Introduction Cost & Budgets Impact from Turnover Learning from Military Experiences The Problems: Dealing with; High Turnover while Managing Projects Military Office Personnel Combat Turnover: Sharing knowledge and mental models Problem # 1: Lack of common technology & Mental model-keep it smile Problem # 2: lack of common task mental model Keep Procedures Familiar Problem #2.1: general staff structure Faisal Aleem Tahir Arsalan Hamayu Problem # 3: Lack of common team interaction Keep meeting comprehensive Problem # 4: Lack of common team member Keep training down walls Mental models and best practices overlap Findings & Conclusion Q & A Kamran Sohail
A measure of separations from an employing organization separations consist of resignations, retirements, discharges, reductions-in-force, deaths, interagency transfers. Expressed as turnover rate Calculated during a fiscal year or calendar year. Turnover or staff turnover or labor turnover is the rate at which an employer loses employees.
Rebuilding Iraq:
Rebuilding Iraq is a U.S. national security and foreign policy priority and constitutes the largest U.S. assistance program since World War II. Billions of dollars in grants, loans, assets, and revenues from various sources have been made available or pledged to the reconstruction of Iraq. The United States, along with its coalition partners and various international organizations and donors, has get on a significant effort to rebuild Iraq following multiple wars and decades of neglect by the former regime.
The U.S. effort to restore Iraq's basic infrastructure and essential services is important to attaining U.S. military and political objectives in Iraq and helping Iraq achieve democracy and freedom.
Impact of Turnover Decreased Performance Unfulfilled Daily Functions Costs Lower Knowledge Base Learning from military experiences The active military personnel is made up of contract military personnel and regular military personnel, predominantly the former (64.0%). The percentage of female personnel is 15.0%.
Military personnel must therefore be prepared at all times to be deployed far from home, often at short notice, unexpectedly and for an unknown length of time. They accomplish their duties in situations that are liable to extreme changes from one operation to the next
The armed forces make specific and intense demands on their personnel, male and female. Military operations are still the most physically and mentally demanding of the challenges which they must face.
The constraints imposed by the state and military service are, speaking objectively, considerable. As a result, military personnel receive various and specific forms of compensation depending on the severity of the constraints actually supported and on the individual situation
The problem: dealing with high turnover while managing projects The Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) started in 2003 and ended in 2010 According to august 2010 analysis the US deployed over 750,000 personnel in this operation and over $49 Billion. US military took the responsibility of project management in the war zone The focus of this study is on those members that are serving in construction project management offices.
10 The problem: dealing with high turnover while managing projects (continue) These personnel were responsible for Oversight of budget Project schedule Review of the contractors.
11 The problem: dealing with high turnover while managing projects (continue) Reasons for high Turnover First reason is Geographical remoteness and combat stress Emotional stress Because of separation from family and friends that impose significant emotional stress (about 15 months) Physical stress o Because of workload Personnel normally work 7 days a week at least 12 & often 14 hours per day .Do not take down time for holidays. 12 The problem: dealing with high turnover while managing projects (Continue.) Second reason is place like Iraq are active combat zone and dangerous Attack during this Operation 500 to 3000 per month Steps taken by the US Govt. to mitigate the effect of turnover Limits most deployment for fixed period of time Tour for personnel last either 6
or 12 months on average In a project office 20 personnel work From which one third serve for 6 months and two third serve for 12 months period.
13 The problem: dealing with high turnover while managing projects (continue.)
A typical project office turnover Approximately 15% of its staff monthly in OIF According to research surveys average turnover in US is 15% annually
14 Military project office personnel Project management office staff in Iraq comes from Military, Navy, Air force Detail of personnel
Below table showing prior knowledge of project management of personnel in different fields.
15 Construction Project IT & Engineering System Experience 75% 25 % Active Duty Military Reservists Civilian Contractors 50% 40%
10% Military project office personnel (continue) The project office were composed of Primarily of men 80%.
The personnel possessed A significant amount of military services.50% Had more than 15 year of service in army. 16 Military project office personnel (continue) With respect to deployment experience Half of the personnel had completed more then 2 or 3 deployments. 10% of individuals had completed 3 year deployment in Iraq. Most of the individual 90% did not want to tour or their deployment in Iraq Because of separation from family and friends even all understood the fact that deployment were considered mission essential to support the national interest. 17 COMBATING TURNOVER Why is turnover Harmful?
Loss of organizational memory & Knowledge.
Remedy: Knowledge must be shared. No one individual should possess all the information critical for sustaining operations.
Breakup of organizational knowledge: Combination of information about organizational items Understanding of the significance of information.
Shared knowledge: Facts and proportions that are understood simultaneously by multiple agents Shared mental models: Knowledge structures that allow people to interact with the environment. Used to arrange information. Increase in the degree to which knowledge and mental models are shared improves organizational performance. Increasing the sharing of mental models results in greater team performance.
Development of common mental models begins with the training most organizations provide to the newcomers. This training focuses on management procedures & company software used throughout the firm, in order to minimize the effects of transfers across the project team. Orientation programs for familiarization.
Types of shared mental models: Technology / equipment Job / task Team interaction Knowledge of team members
The damaging effects of turnover can be mitigated because these mental models can be shared. Problem 1: Lack of Common Technology & Equipment Model (keeping IT Simple) Organizational frameworks knowledge about tools and technology employed by an organization. Lack of understanding leads to Steep learning curves Reduced efficiency among newcomers
US Military increases shared nature of this mental model by simplifying and standardizing key technologies associated with project management, especially Databases Unfamiliarity with technology & equipment is problematic for newcomers and will require more time towards learning how to interpret and navigate organizational information system. Officers in OIF used the simplest electronic Database available for sharing information i.e Microsoft Excel. The main reason behind this was most people are familiar how to use and manipulate Excel. The simplicity of the said program reduces the amount of time required for a new project manager to become proficient with technology.
Experiment Microsoft Excel Simplest electronic Database available for sharing information (After 6 Months &Employee T.O) Experienced no disruption
Access Customized Reports (After 6 Months & Employee T.O) This specialized D.B became unusable, as in coming personnel were not capable of maintaining it.
Excel proved to sustain its viability Excel proved to sustain its viability All project information in a single D.B makes it easy for supervisors and coworkers to find needed information quickly. Lessons learned are maintained by many organizations but are not used due to lack of information about its existence or not knowing how to retrieve it(Excel solves this issue). Excel ensures that accurate information is delivered to the new Project Manager and less efforts are wasted on retracing steps. In this way Technology / Equipment mental model simultaneously survives the turn over of personnel and facilitates more efficient project management.
Lack of common task mental model Keep procedures Familiar
Task mental models refer to organizational frame works surrounding knowledge regarding work procedures and information processing strategies. A lack of shared understanding concerning this mental model manifests itself in problems such as confusion, reduced self efficacy and frustration among newcomers. The individuals dont know how they perform in the organization This structure provides military personnel a reference point to understand what organization whey work for and how that organization fits within the large military network in OIF and how to coordinate with other offices. 26 October 2014 28
General Staff Structure
This organizational structure resembles the framework employed by any headquarters branch of the military including those at pentagon. The advantage of this system is that it immediately orients newcomers to where their particular organization fits within the larger framework of forces in OIF. The newcomers quickly grasp the boundaries of their work responsibilities and the procedures for coordinating tasks because the organization is structured in a way that is familiar.
26 October 2014 29 26 October 2014 30 Lack of Common Team Interaction Mental model Keep Meeting Comprehensive Team Interaction Mental Models Refers to Organizational frameworks ,knowledge about individuals responsibilities, role interdependencies and communication pattern. New comers are caused by unfamiliarity with common responsibilities and shared roles as a result irritation situation appeared, don't know the roles of boundaries. Models suggest to must learn the roles boundaries that have been drawn and how it is differ from traditional lines or roles and duties. To mitigate this issue the Project office in(OIF)hold weekly conference calls and arranged face to face meeting to knowing the exact status of project , challenges and solutions to involve all relevant person that have impact on project
26 October 2014 31 By involving project office and project managers in these meeting cross training fashions increase the mental models in effective way. As for as project manager is concern the project manager learn the history of previous projects and challenges and who the key players are that manager crucial aspects of projects. Here inefficiency of the comprehensive project is traded off with greater efficiency in resolving issues. New project manager donor has to dig around the cold call exterior organization. As a result the new comers of the organization are able to grasp the communication pattern and role responsibilities unique to their positions 26 October 2014 32 Lack of common Team Member mental model Keep Tearing down Walls Team member mental models refer to organizational frame works surrounding knowledge regarding individual teammate preference, skills and habits. The US military attempts to increase the shared nature of team members mental models by embracing open office architectures. The open office refers to the absence of walls and cubicles in work spaces. OIF projects office having 8 to 10 individuals work with their entire desk adjoined and pushed together so that each person is either adjacent to or facing someone else. The basic aim of open office is to facilitate the sharing of mental models concerning knowledge about ones co workers.
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It promotes eavesdropping as long no one feels offended this can be extremely beneficial for co-workers. Co-workers learn lots form colleagues that how they manage the project and deal with effectively. Colleagues interact with each other communication process begins and they share valuable information through desk. Now team members are able to quickly learn habits and traits of other colleagues they know their strengths, their preferences, new comers may easily ask question when dilemmas arise. The open office architectures support this process by encouraging interaction between incumbents and newcomers. The results shows that the strategies employed by the US military in OIF to help mitigate the effect of turnover.
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Turnover effect mitigation recommendations
26 October 2014 35 Mental models and best practices It was originally argued that mental model typology was not necessarily exclusive, but it is rather overlapping. But recent research claims that practices outlined by the military work most effectively across various avenues and it aid in sharing the multiple mental models simultaneously.
As an example, open office architecture also facilitates the development of task mental problems in addition to team member mental models. Mental models are concerned about knowledge regarding work procedures and things are get done.
26 October 2014 36 Mental models and best practices (Cont) This mental model is knowledge about various items like organizational structures and communication protocols.
This encouraged the open conversation among team members. The conversations play important roles in developing knowledge about effective methods of communication and individual domain power.
Positively, even if somebody does not participate in these conversations and only view and observe them, the knowledge of this mental model is increased.
26 October 2014 37 Results The study by external auditors as well as authors, both of them confirm to their own general efficiency.
Authors observed that wide range of management practices aimed at reducing the impact of turnover and also noted large fluctuation in their efficiency. These practices show the great reliability in reducing the impact of manpower.
Among many duties, SIGIR conducts random checks on construction projects for verification of funds that they are being consumed legally and efficiently or not.
26 October 2014 38 SIGIR during these random checks identified that turnover of personnel is a major cause of inefficient project management.
In other audits, where offices have employed the techniques highlighted above, SIGIR praised the efforts of personnel and the offices. SIGIR identified that here projects are managed in far superior way.
26 October 2014 39 Conclusion Facing turnover is a fact, so we have to face it and manage it efficiently to reduce its effects.
An amazing fact about turnover in military is that it is considered to be a joyful and happy event.
The mission whom they left is so important that it must be accomplished. So in military especially in Iraq, they innovated and developed methods to reduce the effect of turnover rather than reducing the turnover.
26 October 2014 40 Questions & Answer 26 October 2014 41 26 October 2014 42