Communication & Team Leadership Flashcards
1
Q
Define ‘communication’
A
Communication is the means by which information or instructions are exchanged
2
Q
What are the objectives of the communication process?
A
- Keep a high level of awareness and commitment
- Ensure that expectations do not deviate out of line with what will be delivered
- Explain what changes will be made and when these will be effected
- Describe the desired future outcome
3
Q
What are the four key elements of effective communication?
A
- Stakeholders - know your target audience
- Message clarity - message must be relevant and aligned with Governance of Project Management to foster trust
- Message delivery system - ensures right message for right audience at the right time
- Feedback system - means for assessing effectiveness of comms process
4
Q
Name the five main media used to communicate
A
- Oral: face-to-face
- Oral: remote
- Visual
- Electronic
- Written
5
Q
What factors commonly affect communication?
A
- Clarity of ideas
- Purpose
- Environment
- Audience background
- Message delivery
- Usefulness
- Follow-up action
- Listening
6
Q
What should you consider when building a comms plan?
A
- Stakeholder
- Objectives and information
- Timing and level
- Channel
- Message
- Feedback
7
Q
List the different types of communication
A
- Verbal/ non-verbal
- Conscious/ subconscious
- Active/ passive
- Formal/ informal
8
Q
What are some benefits of a formal comms plan?
A
- Enhanced understanding of roles, responsibilities, expectations within the team
- The right info being provided to the right person at the right time
- Less potential for conflict due to misunderstanding/misinterpretation
- More confidence within the project team and stakeholder community
- Standard, consistent transfer of project information, aids effective decision making
- Higher sense of ownership and commitment within the team
9
Q
Describe the common sources of conflict in the project life cycle
A
- Administration procedures - paperwork
- Costs
- Personalities
- Priorities - when clarity lacking
- Resources
- Schedule - expectations can be unrealistic
- Technical options
10
Q
Explain the Thomas Kilmann conflict resolution model
A
The Thomas Kilmann conflict resolution model describes five strategies for resolving conflict: Compete, Collaborate, Accommodate, Avoid, Compromise.
These are arranged on axes of Assertive and Cooperative.
- Compete: Highly assertive, less cooperative
- Collaborate: Highly assertive, more cooperative
- Avoid: Less assertive, less cooperative
- Accommodate: Less assertive, highly cooperative
- Compromise: middle ground
11
Q
List the typical actions used to resolve interpersonal conflict
A
- Ensure an appropriate venue (space, refreshments, accessibility)
- Propose timings, conduct guidance, and objectives for each session
- Identify facts, evidence, and assumptions
- Recognise various levels of stakeholder power/ influence
- Assess the potential impact of personal views
- Agree the issues to be resolved, prioritising as required
- Reflect perspectives, expectations, antagonisms, and areas of commonality
- Define escalation routes is resolution is not possible
12
Q
What are some common areas of conflict within the ‘Concept’ phase?
A
- Idea - the problem/opportunity that needs addressing
- Options for the solution
- Project priority within the organisation
- Benefits/ disbenefits
- Funding availability &* priority
13
Q
What are some common areas of conflict within the ‘Definition’ phase?
A
- Requirements prioritisation
- Approach to the solution development
- Constraints to be met
- Risks to be managed
14
Q
What are some common areas of conflict within the ‘Development’ phase?
A
- Schedule
- Resources
- Performance of teams/individuals
- Change to the project
- Issues
15
Q
What are some common areas of conflict within the ‘Handover & Closure’ phase?
A
- Acceptance of test results, transfer of responsibility
- Snags - to resolve or not
- Lessons learnt/ blame
- Disbanding of team and where they will be redeployed
16
Q
What are some common areas of conflict within the ‘Benefits Realisation’ phase?
A
- Achievement of benefits
- Ownership of and responsibility for benefits
- Time needed to undertake benefits measurement
- Resistance to change and new ways of working
17
Q
What are some common areas of conflict within the ‘Benefits Realisation’ phase?
A
- Achievement of benefits
- Ownership of and responsibility for benefits
- Time needed to undertake benefits measurement
- Resistance to change and new ways of working
18
Q
Explain the different types of negotiation
A
- Competitive negotiation: implies getting the best deal regardless of the needs and interests of the other party, so can easily result in a ‘winner takes all’ battle. Best avoided but not always possible.
- Collaborative negotiation: seeks to gain a ‘win-win’ situation, where the parties involved get part or all of what they want. This approach tends to produce long-term relationships, minimise potential conflict and often produces the best results.
19
Q
Describe the negotiation process
A
- Planning: gather info, identify issues/interests, develop proposals, fall-back plan, develop strategy, meeting structure
- Discussing: set the scene, introductions, state objectives, clarify meeting agenda, listen and check understanding
- Proposing: present proposals, evaluate responses, prioritise issues, communicate, listen
- Bargaining: be prepared for trade-offs, protect the non-negotiables, value concessions from other party
- Agreeing: summarise agreements, schedule any further actions/next steps, record in writing
- Reviewing: communicate outcome to stakeholders, implement as agreed, lessons learnt
20
Q
What are some common pitfalls in negotiation?
A
- Being ill-prepared
- Opening negotiations with an unreasonable offer
- Not taking time-outs when negotiations are unduly protracted
- Rushing negotiations to secure a quick agreement
- Failing to walk away if an agreement isn’t possible (without breaching tolerances)
- Panicking
21
Q
Define negotiation
A
Negotiation is a discussion between two or more parties aimed at reaching agreement
22
Q
Describe the difference between formal and informal negotiation
A
Formal negotiation is typically with suppliers and centres around a contract. Informal negotiation is often used when resolving conflict or to obtain internal resources.
23
Q
List and describe the different types of negotiation power
A
- Reward: ability to dispense rewards to entice (e.g. financial)
- Penalty: implies threat of taking something away if they don’t agree
- Formal: where one party has (hierarchical) authority over the other
- Expert: implies experience that provides an advantage through increased credibility/ knowledge
- Referent: based on the power of a higher authority, e.g. sponsor
24
Q
List and describe the different types of negotiation power
A
- Reward: ability to dispense rewards to entice (e.g. financial)
- Penalty: implies threat of taking something away if they don’t agree
- Formal: where one party has (hierarchical) authority over the other
- Expert: implies experience that provides an advantage through increased credibility/ knowledge
- Referent: based on the power of a higher authority, e.g. sponsor
25
Name some desirable negotiation skills
1. Ability to set goals and limits
2. Emotional control
3. Excellent listening skills
4. Excellent verbal communication skills
5. Knowledge of when and how to close the negotiation
26
Explain how to prepare for a negotiation
Have responses ready for each type of tactic that could be used:
1. Deadlines - ensure appropriate contingency is built into the plan
2. Good guy/bad guy - probe the discrepancies between parties to look for consensus; don't allow the 'good guy' to influence your decision
3. Limited authority - ask to deal with a higher authority or test the limits of the initial negotiator
4. Auction - where a customer indicates they have a better offer elsewhere, probe for discrepancies and facts; demonstrate that you better understand their needs than the other party
5. Silence - restate your offer, ask for clarification
6. Salami technique (AKA 'nibbles') - ensure all requirements are clear and understood before any individual agreement is reached; strive for collective agreement on all items together
27
Define 'leadership'
Leadership is the ability to establish vision and direction, to influence and align towards a common purpose, and to empower and inspire people to achieve success
28
Explain the differences between management and leadership
A manager plans, organises, commands, controls and coordinates.
A leader provides vision and interpersonal skills
29
List the characteristics of effective leaders
1. A good communicator, able to define and communicate a vision
2. Charismatic, able to appeal to stakeholders and present compelling arguments
3. Can-do attitude, positive outlook that spreads to the team
4. Fair, respectful of different views, opinions
5. Persuasive, able to influence stakeholders with compelling arguments
6. Inventive, able to come up with creative solutions
7. Adaptable, taking a flexible and pragmatic approach to reach solutions that accommodate varying interests of stakeholders
8. Sensible and practical, able to come up with sensible solutions to satisfy the triple constraints of the project
9. Open-minded, being open to new ideas and opinions to enable effective strategies
10. Visionary, able to define and communicate the project goals in a way that encourages team/stakeholders to follow your lead
11. Persistent, able to come up with different approaches to overcome project issues if the initial solution is unsuccessful
30
Describe some motivation models and theories
1. Maslow's Hierarchy of needs
2. Herzberg's Hygiene Factors and Motivators
3. McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y
31
Differentiate between leadership styles
1. Transactional leadership focuses on the basic management processes of controlling, organising, and short-term planning. Involves motivating and directing by appealing to people's self-interest. This is a responsive, 'telling' style of leadership, motivates using rewards and punishment.
2. Transformational leaders are generally energetic, enthusiastic, passionate, concerned and involved in the process, focused on helping everyone in the group succeed. This is a proactive leadership style that inspires positive changes in those who follow.
32
List and define the levels in Maslow's hierarchy of needs
1. Self-actualisation: team members continually try to develop their potential
2. Esteem: individuals need to have self-respect and feel their contribution is valued
3. Social: team members need to feel comfortable with colleagues and others they have to interact with
4. Safety: these include the need for security (including job security), personal safety, predictability and order
5. Physiological: basic needs of food, water, sleep, etc.
33
Define Herzberg's Hygiene Factors and Motivators
Two categories of need that influence team behaviour:
1. Motivators motivate (respect, reward, recognition, achievement, personal growth, etc.)
2. Hygiene factors, whose absence demotivate (working conditions, salary, relationships, environment, job security, personal life, etc.)
34
Describe McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y
These are two contrasting models of workforce motivation that deal with the perceptions managers hold about their employees - the theories are about attitudes not attributes.
Theory X - management assumes employees are inherently lazy and will avoid work if they can, and that they inherenly dislike work. Management believe that workers needs to be closely supervised with a comprehensive system of controls.
Theory Y - management assumes that employees may be ambitious and self-motivated and exercise self-control.
35
Define 'teamwork'
team work is a group of people working in collaboration or by cooperation toward a common goal
36
Describe the differences between groups and teams
1. Skill-set and interests:
Teams are selected using individual and complimentary skills. Teams are often cross-functional, making careful selection crucial to overall effectiveness.
Groups have membership commonality not found in teams. Commonality of interest leads to less conflict than often seen in teams.
2. Ease of creation:
Team members bring individual skills, ideas and aspirations. Development of the team will be a more dynamic process than setting up a group.
Similarities among group members mean groups are usually easier and quicker to form. A higher level of stability is likely and easier to achieve.
37
List the characteristics of effective teams
1. Shared aims - believe in the collective goals of the project
2. Trust - climate of trust, open with ideas and issues
3. Communication - channels are defined and open
4. Shared skills - complimentary skills and roles, allowing members to interact and make informed decisions quickly
5. Good relationships with other teams - acknowledge the need to work with other parts of the organisation and foster mutually beneficial working relationships
6. Effective leadership - encouraged to assume leadership of the team when needed, Pm is seen as a credible and effective leader
7. Self regulation - self-organising, self-managing, self-regulating. Members hold themselves mutually accountable for their actions
38
Describe the team dynamics present at different stages of team formation
1. Forming - the individuals are not yet a group. individuals explore each other's attitudes and backgrounds. Make personal impression on others.
2. Storming - conflict stage, can easily become uncomfortable. Members bargain to get when they want individually. interpersonal hostility can arise.
3. Norming - group usually develops a way of achieving objectives together. Questions of who does what and how are addressed. Working rules established in terms of norms of behaviour and role allocation. Creates a framework for members to relate to one another.
4. Performing - getting the job done. Fully mature group has been created, can get on with its work. Not all groups get to this stage.
5. Adjourning - this is an add-on to the four-stage model, not really an extension. Adjourning involves dissolution, potential for sense of loss or anxiety as group breaks up.
39
Explain Belbin's social roles model
Belbin's model identifies nine key team roles and their primary characteristics. The roles are focused around three areas: Cerebral, People, Action.
Belbin state that an understanding of people's preferred role is important and also that an imbalance of preferred roles within a single team may have an adverse impact on the team's effectiveness
40
List and define Cerebral roles
1, Plant. This is a creative, unorthodox person, may ignore details or get preoccupied. Can't be allowed to struggle with ownership vs. cooperation.
2. Monitor Evaluator. This is a sober, strategic person who sees options. May lack drive or be overly critical. Can't be allowed to have cynicism without logic.
3. Specialist. This is a single minded person with rare knowledge, can sometimes miss the bigger picture. Can't be allowed to ignore important information.
41
List and define People roles
1. Coordinator. This is a mature, confident person who clarifies goals. They can sometimes be manipulative or lazy with their own work. Can't be allowed to take credit for team effort.
2. Resource Investigator. This is an enthusiastic person who develops contacts. Can be overoptimistic and lose interest. Can't be allowed to let clients down.
3. Team Worker. This is a cooperative, mild and diplomatic person. Can be indecisive and easily influenced. Can't be allowed to avoid pressure situations.
42
List and define Action roles
1. Completer Finisher. This is a painstaking, conscientious person. Can be inclined to worry and be over attentive to detail. Can't be allowed to get obsessive.
2. Implementor. This is a disciplined, reliable and practical person. May be inflexible and slow to respond. Can't be allowed to obstruct change.
3. Shaper. A challenging, dynamic individual who is full of drive. May provoke others and hurt feelings at times. Can't be allowed to not make apologies or not show any humour.
43
List team dynamics-related issues that can arise
1. Ensure arguments are constructive
2. Embrace differences (priorities, outlooks, cultures)
3. Clarify roles to avoid conflict
4. Ensure team leader credibility
5. Manage competition over team leadership
6. Handle team members who lack commitment
7. Obtain active support from senior management
8. Avoid 'groupthink'
44
Define groupthink
Groupthink is a danger for teams who have continued to perform effectively (in their own eyes) for some time. Executive groups, Boards and specialist techie teams are particularly vulnerable to this as they can be isolated from mainstream activities.
Groupthink develops when the closeness of the group makes consensus-seeking the dominant force. Members avoid upsetting the group's 'togetherness'. Proposing new ways of doing things is seen as deviant and threatening.
