F2024 Leading Projects Week_5 PDF

Leading Projects in an Organizational Context BUSN 10276 Week 5 Sandra Napoleone  Summary So far… Business modern, traditional business descriptions Organizational structures (3 types) Divisional...

Leading Projects in an Organizational Context BUSN 10276 Week 5 Sandra Napoleone  Summary So far… Business modern, traditional business descriptions Organizational structures (3 types) Divisional, Functional and Matrix Working in organizational structures with teams McKinsey 7 S Motivation – team and individual Project teams, building, managing Tuckman’s theory, ‘how’ the team’s work on a project is as important as ‘what’ 2  Today Making effective Decisions - 6 Hats Building cohesion and team building, social loafing 2  Making Effective Decisions Making effective decisions when working with project teams is an important part of our job We as PM’s wear many hats and we will change those hats many times during the duration of the project What hat’s do we or might we wear? 4  Making Effective Decisions How do we make effective decisions with our teams? How do facilitate those decisions? Do you know of any techniques or things you’ve done in the past? 5  Making Effective Decisions 6 Hats Technique This technique, developed by Edward de Bono, it is a structured method for group discussion and individual thinking. What does it involve? Six metaphorical hats, each representing a different type of thinking. Each hat has a different color to help you remember the type of thinking involved. Participants switch hats to explore different perspectives, leading to more comprehensive decision making and problem solving. 6  Making Effective Decisions The Six Thinking Hats technique gets you to look at a problem in six different ways. It takes you and your team beyond any instinctive positions, so that you explore a range of perspectives. That way, you can carefully consider each one, without having to argue your case or make snap decisions about what's "right" or "wrong.“ By the time you've tried out all six hats, you should have a rich collection of insights that will help you to decide your next steps. www.mindtools.com 7 Making Effective Decisions  Effective Decision Making PM assigns a role of “critical evaluator” Assign someone as the “devil’s advocate” – with the goal of arguing against the majority PM can remove themselves from the meeting to avoid influencing the outcome. Consult with outside independent groups. However, this might undermine the team’s confidence. 9  Building Cohesion What is team cohesion? Team cohesion refers to the degree of connectivity and solidarity among members of a team. It encompasses the shared commitment towards achieving common objectives, mutual trust, and the ability to work cohesively towards collective goals. Hrlineup.com  Building Cohesion Cohesion is the degree to which members want to be a part of the group Cohesive groups are better at achieving their goals (positive or negative) than noncohesive groups Cohesion can be improved by: Getting to know each other, wanting to work together, curious to work on the same team Smaller group sizes Teams track record of successes Like mindedness among team members Friendly competition – across departments or other teams, bringing out the best in both teams, a positive competition  Building Cohesion What can project teams do to build the teams they are on and encourage teamwork? Establish goals and priorities Define team member roles Examine and determine team task and decision-making procedures Examine and determine team interpersonal relationships and norms  Group of people to a Team Team Practice and Effort Group How do teams meet psychological, and relationship needs? Good Leadership Being in community Communication Clear Decision Making Conflict management  Team Challenges As humans there is a tendency to go along with the majority without expressing one’s true thoughts. How does it happen? … Fear of affecting relationships by disagreeing in a team setting Fear of looking stupid or making a mistake Pressure to conform to a charismatic leader The need to make very rapid decisions(stress) Wanting to be part of the majority and not the rogue 15  Team Challenges Issues that can occur and reoccur at various times in a group’s development and time on a project. Identity (who we are, why are we here, what are we doing?) Control and power (to what extent can the team self-manage their day-to-day activities) Goals (clarity  Social Loafing Tendency to work less hard when part of a team How does it happen? Subconscious belief that an individual will take a lesser share of the reward or blame when in a team Being a small cog in a big wheel – a feeling that my contribution may go unnoticed. 17  Social Loafing Solutions Carefully assign work, be diligent with follow up ☺ Be clear to define task ownership to the team Ensure you communicate how work will be evaluated and rewarded(individually or as a team) Focus on aligning tasks as intrinsic rewards Essentially – if the right kind and amount of work is assigned and monitored over a certain timeframe then all will be well 18  PM Lessons Learn to analyze complex situations using a variety of models or theories because no one theory is sufficient Develop a broad set of skills and knowledge to help your team continue to grow Develop the self-discipline to go beyond your natural style and adapt to a rapidly changing environment IMPORTANT – these are ongoing skills that require on-going practice and development. This is not ‘one and done’  Summary Decision making (6 hats) Team challenges (Social loafing) Team building How a group of people becomes a team PM Lessons  Next week Week of Oct 7th Online class Wed Oct 9th Leadership and project management Review for mid-term Content to study, test details Week of Oct 14th Reading week – NO classes Week of Oct 23rd Mid Term test on campus