project management concepts ii

Copyright © 2003 Terry Chambers. All Rights Reserved.

Minnesota Chapterof the

Project Management Institute

Project Management ConceptsPart II

Chapter That Cares


Agenda

● Where does the people part come in?● How can we focus the energy of our teams?● Whither the high performance team?● What are your issues?● What works?


What is a Project?

For most of us, our formal education has concerned itself with the “Hard” part.

The “HARD” part is easy!

It’s the “SOFT” part that is hard?


Some Ideas

● Create a positive work model● Focus energy positively● Ask effective questions


How do we develop a

positive work model?


For some reason we have a tendency to use this approach to improving a situation or solving a problem:

Look for what is wrong or broken.

Point it out and hope someone else fixes it!


What if our approach was to:

Look for and celebrate what is going well

and try to do more of it?


Some questions you might ask when problem solving:

● What have we been doing right related to this problem?

● If things were going perfectly, what would be going on?

● What do we have to do more of or better to get us to this ideal state?


Positive and Negative Thought Patterns

At any moment we can have positive or negative thought patterns running through our mind.


How we primarily focus our thought patterns will directly effect how we focus our energy and cause us to be proactive or reactive in our thinking.

Proactive or Reactive Thinking


Your Thoughts

If you THINK you CAN…

You probably CAN!!!

If you THINK you CAN’T…

There is NO WAY in Hell you will!!!


Reactive

thinking

Reasons

(why, why,why,…..)

What’s not working,

what’s wrong.

How to “fix” it.

Proactive

thinking

Results

What’s working,

what’s right.

How to make it even better.

How DO You Think


The Team Sponsor

Reactive thinkers see change or crisis as danger…

Proactive thinkers see change or crisis as opportunity…


Team Leader Role

● Both views are “right”…

…which view you take will have a profound effect on your energy level

Even when given as negative view you can describe it as positive and get rather than lose energy


Functional Manager Role

By under-standing this

Can still be the same number of negatives, they just aren’t as big!

You can do this


The Key

The leader doesn’t need to know all the answers…

…the leader only needs to know the questions which are effective in helping others to discover the answers they already have


Questions which can be answered without the possibility of making a mistake throw our switches into an “on” position and allow us to apply our intuition. Questions in this form are called…

…Effective Questions


Your intuitive mind will be dormant until engaged by Effective Questions.

Effective Questions are any positive questions which allow you to explore your feelings, examine patterns, and develop ideal solutions from the integration of many parts.


…thus,

Effective Questions are

right brained questions.


Ask what and how, not why if emotions are involved.

The why questions move us to the left side of our brain and can cause us to limit our response to “logical” answers.


● What is already working? ● What specifically causes it to work?● What is our vision/goal/objective?● What would be the benefits to the customers,

organizations and you of reaching your goal? ● What specifically can we do more of, better or

differently to begin to move toward our goal?

Some Effective Questions


The 5 Key Team Management Variables

The “Hard” partThe “Soft” part

Function

Quality

Schedule Effort

People(Process, Productivity)


People!

People must still

perform the

Work!


The fifth key team variable has to do with the “Soft” part

People

Energy Level

Culture

Feelings

Skills Focus

Personality

Values

Experiences


Excersize

As a team, take 15 minutes and identify:

1. What do you “feel” are the key dimensions, characteristics, Attributes of a high performing Team?

2. What is it that makes a team high performing?


Dimensions of a High Performing Team

● Clear and elevating goals● Results driven structure● Competent team members● Unified commitment● Collaborative climate● Standards of excellence● External support and recognition● Principle leadership

Carl Larson, “Teamwork”


The Organization Behind the Profession

● Project Management Institute (PMI®)

● Not-for-profit professional association● Established 1969● Over 90,000 members in 120 countries● 200+ chartered chapters● 36+ chartered Specific Interest Groups (more

pending)


PMI Advances the PM profession by:

● Maintaining project management standards and PM certification

● Facilitating project management education● Advancing the state-of-the-art PM research● Serving as a repository for PM information● Acting as an information distribution forum● Establishing a code of ethics for practitioners


PMI Minnesota Chapter

● Minnesota membership exceeds 2000● Minnesota chapter in top 10 worldwide● Minnesota chapter is one of the most active

chapters in the country● Winners of the following national 2001 awards:

– Chapter of the Year Award (5+)– Chapter Sponsor/Mentor Award– Chapter Sustained Superior Performance Award– Chapter Professional Development Award for

Exceptional Activities


Community Project Coaching

Program Objective:

Provide PMI-MN members with opportunities to serve the community by coaching project managers of local community organizations

“give something back”


Coaching Not Leading

● Volunteers in the program assist the project manager(s) for the non-profit community organization

● Project managers of the non-profit community organization lead and manage the project


Community Project Guidelines

● Short duration projects (< 6 months)● Project related to organization’s purpose● Clearly identified project participants (e.g.

sponsors, project manager(s), etc…)● CPC services should not complete against

providers of for-profit project management services


How do I Get Coaching Help?

Contact Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits (MAP)

Amy Wagner

651-632-7237

[email protected]


Summary

● Successful project management involves a balance of human, technical and business skills

● It is critical to set a positive, energizing environment on your project

● Leadership skills are important in PM● PMI is the world organization behind PM● The MAP/PMI Minnesota Community Project Coaching

Program is one way you can get some help


PM References on the Web

● Project Management Institute (PMI) – Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)

– National: www.pmi.org– Minnesota Chapter: www.pmi-mn.org

● The Project Management Forum: www.pmforum.com● International Project Management Association: www.ipma.ch● The Project Management Center: www.infogoal.com● Project-Manager: www.project-manager.com● www.projectconnections.com● www.gantthead.com● Software Program Managers Network: www.spmn.com● Risk Management Internet Services: www.rmis.com● www.riskworld.com/websites● www.riskreports.com● Software Engineering Institute (SEI) – Carnegie Mellon University● Capability Maturity Model (CMM): www.sei.cmu.edu● IEEE Computer Society: www.computer.org


Some Good PM Books

Getting the Job Done! – W. Alan Randolph and Barry Z. Posner

Project Management As If People Mattered – Robert J. Graham

The People Side of Project Management – Ralph L. Kliem and Irwin S. Ludin

Enlightened Leadership – Ed Oakley and Doug Krug

Team Talk – Anne Donnellon

Teamwork – Carl Larson and Frank LaFasto

Creating an Environment for Successful Projects - Randall England and Robert J. Graham

Information Technology Project Management – Kathy Schwalbe

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge – Project Management Standards Committee – 2000 Edition


Minnesota Chapterof the

Project Management Institute

Thank You!

Chapter That Cares

project management concepts ii

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