BML 322 Workshop Two
People & Projects
People and Projects
How is this important? Two of the 9 knowledge areas
deal with people:– Human Resource Management– Communication Management
Project Managers
Manage and Lead without expressed formal authority
Manage processes Lead people PM’s must have:
– Credibility– Emotional Intelligence – Informal Authority
Ethics and Code of Conduct
Professionalism Individual integrity Competent
Key and crucial skill is COMMUNICATION
Challenges
3 choices– Bring it up– Give it up– Store it up (not recommended)
If you bring it up then– Be honest– Be direct– Be timely
Emotional Intelligence
Ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power and acumens of emotions as a source of human energy, information, connection, and influence.
Self-awarenessSelf-regulationEmpathyRelationship Management
Emotional Intelligence
A developed ability for PM’s – “exercise the muscle”
Essential factor in establishing credibility and building trust
Four kinds of trust: Objective credibility- personal
characteristic that can be fact-checked Attribution of benevolence- examine a
person’s motives and conclude that they are not hostile; good intentions
Nonmanipulative trust-predictability of a person’s behavior; a person is taking action that is consistent with their self-interest
High cost of lying- people will not lie because the penalty will be too high
Establish trust by:
Assigning a project manager with a high trust reputation
Allowing for informal communication Establish a high cost of lying Communicating the expectation of
honesty Creating an atmosphere of trust
What is trust?
Filter through which we screen information– What I will give and what I will take
The larger the filter = the easier it is for information to be shared
Personality Types
DOMINANCE – control, power, assertiveness
Influence – social situations and communication
S t e a d i n e s s - patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness
Conscientiousness - careful, critical, values quality
Personality Types Dominance – “Big D” – decisive, accept
challenges, impatient, strong willed & result oriented
Influence – “Sunshine” – people oriented, optimistic, recognition needed, energizing & persuader
Steadiness – “The Rock” – stable, deliberate, predictable, diplomatic & a specialist
Conscientious – “Inner Voice” – Analytical, orderly, quality conscious, systematic & a perfectionist
Personality Types & Weakness Which ones pose a threat ? Dominance – “Big D” – decisive, accept
challenges, impatient, strong willed & result oriented
Influence – “Sunshine” – people oriented, optimistic, recognition needed, energizing & persuader
Steadiness – “The Rock” – stable, deliberate, predictable, diplomatic & a specialist
Conscientious – “Inner Voice” – Analytical, orderly, quality conscious, systematic & a perfectionist
One of the most important communication skills of a PM:
Active listening………– Takes focus and practice to become
effective– Placing yourself in the speaker’s position – Don’t just hear, but understand– AVOID OR CLARIFY JARGON
Active listening hurdles….
Mind Reading-wondering what they are really thinking
Rehearsing-thinking of what I will say next Filtering-hearing what I want to hear Dreaming-thinking of something else Comparing-getting sidetracked Derailing-changing the topic Sparring-belittling or fighting what is said Placating-agreeing to avoid conflict
Conduct a peer interview….
What situation on a project is creating difficulty for you?– No notes– Ask clarifying questions to help you
understand– No judging – no criticizing– No coaching or advising– Replay what they said in a way that you
understood their emotions
Negotiation
Process for developing a mutually acceptable outcome
1. Separate people from the problem2. Focus on common interests3. Generate options that advance shared
interests4. Develop results based on standard
criteria; have a common definition of project success
Conflict
Is to be EXPECTED
How can you reduce?1. Planning-have a communication
plan2. Role clarification3. Team building
Conflict Responses
1. Avoid2. Force3. Collaborate4. Compromise5. Accommodate
Candid Conversations
Sometimes we need to be candid with others about issues that can be difficult to talk about.
The challenge of being candid is in learning…..– The right thing– To the right person– At the right time– In the right way– For the right reason
Purpose of Difficult Conversations
To tell someone something, so they understand it, and so change can happen
I decided to bring it up…., I will be direct, honest, and timely, and most of all ……
Say it in a way they can take it; remember: “ the harder the news, the softer the tone ”
Storytime….Blue shoe, Black shoe, Notch-notch-notch
Managing Triggers = Impulse Control
Trigger – involuntary reaction to stimulus, usually an escalation of emotions
I get triggered when…….. BUT WHY? Is it because of expectations?
My reaction to candid feedback:
Actively listen Ask clarifying questions Ask for specific examples Acknowledge valid points-even if it is hard
to hear Agree with what is true Take it professionally not personally Take a time out to digest what you heard
How can the project manager develop the culture of the project?
Through communication of :-The priority-The given status -The alignment of official and operational rules
Will project stakeholders share a common culture?
NO
What is one of the most visible manifestations of culture?
COMMUNICATION
How can I create a communication climate on my project?
Communication=the exchange of information that leads to mutual understanding
Climate=the atmosphere that prevails at a particular place or time
The easy three…
The easy 3 to create a climate….
What do I want the climate to feel like?
What are the ground rules will we live by?
What bad habits will I change in order to not break the ground rules?
“Lead by example”
What is innovation?
A creative process that requires both fun and focus
How can I be innovative on my team? Why is important?
Client Expectations
Reflected in Project Documents– Scope-Statement of Work– Project purpose– List of Deliverables
Clarify Values Education of Client
Types of Communications
Synchronous– All parties taking part in the exchange at
the same time
Asynchronous– Not all parties are present; there is a
time delay between the message being sent and received
Communication Plan
Should include technology types Should include various media types Ensure accommodations Consider built in audit trails..? Be clear…..avoid jargon and define
acronyms
Status Meetings Advanced Agenda Start and Stop on Time Each agenda item will either
– Pass along information– Gather information– Make a decision
Draw People out-encourage participation. Silence does not = Consent
Record decisions and assignments Create an issue log
Manage Expectations
Questions & Answers Identify Issues Make the Issues Active-what can I
do?
What is an issue log and OTR log?
Issue log is one that the team doesn’t have the power or authority to resolve. Budget, time extension, etch.
OTR log is acronym for Open Task Report. It can ask as an agenda for progress reporting.
Issues Log
Issue ID Unique identifier or number assigned to each issue identified
Status Either Open or Closed. Closed Issues in the log is one form of project history
Description A) What is the issue? B) What is the impact if it is not resolved?
Assigned to The name of the team member (or PM) responsible for pursuing resolution.
Date Identified
The date the issue was originally added to the log.
Last action or current status
The date of the last action, description of the action, and current status. *Leave all the action/status lines in the logs as a record of how the action was pursued.
Open Task Report (OTR)Status Meeting Date:___________
Task ID
Task Name Personnel Start Date
Actual Start
Finish Date
Actual Finish
7 Task G; Window Delivery
Mike & Lee 10/5 10/8 10/12
What is a fish bowl and status board?
AKA- visibility rooms and boards. Call it what you want, but it is a way of ensuring that communication and information is being passed along to the team.
Openly accessible means for displaying project information. (Binders, webpage, etc.)
Promotes involvement Team members use it as way to think
things through. Get own questions answered or help another member.
Case Study