Managing Virtual Project Teams

John ClarkMBA, PhD, CSci, CEng, FInstPFine R and D Ltd

Outline

Why do projects need to be managed?To achieve objectivesCTQ constraintVirtual teams – challengesUncertaintyDisagreement resolution

CTQ constraintCost

Very Often FixedTime

Very Often FixedIf Not, Scope to ‘Slide’ is Limited

QualityNot guaranteedWill not happen by itselfAll stakeholders need a quality outcomeImplies some need to set goals to measure againstNot trivial when there is uncertainty

Virtual teams – challenges

Team issuesLocation issuesDiffering expertise issuesCulture issues, e.g. cross-border

Shared Goals?

Contributing to overall goalsDivision of tasksRegular contributionsExplanations for periods of inactivityWillingness to re-assess pre-conceived assumptionsDebate & CompromiseGuidance from a leader/coordinatorRequires at least some planning & co-ordination

Shared Goals?

Shared Set of Professional toolsCross-cultural sensitivity; appreciation of other approachesAre we coming from the same place as each other?

Have we checked?Creative people are not always good at seeing each others’ virtues

Communication technology

Reliable Communication TechnologyPeople won’t use it if it is unreliable or unfriendly

Do have contingency planning

TeamsHaving an agreed common goal is absolutely critical

The alternative is conflictForm, Storm, Norm, Perform

Teams do not gel by fiat‘Hawthorne’ Effects

Discussed below‘Group Think’

Discussed belowBelbin Balance

People have preferred team roles Balance of preferred roles more important than ability

‘Hawthorne’ EffectsAptitude is a poor predictor of job performance because of social effectsA workplace is a social system with spontaneous informal organisationGroups set norms and reject both over and under performerswww.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/history/hawthorne.html

Group Think‘People behave differently in groups

Well documentedGet fewer rude surprises with a little understanding

http://www.cedu.niu.edu/~fulmer/groupthink.htm

Belbin RolesPlant Resource Investigator Monitor Evaluator Coordinator Shaper Implementer Completer-finisher Team WorkerSpecialist http://www.belbin.com

Other types to watchBasil Fawlty / Manuel

IncompetentDad’s Army

Naysayer (Fraser: “We’re doomed”)Own Agenda (Walker, the spiv)Always Bottles Out (Godfrey)Little Hitler (Hodges the Air Raid Warden)

Open All HoursArkwright (Mean, Dishonest, Loser)Granville (Lazy)Nurse Gladys Emmanuel (Says She Will, But Never Does)

Bal and TeoReview five books on virtual teams

[i] Bal, J. and Teo, P. K., 2000, Implementing Virtual teamwork, Part 1: a Literature Review of Best Practice, Logistics Information Management, 13, 6, 346-352.[ii] Bal, J. and Teo, P. K., 2000, Implementing Virtual teamwork, Part 1: a Literature Review of Best Practice, Logistics Information Management, 13, 6, 346-352.

[iii] Lipnack, J. and Stamps, J., 1997, Virtual Teams: Reaching Across Space, Time and Organisations with Technology, New York: Wiley.[iv] Henry, J. E. and Hartzler, M., 1998, Tools for Virtual Teams, Milwaukee: ASQ Quality Press.[v] Haywood, M., 1998, Managing Virtual Teams: Practical Techniques for High Technology Project Managers, Boston: Artech House.[vi] Duarte, D. L. and Snyder, N. T., 1999, Mastering Virtual Teams, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.[vii] Fisher, K and Fisher, M. D., 1997, The Distributed Mind, New York: AMACOM.

UncertaintyObeng, E., "All Change: Project Manager's Secret Handbook“,Financial Times Management, 1996

Paint-By-Numbers

Make-a-Movie

Quest

Pro

cess

Unc

erta

inty

FoggyProject

Outcome Uncertainty

Examples

Build a Housing EstateOutcome knownProcess known

Dynamic HolographicAssembler

Most techniques knownStarting idea (‘script’) critical

Don’t yet know how good

Manhattan ProjectKnew desired outcome

Didn’t know how

text text

text

Pro

cess

Unc

erta

inty

Quantum TheoryDevelopment

Changed scientifc methodUnknown outcome

text

Outcome Uncertainty

Sales Campaign

Product is analogue of movie script

Process known

Customers unknown

Handling UncertaintyObeng, Op. Cit.

Keeping Stakeholders happyPlanning

Leading PeopleOpenness to Novelty

Keeping Stakeholders HappyOpenness to Novelty

Leading PeoplePlanning

Leading PeoplePlanning

Keeping Stakeholders HappyOpenness to Novelty

text text

text

Pro

cess

Unc

erta

inty

Openness to NoveltyLeading People

Keeping Stakeholders HappyPlanning

text

Outcome Uncertainty

Keeping Stakeholders happy

Openness to Novelty

Leading People

Planning

Conflict & NegotiationThamhain, H. J and Wilemon , D. L. “Conflict Management in Project Life Cycles” Sloan Management Review, Spring, 1975, pp31-50

Sources of conflict in projectsSchedulesPrioritiesLabourTechnical issuesProceduresCostPersonality

Conflict over Life CycleThamhain, H. J and Wilemon , D. L. “Conflict Management in Project Life Cycles” Sloan Management Review, Spring, 1975, pp31-50

Equally important at startSchedules & priorities early in projectSchedules & technical issues in main phase; personality now fadesTowards end, schedules dominate & personality increases in importance

Conflict Resolution

Thomas, K. W. and Kilmann, R. H., 1974,

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument,

Tuxedo, NY, Xicom

Conflict & Negotiation

10% Technique, 90% Common Sense

But technique can prevent much of grief

The End

http://www.finerandd.com