By Farah Altarouti
SPE-KSA T&PP Team Member
SPE-KSA Technical & Professional Programs Committee (T&PP) successfully conducted a workshop in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, under the title of “Project Management Essentials”. Held on January 29th and 30th, this event featured distinguished facilitators from McKinsey & Company, imparting profound insights on leadership and adept project management. The immaculate organization by the T&PP Growth Quest team signifies the commencement of their dedicated term for 2023-2025. With an attendance exceeding 100 mid-career professionals from diverse technical domains, the workshop aimed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of project dynamics and invaluable insights serving as a foundational framework. It placed a strategic emphasis on the systematic progression through distinct project phases, highlighting the significance of integration management and disciplined leadership in navigating change. This curated emphasis equips professionals with a sophisticated toolkit, specifically designed to steer the challenging contours of project dynamics, ultimately fostering success within the nuanced paths of their professional journeys.
The extensive workshop was conducted over two days, each focusing on a major, pertinent theme. The first day undertook the topic of leadership, diving into leadership challenges frequently faced by professionals, while tackling productive solutions, technical and adaptive leadership styles. The talk was followed by a discussion of organizational awareness, touching on the importance of empathy in leadership, in addition to the Four Levels of Listening and relationship management. Transitioning seamlessly into the second day, the workshops’ participants were split into groups, each having a dedicated facilitator to foster hands-on coaching and guidance. The sessions were focused on project management, underlining the five stages of planning, important success factors and project integration. Furthermore, the facilitators discussed case studies, highlighting through them the types of a project’s lifecycle, key steps to manage changing activities, in addition to scope validation and quality control.
Throughout the two-day workshop, T&PP was honored to host distinguished speaker, Matt Trenchard, an internationally accredited Professional Certified Coach boasting a decade of expertise. Renowned for his profound impact, Trenchard collaborates with both multinational and Gulf-based organizations, guiding individuals to cultivate self-awareness and capitalize on their potential. Moreover, the workshop hosted three esteemed facilitators, namely, Rana Abunour, Ibrahim Alsultan, and Mohamed Essam, each lending their distinct expertise to enrich the professionals’ collective knowledge in the different facets of project management. Rana Abunour, a distinguished Senior Consultant holding the prestigious PMP certification, brings a wealth of experience in executing expansive transformation programs across diverse industries such as manufacturing, supply chain, industrial gases, and banking. Ibrahim Alsultan is a seasoned Senior Capabilities & Insights Analyst, actively contributing to a myriad of topics, including digital advancements and public sector dynamics across the GCC and broader Middle East region. Concluding this impressive team is Mohamed Essam, a highly regarded consultant hailing from McKinsey & Company’s Cairo Office. He possesses six years of extensive expertise in Real Estate development, construction, and facilities management. Together, these distinguished speakers have woven an intricate tapestry of insights, illuminating the workshop with their collective wisdom and experience.
Proven by the attendee’s testimonies, the two-day delivered valuable lessons to professionals, while also fostering fruitful discussions and productive training opportunities. This workshop served as a poignant testament to SPE-KSA’s unwavering commitment to nurturing effective leadership and refined project management skills.
