Project Resource Management
“If you’re sincere, praise is effective.
If you’re insincere, it’s manipulative.” – Zig Ziglar
Conflict Management
- Withdrawl – avoiding the conflict.
- Smoothing – attempting to minimize the severity of the conflict.
- Compromising – each side gives in, at least a little, to reach an agreement
- Forcing – using power to push one parties resolution to the conflict.
- Collaboration – a win-win, problem-solving approach of confronting the issue together.
Stages of Team Development
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
The PMBOK adds a 5th stage called adjourning.
Managerial Styles
Motivation Theories
The newer motivational theories are from Lencioni (see a clip on YouTube), Pink and Maxwell.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Self-actualization
- Esteem
- Love/Belonging
- Safety
- Physiological
Achievement Theory
- people can be classified to fit into one of three groups, as having a need for achievement, power, or affiliation.
- When people start to think in terms of achievement, things start to happen (such as earning better grades, raising in the career ladder, solving difficult problems, etc)
- People who are achievement-oriented prefer working on tasks of moderate difficulty
Types of Organizations
- Functional
- Matrix
- Projectized
The matrix is the most common and complicated for project managers. It complicates team development because team members are accountable to both their functional manager and potentially multiple project managers.
Meeting Management
- Open the meeting by clearly stating the purpose and expected outcome of the meeting.
- Be positive and invite participation.
- Introduce complex discussions prior to the meeting. Use the meeting for final questions, comments and vote only, not the entire discussion. Contact the key participants and know where they stand as much as possible prior to the meeting starting.
- Follow up. The last portion of the meeting should be spent reviewing exactly who is going to be doing what. That information should be distributed in writing as soon as possible. AND even though it may feel a bit like babysitting, it is important to follow up with people who were assigned tasks, to ensure they have the information and time necessary to complete the task. Sometimes meeting participants will not admit to certain problems during a meeting, and they might need to modify dates.
Hold GREAT Meetings
G | Goals for the meeting should be SMART: Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Results-oriented and Timely.(Note about SMART Goals from Kay Wais. SMART goals are very appropriate for meetings but often not the best approach for people’s goals. People’s goals should be H.A.R.D.: heartfelt, animated, required, and difficult.) |
R | Roles and Rules: roles should be rotated among project team members, so that everyone gets and opportunity to show leadership. Ground-rules for discussion should be agreed upon beforehand. |
E | Expectations should be clearly defined. |
A | Agendas should be distributed in advance. |
T | Time is money so be sensitive to the team member’s scheduling needs. Keep it brief; begin and end meetings on time. |
Source: Managing the Project Team, Volume Three, by Vigay K. Verma.
Quotes
“All of us perform better and more willingly when we know why we’re doing what we have been told or asked to do.” – Zig Ziglar
“The most powerful and predictable people-builders are praise and encouragement.” – Brian Tracy
“At least 60% of project success depends on managing the human factor. ” – Paul C. Dinsmore