Learning Solutions for Increased Project Performance

Welcome to Our May 2012 Issue

Included in this issue:

• Are You Happy in Your Work? (Should You Be?)
• Project Management Q&A
• Planning for Error
• What Makes a Leader?
• Restating Problems Can Help Solve Them
• The Importance of Up-Front Analysis
• Project Management Tips and Tricks

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pmPractitioner is published as a service to the project management community. Each issue provides practical project management solutions and tips adapted from a variety of business publications and resources.

Are You Happy in Your Work? (Should You Be?)

Do you need to be happy in your work life to be an effective project manager? Think back over jobs you’ve held in the past. Have you ever worked with a manager who seemed optimistic most of the time?  Were there benefits to that kind of attitude? Some people may feel that it makes no difference one way or another, as long as the work gets done. However, a happy outlook permeates through a team in ways that may not be obvious.

Very often, a team with an optimistic leader will have:

• A greater sense of purpose and meaning
• A prevalent feeling of pride and accomplishment
• A shared community with strong and vital relationships
• Increased productivity
• Greater cooperation and welcoming of divergent viewpoints
• Increased innovation and creativity

If you don’t think of yourself as an optimist, never fear. Happiness can be achieved through “training of the mind.” People who learn to control their inner experience are more able to determine the quality of their lives (find happiness on their own terms).

How can you begin this process?

• Find meaning in life and work (your own motivation and source of energy) and be clear about what is important to you (stay focused).
• Help others find their purpose at work (via development planning and coaching that discuss interests, skills, support and opportunities).
• Clarify your goals and expectations (organizational/individual).
• Learn (and help others learn) how to make deliberate choices to respond positively to situations and events instead of reacting in negative ways.
• Challenge negative mental states and cynicism using the tools of resiliency, hope and optimism.

Adapted from The Resilient Manager, Action for Results, Inc.

May Project Management Q&A

Test your project management knowledge with these questions or use them as an exercise to help prepare for your PMP certification exam.

1. If your team consists of 10 people, how many communication channels do you have overall?

2. The document that advises you on how the scope will be handled is called the:

Answers appear at the end of the newsletter.

Planning for Error

The most common error in project planning is to assume that there will be no errors – in effect, creating a schedule derived on the basis of “if nothing goes wrong, this will take ...”  Of course, an error-free project will never happen.

Recognizing this fact is the reason for implementing a monitoring strategy on the project. Thus, when mistakes do occur, you can react and adapt the plan to compensate.
By carefully considering errors in advance you can also make changes to the original plan to enhance its tolerance. Stand back from your project design and ask: “what can go wrong?” Be sure to include your team: it’s an excellent way of asking them for their analysis of your plan.

Try to predict where the errors will occur. Examine the activities’ list to pinpoint some activities which are risky (i.e., those involving new equipment) and those which are quite secure (i.e., those your team has done often before). The risky areas might then be given a less stringent time-scale – actually planning-in time for the mistakes. Another possibility is to apply a different strategy, or more resources, to such activities to minimize the disruption.

Planning for errors won’t necessarily insure against them but, at the very least, you can be prepared and know how to react in a manner that will have minimal impact on your project timeline.

Adapted from Planning a Project, Gerard M. Blair, Department of Electrical Engineering, The University of Edinburgh.

What Makes a Leader?

To be an outstanding project manager, you not only have to know the whats, whys and hows of project management, you also need to develop the right leadership characteristics. Don’t know what those are? According to John C. Maxwell, an authority on the subject, there are specific qualities that mark a great leader – 21, in fact.

Here are just a few:

Commitment: It separates doers from dreamers. Saying you’re committed is different from being committed.

Communication: Being an effective communicator is essential as both a leader and project manager.

Competence: Show up every day and come ready to work. Keep learning, growing and improving.

Focus: The sharper it is, the sharper you are. Learn how to focus your time and energy effectively.

Listening: A good leader encourages followers to tell him what he needs to know, not what he wants to hear.

Positive Attitude: If you believe you can, you can. Remember that your attitude is reflected by the people who surround you.

You can find the full list of indispensable leadership qualities here.

Adapted from The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow, John C. Maxwell

Restating Problems Can Help Solve Them

How we define a problem usually determines how we analyze it – and that consequently determines how we find a quality solution for it.

There are four common pitfalls in defining problems:

1.  No focus – the definition is too vague or broad
2.  Focus is misdirected – the definition is too narrow
3.  The problem definition is assumption-driven (if the assumption is invalid, it misdirects the analytic focus)
4.  The problem definition is solution-driven (if the solution is inappropriate, it misdirects the analytic focus)

To work through to an appropriate and sound problem definition, it often helps to use restatement techniques:

Paraphrase: Restate the problem using different words without losing the original meaning.

180 Degrees: Taking the opposite view of the problem may help identify what is causing it. (Instead of “How can we get everyone to turn in their reports?” think “How can we discourage everyone from turning in their reports?”)

Broaden the Focus: Restate the problem in a larger context to generate alternative options. (From “Should I change jobs?” to “How do I achieve job security?”)

Redirect the Focus: Boldly, consciously change the focus. This technique requires the most creativity. (“How can we boost sales?” to “How can we cut costs?”)

Ask Why: Ask “why” of the initial problem statement. Formulate a new problem statement, then ask “why” again. Repeat the process until the essence of the real problem emerges.

Adapted from The Thinker’s Toolkit – 14 Powerful Techniques for Problem Solving, Morgan D. Jones

The Importance of Up-Front Analysis

Up-front analysis is the gathering and breaking down of information about business needs, market needs, performance needs, problems and opportunities to identify whether a “project need” exists. Don’t invest in a project unless there is a clear understanding of what the specific need is, and whether it is even an appropriate response.

A good up-front analysis:

• Links the project to business direction and priorities.
• Establishes the framework for measuring project outcomes.
• Ensures the project addresses real needs that are understood by everyone involved.
• Identifies alternatives and provides critical information used for formulating strategies and recommendations, and for making decisions.
• Confirms management’s willingness to commit resources to support the project.
• Determines if there are other solutions already available within the organization and whether they would provide a more cost-effective/ timely alternative to the proposed project.

From Action for Results, Inc.

Project Management Tips and Tricks

Remember the Training Plan

A good project training plan is important to have. It helps ensure that the right skills and knowledge exist within the project team and within the groups affected by the project. Projects often result in significant changes in the way work gets done within an organization, so training needs of the impacted parties must be considered proactively..

Adapted from The Project Management Reference Guide, Action for Results, Inc.

Learn to Say No

Even though there are times when the only answer is ‘no’, many people feel uncomfortable saying it outright.  They often feel the need to accompany ‘no’ with a long explanation, apology or perhaps even a short debate. When it’s not up for debate, learn to politely say no and move on. Resist adding reasons.

Adapted from Streetwise Time Management, Marshall Cook, Adams Media Corporation

How Do You Sound?

Use voicemail to hear how you sound to others. Many voicemail systems allow you to listen to the message you just left. Take advantage of this option. The more often you listen to yourself, the more opportunity you have to learn how to communicate more clearly.  You’ll soon find out if you’re mumbling, speaking too fast or too slow, or not enunciating.

Adapted from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Team Building, Arthur R. Pell

Silence is Golden

Ever thought about using silence as a way to gain control in a conversation? It works. 
During your next conversation, try waiting a few moments after the other person has stopped talking before you respond.

This does three things:

1.  It complements the other person by showing that you are taking the time to think about their idea(s).
2.  It gives you time to better prepare your response.
3.  It makes the other person take you more seriously.

Adapted from Voice Power, Renee Grant-Williams

Answers to May Q&A

1. The correct answer is ‘c’ (45).

The communication channel formula is a simple one. It is n(n-1)/2 where n represents the number of stakeholders. This gives us a good idea about how exponentially communications can grow as we add people.

PMBOK Fourth Edition, p. 253
Knowledge Area: Communications
Process Area: Planning

2. The correct answer is ‘d’ (Scope management plan).

According to PMI, the scope management plan is subsidiary to the project management plan and describes how the project scope will be managed and controlled.

PMBOK, Fourth Edition, p. 126
Knowledge Area: Scope
Process Area: Monitoring and Controlling