Lecture 8 - HR
Lecture 8 - HR
Lecture 8
HR MANAGEMENT
Humans as a Resource
The most expensive resource in a project
A major determinant to project success
A resource that fluctuates
A resource that PM must best manage
What does HR management mean?
Getting the right people
Assigning the right person to the job
Motivating them
Factors in Group Working
Factors that influence group working:
Group composition - Is there the right balance of skills,
experience and personalities?
Group cohesiveness – Does the group think of itself as a
team rather than as a collection of individuals?
Group communication – Do the members of the group
communicate effectively with each other?
Group organisation – Is the team organised in such a way
that everyone feels valued and is satisfied with their role?
Putting a Team Together
Match skills needed to the project requirements
Determine the roles and responsibilities of the core
and extended team
Establish criteria for each role
Provide clear briefs to members of the team
Group Cohesiveness
In a cohesive group team members see the group as more
important than the individuals within it:
Group quality standard can be developed – because this is established
by consensus, it is more likely to be observed than external standards
imposed on the group
Group members work closely together – people in the group learn from
each other. Inhibitions caused by not knowing something are minimised
Group members can get to know each other’s work – continuity can be
maintained should a group member leave
Work can be shared – programs and pieces of work are regarded as
group property rather than personal property.
Group Communication
Good communication averts many problems
Group size – communication more difficult the larger the
group size. Status difference between group members may
mean that some communications are one-way.
Group structure – people often communicate more
effectively when in groups with informal structure rather
than formal, hierarchical structure. People at the same level
may not talk to each other.
Group composition – if there are too many people in the
group who have the same personality types they may clash,
and inhibit communication
Group Organisation
Team structures may vary, and structure will have
an effect on individuals working in the team
We will consider 4 common team types:
Functional Team
Project (Single) Team
Matrix Team
Contract Team
Functional Team
Often exist in hierarchical organisations
Functional teams will deal will one part of a longer
process – i.e. systems analysts may all work
together; software developers may all work
together, testers may all work together. If the
hierarchy is rigid projects may be passed from one
section to another – ‘baton passing’
Functional teams often have a team leader
Also need a project manager to oversee work that
passes from one functional team to another
May have problems with communication
Project Team
Team set up to run a particular project
Will have a project manager
Team may stay together to run other projects –
common in software development
Communication within the team should not be
such a problem, but need to ensure that
communication with other stakeholders is not
neglected
Matrix Team
Staff report to different managers for different
aspects of their work
Project manager will oversee project work
Line manager will oversee other work
Staff often seconded to work on a particular
project either full time or part time
Mixed Teams
It is perfectly possible to have mixed teams where
staff may be:
Full time and responsible to project manager
Part time and responsible to project manager
In matrix where work on project overseen by project
manager but responsible to line manager for other
work
In hierarchy where work on project under line manager
but by negotiation with project manager
People Capability Maturity Model
Software Engineering Institute (SEI) – USA
Looking at Software Process Improvement –
Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for software processes
People Capability Maturity Model (P-CMM)
Five level model:
Initial – Ad hoc, informal people management
Repeatable – Established policies for staff dev.
Defined – Standardisation of best practice
Managed – Goals for people management
Optimising – Focus on improving individual
competence and workforce motivation
People Capability Maturity Model
Optimising
Continuous workforce innovation
Coaching
Managed Personal competency development
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Improving One-self
Stephen’s Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People
Be proactive
Begin with the end in mind
Put first things first
Think win/win
Seek first to understand, then to be understood
Synergize
Sharpen the saw
Start Here…
Good project managers are empathic listeners
They listen with the intent to understand
Build rapport
Harmony, conformity, accord, or affinity
Mirroring helps establish rapport
Most professionals need to develop empathic
listening and other people skills to improve
relationships with users and other stakeholders
The Tools
Project organizational charts
Staffing management plans
Responsibility assignment matrixes
Resource histograms
Responsibility Assignment Matrix
A matrix that maps the work of the project (WBS)
to the people responsible
Others
Staffing management plan
Describes when and how people will be added to and
taken off the project team
Resource histogram
A column chart that shows the number of resources
assigned to a project over time
Developing the Project Team
The main goal of team development is to help
people work together more effectively to improve
project performance
It takes teamwork to successfully complete most
projects
30
Tuckman Model of Team Development
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning
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Training
Training can help people understand themselves,
each other, and how to work better in teams
Team building activities include:
Physical challenges
Psychological preference indicator tools
32
Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
MBTI is a popular tool for determining personality
preferences and helping teammates understand each other
Four dimensions include:
Extrovert/Introvert (E/I)
Sensation/Intuition (S/N)
Thinking/Feeling (T/F)
Judgment/Perception (J/P)
NTs or rationals are attracted to technology fields
IT people vary most from the general population in not
being extroverted or sensing
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Social Styles Profile
People are perceived as behaving primarily in one
of four zones, based on their assertiveness and
responsiveness:
Drivers
Expressives
Analyticals
Amiables
People on opposite corners (drivers and amiables,
analyticals and expressives) may have difficulties
getting along
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Figure 9-10. Social Styles
35
DISC Profiles
Also uses a four-dimensional model of normal
behavior
Dominance
Influence
Steadiness
Compliance
People in opposite quadrants can have problems
understanding each other
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Figure 9-11. The DISC Profile
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Belbin’s Team Roles
Meredith Belbin – researcher at Henley Management
College
Studied the behaviour of managers from all over the world
Identified different clusters of behaviour underlying team
success
Team Roles
Action-oriented roles
Shaper, Implementer, Completer Finisher
People-oriented roles
Co-ordinator, Team-worker, Resource Investigator
Cerebral roles
Plant, Monitor Evaluator, Specialist
Overview of roles
Managing the Project Team
39
Tools and Techniques for Managing Project Teams
40
Keeping People Motivated
People loose motivation when they
feel they do not make a difference
do not get proper recognition
are not learning anything new
do not like their coworkers
want to earn more money
How can PM address these issues?
Can a PM address all these issues?
Reward and Recognition Systems
Team-based reward and recognition systems can
promote teamwork
Focus on rewarding teams for achieving specific
goals
Allow time for team members to mentor and help
each other to meet project goals and develop
human resources
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General Advice on Teams
43
General Advice on Teams (continued)
Plan some social activities to help project team
members and other stakeholders get to know
each other better
Stress team identity
Nurture team members and encourage them to
help each other
Take additional actions to work with virtual team
members
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Project Resource Management Involves Much More Than
Using Software
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Summary
HR management is a soft skill
Understanding how people behave is important
Many different views and theories
Textbook concepts – are they outdated?
Best way to learn HR?
Get involved
Read books in Borders!
Read accompanying textbook slides