Lessons in Project Management - 2 - Engaging People and Starting Communication

International Project Management

Prof. Dr. Frank Habermann

Lecture 2 –
Engaging People & Starting Communication

Content

 What expertise is needed within a project team?
 Who are the stakeholders of your project?
 How to engage the right people?
 Understanding divers professional perspectives
 Understanding organisational change as a process
 Developing a communication plan
 Brief thoughts about intercultural communication

© Becota GmbH | www.becota.com | 2010

Project Management
more than other things means

managing

people
© Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

What expertise is needed within a project?

PROJECT
EXPERTISE

Source: inspired by The PMBOK Guide, p. 13 © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010


Planning & organizing
Accounting & controlling
Procurement & contracting
General management methods
PM standards, guidelines & methods

Management
skills
PROJECT
EXPERTISE



PROJECT
EXPERTISE
Leadership
and social skills

Developing vision
Effective communication
Motivating people
Solving conflicts
Building trust
Assertiveness



Expert skills re

- technology
- products
- business functions
- industries
Domain-specific - regions
expert skills
PROJECT
EXPERTISE



PROJECT
EXPERTISE
Environmental Knowledge re the
knowledge
- cultural
- political
- economical
- organizational
- technical

environment



Management Domain-specific
skills expert skills
PROJECT
EXPERTISE
Leadership Environmental
and social skills knowledge


What expertise does a project manager need?

Management Domain-specific
skills PROJECT expert skills
MANAGER
Leadership PROFILE Environmental
and social skills knowledge


who are the

stakeholders ?
of your project


 Everybody who contributes to the project
 Everybody whose expertise is needed
 Everybody whose decisions are needed
 Everyody whose money or other resources are nedded
 Everybody who is interested in the outcomes
 Everybody wo is affected by the project
 Everybody who could endager the success of the project
 Everybody who sets constraints (laws, regulations, etc.)

Who is a project stakeholder?

Source: inspired by The PMBOK Guide, p. 25 © Becota GmbH | www.becota.com | 2010

Understanding stakeholder roles and responsibilities

Project Management
Team

Project Team

The Project
Project Stakeholders



Project
manager

Project Management
Team

Project Team

The Project



Project
sponsor

Project
manager

Project Management
Team

Project Team

The Project



Project
sponsor

Project
manager

Project Management
Team
Line Expert
Managers Resources
Project Team

The Project



Project
sponsor

customers Project Suppliers
manager

Project Management
Team
Line Expert
Managers Resources
Project Team

The Project



Project
sponsor

customers Project Suppliers
manager

Project Management
Team
Line Expert
Managers Resources
Authorities, Project Team
etc.
Banks,
etc. The Project


Each project got a certain environment

Sponsors and
Promotors
(positive stakeholders)

THE PROJECT
SUPPLIERS CUSTOMERS
TEAM

Sceptics and
Opponents
(negative stakeholders)

Each project got internal as well as external stakeholders

Picture Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stakeholder_(corporate) © Becota GmbH | www.becota.com | 2010

and how to

get
the right

people ?


Most important:
assign a project manager who knows what he is doing

Picture source: http://desenchufados.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/homer-en-la-nuclear.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

a person who is not occupied…

http://www.theofel.de/archives/2005-08-12-
information-overload-oder-sofa-overload.jpg

Picture source: http://jerryfahrni.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/info_overload.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

… who knows how to involve the right people

Picture source: http://bernetblog.ch/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/team.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

Be aware of the fact that
the org chart does not display real business life

Picture source: www.azdot.gov/Org_Charts/ITD/ © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

Involving the right people needs
understanding the complexity of your enterprise

Picture Source: radio-weblogs.com/0114726/ © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

How to involve the right people?

• The org chart may be a starting point
• But look for expertise beyond titles and positions
• Discover collaborative networks within your firm
• Identify cross-organizational interrelations
• Explore informal relationships as well as
communities of interest and competence
• Find bridges between languages and cultures,
hidden champions, multipliers, etc.


Another important lesson:
for expertise, always ask the right persons …

Picture source: http://advocatesstudio.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/nerd.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

… guys who really share your goals and interests …

Hi, my name is Sly!
I am the Sales
Director of Augur. Our
software will solve all
your problems!

Picture source: http://www.horizont.net/kreation/pics/2175-org.jpg (SPD)

… otherwise you might find yourself
on inhospitable terrain

Picture source: http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/27000/Misplaced-Penguin--27015.jpg

managing people

means coping with

various

perspectives!

Depending on your standpoint
your enterprise looks pretty much different

top view

bottom view


Depending on your standpoint
your enterprise looks pretty much different

top view south view east view

bottom view north view west view


… this also applies to your professional perspective

SALES view HR view ICT view

…




…

cares for cares for cares for
corporate customers corporate staff corporate technology




…

strategic view tactical view operational view


… as well as to your regional market and cultural view

UK view USA view Indian view

Chinese German Russian
view view view

… which makes things pretty complex

subject matter
perspective (m)
Perspectives
to be integrated :

m*h*r

hierarchical
perspective (h)

regional
perspective (r)


Remember system theory: changing one part of the
system can become a very complex thing

business

project

Big questions:
• How can we assure to
properly address all
relevant views?
• How to cope with all the
Who is affected? „natural“ conflicts?
For example people from • How can we find a common
- 4 business lines understanding/picture?
- on tactical and operational level
- at 5 business locations
Makes 40 professional perspectives
on the same thing!

managing projects

needs communicating

Change and related

expectations!


 Projects are
implying change!
 Change implies
all kinds of expectations Project
Value
 Good ones and bad ones (Investment)

 Change management is
effectively managing the
impacts of an investment Change
and thus ensuring its
intended values

What is change management?


 Managing change is about people‘s commitment,
"The most effective behaviour, dedication, discipline and motivation
investment is the investment
in people's commitment.  Change management is about developing people‘s
Nothing saves more money – willingness to collaborate and to follow common goals
nothing gets more powerful  Thus – since each corporate system is made by people –
results." change management is all about performance

Change management is
investing in commitment


"Change management is the
effective orchestration of „Hard Ss“
human-based factors so that
people of all hierarchy levels
act in concert to implement
the intended changes in an
enterpprise‘s strategy, „Soft Ss“
structures, and systems."

Source: McKinsey 7-S model

Change management is addressing the
„soft Ss“ within an enterprise


At the beginning of a project each Move forward
person is in an individual state
 Some may be confused
 Some may be sad, that they will
be loosing something
 Some may have fear of what will
happen to them
 Some may be excited that Say goodbye
something is going on
 Some may be hopeful and
relieved that things are changing
 And some may have a little
of each feeling
Get ready

Transformation is a process …


Engaging people for a project needs understanding
your colleagues‘ professional (and personal) positions


At the beginning of a project, Mobilsing techniques
people may need to say
goodbye to…
 their routines and their
comfort zone Command: just tell people to move
Destabilize: destroy comfort zones
 old habits, working status and Restructure: Create a new frame of working
current behaviour
Evidence: cold, hard data is difficult to ignore
 outdated skills and Set goals: give formal objectives / incentives
competencies
Engage: involve people and listen to them
 former technology, tools Educate: learn people to change
and systems Challenge: inspire to achieve remarkable things
 established working Symbolize: create metaphors for new values
relationships Envision: a shared vision is the greatest driver
Source: Lewin

How to "unfreeze" people


develop a

communication
plan


Golden rule:
start communicating your project in early phases …

Picture source: http://davidcoethica.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/boy20shouting.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

… and thus timely manage expectations!

Picture source: http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/commons/123fleursjack.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

Develop a communication strategy:
Position your stakeholders (1/3)

Picture Source: Sony
Picture Source: www.marcbowles.com/courses © Becota GmbH | www.becota.com | 2010


Keep satisfied Manage closely
(medium effort) (maximum effort)

Monitor Keep informed
(minimum effort) (low effort)


Requirements analysis,
Ownership/
In order to get ready for project- Engagement
F2F conversations,
workshops, coaching, etc
related change people must see
the link between...

Level of change
Focus groups,
Acceptance/
suggestions schemes,
Alignment consultative presentations

the information they receive Understanding
Booklets,
plenary sessions,
(and Action) speeches, videos,
the work they are doing web & intranet

Newsletters,
their indidual environment Awareness e-mails, memos,
letters, notices
the strategy and needs
of the enterprise
Tell Sell Consult Join
Source: Piers Schreiber Level of involvement

Choosing the right media and communication



SELL & CONSULT CONSULT & JOIN
Keep satisfied Manage closely
(medium effort) (maximum effort)

TELL TELL & SELL
Monitor Keep informed
(minimum effort) (low effort)


Types of project communication

Picture source: www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/1680140310001.png © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010


Project
reporting

Picture inspired by www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/1680140310001.png © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

Project reporting (remember last lecture)

INITIATE RUN COMPLETE

Kick-off Closure
meeting meeting

Project Closure
Charter Report
Project Status Status
Plan meeting meeting

Progress Progress
Report Report



COMMUNICATION PLAN

Picture inspired by: www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/1680140310001.png © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

Example communication plan

Source: Verzuh, E., The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, p. 74 © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

Another example communication plan

Picture source: www.celeroo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/communications-plan.gif © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

International communication bears
expected as well as unexpected challenges

US businessman and friend

Picture source: www3.babson.edu/images © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

Even if we mean the same …

Raider!

Twix!

Picture inspired by; www.karriere.de/mediadatabase/mobbing_streit.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

… in projects there is much room for misunderstanding

Picture source: http://jarodrosello.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/
With very special thanks to Malte Beinhauer! © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

The problems of intercultural communication

no words
one word, multiple meanings
multiple words, same meaning
unspoken words
different goals and priorities
different styles and habits
unaware of differences
problems to meet f2f
etc.

Picture inspired by; www.karriere.de/mediadatabase/mobbing_streit.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010

The challenges of intercultural communication



nationality education

profession ethnicity age group

Hierarchical
gender
position

belief, belief,
behavior behavior
knowledge knowledge

Picture inspired by www.filderfunkost.org/lk_bayreuth/pix/interdiscourse.jpg © Becota | www.becota.org | 2010
© Becota


nationality education nationality education

profession ethnicity age group profession ethnicity age group

Hierarchical Hierarchical
gender gender
position position

belief, belief,
behavior behavior
knowledge knowledge



nationality education nationality education

profession ethnicity age group profession ethnicity age group

Hierarchical Hierarchical
gender gender
position position

belief, belief,
behavior behavior
knowledge knowledge
language

TRANSLATION

meaning


Thank you very much!

presentation by

Frank Habermann
founder of Becota and Professor of Business

http://de.linkedin.com/in/frankhabermann/en

If you enjoyed this presentation,
please let us know!

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Berlin Consulting Forum

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-> visit our corporate website at http://www.becota.com

Lessons in Project Management - 2 - Engaging People and Starting Communication

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