Human Side of

Project Management
Dr C S Venkata Ratnam
Director
International Management Institute
 Managing HR in project-based
organisation
• “We live in a world in which projects and multidisciplinary
working are key vehicles for delivering corporatae
strategy”
• The widespread use of projects as a way of organising
work has managerial implications for organisations in
areas such as governance, operational control and
management of knowledge and learning: for example I
– in staffing it is short/fixed term contracts
– Regular phasing out of people as contracts finish key problem
– incentives based not on ‘the more you work the more you get’,
but on ‘savings in time and cost.’
• It also impacts directly on the HR practices
of organisation. Every time a new project
is developed, the human configuration of
the organisation must change, demanding
adaptibility and flexibility from employers
and managers.
 Phases and Stages
• PHASES • STAGES
– Feasibility – Gestation
– Formulation – Growth
– Implementation – Independence
– Installation – Declining
– Sustaining – Death/Closure
(Start, control,
coordinate, manage
project discontinuities
and project close-
down)
 Dualism in People Characteristics
Power Shift & Management Approaches
• Physical Worker • Knowledge Worker
– Wealth: land/capital – Knowledge
– Human energy: brawn or – Brain or mind
muscle
– Dependence: one-sided – Two-way
– Communication: top down – Open, multiple
– Motivation: fear/favouritism – Fairness
– Leadership: Direction and – Consensus and
control commitment
 Contract labour
• Regular worker • Contract worker
– Better skilled, – Less skilled and less
educated educated
– Better trained – Less trained
– More safe – Less safe
– Less work and more – More work and less
pay pay
– Better social security – Less or no social
security
 Project Management Personnel
Competencies
• Competence • Maturity levels of
– Knowledge
– Skills
– Core personality
characteristics
– Demonstrate performance
in accordance with
occupational/professional
and organisational
competency standards
SEI/PCMM
– Initial: ad hoc, continual
collection of data to
identity, analyse and
correct defects
– Repeatable: process
measured, minimum
metrics for quality and
productivity
– Defined: process is defined
and institutionalised
– Managed: process is
quantitatively measured
– Optimised: continuous
improvement
 Kolbs learning styles
• Concrete experience
• Observations and reflections
• Formation of abstract concepts and
generalisation
• Testing implications of concepts in new
situations
 Stakeholders and stakeholder
resources
• Stakeholders – • Resources
primary and – Allies or enemies
secondary
Matrix Structure, Dual Reporting
• Requirements of functional bosses at HQ
• Administrative exigencies of bosses at the
project site
• Conflict/clash of interests
• Managing the delicate balance:
– When to act without reporting to HQ
– When to act and report to HQ
– when
 Dualism in Expectations
• Project Manager
– Communicate
requirements
– Understand the work of the
team
– Not indulge in
scapegoating
– Provide time and resources
– Designate focal points
– Be willing to experiment
– Take ownership
• Client
– Be honest
– Know the business
– Have the tech expertise
– Keeping current
– Being cooperative
– Communicating
– Providing the best output
– Providing the best quality
 Mutual expectations of senior
management and boss
• Expectations from • Expectations from
senior management project manager
– Being honest? – Guidance and
– Taking decisive action direction
– Possessing expertise – Autonomy
– Doing a good ob – Support
– Commitment to the – commitment
project
– communciating
 Working together
• With the senior management
• With colleagues: peers, superiors and
subordinates
• With customers: clients, contractors,
suppliers, dealers.
• Openness, ethics, trust and transparency
fairness and equity
• Have a win win attitude for mutual gains