women to leadership positions within the company.

• Result: These efforts have enhanced P&G’s brand reputation and customer loyalty, particularly among consumers who value social responsibility. The company's inclusive marketing campaigns have also resonated globally, contributing to increased market share

• Patagonia's Environmental Activism

• Accomplishment: Patagonia has built its brand around environmental sustainability and activism, pledging a portion of profits to environmental causes and encouraging customers to repair, reuse, and recycle products.

• Result: This strong CSR commitment has cultivated a loyal customer base that values sustainability, driving sales growth and enhancing the brand's reputation as a leader in environmental stewardship

• Tesla's Leadership in Sustainable Energy

• Accomplishment: Tesla’s focus on ESG principles, particularly its commitment to sustainable energy, has positioned the company as a leader in electric vehicles and renewable energy solutions.

• Result: Tesla’s strong ESG performance has attracted significant investment, increased stock value, and driven rapid growth. The company’s innovative products have also helped accelerate the transition to sustainable energy globally

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WHY EI?

• It helps business leaders motivate and inspire good work by understanding others' motivations

• EI brings more individuals to the table and helps avoid the many pitfalls of groupthink

• EI empowers leaders to recognize and act on opportunities others may be unaware of

• EI is a huge career enabler… or destroyer

-

5 EI COMPONENTS

• self-awareness

• self-regulation

• social skills

• internal motivation

• empathy

-

PERSONAL & BUSINESS BENEFITS

• improve decision making -> decreased occupational stress -> reduced staff turnover -> increased personal wellbeing -> increased leadership ability -> increased team performance

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LOW EI SIGNS

• being argumentative

• not listening

• blaming others

• emotional outbursts