Lessons in Project Management - 2 - Engaging People and Starting Communication

International Project Management

Prof. Dr. Frank Habermann

Lecture 2 –

Engaging People & Starting Communication

© Becota GmbH | www.becota.com | 2010

What expertise is needed within a project team?

Who are the stakeholders of your project?

How to engage the right people?

Understanding divers professional perspectives

Understanding organisational change as a process

Developing a communication plan

Brief thoughts about intercultural communication

Content

© Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

Project Management

more than other things means

managing

people


What expertise is needed within a project?

PROJECTEXPERTISE

Source: inspired by The PMBOK Guide, p. 13



Management skills

PROJECTEXPERTISE

Planning & organizingAccounting & controllingProcurement & contractingGeneral management methodsPM standards, guidelines & methods




Leadershipand social skills

PROJECTEXPERTISE

Developing visionEffective communicationMotivating peopleSolving conflictsBuilding trustAssertiveness




PROJECTEXPERTISE

Domain-specificexpert skills

Expert skills re

- technology- products- business functions- industries- regions



Environmentalknowledge


PROJECTEXPERTISE

Knowledge re the

- cultural- political- economical- organizational- technical

environment




Management skills




PROJECTEXPERTISE



What expertise does a project manager need?

Management skills




PROJECTMANAGER

PROFILE


What expertise does a project manager need?

Management skills




PROJECTMANAGER

PROFILE


who are the

stakeholdersof your project

?


Who is a project stakeholder?

Everybody who contributes to the project

Everybody whose expertise is needed

Everybody whose decisions are needed

Everyody whose money or other resources are nedded

Everybody who is interested in the outcomes

Everybody wo is affected by the project

Everybody who could endager the success of the project

Everybody who sets constraints (laws, regulations, etc.)



Understanding stakeholder roles and responsibilities


Project Stakeholders

Project Team

Project ManagementTeam

The Project




Projectmanager


Project Team


The Project




Projectmanager

Projectsponsor


Project Team


The Project




Projectmanager

Projectsponsor


Project Team


The Project

ExpertResources

LineManagers




Projectmanager

Projectsponsor

customers Suppliers


Project Team


The Project

ExpertResources

LineManagers




Projectmanager

Projectsponsor

customers Suppliers

Banks, etc.

Authorities,etc.


Project Team


The Project

ExpertResources

LineManagers


Each project got a certain environment

THE PROJECT TEAM

SUPPLIERS CUSTOMERS

Sponsors andPromotors

(positive stakeholders)

Sceptics andOpponents

(negative stakeholders)


Each project got internal as well as external stakeholders

Picture Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stakeholder_(corporate)


and how to

getthe right

people?


Most important: assign a project manager who knows what he is doing

Picture source: http://desenchufados.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/homer-en-la-nuclear.jpg


a person who is not occupied…

http://www.theofel.de/archives/2005-08-12-information-overload-oder-sofa-overload.jpg

Picture source: http://jerryfahrni.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/info_overload.jpg


… who knows how to involve the right people

Picture source: http://bernetblog.ch/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/team.jpg


Be aware of the fact thatthe org chart does not display real business life

Picture source: www.azdot.gov/Org_Charts/ITD/

© Becota | www.becota.org | 2010 Picture Source: radio-weblogs.com/0114726/

Involving the right people needsunderstanding the complexity of your enterprise


How to involve the right people?

• The org chart may be a starting point

• But look for expertise beyond titles and positions

• Discover collaborative networks within your firm

• Identify cross-organizational interrelations

• Explore informal relationships as well ascommunities of interest and competence

• Find bridges between languages and cultures, hidden champions, multipliers, etc.


Another important lesson: for expertise, always ask the right persons …

Picture source: http://advocatesstudio.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/nerd.jpg


… guys who really share your goals and interests …

Hi, my name is Sly! I am the Sales

Director of Augur. Oursoftware will solve all

your problems!

Picture source: http://www.horizont.net/kreation/pics/2175-org.jpg (SPD)


… otherwise you might find yourselfon inhospitable terrain

Picture source: http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/27000/Misplaced-Penguin--27015.jpg


managing people

means coping with

various

perspectives!


Depending on your standpointyour enterprise looks pretty much different

top view

bottom view


Depending on your standpointyour enterprise looks pretty much different

top view south view east view

bottom view north view west view


… this also applies to your professional perspective

SALES view HR view ICT view

…




…

cares forcorporate customers

cares forcorporate staff

cares forcorporate technology




…

strategic view tactical view operational view


… as well as to your regional market and cultural view

UK view USA view Indian view

Chinese view

Germanview

Russianview


… which makes things pretty complex

regionalperspective (r)

hierarchicalperspective (h)

subject matterperspective (m)

Perspectivesto be integrated :

m * h * r


Remember system theory: changing one part of thesystem can become a very complex thing

business

project

Big questions: • How can we assure to

properly address all relevant views?

• How to cope with all the„natural“ conflicts?

• How can we find a commonunderstanding/picture?

Who is affected?For example people from- 4 business lines- on tactical and operational level- at 5 business locations

Makes 40 professional perspectiveson the same thing!


managing projects

needs communicating

Change and related

expectations!


What is change management?

Projects are implying change!

Change impliesall kinds of expectations

Good ones and bad ones

Change management is effectively managing the impacts of an investment and thus ensuring its intended values

Project(Investment)

Value

Change


Change management isinvesting in commitment

"The most effective investment is the investment in people's commitment. Nothing saves more money –nothing gets more powerful results."

Managing change is about people‘s commitment, behaviour, dedication, discipline and motivation

Change management is about developing people‘swillingness to collaborate and to follow common goals

Thus – since each corporate system is made by people –change management is all about performance


Change management is addressing the„soft Ss“ within an enterprise

"Change management is the effective orchestration of human-based factors so that people of all hierarchy levels act in concert to implement the intended changes in an enterpprise‘s strategy, structures, and systems."

„Hard Ss“

„Soft Ss“

Source: McKinsey 7-S model


Transformation is a process …

At the beginning of a project each person is in an individual state

Some may be confused

Some may be sad, that they will be loosing something

Some may have fear of what will happen to them

Some may be excited that something is going on

Some may be hopeful and relieved that things are changing

And some may have a little of each feeling

Say goodbye

Get ready

Move forward


Engaging people for a project needs understandingyour colleagues‘ professional (and personal) positions


How to "unfreeze" people

At the beginning of a project, people may need to say goodbye to…

their routines and their comfort zone

old habits, working status and current behaviour

outdated skills and competencies

former technology, tools and systems

established working relationships

Mobilsing techniques

Command: just tell people to moveDestabilize: destroy comfort zonesRestructure: Create a new frame of workingEvidence: cold, hard data is difficult to ignoreSet goals: give formal objectives / incentivesEngage: involve people and listen to them Educate: learn people to changeChallenge: inspire to achieve remarkable thingsSymbolize: create metaphors for new valuesEnvision: a shared vision is the greatest driver

Source: Lewin


develop a

communicationplan


Golden rule: start communicating your project in early phases …

Picture source: http://davidcoethica.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/boy20shouting.jpg


… and thus timely manage expectations!

Picture source: http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/commons/123fleursjack.jpg


Develop a communication strategy: Position your stakeholders (1/3)

Picture Source: SonyPicture Source: www.marcbowles.com/courses



Picture Source: SonyPicture Source: tapuniversity.files.wordpress.com




Monitor(minimum effort)

Keep informed(low effort)

Keep satisfied(medium effort)

Manage closely(maximum effort)


Choosing the right media and communication

In order to get ready for project-related change people must see the link between...

the information they receive

the work they are doing

their indidual environment

the strategy and needs of the enterprise

Leve

l of

chan

ge

Level of involvement

Tell Sell Consult Join

Awareness

Understanding(and Action)

Acceptance/Alignment

Ownership/Engagement

Newsletters, e-mails, memos, letters, notices

Booklets, plenary sessions, speeches, videos,

web & intranet

Focus groups, suggestions schemes,

consultative presentations

Requirements analysis, F2F conversations,

workshops, coaching, etc

Source: Piers Schreiber


Position your stakeholders (3/3)


TELLMonitor

(minimum effort)

TELL & SELLKeep informed

(low effort)

SELL & CONSULTKeep satisfied

(medium effort)

CONSULT & JOINManage closely

(maximum effort)


Types of project communication

Picture source: www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/1680140310001.png



Picture inspired by www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/1680140310001.png

Projectreporting


Types of project communicationProject reporting (remember last lecture)

INITIATE RUN COMPLETE

Project Charter

ClosureReport

ProgressReport

ProgressReport

Project Plan

Kick-offmeeting

Statusmeeting

Statusmeeting

Closuremeeting



Picture inspired by www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/1680140310001.png



Picture inspired by: www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/1680140310001.png

COMMUNICATION PLAN


Example communication plan

Source: Verzuh, E., The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, p. 74


Another example communication plan

Picture source: www.celeroo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/communications-plan.gif


some brief thoughtsabout

interculturalcommunication

© Becota – The Berlin Talent & Consulting Association


International communication bearsexpected as well as unexpected challenges

Picture source: www3.babson.edu/images

US businessman and friend


Even if we mean the same …

Twix!

Raider!

Picture inspired by; www.karriere.de/mediadatabase/mobbing_streit.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010


… in projects there is much room for misunderstanding

Picture source: http://jarodrosello.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/ With very special thanks to Malte Beinhauer!


The problems of intercultural communication

no words

one word, multiple meanings

multiple words, same meaning

unspoken words

different goals and priorities

different styles and habits

unaware of differences

problems to meet f2f

etc.

Picture inspired by; www.karriere.de/mediadatabase/mobbing_streit.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010


The challenges of intercultural communication




belief, behavior

knowledge

belief, behaviorknowledge

© Prof. Dr. Frank Habermann



belief, behavior

knowledge


profession

education

age group

gender

ethnicity

nationality

Hierarchicalposition

Picture inspired by www.filderfunkost.org/lk_bayreuth/pix/interdiscourse.jpg © Becota


profession


belief, behavior

knowledge


education

age group

gender

ethnicity

nationality


profession

education

age group

gender

ethnicity

nationality


Picture inspired by www.filderfunkost.org/lk_bayreuth/pix/interdiscourse.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010


profession


belief, behavior

knowledge


education

age group

gender

ethnicity

nationality


profession

education

age group

gender

ethnicity

nationality


Picture inspired by www.filderfunkost.org/lk_bayreuth/pix/interdiscourse.jpg

language

TRANSLATION

meaning


Thank you very much!

presentation by

Frank Habermann

founder of Becota and Professor of Business

http://de.linkedin.com/in/frankhabermann/en

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