Project Management

across the Globe

Mohamed Khalifa Hassan, Muhammad A. B. Ilyas

LIFELONG, Kuwait

Mohamed Khalifa Hassan

• Short Bio

– Certified as a Trainer on Lewis Cultural Classes Model

– Council Manager of PMI Global Sustainability Community of

Practice.

– Holder of all PMI credentials including OPM3 Consultant.

– Author of “PMP Exam Preparation Step by Step”.

– Director, Consultancy at LIFELONG, Kuwait.

– Global Sustainability Track Chair in PMI Global Congresses in

2011 & 2012

– Active Volunteer in PMIEF

Muhammad A. B. Ilyas

• Short Bio

– CEO and Principal Consultant at LIFELONG, Kuwait.

– Faculty Member at Gulf University for Science & Technology,

Kuwait.

– Holder of all PMI credentials including OPM3 Consultant.

– Rated as one of the top 30 information systems specialists in

the Middle East.

– Served on the Kuwait Board of Project Management Institute's

Arabian Gulf Chapter (PMI-AGC).

Egypt

Ar. Gulf

Argentina

Australia

Canada

China

Kuwait

Libya

Nigeria

S. Korea

Singapore

Sudan

Taiwan

Tunisia

Turkey

UK

USA

Pakistan

Ar. Gulf

Australia

Egypt

Iraq

Kuwait

Lebanon

Malaysia

Singapore

S. Africa

Sweden

Turkey

UK

USA

Agenda

• Why care about stakeholder’s personality?

• What can be done?

• How can stakeholders be managed across the globe?

• Tips on presentations to audiences around the globe

A Typical Project – Construction and

Commissioning of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad

Hospital

A Typical Project – Construction and

Commissioning of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad

Hospital • Largest medical center in the region

– Site Area is 224,180 m2

– 1,168 beds serving a population of 600,000

– Has car parking capacity of 5,000

– Can accommodate 50 ambulances

• Project Budget is KD 303,998,000/- which is equivalent

to US $ 1.06 Billion

• Project Schedule spans over 48 months

A Typical Project – Construction and

Commissioning of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad

Hospital

• Project Team from 16 nationalities

• 8 major subcontractors and suppliers

• 30+ suppliers/subcontractors including LIFELONG

Importance of Stakeholder Management

• PMI considers Stakeholder

Management as a new

Knowledge Area.

• It is easy to identify skills and

qualifications.

• It is quite challenging to

know people’s personality

and values.

Professionalism

Behavior

Values

(Culture)

Stereotypes

Interactions

? ! ? !

?

? ! ? !

Closer Interaction

! ! ! !

!

! ! ! !

So what goes wrong?

Professionalism

Behavior

Values

(Culture)

So what goes wrong?

So what goes wrong?

So what goes wrong?

So what goes wrong?

It is all about managing DIVERSITY

• People are different based on their values and

behavior.

• In normal circumstances, diversity brings

dividends, but things get complicated under

stress.

• We need to be aware of global culture and

personality behavior attributes to better

understand and manage stakeholders.

Are we GLOBAL enough?

Some leaders and organizations do strive to be

global but …

… they unintentionally end up being not

GLOBAL enough !!!

Cultural Shock

• Cultural Shock is one of the common problems

in Multinational projects.

• Many theories on dealing with culture shock

exist, but as constantly stressed project

managers, we need something simple and

practical that we can easily use to manage our

stakeholders.

Virtual Teams

Igor Martek Status: Available

Role: SharePoint Architect

Location: Singapore

Time zone: GMT + 10

Mustafa Ahmet Status: Away

Role: SharePoint Architect

Location: Turkey

Time zone: GMT + 2

Problem Analysis

• To devise an effective stakeholder management

strategy, we need to understand:

– What is the person’s role in the project?

– What is his/her knowledge level?

– What is stakeholders’ culture?

– What is their behavior profile?

What is Culture?

• What do people eat?

• What music do people listen to?

• How do people dress?

• How do people greet each other?

• What is people’s work attitude?

• What belief system do they have? Views about their

own religion (values) and others’ religions (values).

• What are their social customs?

Food from across the globe

Sounds from across the globe

Dresses from across the globe

Greetings across the globe

Work across the globe

Belief systems across the globe

Social customs across the globe

What is Culture?

• Meriam Webster’s Definition

– The customary beliefs, social forms, and material

traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also : the

characteristic features of everyday existence (as

diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a

place or time.

• Oxford’s Definition

– The ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a

particular people or society.

Why Care about Culture?

• Most of us have inherent belief about other nationalities.

• Media shapes our perceptions about others.

• Many of us do not have a chance to deal closely with

different cultures on a daily basis.

Due to globalization of Project

Management we may suddenly find

ourselves working with people from

different nations.

Finding the solution …

Richard D. Lewis Model of Culture

• Several hundred national and regional cultures of the

world can be roughly classified into three classes:

– Linear Active

– Multi Active

– Reactive

Linear Active Cultures

• Task oriented

• Highly organized

• Examples include

– United States

– Switzerland

– Germany

– United Kingdom

Multi Active Cultures

• People-oriented

• Inter-relators

• Examples include

– Hispanic Americans

– Middle East / Arabs

– Africa

– Russia

– Italy

– Spain

Reactive Cultures

• Introverted

• Absolute respect for communal hierarchy

• Respect-oriented listeners

• Examples include

– Vietnam

– China

– Japan

– Korea

– Singapore

Lewis’ Cultural Classes Model

Africans

Switzerland

USA

Australia,

Denmark

Netherlands,

Norway

Belgium

France

Russia

Italy, Spain

Hispanic

Americans

Germany

Arabs

Iran,

Turkey

India

Indonesia,

Philippines

Korea

China

Vietnam

Multi - Active

Linear - Active Reactive

Lewis’ Cultural Attributes …

Linear-Active Multi-Active Reactive

Introvert Extrovert Introvert

Patient Impatient Patient

Quiet Talkative Silent

Minds own business Inquisitive Respectful

Likes privacy Gregarious Good listener

Plans ahead methodically Plans grand outline only Looks at general principles

Does one thing at a time Does several things at once Reacts

Works fixed hours Works any hours Flexible hours

Punctual Not punctual Punctual

Lewis’ Cultural Attributes …

Linear-Active Multi-Active Reactive

Dominated by timetables and

schedules Timetable unpredictable Reacts to partner's timetable

Compartmentalizes projects Let one project influence

another Sees whole picture

Sticks to plans Changes plans Makes slight changes

Sticks to facts Juggles facts Statements are promises

Gets information from statistics,

reference books, database,

internet

Gets first-hand (oral) information Uses both first-hand and

researched information

Job-oriented People-oriented People-oriented

Unemotional Emotional Quietly caring

Works within department Gets around all departments Considers all departments

Follows correct procedures Pulls strings Networks

Lewis’ Cultural Attributes …

Linear-Active Multi-Active Reactive

Accepts favours reluctantly Seeks favours Protects face of other

Delegates to competent

colleagues Delegates to relations Delegates to reliable people

Completes action chains Completes human transactions Reacts to partner

Likes fixed agendas Interrelates everything Thoughtful

Brief on telephone Talks for hours Summarizes well

Uses memoranda Rarely writes memos Plans slowly

Respects officialdom Seeks out (top) key person Ultra-honest

Dislikes losing face Has ready excuses Must not lose face

Confronts with logic Confronts emotionally Avoids confrontation

Lewis’ Cultural Attributes …

Linear-Active Multi-Active Reactive

Limited body language Unrestricted body language Subtle body language

Rarely interrupts Interrupts frequently Doesn’t interrupt

Separates social/professional Interweaves social/professional Connects social and

professional

Dialogue vs. Data

Dialogue 1. Latin Americans

2. Italians, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Mediterranean

3. Arabs, Africans

4. Indians, Pakistanis

5. Chileans

6. Hungarians, Romanians

7. Slavs

8. American sub-cultures

9. Chinese, Japanese, Koreans

10.British, Australians, Benelux

11.Scandinavians

12.North Americans, New Zealanders, South Africans

13.Germans, Swiss, Finns

Data

Video about Cultural Intelligence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=097NPqj26r4

Culture Shock Again???

Fadi

– Warm Welcome

– Talkative

– Starts the meeting late

– Listens briefly to the

proposal

– Agrees immediately

– Confident about

outcome

Ebraheem

– Welcomes warmly

– Talkative

– Starts the meeting late

– Asks a lot of questions

– Agrees after a lot of

persuasion

– Seeks assurance of

stability

Behavioral Analysis

• Part of the human nature to attribute motive to others'

behavior.

• Knowledge of behavioral traits aids in building

communication, trust, empathy, and effective, productive

relationships

Porter’s Motivational Value System

Analytic–

Autonomizing Altruistic–Nurturing Assertive–Directing

• Assurance that things

have been properly

thought out

• Meaningful Order

• Protection

• Growth

• Welfare of Others

• Task Accomplishment

• Availability of

resources

How to Identify a Green Person?

• Asks about the methodology used to collect data

• Concerned about the steps done to create plans

• Asks about contingencies in place to ensure

“sticking to the plan”

How to Identify a Blue Person?

• Very concerned about one’s own role

• Asks about continuation of job, utility

• Asks about what will follow the immediate

assignment

• Asks about other people’s roles and their

continuation in their jobs

How to Identify a Red Person?

• Very assertive

• Needs things to be done quickly

• Wants assurance that required people are on-

board

• Wants assurance that required funds have been

secured

• Wants assurance that required machinery, tools

etc. are available

Personality Analysis

• Cultural Class

• Behavioral Attributes

• Examples

– Red Reactive

– Green Linear Active

– Blue Multi Active

Personality Analysis Matrix R

ed

Introvert

Punctual

Reacts to situations

Quiet

Caring

Concerned about:

• Task Accomplishment

• Availability of resources

Extrovert

Not Punctual

Multitasking

Talkative

Emotional

Concerned about:

• Task Accomplishment

• Availability of resources

Introvert

Punctual

Single Tasking

Sticks to plan

Unemotional

Concerned about:

• Task Accomplishment

• Availability of resources

Blu

e

Introvert

Punctual

Reacts to situations

Quiet

Caring

Concerned about:

• Protection

• Growth

• Welfare of Others

Extrovert

Not Punctual

Multitasking

Talkative

Emotional

Concerned about:

• Protection

• Growth

• Welfare of Others

Introvert

Punctual

Single Tasking

Sticks to plan

Unemotional

Concerned about:

• Protection

• Growth

• Welfare of Others

Gre

en

Introvert

Punctual

Reacts to situations

Quiet

Caring

Concerned about:

• Solid Planning

• Stability

Extrovert

Not Punctual

Multitasking

Talkative

Emotional

Concerned about:

• Solid Planning

• Stability

Introvert

Punctual

Single Tasking

Sticks to plan

Unemotional

Concerned about:

• Solid Planning

• Stability

Reactive Multi Active Linear Active

Back to Stakeholder Management

• Stakeholder Register should have additional columns

for personality analysis:

– Cultural Class

– Behavioural Profile

Virtual Teams

Igor Martek Status: Available

Role: SharePoint Architect

Location: Singapore

Time zone: GMT + 10

Cultural Class: Linear-Active

Behavioral Class: Blue

Mustafa Ahmet Status: Away

Role: SharePoint Architect

Location: Turkey

Time zone: GMT + 2

Cultural Class: Multi-Active

Behavioral Class: Red

Stakeholder Management Strategy

• Linear Active

– All interactions should remain focused on business at hand

– Use data for persuasion

– Manage time effectively (meetings, presentations etc.)

– Assign fewer simultaneous tasks

– Expect adherence to approved plans

• Highlight the skills and

experience of planners

• Ensure that ground rules

are explained and

applied fairly on all team

members

• Highlight the indemnities

in TORs

• Highlight attractive

career path options

• Emphasize on

community welfare and

sustainability

• Highlight the need for

quick and assertive

inputs/decisions

• Provide assurance that

all required resources

will be made available at

the right time

Stakeholder Management Strategy

• Multi Active

– Plan for “extra curricular” discussions and activities

– Avoid confrontation and rely on dialogue for persuasion

– Will need support for detailed planning and execution of tasks

– Use body language to interpret spoken words

• Highlight similar projects

done in the region

• Highlight the supervisory

skills of other

managers/leaders on the

team

• Highlight the roles and

responsibilities

• Highlight the skills and

experience likely to be

gained on the project

• Emphasize on

community welfare

• Highlight the need for

decisive leadership

• Highlight sources of all

required resources

Stakeholder Management Strategy

• Reactive

– Focus on building trust before discussing serious business

– Respect the chain of command

– Avoid confrontation with the seniors and treat them with respect

– Avoid lengthy paperwork

– Look for cues in body language

• Highlight the experience

and reputation of your

organization

• Ensure that ground rules

will be applied through

supervisors

• Highlight your

understanding of

traditions and customs

• Emphasize on

community development

• Highlight the need for

implementation of

decisions as quickly as

possible

• Provide assurance that

all required resources

will be made available

General Presentation Guidelines –

United States

• Attention Span: 30 Minutes

• Audience Expectations include:

– Humour

– Joking

– Modernity

– Gimmicks

– Slogans

– Catch Phrases

– Hard Sell

General Presentation Guidelines –

United Kingdom

• Attention Span: 30-45 Minutes

• Audience Expectations include:

– Humour

– A Story

– “Nice” Product

– Reasonable Price

– Quality

– Traditional rather than Modern

General Presentation Guidelines –

Germany

• Attention Span: 60+ Minutes

• Audience Expectations include:

– Solidity of Company and Product

– Technical Information

– Beginning – Middle – End

– Lots of Printed Information

– No Jokes

– Good Price

– Delivery Date

General Presentation Guidelines –

France

• Attention Span: 30 Minutes

• Audience Expectations include:

– Formality

– Innovative Product

– “Sexy” Appeal

– Imagination

– Logical Presentation

– Reference To France

– Style, Appearance, Personal Touch

General Presentation Guidelines –

Japan & Asia Pacific

• Attention Span: 60

Minutes

• Audience Expectations

include:

– Good Price

– Synergy with Corporate

Image

– Harmony

– Politeness

– Respect for their

Company

– Good Name of Your

Company

– Quiet Presentation

– Well-Dressed Presenter

– Diagrams

General Presentation Guidelines –

Scandinavia

• Attention Span: 45 Minutes

• Audience Expectations include:

– Modernity

– Quality

– Design

– Technical Information

– Delivery Dates

General Presentation Guidelines –

Australia

• Attention Span: 30

Minutes

• Audience Expectations

include:

– Informality Throughout

– Humour

– Persuasive Style

– No Padding

– Little Context

– Innovative Product

– Essential Technical

Information

– Personal Touch

– Imaginative Conclusion

General Presentation Guidelines –

Mediterranean / Arabs

• Attention Span: 20 Minutes

• Audience Expectations include:

– Personal Touch

– Rhetoric

– Eloquence

– Liveliness

– Loudness

– May Interrupt

Conclusion

• It is easy to identify skills, qualifications,

roles and interest of stakeholders.

• It is quite challenging to know people’s

personality and values.

• We can leverage the following to add

additional attributes to the Stakeholder

Register:

– Lewis’ Cultural Classes Model

– Porter’s Motivational Value System

Professionalism

Behavior

Values

(Culture)

Questions &

Answers

Experiences to share?

Mohamed Khalifa Hassan

Director, LIFELONG, Kuwait

mkhalifa@lifelongkuwait.com

+965 99109680

kw.linkedin.com/in/mkhalifa

Muhammad A. B. Ilyas

CEO, LIFELONG, Kuwait

abilyas@lifelongkuwait.com

+965 66516513

kw.linkedin.com/in/abilyas

Contact Information