How the KOAN-PM has been developed ?
The basic assumption at the beginning of the research was that successful project managers have number of specific competencies.
In the first phase of the research experts focus was concentrated on describing these competencies by the use of two methods. Firstly they interviewing a number of highly respected project managers from various sectors applying the behavioral event interview technique to describe situations they considered as a success. Aiming to isolate successful behavior, they required them to describe in detail how they dealt with the specific situations. The project managers were also required to describe in detail situations they had experienced as a failure.
Secondly, a number of questions have been sent to Operational managers and HR managers, to answer about the key success factors for project management. Based on those two methods, experts have been able to phrase 120 behaviors leading to success in project management as well as 20 behaviors that represent major pitfalls and can be considered as obstacles for success.
During the next phase, experts studied the empirical relationship between the Koan questionnaire and the 140 behavioral indicators above, starting with requesting the participating project managers to fill out the Koan questionnaire.
The list of behaviors was then given to a large number of project managers and people from their professional environment to rate the respective project managers with using list of this behaviors. Around 1 500 participants were involved in this research which took 7 years.
Statistical evidence was used to understand the impact of the difference in the answers and link it with the competencies. By comparing the answers pattern with the reference group, it becomes possible to make a prediction based in the Koan-PM itself about the likelihood of the manifestation of a behavior.
As a consequence the results digs deeper than the self-image, brings to light a more profound understanding of the basic personality and - last but not least - gives a clear insight of the potential, the strengths and limitations on a very concrete level description of behavior.