Topic 3b

Leadership: Being an
Effective Project Manager

Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 1

 Managing versus Leading a Project

 Managing—coping with  Leading—coping with

complexity change
 Formulate plans and  Recognize the need to
objectives change to keep the project
 Monitor results on track

 Take corrective action  Initiate change

 Expedite activities  Provide direction and

motivation
 Solve technical problems
 Innovate and adapt as
 Serve as peacemaker necessary
 Make tradeoffs among time,  Integrate assigned resources
costs, and project scope

Engaging Project Stakeholders

 Project Management Maxims:
 You can’t do it all and get it all done
 Projects usually involve a vast web of relationships

 Hands-on work is not the same as leading

 More pressure and more involvement can reduce your effectiveness as a leader

 What’s important to you likely isn’t as important to someone else

 Different groups have different stakes (responsibilities, agendas, and priorities) in the
outcome of a project

 Remember: project management is tough, exciting, and rewarding—endeavor to

persevere

Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 2

 Network of
Stakeholders

 The Law of Reciprocity

 One good deed deserves another, and likewise, one
bad deed deserves another

Influence as  Quid pro Quo

 Mutual exchanges of resources and services (“back-
Exchange scratching”) build relationships

 Influence “Currencies” (Cohen and Bradford)

 Cooperative relationships are built on the exchange
of organizational “currencies” (favors)

Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 3

 Commonly Traded Organizational
Currencies

Task-related currencies
Resources Lending or giving money, budget increases, personnel, etc.
Assistance Helping with existing projects or undertaking unwanted tasks.
Cooperation Giving task support, providing quicker response time, or aiding
implementation.
Information Providing organizational as well as technical knowledge

Position-related currencies
Advancement Giving a task or assignment that can result in promotion.
Recognition Acknowledging effort, accomplishments, or abilities.
Visibility Providing a chance to be known by higher-ups or significant
others in the organization.
Network/contacts Providing opportunities for linking with others.

Commonly Traded Organizational

Currencies (cont’d)
Inspiration-related currencies
Vision Being involved in a task that has larger significance
for the unit, organization, customer, or society
Excellence Having a chance to do important things well
Ethical correctness Doing what is “right” by a higher standard than efficiency

Relationship-related currencies
Acceptance Providing closeness and friendship
Personal support Giving personal and emotional backing
Understanding Listening to others’ concerns and issues

Personal-related currencies
Challenge/learning Sharing tasks that increase skills and abilities
Ownership/involvement Letting others have ownership and influence
Gratitude Expressing appreciation

Source: Adapted from A. R. Cohen and David L. Bradford, Influence without Authority
(New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1990). Reprinted by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 8

Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 4

 Social Network Building

 Mapping Dependencies
 Project team perspective:
 Whose cooperation will be needed?
 Whose agreement or approval will we need?
 Whose opposition would keep us from accomplishing the project?
 Stakeholders’ perspective:
 What differences exist between the team and those on whom the team will
depend?
 How do the stakeholders view the project?
 What is the status of our relationships with the stakeholders?
 What sources of influence does the team have relative to the stakeholders?

Dependencies for Financial Software Installation Project

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 5

 Management by Wandering Around (MBWA)

 Management by Wandering Around (MBWA)

 A management style that involves managers spending the majority of time outside
of their offices in face-to-face interactions with employees building cooperative
relationships

 Characteristics of Effective Project Managers

 Initiate contact with key players
 Anticipate potential problems
 Provide encouragement
 Reinforce the objectives and vision of the project
 Intervene to resolve conflicts and prevent stalemates

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Managing Upward Relations

 Project Success = Top Management Support

 Appropriate budgets
 Responsiveness to unexpected needs
 A clear signal to the organization of the importance of cooperation

 Motivating the Project Team

 Influence top management in favor of the team:
 Rescind unreasonable demands
 Provide additional resources
 Recognize the accomplishments of team members

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 6

 The Significance of a Project
Sponsor
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Leading by Example

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 7

 Ethics and Project
Management
 Ethical dilemmas
 Situations where it is difficult to determine
whether conduct is right or wrong.
 Padding of cost and time estimations
 Exaggerating pay-offs of project proposals
 Falsely assuring customers that everything
is on track
 Being pressured to alter status reports
 Falsifying cost accounts
 Compromising safety standards to
accelerate progress
 Approving shoddy work
 Code of conduct
 Professional standards and personal
integrity
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Contradictions of Project Management

 Innovate and maintain stability.

 See the big picture while getting your hands dirty.
 Encourage individuals but stress the team.
 Hands-off/Hands-on.
 Flexible but firm.
 Team versus organizational loyalties.

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 8

 Qualities of an
Effective Project
Manager
 Systems thinker
 Personal integrity
 Proactive
 High tolerance for stress
 General business perspective
 Good communicator
 Effective time management
 Skillful politician
 Optimist

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Suggestions for
Project Managers
 Build relationships before you
need them.
 Be leery of the Golden Rule.
 Trust is sustained through
frequent face-to-face
contact.

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 9

 Key Terms

Law of reciprocity
Leading by example
Management by wandering around (MBWA)
Organizational currencies
Proactive
Project sponsor
Social network building
Stakeholder
Systems thinking

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Managing
project
teams

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 10

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High-Performing Teams

 Characteristics of High-performing Teams

 Share a sense of common purpose
 Make effective use of individual talents and expertise
 Have balanced and shared roles
 Maintain a problem-solving focus
 Accept differences of opinion and expression
 Encourage risk taking and creativity
 Sets high personal performance standards
 Identify with the team

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 11

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 12

 Conditions
Favorable to the
Development of TEN OR FEWER TEAM
MEMBERS
VOLUNTARY TEAM
MEMBERSHIP
CONTINUOUS SERVICE ON
THE TEAM

High Performance
Project Teams

FULL-TIME ASSIGNMENT TO AN ORGANIZATION

THE TEAM CULTURE OF COOPERATION
AND TRUST

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Conditions
Favorable to the
Development of ALL RELEVANT
FUNCTIONAL AREAS ARE
THE PROJECT HAS A
COMPELLING OBJECTIVE

High Performance
REPRESENTED ON THE
TEAM

Project Teams

MEMBERS REPORT ONLY TO MEMBERS ARE IN SPEAKING

THE PROJECT MANAGER DISTANCE OF EACH OTHER

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 13

 Building High-Performance Project Teams

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Building High-Performance Project Teams

 Recruiting Project Members

 Factors affecting recruiting
 Importance of the project
 Management structure used to complete the project

 How to recruit?
 Ask for volunteers

 Who to recruit?
 Problem-solving ability
 Availability
 Technological expertise
 Credibility
 Political connections
 Ambition, initiative, and energy

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 14

 Project Team Meetings

Managing
Establishing
Subsequent
Ground Rules
Meetings

Conducting
Relationship Planning
Decisions Project Decisions
Meetings

Managing Change Tracking

Decisions Decisions

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Establishing a Team Identity

Co-location of team
members

Creation of project
team name

Effective use of
meetings

Team rituals

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 15

 Requirements for an Effective Shared Vision

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Managing Project Reward Systems

 Group Rewards
 Who gets what as an individual reward?
 How to make the reward have lasting significance?
 How to recognize individual performance?
 Letters of commendation
 Public recognition for outstanding work
 Desirable job assignments
 Increased personal flexibility

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 16

 Orchestrating the Decision-Making Process

Problem Identification

Generating Alternatives

Reaching a Decision

Follow-up

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Managing Conflict within

the Project Team

▪ Encouraging Functional Conflict

▪ Encourage dissent by asking tough questions.
▪ Bring in people with different points of view.
▪ Designate someone to be a devil’s advocate.
▪ Ask the team to consider an unthinkable alternative

▪ Managing Dysfunctional Conflict

▪ Mediate the conflict.
▪ Arbitrate the conflict.
▪ Control the conflict.
▪ Accept the conflict.
▪ Eliminate the conflict.

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 17

 Conflict Intensity Over the Project Life Cycle

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Rejuvenating the Project Team

 Informal Techniques
 Institute new rituals.
 Take an off-site break as a team from the project.
 View an inspiration message or movie.
 Have the project sponsor give a pep talk.

 Formal Techniques
 Hold a team building session facilitated by an outsider to clarify ownership
issues affecting performance.
 Engage in an outside activity that provides an intense common experience to
promote social development of the team.

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 18

 Managing Virtual Project Teams

 Challenges:
 Developing trust
 Exchange of social information.
 Set clear roles for each team member.

 Developing effective patterns of communication.

 Include face-to-face if possible.
 Keep team members informed on how the overall project is going.
 Don’t let team members vanish.
 Establish a code of conduct to avoid delays.
 Establish clear norms and protocols for surfacing assumptions and conflicts.

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24-Hour
Global Clock

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 19

 Project Team Pitfalls
Bureaucratic
Groupthink Bypass Syndrome

Going Native Team Spirit Becomes

Team Infatuation

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Key Terms Brainstorming

Dysfunctional conflict
Functional conflict
Groupthink
Nominal group technique (NGT)
Positive synergy
Project kickoff meeting
Project vision
Team building
Team rituals
Virtual project team

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Instructor: Nguyen Thuy Trang 20