copyright october 2006, z. a. wong all rights reserved human factors in project management zachary...

Copyright October 2006, Z. A. Wong All Rights Reserved

Human Factors in Human Factors in Project ManagementProject Management

Zachary Wong, Ph.D.Zachary Wong, Ph.D.University of California, Berkeley ExtensionUniversity of California, Berkeley Extension

Chevron Energy Technology CompanyChevron Energy Technology [email protected]@chevron.com

August 16, 2007August 16, 2007

PMI San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Dinner Meeting

Copyright October 2006 Z. A. Wong All Rights Reserved

AgendaAgenda What are What are Human FactorsHuman Factors and how do they and how do they

relate to project management?relate to project management?

How can I use How can I use Human FactorsHuman Factors to improve to improve my personal skills– as a individual my personal skills– as a individual performer, as a project manager, or as a performer, as a project manager, or as a team leader?team leader?

7 Ways to Improve Your 7 Ways to Improve Your

Management Skills with Human Management Skills with Human FactorsFactors

Copyright October 2006 Z. A. Wong All Rights ReservedCopyright October 2006 Z. A. Wong All Rights Reserved

What are Human What are Human Factors?Factors?

““Human factors are the underlying elements Human factors are the underlying elements of human behavior that impact organizational of human behavior that impact organizational performance. They are personal values, performance. They are personal values, personality styles, culture, experiences, and personality styles, culture, experiences, and personal emotions that “power” one’s personal emotions that “power” one’s behaviors and relationships with other behaviors and relationships with other people.”people.”

Z. A. Wong, 2005Z. A. Wong, 2005

Personality Style Work Experience Personality Style Work Experience Personality Style Work Experience Personality

Generation Family Race Generation Family Race Generation Family Race Generation Family

Sexual Orientation Nationality Sexual Orientation Nationality Sexual Orientation Nationality Sexual Orientation

Language Beliefs Religion Language Beliefs Religion Language Beliefs Religion Language Beliefs

Occupation Gender Age Occupation Gender Age Occupation Gender Age Occupation Gender Age

Education Achievement Education Achievement Education Achievement Education Achievement Education


Project FailureProject Failure

When projects fail to meet its goals, When projects fail to meet its goals, it’s not because of poor strategies, it’s not because of poor strategies,

processes, or controls – projects fail processes, or controls – projects fail because of poor management of because of poor management of

human behaviors human behaviors


Strategies, Standards, Processes, Business Plan &

ResourcesManagement System

Organizational Space


Project Objectives

& Goals

Team Processes & BehaviorsTeam Dynamics

Team Space

Personal Space

Human Factors

Project Start

#1 Project Success Depends on Management of Three Interactive Spaces


Project: To Lose WeightProject: To Lose Weight

Your Personal Space

OrganizationalSpace

Team Space


Strategies, Standards, Processes, Business Plan & Resources

Management System



#2 Know the Motivators of #2 Know the Motivators of Personal SpacePersonal Space

Project Objectives

& Goals


Team Space

Personal Space

Human Factors

Values Behaviors

Personality TypeExperiences

Culture

Project Start


Judge or Understand Judge or Understand Behaviors?Behaviors?

Behaviors

Personality

CultureExperiences

Values


How do you behave in traffic?

Your feelings about people who arrive late to your meetings?

Human Factors are demonstrated in our Behaviors

Your feelings about people who“put down” others?


#3 Manage FEAR #3 Manage FEAR

Silent Killer of Silent Killer of Good Decision-MakingGood Decision-Making

Fear lurks in all three spaces


X X X X X X

Strong No

WeakNo

XX X

XXXXXX

Fear of the BossDrives you to comply

Fears from Organizational Space

How people really felt What the team decided

No! Yes!


Road to AbileneEach member mistakenly believes that their feelings are contrary to the group's and is fearful to raise disagreement

Fears from Team Space


• Fear of conflict -- avoid confrontation, “don’t rock the boat”

• Fear of rejection -- desire to be accepted

• Fear of failure – avoid making a mistake in front of team

• Fear of embarrassment -- opinion will be ridiculed

• Fear of accountability – don’t want to be blamed for a bad outcome

Team-Based Fears in Decision-Making


X X X X X

Low risk, low benefitalternatives

X X X X X

High risk, high benefitalternatives

Team Decision

Fear Factor: Risk

Fears drive teams to the middle

Road to MediocrityRoad to Mediocrity


Fears from Personal Space

IdealistIdealistWants team harmonyWants team harmony

Fear ofFear of conflictconflict and and personal personal confrontationconfrontation

GuardianGuardianWants to get the job doneWants to get the job done

Fear ofFear of rejectionrejection and and being being devalueddevalued

RationalRationalWants to achieveWants to achieve

Fear ofFear of failurefailure and and looking looking stupidstupid

ArtisanArtisanWants freedom to actWants freedom to act

Fear ofFear of boredomboredom and and being being controlled controlled


Antidote for FearAntidote for Fear

1.1. Be Be transparent transparent – express your thinking and – express your thinking and feelings feelings

2.2. Value Value diversitydiversity – recognize people’s natural – recognize people’s natural fears fears

3.3. Have Have “safe”“safe” team processes – team processes – process process drives drives behaviors behaviors

4.4. Build a Build a positive consequentpositive consequent history for history for smart smart “fearless” behaviors “fearless” behaviors

Manage Fear, Do Not Ignore ItElephant in the Room


Silent Killer of Silent Killer of Team CommunicationsTeam Communications

#4 Do not accept exclusionary behaviors


Apathetic, withdrawn, submissive

Threshold

Impact/Importance

TakeAction

HighLow

Are We Shaping the “Right” Behaviors?Are We Shaping the “Right” Behaviors?

“Sweet” SpotSelf-centered,

dominant,over-competitive

Exclusionary Behaviors: Bullies, Whiners, Control Freaks, Know-It-Alls

“Difficult People”

Passive Aggressive


What’s the Impact of these Human Factors on Projects? On January 28, 1986,

the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight after an O-ring seal in its solid rocket booster failed. NASA’s organizational culture and decision-making processes were key contributing factors to the accident.

On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all 7 crew members aboard. Columbia Accident Board Report:“…safety personnel were present but passive and did not serve as a channel for voicing concerns or dissenting views.”Board member, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. John Barry, "there is still evidence of a silent safety program with echoes of Challenger.“

(1) Organizational and Team Space Pressures

(2) Normalization of Deviance


Antidote for ExclusionAntidote for Exclusion

1.1. Stay in your “sweet spot” -- avoid Stay in your “sweet spot” -- avoid excluding excluding yourself and others – practice, yourself and others – practice, practice, practicepractice, practice

2.2. Foster involvementFoster involvement

3.3. Do not accept exclusionary behaviorsDo not accept exclusionary behaviors

4.4. Watch for behavioral creep, Watch for behavioral creep, “normalization of “normalization of deviance,” in your team culture deviance,” in your team culture


Silent Killer of Silent Killer of PerformancePerformance

#5 Honor Your Personal Space

Fear, exclusion, difficult people, conflict are “space robbers”


Management System

Project Objectives

& Goals


Team Space

Personal Space

Project Start



Positive, productive, open, transparent, inclusive

Impatient, aggressive, exclusive, closed-minded, difficult

Key Drivers:1. Fear 2. Stress3. Exclusion4. Conflicts5. Difficult People6. Mental Baggage7. “Hot Buttons”

(Values)

Respect, Recognition, Relevance

“Raise Your Game”

Respect, Recognition, Relevance“The 3 R’s”

#6 Raise Your Game to Expand Personal Space



Management System

Project Objectives

& Goals

Project Start


Team Space

Expand “Your Space”


Personal Space

#7 Expand Your Personal Space to Achieve Higher Performance

Increase Your Influence on Team and Organizational SpacesIncrease Your Influence on Team and Organizational Spaces


Expand Your SpaceExpand Your Space

1.1. Think outside yourself Think outside yourself – – understand understand how to motivate others how to motivate others

2.2. Build “Build “positive balanced positive balanced accountsaccounts” with ” with others (“personal capital”) others (“personal capital”)

3.3. Be Be visiblevisible4.4. Invite Invite people into your spacepeople into your space

Strategies, Standards, Processes, Work Plan & Resources

Management System

Individual DiversityHuman Factors

Project Objective

s& Goals

Project Start

Team Processes & Behaviors

Team Dynamics

Shared Space

Your Space


SummarySummary

1.1. Three Spaces of Project Management Three Spaces of Project Management

2.2. Motivators of Your Personal Space Motivators of Your Personal Space

3.3. Manage FearManage Fear

4.4. Practice and Foster Inclusive BehaviorsPractice and Foster Inclusive Behaviors

5.5. Honor Your Personal SpaceHonor Your Personal Space

6.6. Raise Your GameRaise Your Game

7.7. Expand Your Personal Space Expand Your Personal Space

To bring out the best in ourselves To bring out the best in ourselves and othersand others

THANKS!

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