Chapter 13

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

Why is it essential for Project Managers to focus on the HR aspects of a project?

Project Managers perform all project work themselves.

Projects are managed with minimal team interaction.

Project Managers have significant positional power.

Projects involve extensive interaction among people. (correct)

Which of the following is a limitation of Project Managers regarding power?

They usually have a significant amount of legitimate power.

They have more expertise than their team members.

They often possess extensive coercive power.

They typically lack legitimate power compared to other managers. (correct)

Which source of power should Project Managers focus on utilizing effectively?

Legitimate power exclusively.

Expertise and referent power. (correct)

Reward power and coercive power.

Authority power only.

What does power enable a Project Manager to do?

Influence others to change their attitudes or behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

In managing project teams, which factor is crucial for Project Managers to consider?

The level of interaction among team members. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of influence for Project Managers?

It is more important than hierarchical authority. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the role of people in projects?

They are central to both performing and benefiting from projects. Signup and view all the answers

Managing stakeholder relationships within a project is vital because:

Stakeholders can provide relevant project expertise. Signup and view all the answers

What attitude should Project Managers cultivate toward their team's capabilities?

They should value their team's contributions and abilities. Signup and view all the answers

Which phase of project management emphasizes human resource management the most?

Executing Phase Signup and view all the answers

What is the most effective source of influence for project managers to ensure successful project outcomes?

Expertise Signup and view all the answers

Which management style should a project manager adopt for team members with high-level expertise?

Delegating management style Signup and view all the answers

What type of conflict is typically beneficial for team performance?

Task-related conflict Signup and view all the answers

Which approach should a project manager use when the situation is of high importance and the relationship is of low importance?

Directing Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a method to develop a project team's capabilities?

Isolation of team members Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best reflects the role of conflict in project management?

Conflict can drive engagement and idea generation. Signup and view all the answers

What is considered a negative source of influence for project managers?

Authority Signup and view all the answers

What is the recommended approach if the situation is of low importance and the relationship is of high importance?

Accommodating Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT typically a benefit of effective team-building activities?

Reduced workload for the project manager Signup and view all the answers

What is an effective way for a project manager to mitigate excessive conflict within a team?

Limiting team size and ensuring effective meetings Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Managing the Human Resources Aspects of the Project

Project management involves managing people (team and stakeholders) therefore interaction of humans is key to outcomes
Project managers often lack the authority of other managers and rely on influence to get tasks completed
Sources of power include: expertise, referent, legitimate, reward, coercive

Understanding Power and Influence

Expertise: Having knowledge or skills valued by others
Referent: Being liked or admired by others (influencing people who desire to be like them)
Legitimate: Based on position or role
Reward: Ability to provide rewards
Coercive: Ability to punish or threaten others

Ways to Influence that Help and Hurt Projects

Influencing using expertise and work challenge increases project success.
Relying too heavily on authority, money, or penalty can decrease project success

Managing the Project Team’s Activities

Project Managers need to manage project team member performance effectively.
Effective management styles depend on the expertise level of each team member
- Low-level expertise: Directive management style
- Medium-level expertise: Coaching management style
- Medium/high-level expertise: Supportive management style
- High-level expertise: Delegating management style

Building the Project Team’s Capabilities

In addition to managing, Project Managers should develop team capabilities (technical and soft skills)
Developing team capabilities can be done through:
- Training (formal or informal)
- Regular feedback (formal or informal)
- Recognition of work (financial (bonus) or non-financial (saying thanks))
- Team-building activities (social events, lunches, etc.)

Managing the Stakeholder Relationships

Project Managers interact with various stakeholders and should actively manage these relationships.
These relationships should be managed with a previously developed Stakeholder Management Plan from planning stages.

Managing Conflict

Conflict can be productive or counterproductive on a project.
Moderate conflict can be good because it can generate new ideas and better solutions.
Too little conflict can lead to "Groupthink" (conforming to group values, lacking dissenting opinions).
Excessive conflict can be counterproductive.
Conflict Management approaches are influenced by:
- Importance of the Situation
- Importance of Maintaining Relationships

Conflict Management Approaches

Importance of Situation - Importance of Relationship - Approach
- High Importance - High Importance - Collaborating
- Low Importance - High Importance - Accommodating
- High Importance - Low Importance - Directing
- Low Importance - Low Importance - Avoiding
- Moderate Importance - Moderate Importance - Compromising

General Advice on Teams

Be patient and kind with the team
Focus on fixing problems instead of blaming people
Have regular, effective meetings
Allow time for teams to go through the basic team-building stages.
Limit team size to 3-7 members
Do not schedule people at 100% capacity as it is not realistic

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Test your knowledge on managing the human resources aspects of project management. This quiz covers the important sources of power and influence in project management and examines methods to enhance team collaboration for project success. Evaluate your understanding of how to influence project outcomes effectively.