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