PROJECT INSIDE

ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCES
&
ENGINEERS IN MANAGEMENT
 PART 1

ORGANIZATIONAL
INFLUENCES
Organizational Influences on Project Management

• Projects and Project Management take place in an

environment that is broader than project itself.
• Understanding this broader context helps ensure that work is
carried out in alignment with the organization’s goals and
managed in accordance with the organization’s established
practices.
 Organizational Culture and Styles
A project manager should therefore understand the different
organizational styles and cultures that may affect a project. The
project manager needs to know which individuals in the
organization are the decision makers or influencers and work
with them to increase the probability of project success.
 Organizational Communications
• Project management success in an organization is highly
dependent on an effective organizational communication
style, especially in the face of globalization of the project
management profession.
• Organizational communications capabilities have great
influence on how projects are conducted.
 Organizational Structures
• Organizational structure is an enterprise environmental factor,
which can affect the availability of resources and influence
how projects are conducted
Many organizational structures include strategic, middle,
and operational levels management. The Project Manager
may interact with all three tiers depending on factors such
as:-
• Strategic importance of the project,
• Capacity of stakeholders to exert influence on the project,
• Degree of project management maturity,
• Project management systems,
• Organizational communications.
 O RGA NI ZAT IO NA L
P RO C ESS A SS ETS
Any tangible or intangible thing that can be owned or
controlled by the organization to produce value for us is
called an Asset for us
 Organizational Process Assets
• Already developed a range of templates, contracts, registers, and
assessment tools to assist the management of their projects and
• Acquired knowledge in the form of lessons learned—and the
organization’s knowledge base that can be very useful.
• Include anything the organization has acquired that you can use
in the management of the project.
• Include formal and informal plans, policies, procedures, and
guidelines.
• These are very important for the planning stage, irrespective of
the nature of the project.
• Project Files from previous projects
• Lessons Learned And Historical Databases
• Change Control Procedures
• Standardized Guidelines
• Proposal Evaluation Criteria
• Work Breakdown Structure Templates
• Project Closure Guidelines
• Project Schedule Network Diagram Templates
• Process measurement databases
• Risk Templates
• Organizational Standard Processes
• Financial Control Procedures and Financial databases
• Configuration management knowledge bases
• Issue, processes and defect management databases
 Enterprise Environmental Factors
• Refer To both internal and external environmental
factors that surround or influence a project’s success
• Refer To Conditions, not under the control of the project
team, BUT Enhance or Constrains management options
and may have a positive or negative influence on the
outcome.
• May come from any or all of the enterprises involved in
the project.
• They are considered as inputs to most planning
processes.
• Organizational Culture, Structure, and Governance;
• Geographic distribution of Facilities and Resources;
• Government or industry STANDARDS / Governmental or
industry regulatory issues
– Regulatory agency regulations,
– Codes of conduct,
– Product standards,
– Quality standards, and
– Workmanship standards
• Infrastructure (e.g., Existing facilities and Capital equipment and Systems)
• Existing human resources (e.g., skills, disciplines, and knowledge,
such as design, development, legal, contracting, and purchasing);
• Existing Human Resources & Personnel Administration
– staffing and retention guidelines,
– employee performance reviews and training records,
– reward and overtime policy, and
– time tracking
• Company work AUTHORIZATION systems
• Marketplace Conditions
• Stakeholder Risk Tolerances
• Political climate
• Organization’s established communications channels
• Commercial information
• PMIS and Technological Solutions Held
 PART 2
ENGINEERS IN MANAGEMENT

29/10/2006
FROM ENGINEERING TO
MANAGEMENT
- A PROGESSIVE JOURNEY
 What is Engineering
• the application of science and
mathematics by which the
properties of  matter and
the  sources of energy in nature
are made useful to people
• the design and manufacture of
complex products
 Personality of an Engineer
• Engineers are comfortable with
technology and trained in
problem solving.
• They are seen as being curious
and enjoy discovering how things
work and solving problems.
 Personality of an Engineer
Those who stereotype Engineers generally see them as intelligent, logical,
introverted but with poor communication skills and dress sense.
• They use logic to examine ideas and develop theories and explanations.
• They like science.
• They are perfectionists who are always looking for better ways of doing
things.
• They like order and structure.
• They enjoy discussion, debate (and arguing), about their topic.
• They often have a good sense of humour.
• They commonly want to help solve the world’s problems.
 Personality of an Engineer

There are also an assortment of characteristics which are less easy

to like.
• They may be unimaginative outside their own field, (so-called tunnel-vision).
• They may have poor social skills and be insensitive to the feelings of others.
Diplomacy does not come to them naturally.
• They are uncomfortable with vagueness and ambiguity.
• They may focus on theories and be reluctant to consider conflicting data.
• They can be impersonal and reserved and may take little interest in other
people.
• Sub-optimal communication skills
 Engineer and Management
Senior Managers who have engineering background tend to be
more acknowledged for their management skills than their
engineering background
 Traditional Career Model
Comfort Great Stake in being the
(Superior – Subordinate) Sr. Mgt. “WISEST”

Middle
Management
Trade-off
between
1st Line Management

Great Stake in being the

Staff Engineering “BRIGHTEST”
Competence

The Career “Pyramid”

 An Engineer - Challenges to Becoming
a Successful Manager

 Technical Competence
 Communications
 Business Skills
 Management Skills
Motivation
Performance Evaluation

 People (or Interpersonal) Skills – A Special Challenge

 Technical Competence
• Ability to perform the technical aspects of a project. 
• Technical skills include 
– knowledge and 
– skills in
• information technology and other relevant areas
• mathematical and scientific tasks.
 Communications Skills
• Ability to communicate (transmit and receive) information
accurately, clearly and effectively. Becomes an act of
transferring information from one place to another.
• able to manage interactions with businesses and organizations
 Common Barriers to Effective Communication
• The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.
• Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express
their emotions and some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo.
Taboo or difficult topics that may be seen as unpopular.
• Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver. 
• Differences in perception and viewpoint.
• Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
• Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the
non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make
communication less effective. Phone calls, text messages and other
communication methods that rely on technology are often less effective
than face-to-face communication.
• Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar
accents.
• Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or
stereotyping.  People often hear what they expect to hear rather than
what is actually said and jump to incorrect conclusions.
• Cultural differences.  The norms of social interaction vary greatly in
different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For
example, the concept of personal space varies between cultures and
between different social settings.
 Business Skills
• Financial management.
• Marketing, sales and customer service
• Communication and negotiation
• Leadership
• Project management and planning
• Delegation and time management
• Problem solving
• Networking
 Management Skills
Managerial skills are the knowledge and ability of the individuals
in a managerial position to fulfill some specific management
activities or tasks • Interpersonal skills
• Planning. • Communication and motivation
• Communication. • Organization and delegation
• Forward planning and strategic
• Decision-making.
thinking
• Delegation. • Problem solving and decision-
• Problem-solving making
• Motivating • Commercial awareness
• Mentoring
 People (or Interpersonal) Skills
• Interpersonal skills are the skills we use when engaged
in face-to-face communication with one or more other
people.
 Important Attributes
of a Good Manager
 People should know what you stand for
 Honesty (When mistakes are made, admit it!)
 Integrity (Be honest and strive for strong moral principles. Be whole
and undivided)
 Good People Management Skills (be prepared to deal with
human resources issues)
 Reliability (when you say that you are going to do something, DO
IT!)
 Boss for everyone (“equity” across the board)
 Lead by example (don’t ask your staff to do something that you
wouldn’t do)
Strong Fortitude (Bad things can happen to good people)
 Ability to divorce personal feeling from professional obligations )
– Not only work with those you like (not everyone you work with has to be your
“bar” friend)
– Inspite of ones personal preference, need to professionally deal with everyone
Ability to create an environment where people go to work to achieve
something (not to prevent something, as often occurs in the public sector)
 Management Levels & Skills Mix

3rd Level Administrative and

(Senior Managers) Conceptual
Skills

2nd Level Interpersonal

(Middle Managers) Skills

1st Level
Technical
(Supervisors) Skills

As organizations evolve to reflect their business

environment -- the skills mix is also changing for the
organization’s managers
FILLING THE GAP
ENGINEER TO MANAGER
 Engineer to Manager - Filling the Gap
 You know you are ready to make the leap from engineer to
manager when you feel like you are looking for something
more
 you want to contribute on a larger scale.
 Important to develop the attributes of a good manager (know
what you stand for, honesty, integrity, people skills, etc)
 Adopt the logical, structured thinking (rather than hearsay)
into approach to management
 Engineer to Manager - Filling the Gap

 Technical Training
 Establish solid base (formal & intensive engineering preparation
and practice
 Some 7 years of good engineering practice
 Formal Management Training
 On the Job Training
 Engineer to Manager - Filling the Gap
• You have to look at the big picture when you become a manager
– Look at the forest not the tree
– Don’t get over involved in detail
– Try to get your employees to understand & share the big picture
• Distance Yourself from Previous Responsibilities
– Do not meddle with work of those reporting to you
– Distance self from last position and (provide opportunity for those practicing the
engineering function to develop)
• Develop a New Perspective on Management
– See task as working with subordinates rather than subordinates working for them

• Seek advice from other leaders that have transitioned from engineer to manager.
 10 Keys to Success
• Have a Strong, Centralized PMO
• Practice Excellent and Efficient Communication
• Manage the Schedule with an Iron Fist
• Manage Scope Just as Tightly
• Co-Manage with the Customer
• Go with Repeatable PM Practices
• Deliver as Expected
• Engage in Frequent Communication with all Stakeholders
• Find and Retain the Right Resources
• Keep Exec Management Informed and Engaged
 10 Keys to Success
• Have a Strong, Centralized PMO: A strong PMO allows for the utilization of knowledge
sharing and post-project lessons learned sessions. Staff it with a good PMO Director as
leader and focus on experienced PMs, not just certified PMs.
• Practice Excellent and Efficient Communication: Excellent communication of priorities and
expectations to delivery team members will increase their understanding of what’s
expected of them and increase their likelihood of on time task completion
• Manage the Schedule with an Iron Fist : Manage the schedule tightly and the best way to
keep it on track is to make sure everyone knows it and what’s expected of them. Never let
it get too far out of date
• Manage Scope Just as Tightly: Manage all change closely – scope, potential risks, change
orders. Scope creep is ok if it’s covered by a change order. Then it’s not negatively
impacting the schedule and the budget. Track, track, and track some more
• Co-Manage with the Customer : A cohesive, co-management situation with the project
customer organization with fast dissemination of any alert or critical information keeps the
customer engaged and informed. Always be upfront and honest with the customer – it’s
their money and it’s their project you’re managing
• Go with Repeatable PM Practices : Reusable and repeatable processes and templates are
key to building a solid PMO that will help ensure ongoing project successes. Without these,
you’re basing regular project success on luck or chance, and that won’t fly.
• Deliver as Expected : Consistent delivery of expected material and information – status
reports, updated project budget status, issues/risks lists – makes for a very satisfied
customer
• Engage in Frequent Communication with all Stakeholders : Frequent formal and adhoc
communications – delivery team calls, customer status calls, email alerts and updates –
keeps everyone equally engaged.
• Find and Retain the Right Resources : Retention of skilled and necessary project resources is
critical. Figure out the right skill set, get the resources, and fight like crazy to keep them
when other critical projects come calling.
• Keep Exec Management Informed and Engaged : Invite senior management to a customer
meeting. Be sure to include them on critical project status information – or possibly every
status report. What they don’t want, they won’t look at. They’ll always have the chance to
be informed and they’ll remember your project – so you can use them to knock down a
roadblock, if necessary.