Teamwork and Project Management

Karl A. SmithUniversity of Minnesota

ksmith@umn.eduwww.ce.umn.edu/~smith

January 2005

Engineers Leadership InstituteMinnesota Society for

Professional Engineers

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Teambuilding and Project Management Perspectives

• Capitalizing on individual differences• Leading a team to consensus; the importance

of buy-in• Expanding a team’s capabilities• Perspectives on the role of project manager• Key components to project and/or team

success• Project coordination

. . . Tomorrow’s corporation is a “collection of projects”

. . . Everyone needs to learn to work in teams with multiple independent experts--each will be dependent upon all the others voluntarily giving their best.

. . .The new lead actor/boss--the Project Manager--must learn to command and coach; that is, to deal with paradox.From Eight Commandments for Project Managers Tom Peters

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In the new economy, all work is project work. And you are your projects! Here’s how to make them all go Wow!

Tom Peters – The Wow Project (Fast Company, 24, 116)

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Project

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result

-- Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), 2004

A project is a combination of human and nonhuman sources pulled together in a temporary organization to achieve a specified purpose.

-- Cleland and Kerzner, 1985

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What is a project?(Cleland and Kerzner, 1985; Nicholas, 1990)

• … a combination of human and nonhuman sources pulled together in a temporary organization to achieve a specified purpose.

• Features– Definable purpose with established goals– Cost, time and performance requirements– Multiple resources across organizational lines– One-time activity– Element of risk– Temporary activity– Process with phases/ project life cycle

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The Project ManagementBody of Knowledge is thesum of knowledge withinthe profession of projectmanagement

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Performance, Cost, and Time Project Targets

Project Success: Quadruple Constraint

Characteristics of ‘Effective’ Project Managers?

1.Formulate your response to the question individually

2.Share your answer with a neighbor3.Listen carefully to your neighbor's answer4.Work together to Create a new answer

through discussion

What is takes to be a good project manager--Barry Posner (1987)

Communications (84% of the respondents listed it)

ListeningPersuading

Organizational skills (75%)PlanningGoal-settingAnalyzing

Team Building Skills (72%)EmpathyMotivationEsprit de Corps

Leadership Skills (68%)Sets ExampleEnergeticVision (big picture)DelegatesPositive

Coping Skills (59%)FlexibilityCreativityPatiencePersistence

Technological Skills (46%)ExperienceProject Knowledge

Skills necessary for effective project managers -Pinto and Kharbanda (1995):Planning• Work breakdown• Project scheduling• Knowledge of PM software• Budgeting and costingOrganizing• Team building• Establishing team structure and reporting assignments• Define team policies, rules and protocolsLeading• Motivation• Conflict management• Interpersonal skills• Appreciation of team members' strengths and weaknesses• Reward systemsControlling• Project review techniques• Meeting skills

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Project Life Cycle?

1. Wild enthusiasm

2. Disillusionment

3. Total confusion

4. Search for the guilty

5. Punishment of the innocent

6. Praise and honors for the non-participants

The prevailing view of the project life cycle is that projects go through distinct phases, such as:

• Conceiving and defining the project• Planning the project• Implementing the plan• Completing and evaluating the project• Operate and maintain project

A typical construction project has the following seven phases (Kerzner, 1998):

1. Planning, data gathering, and procedures2. Studies and basic engineering3. Major review4. Detail engineering5. Detail engineering/construction overlap6. Construction 7. Testing and commissioning

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The Project 50 – Tom Peters

Traditional• Create – 10%• Sell – 0%• Implement – 90%• Exit – 0%

The Project 50

• Create – 30%• Sell – 30%• Implement – 30%• Exit – 10%

Project Manager’s Role Over the Project Life Cycle:

• Planning• Organizing• Staffing• Directing• Controlling

See Smith (2004) p. 67-68

Project Planning

Projects typically start with at Statement of Work (SOW) provided by the client. The statement of work is a narrative description of the work required for the project. A Project Charter is often developed. Planning starts with the development of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). A WBS is ‘a deliverable-oriented grouping of project elements which organizes and defines the total scope of a project’ (PMBOK, 1996). There are typically three to six levels in WBSs -- program, project, task, subtask, etc. Developing a work breakdown structure is important for scoping a project, i.e., determining the specific tasks that have to be completed, choosing appropriate groupings for these activities, and setting precedence and interdependence (what has to follow what and what can be going on at the same time).

www.lewisinstitute.com

Creating a Project Charter1. Write an Overview of the Project Scope2. Determine the Team’s Boundaries for Creating the

Deliverables3. Define the Customer’s Criteria for Acceptance4. Determine the Required Reviews and Approvals5. Establish Risk Limits6. Select the Project Leader and Team Members7. Set Deadlines for Delivery of the Final Deliverables8. Set Limits on Staffing & Spending9. Create a List of Required Reports10.Identify Organizational Constraints & Project Priorities.11.Assemble a Project Charter Martin, P. & Tate, K. 1997. Project Management Memory Jogger. GOAL/QPC.

22charterform.pdf

Office Remodeling Project

The following activities must be accomplished to complete an office remodeling project:

Activity Estimated Duration (Days)

Procure Paint 2

Procure New Carpet 5

Procure New Furniture 7

Remove Old Furniture 1

Remove Old Carpet 1

Scrub Walls 1

Paint Walls 2

Install New Carpet 1

Move in New Furniture 1

Office Remodeling Project - WBS

ProcureProcure PaintProcure New CarpetProcure New Furniture

PrepareRemove Old FurnitureRemove Old CarpetScrub Walls

InstallPaint WallsInstall New CarpetMove in New Furniture

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Simple Approach for Creating the WBS

• Gather Project Team

• Provide Team Members with Pad of Sticky-Notes

• Team Members Write Down all Tasks They can Think of.

• Sticky-Notes Placed and Arranged on Wall

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Post-It Note Project Planning

Statement of Work (SOW) – Office Remodeling

Activities Needed to Complete Office Remodeling

1. One activity per Post-It note, include name, description andestimated duration (Initial each Post-It).

2. Arrange Post-Its on chart paper

3. Work together to rearrange Post-Its

4. Draw arrows to indicate precedence

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Bus Shelter Construction Example

Job Name Duration Resources Predecessor(s)

1 Shelter Slab 2 2 5

2 Shelter Walls 1 1 1

3 Shelter Roof 2 2 2,4

4 Roof Beam 3 2 2

5 Excavation 2 3

6 Curb and Gutter 2 3 5

7 Shelter Seat 1 2 4,6

8 Paint 1 1 7

9 Signwork 1 2 2,6

Scheduling Problem - CPM

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Bus Shelter ConstructionCritical Path Method Results

ACT NAME DUR RES EARLY LATE FLOAT CURstart

CRITPATH

ST FN ST FN TOT FREE

1 Shelter Slab 2 2 2 4 2 4 0 0 2 YES

2 Shelter Walls 1 1 4 5 4 5 0 0 4 YES

3 Shelter Roof 2 2 8 10 8 10 0 0 8 YES

4 Roof Beam 3 2 5 8 5 8 0 0 5 YES

5 Excavation 2 3 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 YES

6 Curb andGutter

2 3 2 4 6 8 4 1 2 NO

7 Shelter Seat 1 2 8 9 8 9 0 0 8 YES

8 Paint 1 1 9 10 9 10 0 0 9 YES

9 Signwork 1 2 5 6 9 10 4 4 5 NO