Quiz 2 Cheat sheet

Orchestrating the Decision-Making Process Managing—coping with complexity Formulate plans and objectives. Monitor results. Take corrective action. Expedite activities. Solve technical problems. Ethical Dilemmas—situations where it is difficult to determine whether conduct is right or wrong • Padding of cost and time estimations. • Exaggerating pay-offs of project proposals. • Falsely assuring customers that everything is on track. Stakeholders are people and organizations that are actively involved in the project or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by the project. Project Management Maxims • You can’t do it all and get it all done. Task-related currencies Resources Lending or giving money, budget increases, personnel, etc. Assistance Helping with existing projects or undertaking unwanted tasks. Cooperation Giving task support, providing quicker response time, or aiding implementation. Information Providing organizational as well as technical knowledge. Position-related currencies Advancement Giving a task or assignment that can result in promotion. Recognition Acknowledging effort, accomplishments, or abilities. Visibility Providing a chance to be known by higher-ups or significant others in the organization. Network/contacts Providing opportunities for linking with others. The Law of Reciprocity • One good deed deserves another, and likewise one bad deed deserves another. Quid pro Quo • Mutual exchange of resources and services build relationships. • You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Effective Project Vision -Communicate -strategic sense -passion -inspire others Mapping Stakeholder Dependencies • Project team’s perspective • Whose cooperation will we need? • Whose agreement or approval will we need? • Whose opposition would keep us from accomplishing the project? • Stakeholder’s perspective • What differences exist between the team and the people on whom the team depends? • How do the stakeholders view the project? • What is the current status of the relationship the team has with the stakeholders? • What sources of influence does the team have relative to the stakeholders on whom the team depends? Management by Wandering Around (MBWA) involves managers spending the majority of their time outside their offices in order to have face-to- face interactions with employees building cooperative relationships. • Relationships should be built before they are needed Characteristics of Effective Project Managers • Initiate contact with key stakeholders to keep abreast of developments. • Anticipate potential problems. • Provide encouragement. • Reinforce the objectives and vision of the project. • Intervene to resolve conflicts and prevent stalemates from occurring. Managing Upward Relations Project success is strongly affected by the degree to which a project has the support of top management. Top management must: • Provide an appropriate budget. • Be responsive to unexpected needs. • Send a clear signal to others in the organization of the importance of the project and the need to cooperate. • Rescind unreasonable demand. • Provide additional resources. • Recognize the accomplishments of team members. 10.7 Qualities of an Effective Project Manager 1. Effectivecommunicationskills 2. Systemsthinking 3. Personalintegrity 4. Proactivity 5. Highemotionalintelligence(EQ) 6. Generalbusinessperspective 7. Effectivetimemanagement 8. Optimism The first project team meeting—project kick-off meeting - Establishing ground rules - Planning decisions - Tracking decisions - Managing change decisions - Relationship decisions - Managing subsequent project meetings Synergy • Positivesynergy 1+1+1+1+1=10 • Negative synergy 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 2 Characteristics of High-Performing Teams 1. Share a sense of common purpose 2. Make effective use of individual talents and expertise 3. Balance role and share tasks 4. Exert energy toward problem solving 5. Accept differences of opinion and expression 6. Encourage risk taking and creativity 7. Set high personal performance standards 8. Identify source of both professional and Forming: During this initial stage, the members get acquainted with each other and understand the scope of the project. what behaviors are acceptable with respect to both the project (what role they will play, what performance expectations are) and interpersonal relations (who’s really in charge). completed once members begin to think of themselves as part of a group. Storming: stage is marked by a high degree of internal conflict. Members accept that they are part of a project group but resist the constraints that the project and group put on their individuality. resolved, the project manager’s leadership becomes accepted, Norming: The third stage is one in which close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness. complete when the group structure solidifies and the group establishes a common set of expectations about how members should work together. Performing: The team operating structure at this point is fully functional and accepted. Adjourning: performing is the last stage of their development. However, for project teams, there is a completion phase. Instead, attention is devoted to wrapping up the project. Conditions Favoring Development of High- Performing Project Teams - There are 10 or fewer members per team. - Members volunteer to serve on the project team. - Members serve on the project from beginning to end. - Members are assigned to the project full time. - Members are part of an organization culture that fosters cooperation and trust. - Members report solely to the project manager. - All relevant functional areas are represented on the team. Establishing Team Norms - Confidentiality is maintained; no information is shared outside the team unless all agree to it. - It is acceptable to be in trouble, but it is not acceptable to surprise others. Tell others immediately when deadlines or milestones will not be reached. - There is zero tolerance for bulling a way through a problem or an issue. - Agree to disagree, but when a decision has been made, regardless of personal feelings, move forward. - Respect outsiders, and do not flaunt one’s position on the project team. - Hard work does not get in the way of having fun. Factors affecting recruitment - The importance of the project - The management structure being used to complete the project Considerations that need to be factored into the recruitment process - Problem-solving ability - Availability - Technological expertise - Credibility - Political connections - Ambition, initiative, and energy - Familiarity group decision making involves four major steps. 1. Identifying problems 2. Generating alternatives 3. Reaching a decision 4. Following up Rejuvenating the Project Team Informal Techniques - Institute new rituals - Show the team an inspiration movie - Have the project sponsor give a pep talk Formal Techniques - Hire an external consultant to facilitate a team-building session to elevate team performance and clarify ownership (whether the team has direct influence over the issue) issues - Link team-building activities with outdoor experience to provide an intense common experience that accelerate the social development of Managing Conflict within the Project Encouraging Functional Conflict - Functional conflict plays a critical role in obtaining a deeper understanding of the issues and coming up with the best decisions possible. - Project managers can legitimize dissent within the team by • Designating someone to play the role of devil’s advocate. • Asking the group to take 15 minutes to come up with all the reasons the team should not pursue a course of action. Managing Dysfunctional Conflict - Mediate the conflict - Arbitrate the conflict - Control the conflict - Accept the conflict Managing Project Reward Systems - The reward system encourages team performance and extra effort. - Most project managers advocate the use of group rewards. - To increase the value of rewards, rewards need to have lasting significance. - Some project managers have to use negative reinforcement to motivate project performance. - There are times when we need to reward individual performance. Examples of this kind of rewards include • Letter of recommendation • Public recognition for outstanding work