assessment project management in the real world - work book

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorldJenniferRutner,Assessment&MarketingLibrarian,ColumbiaUniversityLibrariesJoannaDiPasquale,WebDeveloper,ColumbiaUniversityLibraries

WORKBOOK

Thisworkbookcontainsactivitiesandresourcesthatsupplementtheinformationinthepresentation.

ACRLNATIONALCONFERENCE–MARCH14,2009–FEELTHEBUZZ

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 2

TableofContents

CommunicationStyles .................................................................................................3

TeamMemberRoles....................................................................................................7

WorkBreakdownStructure(WBS):APlanYouCanStickTo.......................................12

AssessmentProjectChallengesandSolutions ............................................................16

Bibliography ..............................................................................................................18 CommunicationStyles .......................................................................................................................................... 18TeamMemberRoles.............................................................................................................................................. 19WorkBreakdownStructure ............................................................................................................................... 20Challenges&Solutions ......................................................................................................................................... 20

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 3

CommunicationStylesEveryone has different communication and work styles, each with strengths andweaknesses.Asprojectmanagers,beingawareofyourstyleandyourteammembers’styleshelpsyourteamoperateeffectively.Keypoints:

• When projectmanagers understand everyone’s communication styles, we canworkmosteffectivelytogether.

• Somestylesaremorecomfortableindifferentprojectteamroles.• Communicationbetweenstylescanbeidentifiedandleveraged.• Communicationstylesarenotskills.Theycannotbe“taught.”Conversely,team

members with certain skills should not be assumed to have particularcommunicationstyles.

• “We’reallinthistogether”evenifwe’renotallalike:allstylesoperatewithinaprojecttoreachforasharedgoal.

Toolsforinvestigation:

• MBTI–Myers‐BriggsTypeIndicator• KeirseyTemperamentSorter• 16PersonalityFactors• TRI–TheTemperamentResearchInstitute• HBDI–HerrmanInternational,WholeBrainThinking

See:BibliographyforCommunicationStylesAboutthetools:

These tools allow us to identify temperament,communication/interaction style, and group dynamics.Typically, using a set of questions and applying a scoringmatrix,thesetoolshelpindividualsandgroupsunderstandtheir internal dynamics and individual styles. Once youidentifytheseelements inyourselfand inyourgroup,youcanbetterunderstandandworkwithmany“types”togetthejobdone.

Note:wearenot trained experts! Manyof thematerials listedabove require trainers to go throughacertification process before conducting any activities. We have provided a very basic “gloss” of thismaterial so that you can determine the right tools for you, assess your needs, and pinpoint areas forfurtherexploration.

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 4

Activity1Explorethefacetsofyourteams’personalityandcommunicationstyles.Place thenumberof the trait thatdescribeyou in the“Me”column,and thendo thesamefortwoteammembers. (Resultsarebestwheneachteammembersdoesaselfassessment.)Whenyouarefinished,tallyyourcolumn.Example:

Type Description Me?

4 Abilitytorecognizeandseizeopportunities 2 Accountability 2

Youmight think a particular termdescribes everyone – but it doesn’t. When youarefinished,shareyourfindingswithyourneighbors.Theresultsmaysurpriseyou!PersonalityFacets

Type Description Me?

4 Seekvariety

3 Enjoyscientificortechnicalwork

1 Seekmeaning/significance

4 Wantfreedomtochooseacourseorpath

2 Protectandmaintainaremaingoals

4 Abilitytorecognizeandseizeopportunities

2 Workbetterwithorderandrules

1 Seekdifferentperspectives

2 Seekaccountability

3 Seethebiggerpicture

2 Trustingofauthority

1 Inspirational

4 Enjoyworkthatchangesorvaries

1 Actionstodaymakeabettertomorrow

2 Seekcoursesofactionswithinboundaries

3 Individualism

1 Kind,benevolent

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 5

2 Belongtothegroup

3 Masteratask

1 Enjoypeople‐focusedwork

3 Designingandinventing

2 Enjoybusiness‐focusedwork

4 Impulsive

3 Calm

1 Authentic

2 Generous

4 Negotiator

1 Coach/Mentor

3 Theoretical

4 Detail‐oriented

1 Intuitive

3 Precise

2 Serious

4 Spontaneous

3 Logical

4 Adventurous

2 Stable

1 Enthusiastic

3 Strategist

4 Optimistic

Totals

Type1 Type2 Type3 Type4Me

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 6

Activity2CommunicationTraitsandGroupDynamics:DiscussionTopic:Let’sexplorecommunicationstylesandgroupdynamics.Whatdoyouhaveincommonwithyourteammembers,intermsofwhatyouwanttoaccomplishandhowyouliketowork? Aretheiranypotentialconflicts? Identifyhowyoucanusethis informationtoimproveyourassessmentprojectmanagement.Note:thereismuchmoretotheseactivities–basedonpersonalitytypes,interactions,andcommunicationstyles,youcanreallyassessquitealot!WeencourageyoutoexploretheresourceslistedinthebibliographyanddiscusspotentialworkshopswithyourHumanResourcesDepartment.

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 7

TeamMemberRolesRoleshelpusidentifytheresponsibilitiesandauthoritiesthatagroupasksofeachteammember.Theyapplycommunicationandinteractionstylestoeverydayscenarios.Nowthatyouunderstandthecommunicationstylesofyourselfandyourteammembers,howcanyoubuildaneffectiveassessmentprojectmanagementteam?It’scriticaltounderstandwhyeveryoneisontheteamandwhatheorshewillcontributetotheassessmentproject. Wheneveryoneonyourteamunderstandstheirrole,meetingsandprojectsrunmuchmoresmoothly.Theexercisebelowwillhelpyououtlinesomecoreprojectteammemberroles.Lookingatyourteam,ask:

• Who’sontheteam?• Whyaretheyontheteam?• Whatwilleachmembercontribute?• Whatdecisionscaneachmembermake?• Whichmeetingsdoeseachteammemberneedto

attend?Oneteammemberwilloftenservemultipleroles. See:BibliographyforTeamMemberRoles

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 8

Activity3Identifytheteammembersthatfilltheroleslistedbelow,andtheauthorityassignedtothatrole.Thetermsandresponsibilitiesoutlinedbelowaregeneral;adaptthemtoyourteamsneeds.Theimportantpartisthateachteammemberclearlyunderstandshis/herrole.

Role Responsibilities(whatyoudo) Authority

(whatyoudecide)

Teammember

Projectm

anager Ensurethatteammembers

understandtheirrolesandexpectationsAssignworktoteammembersandsub‐teamsSetmeetingagendasRunmeetingsMaintaintheprojecttimelineandworkbreakdownstructureEnsurethatmilestonesaremetEnsurethatbudgetarygoalsaremet

Client Thepersonorgroupthatcreatedthe

projectteam,orprovidedthechargeEstablishexpectationsanddeliverables

Lead

er Providemotivation

ProvidefocusWorkwithsub‐teamsManageconflictsandproblem‐solvewithintheprojectteam

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 9

(cont’d)

Role Responsibilities(whatyoudo) Authority

(whatyoudecide)

TeammemberCo

mmun

icator Communicateteamprogressto

colleagues,committees,departments,etc.Bringinformationfromrepresentativegroupstotheprojectteamasneeded

Expe

rts Possessspecificskill‐setsor

knowledgetocontributetotheteam

Worker

Accomplishtasksasassigned

Decider Useassessmentprojectoutputto

makedata‐informeddecisions

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 10

Activity4IdentifyskillsetsIt’salsoimportanttounderstandthespecificskillsetsthateachteammemberbringstothe assessment project, even skills that don’t appear to be directly related toassessment.AtColumbia,weseeassessmentprojectsasopportunities forstaff tobuildnew skills,andthereforewanttounderstandeveryone’sinterests.Forexample,theWebLibrariandoesn’talwayshavetomaintainthewebpage;s/hemaybeinterestedindataanalysisorrunningafocusgroups.TeamMember Skills Interests

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 11

Activity5IdentifyprojectteamskillgapsLookingatyourassessmentproject,andyourteam,whatskillsdoyouhave,andwhatskillswillyouneedtoseekexternalresourcestosupport?Whatactionsmightyoutaketomanageanyskillgaps?Example:

ProjectTeamSkillGap PotentialActions

We need help with SPSS; our assessment project team has limited experience with this software.

Find a graduate student in the Statistics Department to work with us.

ProjectTeamSkillGap PotentialActions

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 12

WorkBreakdownStructure(WBS):APlanYouCanStickToTheworkbreakdownstructurewillhelptheentireteamunderstandthescopeoftheproject,thetasksyouneedtoaccomplish,inwhatorder,when,andbywhom.Keypoints:UsePost‐ItNotestoclassifyyourtasks.Assignacolorforeachtype,aslistedbelow.

Deliverables:Whatwilltheteamproduce?Hierarchical components: Each aspect of the overalldeliverables.Tasks and sub‐tasks: What do we need to do toachieve/producethedeliverable?Assignresponsibilityanddue‐dateforeachcomponentandtask.

Thisisateamactivity;everyoneshouldcontributetocreatingtheWBS.ParticipatingincreatingtheWBSwillhelptheteamunderstandtheirsharedgoals,andwillgiveteammembersanopportunitytostartworkingtogetherandsharingideas.WBSTips:

• Theworkbreakdownstructureshouldbeexhaustive‐don’tleaveanythingout.• Nothing is set in stone. You can add and remove items from theWBS as the

projectprogresses.• De‐duplicate: make sure that each component or task is an individual item.

Overlapscanleadtoconfusion,duplicationofeffort,andconflict. See:BibliographyforWorkBreakdownStructure

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Activity6DevelopingaWorkBreakdownStructure(WBS)Reserveaconferenceroomwithplentyofaccessiblewallspace.BringyourlaptoptorecordtheWBSonceit’scomplete.MakesurethereareplentyofPost‐ItNotestogoaround.

1. Beginwiththedeliverables.AssigntheseaPost‐Itnotecolor(pink!)a. Atypicalassessmentprojecthasfivedeliverables:

i. ProjectPlanii. InformationNeedsiii. DataSetsiv. Analysisv. Report

2. WriteeachdeliverableonaseparatePost‐Itnote.

3. Postyourdeliverableshorizontallyonthewall.

4. ChooseadifferentPost‐Itnotecolor(purple!),andstartwritingthecomponentsofeachdeliverable.

5. Postthecomponentsunderneatheachdeliverable.

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 14

6. OnadifferentcolorPost‐It(blue!)startbrainstormingallofthetasksthatneedtobeaccomplishedtoachieveorcompletethecomponent.Beexhaustive!

7. Placethetasksunderneaththeappropriatecomponents.

8. Arrangethetasksinchronologicalorder.Whichtasksmustbeaccomplishedfirst?

9. Assign responsibility to a team member, and due dates for each task andcomponent.

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 15

10. OncetheWBSiscomplete,takeapicture!RecordtheWBSinaWordDocument,PowerPointorganizationalchart,orbyusingprojectmanagementsoftware.

Deliverable 1

Component 1.1 Component 1.2

Task 1.1.1

Task 1.1.2

Task 1.1.3

Task 1.1.4

Task 1.2.1

Task 1.2.2

Responsibility Due Date

Responsibility Due Date

Responsibility Due Date

Responsibility Due Date

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 16

AssessmentProjectChallengesandSolutionsAllprojectshavechallenges,andassessmentprojectsarenoexception.Whataresomeof the issues that have arisen in your projects, or that you foresee on the horizon?Whattoolsandtechniquesareavailabletohelpmeetthesechallenges?Assessmentprojectsmaysufferfromlackoftime,staffing,software,andmore.Brainstorm some of the challenges that you faceat your library, and we’ll discuss some potentialtools and techniques that you can use to meetthesechallenges.Remember,yourchallengesarenotyoursalone!Share and discuss what you have learned withyourgroup.

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 17

Activity7Assessmentprojectmanagementchallengesandsolutions

Challenge ToolsandTechniques

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 18

Bibliography

CommunicationStylesKeylibraryresources:

• PsycInfodatabase:http://www.apa.org/psycinfo/• InternationalAbstractsofHumanResourcesdatabase:

http://www.humanresourcesabstracts.com/• Acton,G.Scott.“GreatIdeasinPersonality.”Availableat:

http://www.personalityresearch.org/Searchableresourceofpersonalitytestsandtheories.FromtheRochesterInstituteofTechnology.

• Revelle,W.“ThePersonalityProject.”Availableat:http://www.personality‐project.org/Comprehensivelistofpsychologyarticlesandessaysaboutpersonalitytype.FromNorthwesternUniversity.

Institutesthatoffertrainingandadditionalinformation,basedonmethod:Myers&BriggsFoundation(http://www.myersbriggs.org)ExcellentbackgroundinformationonthebasisandusesfortheMyers‐BriggsTypeIndicatortool.

• Background:http://www.myersbriggs.org/my‐mbti‐personality‐type/mbti‐basics/

• Applications:

http://www.myersbriggs.org/type‐use‐for‐everyday‐life/KeirseyTemperamentSorter(http://www.keirsey.com/)Detailsthemethodanditsusesacrossmanydifferenttypesofinstitutions.MuchoftheKeirseymethodlaysthefoundationfortheTemperamentResearchInstitute.

• Aboutthefourtemperaments:http://www.keirsey.com/handler.aspx?s=keirsey&f=fourtemps&tab=1&c=overview

• Essaysontemperament:

http://www.keirsey.com/articles.aspx

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 19

16PersonalityFactors‐InstituteforPersonalityandAbilityTesting(http://www.ipat.com/Pages/home.aspx):Inadditiontotools,provideswhitepapersonassessmentsandstrategies.http://www.ipat.com/resources/white_papers/Pages/default.aspxTemperamentResearchInstitute(http://www.tri‐network.com/):Excellentwebsitetolearnmoreaboutthelayersandfactorsthatmakeupgroupcommunicationanddynamics,aswellaspersonalitytype.

• TemperamentTheory:http://www.interstrength.com/curriculum/temperament.html

• InteractionStyles:http://www.interstrength.com/curriculum/interactionstyles.html

HerrmanInstitute(http://www.hbdi.com)LearnmoreabouttheWholeBrainThinkingapproachtoworkandmanagement,includingprojectmanagement.BecomecertifiedinHBDIorsignuptocompletethepersonalassessment.

• OverviewofHBDI:http://www.hbdi.com/WholeBrainProductsAndServices/thehbdi.cfm

• HBDIforOrganizations:http://www.hbdi.com/SolutionsFor/organizations.cfm

TeamMemberRoles

Portnoy,Stanley.ProjectManagementforDummies.FosterCity,CA:IDGBooksWorldwide,Inc.,2001.ProjectManagementInstitutehttp://www.pmi.org/

ManagingAssessmentProjectsintheRealWorld 20

WorkBreakdownStructure

WorkBreakdownStructurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_breakdown_structure

ProjectManagementInstitute.ProjectManagementInstitutePracticeStandardforWorkBreakdownStructures.SecondEdition,2006.

Challenges&Solutions

Frame,DavidsonJ.ManagingProjectsinOrganizations:Howtomakethebestoftime,techniques,andpeople.SanFrancisco,CA:Jossey‐Bass,c2003.Greer,Michael.MichaelGreer’sProjectManagementWebsitehttp://www.michaelgreer.com/InspiredProjectTeamsBloghttp://www.inspiredprojectteams.com/

Haynes,MarionE.ProjectManagementfromIdeatoImplementation.MenloPark,CA:CrispPublications,2002.

Wong,Zachary.HumanFactorsinProjectManagement:Concepts,ToolsandTechniquesforInspiringTeamworkandMotivation.JohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,SanFrancisco,CA,2007.