Overcoming Common Project Issues – Part 2
Posted by Brad Egeland
No matter how well you plan and no matter how organized you are, there are still some common problems that can rear their ugly heads and try to derail your projects. Sometimes, no amount of lessons learned sessions will get you past these issues, so we need to examine them further and discuss ways to eliminate them or at least minimize their affects.
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we discussed the first five of ten problems commonly experienced on projects. In Part 2 we’ll dive further into these issues as we examine problems six through ten.
#6 – Communication with top management while the project is underway is not effective
How do you handle the problem of poor communication with top management? Even when you make the effort to keep the lines of communication open, management may simply fail to keep you up-to-date on priorities.
Your solution: You cannot force top management to improve their communication skills, but you can do your best to present status reports, ask for continuing definition, and convey information to the top—even if your only avenue is the interoffice memo. If you can’t even get an executive to take time for a brief meeting, chances are your communication link will suffer. You may find that management does not respond to your requests or suggestions, fails to confirm project goals, and offers little support; but when the project is completed, you are told that “this is not what we wanted.”
In most cases, management wants to support you, and will try to maintain morale. So even though the problems seem formidable, if you make an effort to communicate, they can usually be resolved – even if you have to train top management in the development of communication skills!
#7 – The schedule is difficult to control
Coordinating the many ongoing efforts of your team members and successfully completing many different phases within the same limited time period may be a struggle. If so, examine the method you are using to develop and control your schedule. You may have to invest more time in developing a detailed network diagram and showing team members how to use it as a control document. Most instances of scheduling control problems are created by a lack of preparation in creating the schedule itself.
Your solution: Revise your methods.
#8 – Deadlines are not being met, and projects are completed late
You may have an excellent process for schedule control, and team members are working well together. But in spite of that, you simply don’t meet phase deadlines, and projects aren’t completed on time.
Your solution: Allow more time, or increase the size of your team. Your schedule is not realistic, and phases cannot be executed at the pace built into it. You may have been forced to accelerate your schedule because management imposed an early deadline. When you first organize your schedule, the realistic completion time will be dictated by the scope of the job. If the final deadline is unrealistic, convey this fact to management, explain why there is a problem, and ask for a later deadline or a larger project team.
Getting to the Actual Project
Posted by Brad Egeland
The real need? Does the customer know it? Do you know it from the initial information given to you? Let’s look at the following project scenario….
Dave walked briskly over to Bill’s cubicle. “Bill, I just got a call from Amy. She’s got a problem and needs our help. I’d like you to go over there right away and get the details. Figure out what she needs and take care of her.”
Bill was pleased to be assigned to one of his organization’s most valued clients. By the next afternoon, he was sitting in Amy’s office, carefully reviewing the documents she’d prepared.
“Bill, we need the capability of screening all of our incoming components before they come into the assembly line,” said Amy. “You’re free to do this any way you’d like; just make sure that they fall within these guidelines.” She handed Bill some design documents and a list entitled Incoming Material Screening Requirements.
Bill was happy that Amy had given him free rein in determining the solution to her problem. He studied the project requirements and formed a project team. Then, he and his team developed and installed the hardware and software necessary to check all incoming components for compliance with the screening requirements. It was truly a thing of beauty. Bill was proud of the job he and his team had done.
Less than a week later, Dave called Bill into his office. “Bill, Amy just called me,” he said. “They’re still having the same problem as before— too many rejects coming off the end of their assembly line. What happened?”
Suddenly Bill realized what had happened. He had just discovered Amy’s true need—the hard way.
(The above project scenario comes from Gary Heerkens’ book entitled, “Project Management.”)
I really like the example above. It’s simple, straightforward, gives you the impression that the problem has been solved through the project work and then BAM! … you realize that nothing has changed and you’re smacked upside the head with management questioning you wondering what you actually did on the project.
Effectively Dealing with Conflict on Projects – Part 2
Posted by Brad Egeland
In Part 1 of this series we looked at the first five of ten ways to calmly and constructively work on dealing with conflict within your projects. How the project manager proceeds with conflict resolution can have a huge effect on the project and the team members involved and possibly on the overall outcome of the project. And let’s not forget the customer satisfaction component – especially if the customer is observing or involved in the conflict.
In this Part 2, we’ll examine ways six through ten of dealing with project conflicts….
6. The project manager keeps everyone focused on the cause of the conflict. He avoids the tendency to blame someone or to rationalize it away. Staying focused on what caused the conflict can be the best course toward actually resolving it. Straying from that can lead to the ‘blame game’ which we all know is not a product road to take.
7. The project manager keeps the big picture in focus. He asks himself what the best way is to resolve the conflict so as to achieve the project goal. Always be thinking in terms of the overall project goal. When you do that and allow that thought process to guide your actions, then you’re more likely to resolve project conflicts in ways that are not detrimental to the project and its forward momentum – assuming it has one.
8. The project manager sets a plan for resolving the conflict. He also remains objective. Planning is critical in all project management actions. And that applies to conflict resolution as well. Jumping in without proper planning could land you on one side or the other in the conflict or leave you less than objective in your actions. That is not a place you want to be as the project manager.
Effectively Dealing with Conflict on Projects – Part 1
Posted by Brad Egeland
I’ve written about this one before but bears discussing again. Why? Because conflict on the project is inevitable. It’s as inevitable as project risk, project budget issues, death, and taxes. If the project manager has to deal with conflict, then it makes sense to do so as logically, graciously, and constructively as possible. After all, remember that it’s real people you’re dealing with even if you sometimes have trouble keeping them focused on the end goal and not on issues with each other or the assignments you’ve tasked them with.
Let’s look at a few ways that the project manager can calmly and constructively work to deal with conflict on the project:
1. The project manager diffuses the charged emotion within himself. This is basically the classic ‘count to ten’ process we try to teach our kids and ourselves. Before reacting, take a deep breath and count to ten. You’re less likely to kill someone that way and less like to do something that could permanently taint your career. Remember the old “if you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all?” Well, that’s not really what I’m talking about here …. it’s more like “don’t say anything out loud that you wouldn’t say out loud after counting to ten first.”
2. The project manager diffuses the charged emotions in other people. This is kind of like separating fighters and telling them to go back to their corner. Calm the parties down that are having a conflict and basically have them count to ten. Probably figuratively speaking. Tell them to go to lunch, come back, and we’ll figure out how to settle the disagreement. Lunch always helps. And sometimes food – or lack thereof – is part of the problem. You’ve seen the recent Snickers commercial with Betty White, right?
3. The project manager identifies the facts of the situation to determine the cause of the conflict. He avoids comments that can be viewed as taking sides or being accusational. The last thing the project manager needs to be doing is taking obvious sides in disagreements among project team members or with the customer. Remaining impartial and appearing to be the mediator or even facilitator, if necessary, is key. I’ve said that the project manager needs to be a good negotiator. Look for ways to offer give and take opportunities. Look for ways to make this turn out to be in everyone’s favor. It’s not easy, but if you look hard enough, you’ll likely find it.
Twelve Characteristics of Ineffective Teams – Part 2
Posted by Brad Egeland
In the finale of this two-part series well examine the final six team characteristics that I believe indicate that a team is performing ineffectively. My hope is that we can all gain insight from this list and work to correction these situations if we see them in our own teams. And please feel free to comment and share your own thoughts on ineffective team behavior or characteristics.
Conformity and mind protection. Insecurity permeates people for fear of being different or ostracized. People do not speak or share information unless it reinforces behavior or thoughts. If openness and creativity is not cultivated on the team, then productivity may be sacrificed in the long run.
Low tolerance for diversity. The pressure to conform is so intense that anyone different in thinking or work style is ostracized or not taken seriously. Whistle-blowers and creative types, for instance, may be viewed with suspicion. Under such circumstances no opportunity is available to capitalize on people’s strengths and address their weaknesses.
Insufficient resources. Whether it’s people, equipment, supplies, facilities, time, or money, insufficient resources make teams ineffective. The situation can also lead to conflicts, dissention, even revolts. If resources are not distributed in an objective, meaningful manner, then differences can magnify into severe conflicts. Members of the team can quickly become polarized.
Lack of management support. If team members perceive—whether justifiably or not—that management is not supportive of the project, then motivation can plummet. People will feel that the work is not valuable to the organization. When this happens, it may take an act of God – or at least executive management – to right the ship.
