Project Management Accountability – Where Does the Buck Stop?

Steven A. Vinson, PMP

14 years of life science project leadership Appointed officer: PMI PharmaSIG B.S. Chemical Engineering Technical Depth:

– Pharma/biotech manufacturing and development– Allied chemical– Healthcare– Telecommunications

For more info or to contact Mr. Vinson: www.vinsoncorp.com

Project Management Accountability – Where does the buck stop?

Begin with the end in mind

Accountability is contagious

Character that Matters Managing Up Walk the Talk

Begin with the end in mind

Start out RightMeasure

ObjectivelyTurn over Control

Start Out Right

At kickoff, stress the value of mutual respect and collaboration

– Those who take on tasks will rest assured they are in a supportive environment and will more readily accept accountability

Measure Objectively

Goals must be measurable Performance assessment must be based on

objective data whenever possible Accountability decisions based on facts

Not distorted by opinions, politics, and desire for power

Turn Over Control

A sense of accountability requires a sense of control

If several levels of approvals are needed for routine tasks, it will be abundantly clear that someone is accountable…

it is just not them

Accountability is Contagious

Carpe Auctoritas

(Seize Authority)Support and Clarify

ContinuouslyAlign Support Groups

Carpe Auctoritas

Auctoritas (Latin) – Authority derived from a combination of prestige, initiative, and influence.

Often used in reference to the Roman Senate, which accomplished much, though it held no legislative power

Project Managers must seize authority when appropriate

Support And Clarify Continuously

Reinforce this value through your communication and actions

Team members must feel that they can trust leadership

Proactively manage expectations of customers, executive management, and all stakeholders

Support And Clarify Continuously

Frequently changing expectations can be a drain on a sense of accountability

It is easier to blame changes for not attaining goals than it is to commit to getting the job done – take away the excuse!

Align Support Groups

Functional groups must be aligned with business goals

The project manager is the glue that holds it all together

legal, accounting, human resources, marketing, etc. Clear expectations; clear connection to project

success Successful work team interaction

If key inputs are not under the control of project employees, it is natural to cede accountability

Character that Matters

Seek out accountability Be politically aware, but rise above office

politics Define project success in business and

technical terms – not in terms of personal gain Do the right thing Provide support, honor trust

Managing Up

Use the project charter (and not as a club)

Advocate for the team

Minimize Constraints

Project Charter

Confers formal authorityDocuments visionObjective and non-threatening

Advocate for the team

Executive sponsor ultimately provides authority Team members take risks to be accountable for

project results that may not have derived directly from functional managers – convince sponsor to run interference

Sell the project to ensure continued support and funding – accountability is nonexistent when the team feels funding or support could be withdrawn at any time (Part 11 example)

Minimize Constraints

Sense of accountability is smothered by pressure from constraints that are beyond a team member’s control

Example team staffing– If a project work team is short-handed & does not

have the ability to bring in new workers, team feels helpless

– Helplessness is the great destroyer of the sense of accountability

Walk the talk

Reward consistently and often

Promote use of group problem-solving techniques

Enable creativity and innovation

Reward Consistently And Often

If a team is truly accountable, they should be rewarded when they are successful…and they must accept “corrective action” when the

news is not so good– Public Recognition– Avoid perception of arbitrariness or favoritism– Reward accountability and success with increasing

exposure and responsibility Beware: Careful not to reward "non-accountable"

performance

Promote The Use Of Group Problem-solving Techniques

Make sure teams work effectively to plan, identify obstacles, & develop their own solutions.– Then respect their conclusions– Otherwise, resulting pressure on participants will

make them frustrated & eventually passive

Enable Creativity And Innovation

Nothing de-motivates high-performing, accountable workers more than institutionalized obstacles to goal attainment

Example existing processes & procedures must have clear added value; allow flexibility whenever valuable

Parting Thoughts

Why is this so much more difficult in Discovery and Development versus other project environments?

– Project Size, Scope, Duration– Emotional ties to definitions of success– Weak matrix organizations whose business is

primarily projects