Celebrating Success after Twenty Three Years
Released December 2007
More than twenty years ago, WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) changed the course of her life. Now, Penny Pullan is helping WISE to build on their successful projects for the future through her new company.
Back in 1984, Penny was applying to university to study Natural Sciences. That is, until she attended a WISE week in Portsmouth. This introduced her to Engineering – a subject she hadn’t even considered before. The week was such fun and so packed with creative ideas that Penny telephoned her head teacher to change her application form to Engineering. A year later, Penny was accepted into Cambridge University’s Engineering course.
Fast forward to 2007. WISE is now Women into Science, Engineering and Construction. Dr Penny Pullan has founded Making Projects Work Ltd., which helps companies transform their projects through meetings and workshops. This builds on her successful career in IT and project management.
One of her first contracts is to help WISE review their key event for 2007, the WISE Awards with HRH the Princess Royal.
Penny says, ‘I’m fascinated by what makes projects work. Only around 25% of projects are really successful – and the WISE awards are a great example. I helped the team to pinpoint exactly what worked and what they would do differently in the future. By bringing in outside techniques and building on what WISE have already achieved, they have learned lessons to make next year’s awards even better. The techniques I use tap into my own project background, a deep understanding of the people side of projects, and my expertise in how to make meetings work.’
Terry Marsh, director of the WISE campaign, says, ‘Penny helped us to get going and to be really clear on what we were doing. We used group mind maps, which were very powerful in gathering a lot of ideas together quickly. Voting was effective; we had a limited number of choices so we could prioritise the key lessons. The team enjoyed the different approach, and Penny kept us positive all the way through. Now we have all our work documented in full colour – it’s an impressive piece of work, and we’re really pleased with it. It will be great fun to open up the ‘lessons learned’ page in March to set things going for next year’s awards.’
For further information:
If you would like to talk to Penny about how project teams can benefit from her facilitative approach to learning lessons, or if you would like to know what effective meetings could do for your projects, please speak to Penny on 01509 821691 or e-mail her on [email protected] or visit the website at www.makingprojectswork.co.uk.
If you would like to talk to the WISE team about their successful WISE Awards in December 2007, please contact Terry Marsh, Director at 020 3206 0408 or visit the WISE website at www.wisecampaign.org.uk.
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Editor’s Note:
1. The Making Projects Media Centre is here: http://www.makingprojectswork.co.uk/Home/Resources/MediaCentre/tabid/971/Default.aspx
2. Making Projects Work Ltd is a Loughborough based start up working internationally to help companies deliver their complex projects and programmes of change.
3. The WISE Campaign promotes science, engineering, technology and construction as a valuable and interesting career option to young women and encourages women engineers and scientists to stay in the profession. (www.wisecampaign.org.uk)
4. For all press queries about the WISE awards, to receive images from the event or to obtain biographies of the winners please contact Jamie Hindle on 020 3206 0408 or email her at [email protected]
