加里·R.海尔肯斯:项目经理需要精通商务

撰文／本刊记者 尉艳娟 编辑／王兴钊

战略和商务管理能力是PMI“人才三角”列出的项目经理必备三大关键技能之一。业界对项目经理需要精通商务的呼声越来越高，2019年年末“项目商务协会”（Project Business Foundation）正式成立。其实，早在2007年，加里·R.海尔肯斯（Gary R.Heerkens）就出版了《精通商务的项目经理》()一书。他回忆道：“该书出版时，只有少数人认识到项目经理精通商务的价值。当时我遇到的大多数项目经理对他们所管项目的财务和商务方面知之甚少或一无所知。我认为对于项目经理个人及项目管理行业来说，这都是一个问题。如今，令人欣慰的是，这一概念越来越受重视。”

加里·R.海尔肯斯现任某项目管理咨询公司总裁，曾任PMI 纽约罗切斯特（Rochester）分会会长，多次在项目管理全球大会上演讲，曾入选PMI 基于《PMBOK指南》的自学教育项目开发组。2009年至2015年间，他担任《项目管理网络》（）杂志的特约撰稿人，负责关于“项目商务”的季度专栏文章。

他认为，项目应该有两个核心业务功能：满足组织战略和运营目标；产生积极的现金流（因为大多数项目都是金融投资）。

精通商务的项目经理是什么样的呢？加里·R.海尔肯斯告诉记者，精通商务的项目经理应该了解项目如何与组织战略保持一致，以及如何产生项目现金流。此外，他们应该设法了解公司内其他职能部门是如何履行职责的，以便充分利用跨职能核心团队中每个人的能力。他们还要能够敏锐地觉察到高级管理层对其发起项目的需求和期待。

在强调商务头脑的世界里，我们如何衡量项目成功呢？加里·R.海尔肯斯说：“很多人仅仅关注按时、在预算内交付项目。这么做本身没什么问题，但遗憾的是，有时候为了满足成本和进度目标，我们会做出很多糟糕的决策。在强调商务头脑的世界里，要定义项目成功，我们需要关注真正重要的东西——最大限度地发挥战略影响和提高项目投资回报。”

在向精通商务的方向迈进的过程中，项目组合管理将发挥什么关键作用呢？加里·R.海尔肯斯指出，项目组合管理至少有以下作用：确保公司战略与项目识别之间的直接联系；明确阐述每个项目的商务价值；确定每个项目的相对吸引力（优先级）；促成项目投资的平衡方法。他强调，当公司意识到众多项目在争夺有限的资源时，项目组合管理的最大价值就出现了。

加里·R.海尔肯斯曾说，确定正确的商务计划的前提是知道何时停止。对此，他解释道：最初项目清单的呈现形式应该是需要解决的问题而不是具体的事情，这样才能对每个问题陈述进行透彻的分析，并探索实现解决方案的各种方式。有些人看到一个问题陈述，立即说，“嘿，我知道怎么解决这个问题！”他们无法抑制马上就跳到解决方案的冲动，结果是在几乎没有或根本没有正式调查的情况下，他们所说的方案就成了一个项目。要避免这种情况的出现，这就是他所说的“知道何时停止”的意思。

据加里·R.海尔肯斯观察，项目经理很少参与项目的真正“前端”。他认为，项目经理参与项目“前端”是公司与其项目管理人员之间实现双赢的最佳机会之一，因为项目经理越了解项目的起源和内部运作，他们就越有能力做出高质量的决策。将准备项目商务案例的工作分配给项目经理，可以极大地提高其知识储备和洞察力，有利于项目的开展。

完美的商务案例应该是怎样的呢？加里·R.海尔肯斯建议，商务案例应具备以下特点：全面（包含所有相关信息）、客观、无情绪化争论或猜测、合乎逻辑、清晰易懂、确凿、能够激励决策者采取行动。

Gary R.Heerkens: During my career as a project manager at Eastman Kodak Company,I was exposed to and participated in the financial aspects of the projects,such as project profitability.When I left to start my own training and consulting firm around 20 years ago,I was surprised to discover how isolated I had been at Kodak.Most project managers I encountered knew little or nothing about the financial and business aspects of the projects they managed.I saw that as a problem for individual project managers as well as for the image of the project management profession.

Gary R.Heerkens: There are actually two core business functions that projects fulfill.First,to satisfy the strategic and operational goals that organizational managers have laid out.Within this context,it is equally important to recognize that most projects are financial investments,and should therefore generate a positive cash flow.These two business functions are very simple,yet together they are quite profound.

And sadly,these functions are missing within the project landscape of many firms.I used to wonder why,and I have developed a theory.Although it seems to make perfect sense to treat projects as discrete investment opportunities,that's not what many of today's senior managers grew up with.Instead,they were accustomed to the grind of brainstorming project ideas,listing them out,then fighting amongst themselves to get their favorites on the list.This annual ritual was practiced year after year and after a while,it just seemed natural to think of the whole project thing as an operational function,not a business function.So,proper,business-based project analysis took quite a while to begin spreading.

Gary R.Heerkens: Actually,I don't believe that my book is as far out of touch as you might think,given the 2007 publishing date.That's because there was only a handful of us who were very strongly promoting the need (and value of)for business-savvy project managers.Sometimes,we may be dismissed or ignored; sometimes we may be admonished for holding that view.But the times have finally caught up,and now the concept of a business-savvy project manager is rapidly gaining momentum.And I couldn't be happier.I knew this day would come.

As far as improvements or changes are concerned,I'd make a lot of small changes and at least a couple of larger changes.For example,I'd move the calculation engine from an HP financial calculator to the use of an Excel-type spreadsheet application,and would demonstrate various techniques.And I'd describe the connection between the Agile world and the project business-savvy world.

Gary R.Heerkens: Oh,there are actually quite a few top qualities.Here are some:

A business-savvy project manager makes a point of understanding how their projects satisfy organizational strategy and how they generate project cash flows,as described above.These kinds of insights can and should have a significant impact on the decision-making framework of that project manager.

In addition,they should seek to understand exactly how other functional areas within their company perform their roles;this enables the project manager to fully leverage the abilities of everyone who is on their cross-functional core team.

A business-savvy project manager has a keen understanding of what their senior management wants and needs from the projects they sponsor.The best PMs learn to anticipate what their management wants and needs.

Gary R.Heerkens: There are several "dimensions" to project success.The shifting of the project management landscape toward a more business-savvy perspective is all about ensuring that we focus on the right things.Here are examples:

Until now,almost the sole focus of everyone has been on delivering the project "on time" and "under budget".In and of itself,that's OK.The problem is that everyone has anticipated that if they meet cost and schedule targets,everything else would fall into place.Sadly,countless poor decisions have been made to satisfy cost and schedule targets.To define project success in a business-savvy world,we need to focus on what's really important: maximizing the strategic impact and the financial return on the money invested in the project.

Until now,PMs have been directed to meet a prescribed set of technical and/or functional specifications and requirements,but in many cases,without even being told what the client's true need is.They are told to EXECUTE a prescribed set of marching orders,not to RESOLVE a problem.Similar to my previous point,a project manager who is not equipped with an understanding of their customer's true need has little or no chance of making the best possible project decisions.

Gary R.Heerkens: A well-designed and properly executed project portfolio management system provides several positive business benefits.Here are a few:

1）Ensuring a direct linkage between corporate strategy and the identification of projects;

2）Clearly articulating the business value of each project;

3）Defining the relative attractiveness (priority) of each project;

4）Facilitating a balanced approach to project investments.

Phase 1: Identify the "right" business initiatives.This phase begins with the establishment of a strategic framework,which is typically within the domain of the firm's executives.The next step is to use that strategic framework to establish a set of long-range goals.Finally,begin chipping away at those long-range goals by identifying a list of "targeted business initiatives",which are project proposals that should be stated in terms of a problem,a need,or an opportunity.

Phase 2: Categorize,evaluate,prioritize,and select "project solutions".The best solutions to address each of the targeted business initiatives collectively becomes the initial project list.This overall list should then be subdivided into the portfolio categories.Projects are placed in the appropriate portfolio category,and then the projects are prioritized within each portfolio category.The worthiest projects are approved.

Phase 3: Launch and coordinate projects.The greatest value of the portfolio management approach comes when a firm recognizes that many projects are vying for finite resources.Accordingly,this phase begins with a project launch plan that strives to do as much resource smoothing as possible.The remainder is managed in real time.

Gary R.Heerkens: As I mentioned a bit earlier,I believe it's vital that the initial project list should be presented in terms of problems to be solved,not specific things to do.This allows for a thorough analysis of each problem statement and for the uncovering of the various ways a solution may be achieved.It also helps avoid a situation of "Solution-jumping".Solution-jumping occurs when the project listers and/or portfolio developers see a problem statement and cannot escape the urge to say: "Hey,I know how to solve that!" So with little or no formal investigation,this becomes the project.This is what I mean by "knowing when to stop".

Gary R.Heerkens: This is one of my pet peeves! Throughout my initial career at Kodak,and my subsequent career as a project management consultant,I observed that project managers are rarely involved in the true "front end" of a project.In my view,this is among the biggest opportunities for a win-win between companies and their project management personnel.

建立健全高职院校二级财务管理制度 高职院校领导要从财务管理的角度提高思想认识，从“重校级财务管理、轻二级学院财务管理”的思维转变到统筹管理。高职院校的领导要充分认识到二级学院财务管理的重要性，对实施过程中存在的困难给予一定的支持。各个二级学院要结合国家的财政法律法规、高校的财务管理制度、本部门的具体情况，建立健全各自的二级财务管理制度。在制定二级财务管理制度过程中，要从财务的角度明确各自的责任、权利和义务。为鼓励各个二级学院的财政积极性，对于其创收的部分可给予一定的倾斜，对相应的科研经费也要给予一定的倾斜。

The logic is simple: the more a project manager knows about the origins and innerworkings of their project,the betterequipped they will be to make high-quality decisions.

And the business case preparation can be a useful place in the overall project life cycle to jump in.The business case,if properly prepared,can serve as a single repository for all project information.And assigning the role of preparing a project business case to the project manager enables a vast growth of knowledge and insight which will serve the project manager well throughout their projects.

Gary R.Heerkens: Irrespective of what template design you use,the following qualities should be clearly visible in a well-written business case:

●Thorough.It incorporates all relevant information.

●Unbiased.Its tone should be that of an impartial factfinding mission.

●Quantitatively-focused.It should include the best available concrete information,not emotional arguments or speculation.

●Logical.Cause-and-effect relationships should be fully explained; arguments should build on one another.

●Clear and understandable.The business case avoids excessively complex charts and graphs,undefined acronyms,and a lack of rationales.

●Conclusive.The business case finishes with clearly stated,explicit and logical conclusions.

●Compelling.The business case should incite decisionmakers to take the right action.