The Implementation Process: Managing People
William TibbenSITACSUniversity of Wollongong. October 2002
Overview
What kind of skills do we require of the manager during implementation?The art of Conflict ManagementCoping with diversity of people and situations
Essential Question 1.(Courtesy of Commworks, 2001)
What is the timeline for network deployment?
Essential Question 2 - Does your budget support the timeline?
Gray & Larson, 2000, Figure 3-8
Cost
Direct Costs Low Average High
Design engineers $ 80 $100 $150Proto engineers 130 150 280Materials 25 25 25Equipment rental 25 25 30
Total direct costs $260 $300 $485
Work package cost estimate
Essential Question 2 - Does your budget support the timeline?
Gray & Larson, 2000, Figure 3-9
Project Duration
CommittedActual costScheduled budget
Cos
ts
$6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
Essential Question 3 - Have you accounted for all tasks required to deploy the network?
Gray & Larson, 2000, Figure 3-3
1
2
3
4
Project
Deliverable
Subdeliverable
Lowest subdeliverable
Cost account*
Work package
5
Complete project
Major deliverables
Supporting deliverables
Lowest managementresponsibility level
Grouping of work packagesfor monitoring progress andresponsibility
Identifiable work activities
Gray & Larson, 2000, Figure 3-3
Cost accountnumber
Personal computerprototype
Vendor,software,
applications
Mouse,keyboard,
voice
Diskstorageunits
Microprocessorunit
Moreitems
Floppy HardOptical Internalmemory
unit
BIOS (basicinput/output
system)
ROM RAM I/O File Utilities
Motor Circuitboard
Chassisframe
Read/writehead
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~
~ ~
Lowest manageablesubdeliverables
Level1
2
3
4
5
1.01.2 1.3 1.1 1.4
1.1.1 1.1.2 1.1.31.4.1 1.4.2
1.4.1.1 1.4.1.2 1.4.2.1 1.4.2.2 1.4.2.3
1.1.3.1 1.1.3.2 1.1.3.3 1.1.3.4
Cost1.1.3.4.1
accountCost Cost
account accountCost Cost
accountaccount
Costaccount
Costaccount
Work packages WP1.1.3.4.2.1 WP1.1.3.4.2.2 WP1.1.3.4.2.3
Budget byperiod
Production
Design
Test
Purchasing
Software
Manufacturing
Organization
Essential Question 4 - Who will do the work required to deploy the network?
Essential Question 5 - Do you have a strong Project Manager in place to coordinate aspects of deployment?
Essential Question 6 - Who will manage all of the vendors needed for deployment?
ScenarioProject manager Jack was a degree qualified engineer who demonstrated what not to do as a project manager. On the surface he appeared as a well organised manager who provided sufficient amounts of documentation in terms of drawings, project schedules, as well as very detailed instructions what technicians and tradespeople needed to do. Despite this, one feature of Jack’s projects were the constant complaints from those carrying out the tasks. It was not uncommon for these problems to escalate to such a stage where meetings had to be arranged with the section manager where Jack and the other party were unwilling to compromise. As a consequence his projects went over schedule and budget.
What was the problem?Who was at fault?What strategies could Jack have employed to avoid these problems?
Implementation Plan
Gene told you last week…The implementation plan is the single greatest point of failure of many technology strategiesA successful plan should incorporate various components and should be highly detailed, controlled and monitored
Definition (from lecture 4)
‘…Implementation Planning ensures the compatibility of the planning and budgeting processes to support …[strategic goals]…It prescribes commensurate milestones, resource requirements, schedules and performance criteria at both the program and task levels…’ (NASA, 1996)
Implementation Planning is an Information Intensive Process
Implementation Planning (Gray and Larson, 2002, p.89)
provides the basis of scheduling labour and equipment;
determines how much money is required becomes an instrument that melds
managers and groups together into meeting time, cost and performance objectives
answers the question how long is it going to take?
Implementation Plan Documents
The most current state of the work to be done is represented by the Implementation PlanThe Documents found in prototypical implementation plans include:
Deliverables Document Work Statements Sign-Off Sheets Schedule
Problem Log Test Plan Implementation
Management Teams Problem Reports Change Log Change Request Configuration
Management Implementation
Resource Requirements
Implementation Planning is an Information Intensive Process
There is a need to communicate both
1. the detail
2. the vision
Back to Project Manager Jack…
Project manager Jack was a degree qualified engineer who demonstrated what not to do as a project manager. On the surface he appeared as a well organised manager who provided sufficient amounts of documentation in terms of drawings, project schedules, as well as very detailed instructions what technicians and tradespeople needed to do. Despite this, one feature of Jack’s projects were the constant complaints from those carrying out the tasks. It was not uncommon for these problems to escalate to such a stage where meetings had to be arranged with the section manager where Jack and the other party were unwilling to compromise. As a consequence his projects went over schedule and budget.
Conflict is inevitable and must be managed correctly
‘…The ability to manage conflict is one of the most important skills a project manager must possess…’ (Verma, 1996, p. 113)Conflict can become either a positive force that will propel the project to
meetings its stated objectives or A degenerative process of negative
interaction between team members that slows the project down.
Styles of Conflict (Filley’s Model)
Conflict Resolution style
Personal Goals Relationships
Win-lose High Low
Yield - lose Low High
Lose-leave Low Low
Compromise Medium Medium
Integrative (Problem Solving)
High High
(Verma, 1996, p123)
Styles of Conflict –Project Failure/Success*
Conflict Resolution style
Personal Goals Relationships
Win-lose High Low
Yield - lose Low High
Lose-leave Low Low
Compromise*
Medium Medium
Integrative*(Problem Solving)
High High
(Verma, 1996, p123)
In search of the ‘golden bullet’
Filley’s model tells us that relationship maintenance is at the heart of long term success in project management
On the other hand, Robbins tells us that if you are surrounded by “yes” people and the emphasis is too much on compromise and not on project goals you may need to introduce “conflict”.
Conflict as a positive force
Evidence of Problem solving Collaboration Compromise
Conflict as a negative force
Evidence of Disengagement Poor communication Poor coordination Project milestones not achieved
Strategies for managing conflict
Active listening – you must be in a position of understanding all arguments This has the potential of sapping the
emotional energy from the debate because people feel that they have had their say and have been understood.
Strategies for managing conflict
Look for win-win solutions Aim not to punish dissenters who
have high commitment to the project. There may be room for both.
Separate warring individuals/groups by Having separate work areas Assigned to different aspects of the
project
Strategies for managing conflict
Structured conflict - build teams that have complementary skills
Concrete Experience
Abstract Conceptualisation
Active Experimentation
Reflective Observation
Hans Mary
Ting
Xao
WillConverger
Diverger
Assimilator
Accommodator
Strategies for managing conflict
Structured conflict – promote competition between teams E.g. Weekly competition to see who
accomplishes most milestones
Strategies for managing conflict
Separate individuals from the problem situation Eg “If I had efficient staff the project
would be finished on time!” – The emphasis here is on the person rather than the schedule slippage
Strategies for managing conflict
Build on strengths (allocate tasks that the individual is good at)Minimise impact of weaknesses – be realistic about what the individual is able to achieveTraining - develop new understanding in the minds of colleagues to enable them to better work with available information
Leadership and Management (revisited from Lecture 5)
Leaders focus on Vision Selling what and why Longer range People Democracy Enabling Developing Challenging Originating Innovating Directing Policy
Managers focus on Objectives Telling how and when Shorter range Organisation & structure Autocracy Restraining Maintaining Conforming Imitating Administering Controlling Procedures
Leadership and Management cont’d
Leaders focus on Flexibility Risk (opportunity) Top line
Managers focus on Consistency Risk (avoidance) Bottom line
(Verma, 1996, p. 223)
How does one make sensible use of such a list of attributes?
Is There Only One Good Leadership Style? Opinion is divided between two types of a leadership style:
concern for Task and concern for People
Concern for tasks is where leaders define their role in terms of the goals of the organisation
Concern for people is where leaders promoted mutual trust, respect and concern for the feelings of others.
Is There Only One Good Leadership Style?
Concern for People
Concern for Task
X
Team Management
Is There Only One Good Leadership Style? The big draw back with concentrating
on style is that it takes no account of the situation managers are working in
ie. kind of tasks, the competency of staff attitudes of staff, the knowledge and attitudes of the manager
him/herself etc….
The approach that works best for me…
In times of conflict you as the project manager have two choices 1. Change the behaviour of individuals 2. Change the contingent
circumstances
The emphasis is often on 1. While 2. may be easier and more effective.
1. Change individual behaviour
TrainingCounsellingForcing (threaten dire consequences)
2. Change Contingent Circumstances
leader-member relations – promoting better informal relations with staff, task structure – negotiate greater responsibility for tasks – promote ownership of the project position power – delegating decision making to subordinates
Summary
Conflict is inevitableThe skilful manager harnesses the potential of conflict to promote project goals.The ‘win-at-all-costs’ manager is likely to promote disengagement and poor project outcomes
References
Gray, Clifford F and Larson, Erik W. 2000, Project management : the managerial process / Irwin/McGraw-Hill, Boston.NASA, 1996 ‘NASA Strategic Management Handbook’, NASA. Available at: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codez/strahand/implemen.htm Accessed on: 12 August 2002
Karunaratne, Ishan 2002, ‘Callista Implementation Project’, Northern Territory University, Available from: http://mindil.ntu.edu.au/ntu/apps/callistaimp.nsf/vwURL/Implementation+Planning?OpenDocument Accessed; on 12 August 2002 Commworks, 2001, ‘As you Implement: Planning for Deployment’. Commworks Available from http://www.commworks.com/Professional_Services/Implement/Planning_Deployment/ Accessed on 12 August 2002.GCRHCorporation 2002, ‘Implementation Planning: When its Got to be Appropriate, Now’, GCRHCorporation, Midland Michigan. Available from http://www.rightanswer.com/english/plan.html Access on 12 August 2002.