Adesh Jain, founder of the Project Management Movement in India, talks about how ‘project mindset’ is the new competency element to be developed in making nations and societies more competitive for their survival
How did you coin this unique term ‘project mindset’ and what does it implyIJ
Way back in 1999, I was elected as the first non-European VP of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). It was incorporated in Switzerland in 1965 and comprises of 61 member countries. It was a new thing for Europe to see a non-European become a member of the Executive Board of IPMA and the Swedish association of project managers invited me to address the key industries of Sweden including ABB, Ericsson et al. for half a day. It made me think. What should I cover in my presentationIJ Should it be on how to avoid time and cost overrunsIJ But they knew that very well. Should it be on how to define scope and improve qualityIJ I should not be the one to tell them all that.
I pondered and decided to talk on ‘behavioral dimension’ of project team players and project leadership. It should be based on my opening remarks at the UNDP supported first International Conference in 1992 where I had said, ‘project management is an art and science of converting vision into reality.’ The art part has to be more in my presentation and I had a novel idea. Can we have a project mindset to manage projects betterIJ I thought why not! Accordingly, I coined the term ‘project mindset’ and came up with the topic ‘Project Mindset — the key to competitiveness’ for my presentation. After giving this title in March 1999, I had five months to prepare my presentation in depth. During that time, I evolved the meaning of the project.
What made you become a crusader and missionary in spirit in creating project management revolution in India in 1992IJ
After completing my electrical engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, I went to Canada in 1965 to do my Masters in engineering and later I worked there for six years in the field of artificial intelligence and super computers. In 1973, my commitment to make India strong in the computing field brought me back to India. I started at a senior level of management at Bokaro Steel in upgrading computing infrastructure. My mentor, Mantosh Sondhi ji convinced me to come back to India as India needed me more than Canada or USA. At the young age of 28 years he provided me a rank close to joint secretary of the Government. Rank or grade never bothered me but my passion to take India from minus 15 years in computing field to contemporary level was the key factor for my coming back to India. In 1975, I moved to BHEl and in 1978, became head of computer services division (CSD), a separatedivision of BHEl and one of the nine divisions. In 1979, we had mainframe computers in various units interconnected and in a short span of six years it became as modern as its contemporary counterparts in Germany, France or UK in computing capabilities.
In 1991, late SD Sharma, President of Republic of India honored me with the Honorary CSI Fellowship for laying a strong foundation of IT in India. That was the end of my first inning in India and the beginning of my new mission of creating a project oriented India and changing her mindset from trader’s thinking (short term) to Project Mindset (long range).
What is ‘Project Mindset’IJ
In my view, project mindset is the new competency element to be developed in making nations and societies more competitive including for their survival.
It is almost diametrically opposite to operational or traders mindset. One exists because the other is there. It is a dialectic pair opposite to each other but depends on each other as well.
The first level of project mindset is defined as ‘when a man is intelligent, he thinks about the whole picture first’. A short term view is not how civilisation has come so far. Project mindset looks at the big picture first and then small details.
The second level of project mindset is when he thinks of ‘holistic’ state reflecting seamless connectivity between benefits and project execution. It focusses on the ‘end’ first.The third level of project mindset is to combine known’s and unknowns and prepare to face challenges in uncomfortable zones.
The fourth level of project mindset is to integrate art and science combining the things which can be seen and the things which cannot be seen.
The fifth level of project mindset is to be at the balcony and the dancing floor simultaneously. One has to have 20:20 vision and reading glasses intact.
The sixth level of project mindset is to look for new encounters so as not to repeat the same thing again and again. One has to have an exploration attitude with quest for discovering new horizons. As we grow old, we tend to stop learning and reduce our curiosity to learn new things like children do. We need to discover childhood in our later part of life.
The seventh level of project mindset is to have bent of mind in accelerating the rate of reduction of uncertainties. Project management is managing uncertainties. It can be termed as Uncertainty Management (UM). When we initiate a project, uncertainty level is the highest. It is our challenge to accelerate the rate of reduction of certainties to compress time.
The eighth level of project mindset is to appreciate the formulation of strategies first for its realisation through projects and then only in the second phase, the benefits can be realised through operations.
Tell us about your journey and all the milestones that you have achieved.
In every activity, I give my best and every time, my criteria of giving best moves upward. I work harder and smarter now at my age of 70 years than when I was 45. The reason being, work is what I have always liked. Since 1983, when I left BHEl at a senior level of management, I set up my own targets and I constantly explore what could be my next level of excellence. There is no limit to excellence. It is all in the mind to make a boundary.
For execution excellence, there are three major attributes further divided into three each.
The first attribute is that of sense of ownership which requires responsibilities, involvement and accountability. The second attribute is that of sense of excitement at work which requires self esteem, meaning to work and self awareness.The third attribute is that of sense of confidence which requires competencies, quest to upgrade skills and qualifications.
The most important amongst all is to be aware of what you do and self esteem. They become basically the foundation on which you can build professional excellence.
In the human race, there is no finishing line as it moves further ahead as you come close to it. I still have to many miles.