Hr Management

Human Resource Management Asim Shahzad, MIT, PMP
The PMBOK characterizes Human Resource Management as the “processes that organize and manage the project team”:
Human Resource Planning
Acquire Project Team
Develop Project Team
Manage Project Team

Human Resource Management
This is the project management area that holds the biggest challenges,
You can put tools in place that will monitor cost and schedule performance, and ensure scope is delivered
you can plan for and even quantify many project risks

… But you can’t always predict with accuracy how humans will interact
Projects are technical problems, but they have important human dimensions
And that’s the big challenge…
How you pull a new group together, get them all to an appropriate stage of development, and get them all pulling in the same direction

The PMBOK goes on to note that “early involvement of team members ads expertise during the planning process and strengthens commitment to the project”
This seems like obvious advice, but you’d be surprised how often it’s ignored

One new boss of mine came in and – despite my six years of experience in negotiating contracts and project dates with the customer, proceeded to negotiate these things unilaterally, without my input
The result was a new contract with provisions potentially injurious to the company, and unrealistic project target dates
What do you think my level of buy-in was?

Per the PMBOK, Human Resource Planning determines
Determines project roles
Determines responsibilities and reporting relationships
Creates the staffing management plan

The staffing management plan is a critical step
In most companies, a project is a matrix organization overlaid onto a functional structure
To reduce role conflicts, these multiple reporting relationships must be reconciled, often by a project manager who has little authority in a weak matrix or functional organization structure

The project structure continuum runs in this sequence:
Functional
Project Expeditor-Project Coordinator
Weak Matrix
Strong Matrix
Projectized
Projectized structures are rare except in outsourcing contracts; project organization is usually a matrix

In project HR Planning, the existing enterprise context must be considered
Organizational – How the organizations get along
Technical – What types do you need?
Interpersonal – The Cultural Question
Logistical – Distance between members
Political – Private agendas of the mighty

HR Planning Constraints
Organizational – Strength of the project will determine strength of the project manager
Collective Bargaining Pacts – Can have their effect
AT&T & Seminole County Schools examples
Economic Conditons
At Convergys, lack of sufficient Travel Budget hampered our efforts in India tremendously

HR Planning Assets
As PM matures, lessons learned should make planning easier
Templates such as org charts, processes such as escalation procedures or conflict management approaches
Checklists such as sequenced training programs, reward ideas, common project roles & responsibilities, etc

HR Planning Tools & Techniques
Org Charts & Position Descriptions
Everyone should be clear regarding who is responsible for what
Organizational Breakdown Structure
Shows work by functional department / organizational unit
Resource Breakdown Structure
Shows work by type of resource (useful for project cost accounting)

HR Planning Tools & Techniques (cont)
Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
Shows project work by individual; clarifies roles
Other Text Formats
Position/role descriptions, etc
Networking
Never underestimate this
My adjunct assignments since leaving Convergys have happened due in large part to networking

The primary HR Planning output is the Staffing Management Plan
Updated continually during the project to direct team acquisition & development
Includes sections for staff acquisition, timetable, release criteria, training needs, recognition & rewards, compliance (legal, union contracts, etc) and safety
Resource histogram often produced showing resource requirements over the life of the project

Acquire Project Team is “the process of obtaining the human resources needed to complete the project”
Author comment dead on – if the PM is the smartest team member, the PM has failed in recruiting
If team members aren’t pre-assigned, this may require
Negotiation skill (influence)
The use of Virtual Teams (which in turn will require more focus on Communications)
Resolving individual schedule conflicts

Acquire Project Team uses two primary techniques to accomplish his/her objective of achieving project success without increasing time or cost
Resource Loading, or allocating resources to the schedule over specific time periods
Resource Leveling, or minimizing period-to-period variations in resource loading via shifting tasks on the calendar using critical path analysis (specifically, float/slack analysis)
Word of caution: Automated Leveling using PM software often (usually) pushes out completion date

Develop Project Team is about assuring project performance by improving the members’ competencies & interactions
These activities yield the greatest benefit when done early in the project life cycle, but should not be ignored during the remainder of that cycle
Important for PM to recognize and respect the group formation cycle
Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning

Develop Project Team Tools:
General Management Skills (soft skills)
Training
Formal / On-the-Job
Just-in-Time concept important here
Delivery methodology should be matched to specific need
Team-Building
Myers-Briggs, DiSC, Wilson instruments
Ground Rule Setting
Co-Location (if possible)
Recognition & Reward Systems
Should be team-based to some extent

A few words about Reward & Recognition Systems
Purpose is to incentive team to perform in a way that progresses the objectives of the project
Should focus on controllable activities and results to be effective
Should never be win-lose / limited in reach
Should consider cultural differences, especially on international projects
Focus on individual performance and mutual accountability

Manage Project Team “involves tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues and coordinating changes to enhance project performance”
Deals with the dual-reporting relationships inherent in matrix project structures

Power is the ability to get people to do things they would otherwise not do
Let’s look at the types of power that can be used by the project manager in driving a project team:
Legitimate (formal position)
Coercive (based on fear)
Reward (positive reinforcement based)
Expert (the best, but takes time to develop)
Referent (based on personal charisma, or reference to another)

Thamain and Wilemon’s Influence & Power Bases
Authority (not good choice)
Assignment (future assignment influence)
Budget
Promotion
Money (not good choice)
Penalty (not good choice)
Work Challenge (one of top two choices)
Expertise (one of top two choices)
Friendship
PMs often do not have direct control over project staff, so must use influence carefully

One commonly used Manage Project Team Tool is Conflict Management
Project team members should be encouraged to resolve their own conflicts, but the PM is responsible if those conflicts escalate
The primary output is Lessons Learned, to lessen the pain for future projects

Conflict Management Methods
Problem Solving/Confrontation (usually best)
Compromising
Smoothing (de-emphasizing differences)
Withdrawal (delaying tactic)
Forcing (win-lose – last resort)
Choice of method should be situational

We’re going to do a quick spin through some of the Motivational Theory
Because project managers and team members need to know about this stuff to keep the project team members focused on the project objectives
If author’s GDP/Hour worked stats are correct, the US has lost its productivity edge – only working smarter versus harder/longer will get that edge back

Motivational Theories
Intrinsic (personal enjoyment) versus Extrinsic (reward or penalty based)
Intrinsic longer-lasting
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Physiological
Safety / Security
Social
Self-Respect / Self-Esteem
Self-Fulfillment / Self-Actualization
Can anyone explain how the hierarchy works?

Herzberg
Motivators are factors that cause job satisfaction
Actualization, personal achievement and recognition
Responsibility, advancement and growth
Hygiene factors are factors that cause job dissatisfaction
Necessary to avoid dissatisfaction
Higher pay, better benefits, etc

McClelland
Acquired needs of Achievement, Affiliation and Power learned over time via life experiences
Need for achievement is desire to seek attainable but challenging goals and feedback on performance
Need for affiliation is desire to be part of a group with friendly relationships and to have roles that involve human interaction
Need for power is desire to make an impact and to be viewed as influential and effective

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
Theory X (classical systems theory) – Managers must use coercion, threats, etc, because workers want security above all else and are inherently lazy (top-down view of managing)
Theory Y (human relations theory) – Workers self-motivated, should be given environment to achieve goals through self-direction
Ouchi’s Theory Z
Describes how workers perceive management
Based on Japanese approach to motivating workers
Emphasizes trust, quality, collective decision making and cultural values

Motivational Theories – Expectancy Theory
People will be motivated when
They believe that their efforts will lead to a successful outcome which is valued, and
They believe they will be rewarded for that successful outcome

Motivational Theories – Blake Mouton Managerial Grid
Managers are generally motivated by a concern for people or for production
These concerns both run on a spectrum from 1 to 9, and via an instrument, managers can be placed on a grid

Motivational Theories – Blake Mouton Managerial Grid examples
The (1,1) manager is invisible
The (1,9) manager is very much focused on people, and very little on results
The (9,1) manager is very much focused on results, and very little on people
The (9,9) manager is very focused on both people and results
See where this information could help a project manager working with managers?

Motivational Theories – Covey and Improving Effectiveness (7 Habits)
Be Proactive
Begin with the End in Mind
Put First Things First
Think Win/Win
Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood (Empathic Listening – separates good PMs from average ones!)
Synergize
Sharpen the Saw
Projects operate within an organizational context – challenge is to apply these theories and tools to the many unique teams & individuals you encounter!

Some tips on managing project teams from your author:
Manage by Walking Around (feel the pulse)
Do project performance appraisals (at least contribute)
Understand/Proactively Apply conflict mgmt strategies
Acknowledge important issues and take action
Focus on the problem, not the person
Establish regular, effective meetings
Allow time for the team-building stages
Plan for social activities
Stress team identity
Acknowledge individual & group accomplishments
Take additional relevant actions for virtual teams

Some closing tips on project leadership, from someone who has been there:
Share the credit, take the blame – if the project succeeds, there will be plenty of glory to go around; if not, you will be respected for having stood up and taken responsibility
Be even-handed in your approach – you can’t be effective in a leadership role if you play favorites
You can’t please everyone, so you have to please yourself (Rick Nelson quote) – the PM position, by definition, requires tough decisions that will not make everyone happy; set a course and be consistent in following it
Take risks and don’t be afraid to make decisions – that’s what a PM is paid to do, and you can’t be respected as one unless you step up to the whole job
Be a role model, and live the project’s commitments – nobody will follow someone who isn’t willing to work as hard as they are asking others to work; show you’re willing to make the same time sacrifice, and they will follow you to some pretty strange places

A very smart man I knew was fond of the quote “If you believe you can, you will; if you believe you can’t, you won’t”
There’s a lot of truth in that statement – I’ve seen many tough projects succeed and many easier one fail, all because of the project culture
And the culture begins with the PM

Hr Management

by asim78 on Aug 03, 2009

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