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ELC 347 project management

Day 6

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Agenda

• Assignment 2 graded– 5 A’s, 2 B’s and 2 no-submits

• Assignment 3 Posted• Due September 25 @ 3:35

• Quiz 1• October 2• Chapter 1-4• M/C & essay questions

• Integrative Project • September 26 is available for group Work • part 1 >> Due October 2 (one more week)

• Leadership and the Project Manager

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Leadership and the Project Manager

Chapter 4

© 2007 Pearson Education

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Leadership

“The ability to inspire confidence and support among the people who are needed to achieve organizational goals.”

Project management is leadership intensive!

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My favorite leadership quote

“Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of

management says is possible.”

General Colin Powell

For Debate

• Are certain people ”naturally born leaders”?• How can you tell if someone is a leader?• Name a great leader.

– What made them great??

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Leaders Vs. Managers Managers have official titles in an organization

Leaders focus on interpersonal relationships rather than administration

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/articles/manager_leader.htm

Important differences exist between the two on:

•Creation of purpose •Outcomes

•Network development •Focus

•Execution •Time-frame

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4.1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MANAGERS AND LEADERS

Concerns Managers Leaders

Creation of Purpose Focus on plans and budgets;

creates steps, timetables for

achieving results and looks

for resources to support

goals.

Establishes direction; creates

a vision and the strategies

needed to achieve it.

Developing a Network for

Achieving the Agenda

Organizes and staffs; creates

structure for achieving the

plans; delegates

responsibility and authority;

develops procedures to

guide behavior; creates

monitoring systems.

Aligns people with the

target; communicates

direction by word and deed

to those whose cooperation

is needed; creates teams that

understand and share the

project’s vision.

Execution Controls and solves

problems; monitors results

and applies corrective

action.

Motivates and inspires;

energizes people overcome

obstacles and show personal

initiative.

Outcomes Produces a degree of

predictability and order;

seeks to maintain the status

quo.

Produces change; challenges

the status quo.

Focus Efficiency of operations Effectiveness of outcomes

Time-Frame Short-term, avoiding risks,

maintaining and imitating.

Long-term; taking risks,

innovating and originating.

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How the Project Manager Leads

Project managers function as mini-CEOs and manage both “hard” technical details and “soft” people issues.

Project managers:acquire project resourcesmotivate and build teamshave a vision and fight firescommunicate

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Acquiring Resources

Project are under funded for a variety of reasons:vague goals

no sponsor

requirements understated

insufficient funds

distrust between managers

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Communication

It is critical for a project manager to maintain strong contact with all stakeholders

http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/

Project meetings feature task oriented and group maintenance behaviors and serve to:– update all participants– increase understanding & commitment– make decisions– provide visibility

The project meeting

• Used for both tracking and control• It is NOT a status review meeting• The main purpose of this meeting is to solve

problems

Project Meeting Guidelines

• Time Horizon– Only discuss activities that are between the last

project meeting and this one• Invite Only those who must contribute

– This is a “working” meeting• Distribute agenda in advance

– Let everyone prepare and make sure everyone is prepared

– Include an up-to-date time scaled network of the time horizon

Project Meeting Guidelines

• Start and finish exactly on time– 30-45 min

• Keep Meeting focused– No tangents! – Create other meetings for non-agenda items

• Get Updates First – CP activities in order of due date

• Press for Critical Path Solutions– Hottest problems first– Get agreement on solutions and commitment from decision

makers

Project Meeting Guidelines

• Assign Actions items– Action, name, due date– Everyone gets a copy at the end of the meeting

• Document– Assign a scribe– If it isn’t written, it hasn’t been said– Everyone gets a copy ASAP

• Close the meeting– Ask for recommendations, anticipated problems and/or issues– Set the date for the next meeting

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Traits of Effective Project Leaders

A number of studies on effective project leadership reveal these common themes:

Good communication

Flexibility to deal with ambiguity

Work well with project team

Skilled at various influence tactics

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Leading & Time OrientationAlignment

• timeline orientation• future time perspective• time span• poly/monochronic• time conception

Skills• warping• creating future vision• chunking time• predicting• recapturing the past

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What are Project Champions?

Champions are fanatics in the single-minded pursuit of their pet ideas.

Champions can be:–creative originators (owns the idea)–Entrepreneurs (matches idea <> opportunity)–godfathers or sponsors (makes a “pet” from

an idea) –project managers (not always the best choice)

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Champion Roles

Traditional Duties• technical understanding• leadership• coordination & control• obtaining resources• administrative

Nontraditional Duties• cheerleader• visionary• politician• risk taker• ambassador

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Creating Project Champions

Identify and encourage their emergence

Encourage and reward risk takers

Remember the emotional connection

Free champions from traditional management

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The New Project Leadership

Four competencies determine a project leader’s success:

1. Understanding and practicing the power of appreciation1. It all about talent http://www.tompeters.com/

2. Reminding people what’s important3. Generating and sustaining trust

1. Honesty

4. Aligning with the led1. One of you not one of them

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Project Management Professionalism

o Project work is becoming the standard for many organizations

o There is a critical need to upgrade the skills of current project workers

o Project managers and support personnel need dedicated career paths

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Creating Project Managers

Match personalities with project work

Formalize commitment to project work with

training programs

Develop a unique reward system

Identify a distinct career path

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Objectives• Project Managers as Leaders• Motivation methods

– For self– For others

• Artful Influence• Effective Delegations• The 3 A’s

– Accountability– Authority– Autonomy

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Tony’s rules for managers

•Criticize privately. •Praise publicly

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Leadership and Motivation

• "When one treats people with benevolence, justice and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders."      

Sun Tzu “The Art of War”

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Becoming a manager

• If you work at a place long enough you become manager– 50% fail– Being a good employee does not make you a good

manager• Being a “doer” doesn’t make you a manager

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A project managers leadership • Coordinate different functional groups and diverse personalities• Evoke commitment from people who don’t report to the manager• Gain a sense of accomplishment from other’s achievement other

than own• Take initiative in looking ahead of deadlines toward larger company

goals• Become accountable for other’s performance or lack of performance• Develop the skills of employees

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Project managers

• Lead when necessary• Follow when someone knows better• Get of the way of good people who know how to

do their jobs• The goal is successful completion of the

project…not the personal edification of the project manager

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Motivation Methods for Self

• A leader has intensity of vision and a high expectation of success

• When your own motivations wanes, you can borrow from someone else.– Tom Peters – Peter Drucker– Warren Bennis

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Quotes• “The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what

and why.”– Warren Bennis

• “Leaders shouldn't attach moral significance to their ideas: Do that, and you can't compromise.”– Peter Drucker

• “An ability to embrace new ideas, routinely challenge old ones, and live with paradox will be the effective leaders premier trait." – Tom Peters

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Motivation Methods for others

• People can only be productive if they work in an environment that fosters productivity

• 5 steps– Determine task preferences– Communicate Goals– Define role in success– Recognize contributions – Invite solutions

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Artful Influence

• Use influence and not power– Influence

• To have an effect on the condition or development of a project

– Power• Possession of control, authority

– A leader has only the power that others are willing to defer to him/her.

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Techniques of Artful Influence

• Deferring Power– Power you allow others to have from you or which you

grant to others• Employees do not respond to strong arm tactics

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Tony’s rules for managers

• Having to fire an employee is a failure of management…not a failure of the employee– Every time you have to fire someone, you are

admitting that you cannot manage the situation

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Techniques of Artful Influence

• Meeting employees needs– Co-opt– Empowerment– Clear definitions of successes for both the manager and the

employee– A working relationship built on mutual respect– Willingness to accept an employee's input into decisions that

affect the employee

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Techniques of Artful Influence

• Internal motivation• Employees are intrinsically motivated

– The is a basic human motivation to do good things and to want to be recognized for doing good things

• The goal of the managers is to help to employee self-define what is a “good thing”

• Banditos MC motto– “If you can’t be well loved be well hated.”– People desire attentions of one form or another.

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Effective delegation

• Delegation – Handing parts of a project off to a competent team

member• Don’t micro manage!

– It show disrespect to the people ability– People will back away from their responsibility and let

you take it

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Effective delegation rules• Don’t overload the best employees• Prepare people for the tasks you are about to give them• Be sure the employee has the competence, skill and ability to

complete the task• Remind yourself that having too much to do means,,,, you will do

everything badly• Check that the delegation is working

– If necessary shift to someone else• Remember that employees work hard.. Show Respect and gratitude

for the work that you have delegate to them

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The three A’s of leadership

• Accountability• Authority • Autonomy

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Accountability

• Accountability is a responsibility to account for and/or explain actions undertaken

• Never make someone accountable for something that they cannot control.– Accountability without Authority!

• The big question is how to get someone to be accountable for something that is an inherent risk?– Remove blame and reward the attempt

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Authority

• Authority is the power or right to give orders or make decisions

• Self-Authority is taking the lead and moving ahead with projects

• Authority must be bounded and defined to be effective

• At times you must “grow” employees to get them ready to accept authority

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Autonomy

• Autonomy is the desire, ability and authority to make decisions and act in the interest of the project without direct supervision.

• The more autonomy someone has the easier he/she is to manage

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A project manager

• Directs• Guides• Supports • Encourages

• Gen. Colin Powell on leadership