Project Management Exam #2 (Rutgers - Spiegle)

RACI Chart

- *Describe participation* and various roles in completing project tasks - Clarifies roles and responsibilities for cross-functional departments

What does TEAM mean?

- *T*ogether -*E*veryone -*A*chieves -*M*ore

What is my BEST Profile

- A 'style analysis' of observable behavior and emotions - Based on peoples view of themselves at work and other environments - Helps improve *communication*, relationships, and team building

True Motivators

- Achievement - Recognition - Work itself - Responsibility - Advancement

Team Member Roles

- An assignment is a required project task - Members often have several tasks on different project at the same time - Some roles last over life of the project, most roles do not - The team member may be a SME

Non-Verbal Behavioral Cues

- Body Language - Distance - Tone of Voice - Pace

The PM's Responsibility

- Bring a team to a *high-performance* level - Develop a task list (WBS) - Stop possible redundant tasks - Define decision-making process - Creating a RACI chart ("who does what")

Using a Requirements Document

- Conduct a complete project review - Ensure *accuracy of objectives* and their "agreed results" - Identify Needs versus Wants - Review perceived costs - Review projected schedules - Discuss resource requirements - How far removed from reality is it?

Managing Conflict

- Conflict is Natural: it can be creative - Resolve it by using open discussion - Occurs over issues, not personalities - Group Issue: affecting one person becomes a team issue - Relax: open your filter systems - Listen: you can't hear when talking, use eye contact - Accept: you *don't have to agree*, but you may have to accept it - Make it a group issue (not personal or one person): opens discussions

Things Faced by PM

- Corporate Cultures - Regulatory Guidelines - Differing Management Styles - Resistance to Change

PMBOK: Technical PM Competency

- Critical success factors for the project - Selected financial reports - Issue log - Tailor tools, techniques, and methods for each project - Manage project elements of schedule, cost, resources and risks

Planning

- Deciding in the present what is to be accomplished in the future & how best to do it - Upfront planning is the only true way for a project to be successful - Allows you to become proactive - Promotes a way of thinking for management & staff - Provides coordination of company & departmental efforts - Creates better objectives - Creates awareness of SCM functional interacting resposibility

PM Communication

- Desire to listen - Positive frame of mind - Objective rather than subjective - Understand a speaker's POV - Express interest and *remain alert* - Sit or stand next to the speaker - Prevent distraction no cell phones

Questions the PM Should Ask

- Do the stakeholders prefer formal or informal communication? - Which form of *communication* are they most comfortable with? - How does reporting generally happen? - What is the reporting relationship with the stakeholder?

"Evaluate It"

- Don't jump to conclusion - Learn to use a questioning technique - Open end versus closed end questions

S - Sympathetic

- Emphasis on cooperating with others in existing circumstances. Values stability, providing support, harmony They Want: adjustment time, stability, appreciation, schedule They Need To: set deadlines, use lead time, get attention, be understood

B - Bold

- Emphasis on getting results, being challenged by new adventures. Valuing accomplishment, achieving goals, overcome obstacles They Want: challenges, freedom, power, quick results, authority, action and change They Need To: learn to listen, attend to details, be aware of others, follow (directions)

E - Expressive

- Emphasis on self expression, influencing others. Values spirit, fun, excitement They Want: popularity, influence, acceptance, be around people, to persuade They need To: manage time, be objective, set objectives, attend to details, control talking

T - Technical

- Emphasis on working conscientiously within existing circumstances ensuring quality and accuracy. Values discipline, precision, quality They Want: organization, rules, standards, explanations, little risk They Need To: make quicker decisions, use more power, take quicker action, take risks

Concerns of Functional Managers

- FM's need clear project direction - Provide FM's long term planning - To gain FM commitment in planning and scheduling use IGC - FM's need *good communication* to stay involved and current

Review Project Issues

- Financial or economic - Market projections - Long range planning concerns - The strategic plan & M,V, & V

The Project Manager Must

- Focus everyone on *agreed results* - Communicate progress, problems & performance - Facilitate a team to max efficiency & effectiveness - Deliver the projects agreed results

To Help in Planning

- For Ideas, tap multiple sources for agreed results - Facilitate planning to keep persons focused on agreed results - Refine concepts early before any design(s) are undertaken - The key, teamwork from all SCM functional departments - Involved persons must take ownership of planning & work

The Stages of Team Development

- Forming - Storming - Norming - Performing - Transforming

RACI Chart is Used to

- Gain department & individual commitment - Define task ownership - Identify *primary and secondary* backup - Define signatures & authority levels - Be a tool included in PMG plans - A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) - The chart defines unclear team roles & responsibilities - Identifies work assignments - Helps eliminate duplication of effort or unassigned roles

PMBOK: Leadership Competency

- Guide, motivate and direct team - Soft Skills (dealing with people) - Collaborative - Managing relationships - Communicating - Respectful - Holistic and systematic view of project - Build effective teams

An Overview of PM Characteristics

- Honesty & Integrity - Communication Skills - Competence - Patience - Organized - Fair - Shows Initiative - Shows Satisfaction - Is dedicated - Is a role model - Is flexible & versatile - Helps find resources

The Project Manager Should

- Identify key phases, with summary and sub-level tasks - Develop detailed schedules & costs - Manage the change order process - Conduct all levels of review meetings - Monitoring progress & secure coordination as needed - Ensure the project outcome is inline with a business plan - Product regular status reports - Ensure vendors report to functional managers

Objectives of the Profile

- Identify your profile and learn how to identify the styles of others - Learn to adapt your communication style to work effectively with others - A tool for *influencing* others by considering their profile and needs

RACI Issues

- If no "Rs" - is the job getting done? - If no "As" - who is accountable? - More than 1 "A' - is there confusion? - Lots of "Cs" - do you need them all? - Lots of "Is" - are you informing or involving the wrong persons? - No empty spaces - do individuals need involvement in so many tasks? - No "As" or "Rs" - should task be eliminated or changed? - No "Cs" or "Is" - can activity be enhanced with input?

Being Accountable Answer

- It starts with you & how you interact - Realize each *person is different* - Use "Involvement Gets Commitment" + "Measurability and Verifiability" - Use the Herzberg 5 Satisifers

Ultimate Responsibility

- No matter who a task owner or sponsor is, the PM is bottom line responsible for the project result - The project deliverable (agreed result) is made up of *all component tasks* logically combined

PMBOK: PM Keep in Mind

- PM should keep in mind the organization's strategy, mission, goals and objectives, other products and services, industry trends, and competition when making decisions regarding the successful delivery of their project - Must also ensure the alignment of the project objectives and results with those of the portfolio, program and business ares

Tools to Motivate

- Policy - Relationship with supervisor - Work conditions - Salary - Company car - Status - Security - Relationship with subordinates - Personal Life

PM Responsible for 3 Integration Categories

- Process-level Integration - Cognitive-level Integration - Integrations and the Context Level and Complexity

Team Building Roles (cont)

- Re-Direct: when in wrong direction - Labeling: don't allow labels on behavior - Dominating - no one should dominate - Watch *out for Yes, But's they* say one thing but mean another - No naysayers - when exploring a new option a person(s) become negative

"Hear It"

- Recognize *emotions & feelings* - Pay attention - Observe nonverbal signals - Ask the question "if I was having the same experience, what would I be feeling"

"Interpret It"

- Recognize barriers (environmental and language) - Pay attention to the nonverbal signals - *Paraphrase &/or repeat* what you heard - Focus on content not emotion

The Resource Team

- Resources and (FM) are drawn from an organization's matrix structure - Most staff perform departments and project work often at the same time - Performers have responsibility & accountability for task performance - Motivation and team building are critical

When Setting Up Planning Meeting

- Review the invitation with the sponsor - Set a morning meeting - Keep meeting to one hour - Have the meeting date as close to the project start date as possible

From the Meeting, A Calendar

- Review the project management guidelines - Overview the phase approach and 30-60-90 day look ahead monitoring process - Identify potential training requirements

During the Meeting

- Review the project requirements documentation - Establish the objective statement with M&V agreed results - Summary level tasks - Formulate project team - Review decisions made to implement the project - Review project issues - Introduce the TPW, the first concepts of a WBS and developing a preliminary & logic diagram as a result - This helps identify skill and resource requirements

Don't Use BEST Profile for:

- Self-evaluate & self-interprate - Measure intelligence, personality, or attitudes - Classify people into good or bad, right or wrong

Team Building Roles

- Support: Provide encouragement - Confront: If behavior is detrimental - Gate (open it): When closed to some - Mediate: if intervention is needed - Harmonize: pull it together - Summarize: sum up discussion - Process/Facilitate: keep it on track

Additional RACI Term

- T = Trainer - QC = Quality Control - M = Maintenance

Team Members & Motivation

- Team members are assigned - Team members are already busy - Team members vary in skill - Team members *may not trust the PM* - Team members don't believe in the project

PMBOK: The Project Manager

- The person assigned by the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives - PMI studies how the project manager achieves the project objectives, the following are skills and competencies that are beneficial

The Project Manager Is

- The projects focal point - Mr./Mrs. Energy & enthusiasm - The one *accountable* person The interface for: - Plan, schedule & control - Acquiring resources/services - Deliverables & milestones

The Planning Kick-off Meeting

- The time to discuss expectations and set a foundation for project processes - The meeting must be attended by appropriate representatives, and if possible, the project sponsor should attend the first meeting - The PM is the facilitator but not the note taker - Start with general welcome and intros - Allow person to introduce themselves & state their role - Discuss functional departments & any outside resource commitments to the project

Creating the RACI Chart (rules)

- There can only be on "A" person for each activity - If an "A" or "R" can't be decided, then the task may be too vague - Two letters may occupy the same box - Minimize the number of "Cs" & "Is"

A PM Needs Technical Understanding

- Understand technology trends - Understand product application - Ability to *communicate with* technicians - Know how to solve technical problems

Typical Traits of a PM

- Understands what leadership is - Focus on performance not personality - Educates where and when needed - Develops project team members - *Credible and honest* - Knows the projects value - Challenges the status quo

"Respond to It"

- Use Feedback - Acknowledge a message was heard - Interpreted it correctly - Evaluated properly - Use 'I talk' inform, direct or criticize

Principles to Help Planning

- Use the PMG tools & processes - Focusing proper resources will aid in support of customer & organization strategic direction - Keep the process simple to follow, consistent & easy to understand - Learn to be flexible but still use the process & adjust as needed - Include all required tasks & use a checklist and templates

Walk in Their Shoes

- What does each skill level need from me? - What *would motivate me* if I were in their shoes?

Team Member Responsibilities

- When assigned a task, staff must accept performance responsibility - Members *must have authority* for appropriate actions & decisions

Team Relationship Questions

- Will our team be *inform or strictly* business? - Will we get long or argue consistently? - Will I like or dislike team members? Be careful, team members will still identify with their function untis

PMBOK: Strategic and Business Management

- Work with project sponsor, team, and subject matter experts to develop project delivery strategy - Implement strategy in a way that maximizes the business value of the project

When the Team is In Trouble

- You will see unusual stress - Loss of 'open' communication - People working extra hours without 'cause' - Communication lags in response to questions - Individual/team behavior changes

Stakeholder Points

1. *Collaboration* - working with them to produce accurate *deliverables* 2. *Monitoring* - watch for behavior and indications of problems or concern 3. *Wading Off* - develop strategies to defend against undesirable actions or issues

Three Ways Projects are Assigned

1. A new project handed down from higher management 2. You are delegated a project someone else started (they either left or could not run the project) 3. You were hired from the outside to run the project.

Level 3 - Experienced

1. Adequate to above average ability to perform job or task Key Question: What motivation will maintain and S-T-R-E-T-C-H their performance? WIIFM - Whats In It For Me

Three Key Words of PM

1. Authority 2. Responsibility 3. Accountability

Establish 3 Components for all Schedules:

1. Baseline - the agreed upon plan 2. Current Schedule - showing future events & task, include milestones with M&V 3. Actual Schedule - what has occured

Ways to Help Team Behavior

1. Clarify each person's goals: know task *agreed results* and task relationships 2. Improvement plan, "how can we make it better or change it" - involve team in PMG 3. Clearly roles: use a RACI chart 4. Provide clear communication: helps both planning & understanding 5. Increase beneficial behavior: allow open team discussions 6. Well-defined *decision procedures* consensus not opinion 7. Balance participation: all members have a stake in outcome

Develop and Manage Project Work Output

1. Deliverables 2. Work performance data 3. Issue log 4. Change requests 5. Project management plan updates 6. Project documents updates 7. Organizational process assets update

Kinds of Authority

1. Formal Authority: documented via announcement 2. Real Authority: You *must earn* it (the hard way

The PM's Part in the Team

1. Get resources & authority for the project and tasks 2. Clearly *define project* objectives 3. Identify risks and expeditiously motivate them along with issues 4. Evaluate recommendations and provide constructive feedback 5. Develop a strong and healthy *communication* climate 6 Develop a PM Guidelines (manual)

4 Keys to Better Communication

1. Hearing the Message 2. Interpreting the Message 3. Evaluating the Message 4. Respond to the Message

How will stakeholders affect the project? (Questions)

1. How will they impact and *will they affect* the success? 2. If negative, how can you prevent or correct the situation? 3. If positive, how can you make the most of it?

Level 4 - The Expert

1. May be an expert in a field of work 2. Know more than you do 3. Excellent performers Key: Be careful *not to demotivate* them, support them to maintain high performance, and help others learn

Team Member Identity

1. Membership and Inclusion 2. Influence, *control, and mutual* trust 3. Getting along and loyalty

Level 2: Some Experience

1. No in-depth skill or knowledge 2. Come from a department/project where processes were different Key Question: determine what they need to know to do the job

PM Certifications

1. PMP - Project Management Professional Certification 2. CAPM - Certified Associate PM Professional

Important PM Words

1. Responsibility: the job you have accepted 2. Accountability: the way you perform that job

Level 1: No Experience

1. They come with a clean slate 2. No experience with the task 3. May be open or closed to learning Key Question: what will motivate them to learn?

Why are their roles important in the project? (questions)

1. What *legitimate authority* do they have in the organization? 2. Who controls strategic resources? 3. How much negative do they have over others?

How will the project affect the stakeholder? (Question)

1. What benefits do they expect? 2. What direct impact is expected? 3. What resources will they provide? 4. How do they feel about each other?

Who are the stakeholders? (Questions)

1. Who receives the final deliverables? 2. Who is considered a SME? 3. Who is the champion in the client org? 4. Who is paying for the project?

ABC's of Taking Over A Project

A - Start from Scratch B - Assume Nothing C - Go back to the Beginning

Project Review Completion

After completing a project review, with *accurately defined* facts, (good or bad), the PM must report those findings to management (and stakeholders)

Stakeholder

An individual who, of his or her position, has a *vested interest* in a project. These persons are more often senior members of an organization. Their interaction is vital to project success

Formal Announcement

Formal announcement of the project and the PM are critical to the success of both.

From The Meeting

Gain agreement from all parties about discussed, agreed upon, and follow-up meeting issues and tasks

BEST Profile

Helps determine & understand *personality patterns* it can help develop 1. An awareness about yourself and others 2. Your ability to resolve conflicts 3. Better performance on the job 4. More productive team building 5. A more positive boss-subordinate relationship 6. Your leadership styles

Being Accountable Question

How do *you hold* people accountable for their actions, their work and their word?

Who are Key Stakeholders

In the broadest sense of the word, stakeholders are *all persons in* the project as well as those who will be influenced or impacted by the project end result or deliverables

Project Sponsor (Client)

Key strategic supporter of the project often the financial backer

Four Skill Levels

Level 1 - No Experience Level 2 - Some Experience Level 3 - Experienced Level 4 - The Expert

A Meeting Agenda and Action Items

Open but controlled discussion: - Items not appropriate set for other meeting(s) - Set regular meeting schedule dates & times - Establish action items for meeting memebrs

Client Project Manager

Person from the client who reports to the Project Sponsor

Points Made by PMBOK

Point 1 - Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF) describe the external facts to the project/organization which could cause positive or negative issues Point 2 - Organizational Process Assets (OPA) are internal factors which could cause or influence the project

Creating the RACI Chart

R "Responsible" - Person who is completing the work, task owner A "Accountable" - Person in charge of agreed results and making decisions on the task C "Consulted" - Person communicated with regarding decisions and tasks can be experts' fields to keep two-way communication for alternatives, problem solving & improvement I "Inform" - People who will be updated on decisions and action during project (reports)

Identification of Stakeholders

Stakeholders can exist in the project organization, client organization, vendor(s) organization or service provider from outside of your immediate organization

Second Level Authority

Step 1 - Verbal (between PM and Task Owner) Step 2 - Written Plan (between PM, Functional Manager, & Staff cc: PM) Step 3 - Second Level Authority (communication with PM's Mgr)

Team Reality

Teams are going to have highs and lows, prepare for it and be prepared when it happens

Starting a Project

Tell management what you are going to do, how you are going to do it and how you plan to conduct business in a project management environment

A Basic Fact of PM

The PM is the *one and only person* responsible & accountable for the final success of a project

PM's Role

The PM must understand & *effectively operate* within 'politics' & 'organizational constaints'

Project Manager

The person directly responsible for project performance, deliverables and the overall project team