Title: PM501
1PM501
- Introduction to Project Management
- Session 5 Building Project Teams Project
Communication Management
Dr. Nedka Gateva ngateva_at_technologica.com
2Learning Goals
- Identify the reason why it's important to acquire
a project team with the right skills. - Recognize the reasons why developing a project
team is important. - Understand the framework for building
high-performance project teams. - Understand the processes that allow for the
timely and appropriate generation and
dissemination of information among project
stakeholders. - Understand the communication barriers and the
importance of improving the communications
skills. - Learn how to create the communications management
plan. - Learn the advantages and the proper use of
different communication media and presentation
skills. - Define the content and the choice of appropriate
tool for the project performance reviews.
3Project HR Management
49.1 Human Resource Planning
59.2 Acquire Project Team
69.3 Develop Project Team
79.4 Manage Project Team
8Responsibility Assignment Matrix
Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) using a
RACI format
9Interpersonal Skills - ?
- Leadership
- Developing a vision
- Knowledge sharing
- Involving people
- Motivating people
- Energizing people
- Overcoming barriers to change
- Communicating
- Listening and speaking
- Writing
- Discussing
- Presenting
10Interpersonal Skills - ??
- Negotiating
- Project objectives, scope, cost, and schedule
- Contracts clauses
- Personnel assignments
- Resources
- Problem solving
- Problem diagnostics
- Decision making
- Influencing the organization
- Power
- Politics
11Conflict Management
- Conflict resolution styles
- Forcing
- Smoothing
- Compromise
- Problem solving
- Withdrawal
12Project Performance Appraisals
- Gathering evaluation information
- 360-degree feedback
- Training programs
- Knowledge database
13Project Communications Management
1410.1 Communications Planning
15Communications Management Plan
- Stakeholder communication requirements.
- Information to be communicated format, content,
and level of detail. - Person responsible for communicating the
information. - Person or groups who will receive the
information. - Methods or technologies used to convey the
information, such as memoranda, e-mail, and/or
press releases. - Frequency of the communication weekly or
monthly. - Escalation process identifying time frames and
the management chain (names) for escalation of
issues that cannot be resolved at a lower staff
level. - Method for updating and refining the
communications management plan as the project
progresses and develops. - Glossary of common terminology.
- Reference PMBOK Guide, PMI, Third Edition.
1610.2 Information Distribution
17Communications Skills
- Sender-receiver models feedback loops and
barriers to communication. - Choice of media when to communicate in writing
versus orally, when to write an informal memo
versus a formal report, and when to communicate
face-to-face versus by e-mail. - Writing style active versus passive voice,
sentence structure, and word choice. - Presentation techniques body language and
design of visual aids. - Meeting management techniques preparing an
agenda and dealing with conflict.
1810.3 Performance Reporting
1910.4 Manage Stakeholders
20The Art of Communications
In many situations, when a conflict arises, the
reason for that is lying not in an existing
problem, but in the surprise for the customer
(sponsor or manager).
What do I know? Who else needs to know?
Did I tell him/her?
21Strategies for Developing an Effective Team
- A Moderators Role in Team Building
- Establish objectives together Define performance
objectives with the team and make sure that all
team members understand the objectives and what
actions will need to be taken to achieve them. - Develop a participatory style Encourage staff to
suggest ways to improve processes. Listen to
their ideas and acknowledge their points of view.
Encourage team members to discuss issues and to
find solutions together. - Focus on contributions Define objectives for
having all team members actively contribute to
the meeting. Introduce team members to the ways
in which they can participate. - Organize meetings Hold meetings with the whole
team on a schedule. Discuss the meeting
objectives and encourage the team to discuss
their concerns.
22Strategies for Developing an Effective Team
(cont.)
- Organize the team Define roles and
responsibilities together. If everyone has a
clear role, individuals will be less likely to
become frustrated and will be more willing to
work together. Agree on who will assume
leadership roles for different team activities. - Explain the rules Discuss all norms and
standards that have been established for this
project by the Sponsor or the consulting
organization. Explain the rationale for these
rules and discuss their implications in
day-to-day practice. - Promote team responsibility Encourage members of
the project team to take responsibility for
completing specific tasks and to solve problems
as a team. Introduce rewards only if the entire
team meets objectives. - Establish time commitments Schedule when and how
each team member will devote time to team work.
Determine if team work will require other staff
to take on extra work, and, if so, discuss this
with all staff and obtain their commitment.
Monitor actual vs. planned time carefully and
clarify all adjustments in schedule.
23Seven Characteristics of an Effective Team
- Team members share leadership roles
- Team develops own scope of work
- Team schedules work to be done and commits to
taking time allotted to do work - Team develops tangible work products
- Team members are mutually accountable for work
products - Performance is based on achieving team products
- Problems are discussed and resolved by the team
24Decision Making Process
- Step 1 Problem Identification
Selection and description of the problem,
definition of the main need or requirement.
- What is the problem? (Opportunity!)
25Decision Making Process
- Step 2 Objectives Definition
Description of the expected results and the scope
of the process.
- What is aimed to achieve?
26Decision Making Process
- Step 3 Determining Resources and Constraints
Estimation of all necessary and available
resources.
- What are the available resources?
27Decision Making Process
- Step 4 Developing Options
Development of all possible courses of action.
- What are the possible options?
28Decision Making Process
- Step 5 Selection of Screening Criteria
Establishment and application of screening
criteria to identify workable options.
- What are the viable options?
29Decision Making Process
- Step 6 Developing Alternatives
Combining the viable options in possible
alternatives of effective action.
30Decision Making Process
- Step 7 Evaluation of Alternatives
Analysis, comparison and ranking of alternatives
in order to evaluate which of the combined
options solves the problem in the best way.
- Which is the best alternative?
31Decision Making Process
- Step 8 Alternative Selection and Set Up
A decision on the course of action and
establishment of participants commitment to set
that action in motion.
- Which alternative to implement?
32Decision Making Process
Realization of the chosen course of action and
solving of the problem.
33Decision Making Process
- Step 10 Monitoring and Follow Up
Documenting the feedback and the necessity of
follow-up actions, as well as the possible
improvements.
34Stages in the Process of Group Discussion and
Decision Making
Seeking(Creative Phase)
Sorting(Evaluation Phase)
Selection(Development Phase)
35Team Members Participation
Levels of Participation
Passively Interested
Actively Involved
Core Team
36Edward de Bono
- Dr. Edward de Bono is the worlds leading
authority on conceptual thinking as the driver of
organizational innovation, strategic leadership,
individual creativity, and problem solving. Since
1970 his exclusive tools and methods have brought
astonishing results to organizations large and
small worldwide and to individuals from a wide
range of cultures, educational backgrounds,
occupations, and age groups. Dr. de Bono delivers
the advanced training solutions so needed for
success in these challenging times.
Dr. de Bono has been credited with producing
thinking techniques that are simple, practical,
and powerful. His Six Thinking Hats, Lateral
Thinking, and DATT (Direct Attention Thinking
Tools) training courses are now being implemented
in organizations of all sizes because of their
simplicity and their power to change thinking
behavior, increase productivity, foster
team-building, and evoke profitable innovation.
37Lateral Thinking
- You cannot dig a hole in a different place by
digging the same hole deeper trying harder in
the same direction may not be as useful as
changing direction. - Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and
perceptions it is concerned with the perception
part of thinking. - The brain as a self-organizing information
system forms asymmetric patterns there is a
mathematical need to move across patterns. - In any self-organizing system there is a need to
escape from a local optimum in order to move
towards a more global optimum it defines the
mathematical need for creativity.
38Parallel Thinking
- All parties are thinking in parallel in the same
direction. - It is co-operative and coordinated thinking.
- The direction itself can be changed in order to
give a full scan of the situation. - At every moment each thinker is thinking in
parallel with all the other thinkers. - There does not have to be agreement!
39Six Thinking Hats
- The Six Thinking Hats system has four specific
uses - Its a critical meeting facilitation tool.
- Its an outstanding team productivity/communicatio
n tool. - Its a creativity enhancer.
- Its a control mechanism used to maximize and
organize a persons thoughts - help make
decisions and solve problems.
40Six Thinking Hats (Edward de Bono)
The White Hat The White Hat calls for
information known or needed. With this
thinking hat you focus on the data available.
Look at the information you have, and see what
you can learn from it. Look for gaps in your
knowledge, and either try to fill them or take
account of them. This is where you analyze past
trends, and try to extrapolate from historical
data.
41Six Thinking Hats (Edward de Bono)
The Red Hat The Red Hat signifies feelings,
hunches, and intuition. 'Wearing' the red hat,
you look at problems using intuition, gut
reaction, and emotion. Also try to think how
other people will react emotionally. Try to
understand the responses of people who do not
fully know your reasoning.
42Six Thinking Hats (Edward de Bono)
The Black Hat The Black hat is judgmentthe
devilsadvocate or why something may not work.
Using black hat thinking, look at all the bad
points of the decision. Look at it cautiously and
defensively. Try to see why it might not work.
This is important because it highlights the weak
points in a plan. It allows you to eliminate
them, alter them, or prepare contingency plans to
counter them.
43Six Thinking Hats (Edward de Bono)
- The Yellow Hat
- The Yellow hat symbolizes brightness and
optimism. - The yellow hat helps you to think positively. It
is the optimistic viewpoint that helps you to see
all the benefits of the decision and the value in
it. Yellow Hat thinking helps you to keep going
when everything looks gloomy and difficult.
44Six Thinking Hats (Edward de Bono)
- The Green Hat
- The Green hat focuses on creativity the
possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas. - The Green Hat stands for creativity. This is
where you can develop creative solutions to a
problem. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in
which there is little criticism of ideas.
45Six Thinking Hats (Edward de Bono)
- The Blue Hat
- The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking
process. - The Blue Hat stands for process control. This is
the hat worn by people chairing meetings. When
running into difficulties because ideas are
running dry, they may direct activity into Green
Hat thinking. When contingency plans are needed,
they will ask for Black Hat thinking, etc.
46Six Thinking Hats (Edward de Bono)
Six Thinking Hats is a good technique for
looking at the effects of a decision from a
number of different points of view. It allows
necessary emotion and skepticism to be brought
into what would otherwise be purely rational
decisions. It opens up the opportunity for
creativity within decision-making.
47Brainstorming
Formulated Topic
48Brainstorming Rules
- Choose suitable place and time, and set time
limit. - Review the rules of brainstorming.
- Arrange the participants in a circle and assign a
notes recorder. - Explain the objective of the session state the
topic and write it down and post it where
everybody can refer to it. - Establish round ribbon format of calling out
ideas encourage active participation by all
team members. - Everyone expresses his or her ideas, even if
they seem silly or far out. - No discussion is allowed - criticisms,
compliments, or other comments during the
brainstorm. - Build on ideas generated by other team members.
- All ideas are written exactly as presented and
displayed where everyone can see them. - Clarify ideas. After the brainstorm, go over the
list to make sure that all team members
understand the ideas. - Combine ideas. See whether two or more ideas that
appear to be the same can be combined. - Determine follow up.
49Affinity Diagram
?
50Affinity Diagram Rules
- Form groups of five to eight participants.
- First phase individual work
- The facilitator asks the group a specific
question. - Instruct each participant to write their ideas on
four or five cards. - Each card should have only one idea containing
five to seven words. - Second Phase ordering of cards
- The cards are posted on the wall, and the ideas
are reordered in groups, by "affinity"
(category). Each person can move any cards to
group them into a category, until all
participants agree about the grouping of ideas. - Third Phase group consensus.
- When the cards are not being moved anymore, the
facilitator and the group should try to summarize
the central idea of each group of cards into one
simple and short phrase. Try to split the
groupings into smaller categories.
51Affinity Diagram Rules
Three levels of groupings 1st level (15) 2nd
level (7-8) 3rd level (3-5) 5. Fifth Phase
Assigning the priorities each participant has
the right of three votes 3 points, 2 points, 1
point. 6. Sixth Phase Summary of the most
important 3-4 ideas
52Negotiation Techniques
- Analyze the interest of the parties This is
important to understand the perceptions, the
style of negotiation, and the interests and
principles of the counterparts, as well as one's
own. - Plan the negotiation, and determine
- What are the expectations from the negotiation?
- What are the terms of the negotiation?
- What are the nonnegotiable terms and what can be
modified? - What is the minimum that an agreement can be
reached on? - What is the negotiation strategy?
- What are the most important interests of the
other parties? - How does one interact with or manage people?
53Negotiation Techniques
- Select the appropriate negotiation technique
- Spiraling agreements Begin by reaching a minimum
agreement even though it is not related to the
objectives, and build, bit by bit, on this first
agreement. - Changing of position Formulate the proposals in
a different way, without changing the final
result. - Gathering information Ask for information from
the other party to clarify their position. - Making the cake bigger Offer alternatives that
may be agreeable to the other party, without
changing the terms. - Commitments Formalize agreements orally and in
writing before ending the negotiation. - Negotiate Be sensitive and quick to adapt to
changing situations, but do not lose sight of the
objective. Avoid confrontational positions and
try to understand the interests of the other
party.
54Strategies for Managing Meetings
- Use an agenda Each meeting should have an
agenda. The agenda should include the items to be
discussed, a time limit for each item, and the
person responsible for each item. - Select a moderator who is responsible for keeping
the meeting focused and moving. The group leader
could be the moderator, or team members can
rotate this responsibility. - Facilitate communication The moderator should
try to encourage everyone to participate
facilitate communication by summarizing and
synthesizing ideas and presenting conclusions
regulate whose turn it is to speak and intervene
if the discussion breaks down or goes off track. - Take minutes One person should take notes on the
main themes and the key points that are discussed
during the meeting. Be sure to include who
committed to do what work, by when, etc. - Evaluate the meeting Always review and evaluate
each meeting. Evaluate how effectively team
members communicated with one another. Include,
in the evaluation, decisions about how the next
meeting could be improved.
55Managing Meetings / Work Sessions
Not one way delivery of information.
A group process of efficient co-operation among
participants in the meeting based on their
knowledge, experience, good will and desire for
change and improvements.
56Guidelines for Listening
- Keys to developing good listening skills include
training yourself to- Accept the speaker's
delivery or style of presentation.- Assume the
subject is important and interesting.- Pay
attention to the feelings or emotions behind the
detailed facts.- Remain calm, even if you
disagree with the speaker.- Acknowledge the
speaker physically and verbally.- Ask for a
restatement if you did not hear clearly the first
time and ask for clarification if the message is
complex.- Acknowledge your feelings or
reactions prior to speaking.- Stay alert and
focused. Avoid fidgeting or day dreaming
57Solving Conflicts
- Avoid jumping to a solution before fully
analyzing the problem. - Describe the facts What is the unsatisfactory
situation? What is the context of the conflict?
What is each person's point of view? - Define the conflict Where is the contradiction
between the different points of view? - Diagnose the conflict What preceded the
conflict? What are the individual interests? What
advantages does each party have? What are the
power issues? - Consider the alternatives, for there is no "best"
solution. Sometimes, when the conflict is due to
a misunderstanding, explaining the situation in
an explicit way may help to resolve the conflict.
In other circumstances, the differing points of
view cannot be changed, only accepted. - Implement the solution that has been chosen.
- Evaluate the solution. If the unsatisfactory
situation still exists, begin the process again.
58Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
59The Project Management Hierarchy of Skills
Reference Craig A. Hoard, PMP, Hierarchy of
Skills Laying a Foundation for PM Maturity,
Gantthead.com, July 09, 2003
60Hierarchy of Skills Laying a Foundation for PM
MaturityCraig A. Hoard, PMP
Peter Drucker has said that real management is
the management of people and people are the key
to success. Project managers tend to look for
ways to improve processes. We try to squeeze
just a little more efficiency out of the system
or find ways to work a little bit smarter. While
spending our energies on improving project
delivery mechanisms is a good thing, it is
imperative that we do not forget that it is the
people on our project teams that are the most
valuable asset. In order to maximize the
potential of the human resources of a project,
the project manager must be properly prepared.
All too often the basic skills necessary for
effectively managing people are given light
attention while we focus on metrics. In Maslows
hierarchy, a person cannot achieve
self-actualization without satisfying the lower
level needs first. Likewise, before we can reach
for project management maturity, project managers
must be sure to build a solid foundation of
fundamental management skills.