Models in Project Management Flashcards
Model
A thinking strategy to explain a process, framework, or phenomenon.
Method
The means for achieving an outcome, output, result, or project deliverable.
Artifact
A template, document, output, or project deliverable.
Situational Leadership Model
- Tailoring one’s leadership style based on individual needs
- Evolving from directing to coaching as an individuals competence and commitment evolve
Competence
The combination of ability of KSAs.
Commitment
The confidence and motivation an individual has in achieving a goal.
OSCAR Model
- Situational leadership Model for coaching & mentoring
- Outcome
- Situation
- Choices/Consequences
- Actions
- Review
How do you address “Outcome” in OSCAR?
- Identifies the long-term goals of an individual
- Includes their desired result in each conversation session.
How do you address “Situation” in OSCAR?
- Enable a conversation about the current KSAs of the project team member
- Help them understand why they are at that level
- How that level impacts individual performance & peer relationships
How do you perform “Choices/Consequences” in OSCAR?
- Identifies all potential avenues for attaining the desired outcome
- Identifies the consequences of each choice as well
- Empower the individual to choose viable avenues for reaching their long-term goals
What are “Actions” in OSCAR?
- Commitments to immediate and attainable targets
- Specified for a time frame
How do you “Review” in OSCAR?
- Regular meetings that offer support
- Ensures that individuals remain motivated and on track
Cross-Cultural Communication
Model explaining that message transmission between sender and receiver is influenced by:
- Current knowledge,
- Experience,
- Language,
- Thinking,
- Communication styles,
- Stereotypes
- Relationship
Media Richness
- The amount of learning that can be transmitted through a medium
Characteristics of Media Rich Channels
The ability to:
- Handle multiple information cues simultaneously
- Facilitate rapid feedback
- Establish personal focus
- Utilize natural language
Gulf of Evaluation
- The degree to which an item supports the user in discovering how to interpret the item and interact with it effectively
Gulf of Execution
- The degree to which an item corresponds with what a person expects it to do
Hygiene Factors
Factors that can impact job satisfaction such as:
- Company policies
- Salary
- Physical Environment
Intrinsic Motivators
- Autonomy
- Mastery
- Purpose
Autonomy
- Intrinsic Motivator
- The desire to direct one’s own life
- Entails allowing choice in how, where, and when to accomplish work
Mastery
- Intrinsic Motivator
- The drive and ability to improve, do excellent work, learn, and achieve goals
Purpose
- Intrinsic Motivator
- Speaks to the need to make a difference
- Example: Knowing the project vision and how work contributes to achieving that vision allows people to feel like they are making a difference
Theory of Needs
Motivational Model states that people are driven by needs of:
- Achievement
- Power
- Affiliation
According to Theory of Needs,
what is the Achievement needs?
Motivation to reach a goal through work that is challenging, but reasonable
According to Theory of Needs,
what is the Power need?
Motivation for increased responsibility and the power to organize, motivate, and lead others.
According to Theory of Needs,
what’s the Affiliation need?
The motivation to seek acceptance, belonging, and to be part of a team
Theory X
- People are motivated solely for income
- Characterized by hands-on and top-down management styles
- Labor intensive environments
Theory Y
- People are intrinsically motivated to do good work
- Often seen in creative environments
- Management style is similar to personal coaching
Theory Z
- People are motivated for self-realization, by their values, and a higher calling
- These management styles cultivates insight and meaning, and promote high productivity, morale, and satisfaction
Change Models
- The description of activities necessary for change management or the transition from the current state to the future state
- Examples include ADKAR, Transition Model, Virginia Satir Change Model, and the 8 Step Process
ADKAR Model
A Change Management Model with 5 sequential steps individuals undergo when adapting to change:
- Awareness - Awareness identifies why the change is necessary.
- Desire - Desire to be a part of and support the change.
- Knowledge - Knowledge of how to change, including knowledge of new processes, systems, roles, and responsibilities needed.
- Ability - Ability to perform hands on practice with access to support and expertise if needed.
- Reinforcement
8 Step Process for Leading Change
A top down approach on where the need for change and approach to change originates at the top levels is promoted down through management to the recipients.
- Urgency - ID threats and opportunities
- Form a Coalition of Change Leaders - diverse set of influential people not based on heirarchy
- Create a Vision & Strategy for Change
- Communicate the Vision
- Remove Obstacles - Outdated structures, processes, or people
- Create Short-Term Wins
- Build on the Change / Goals for Improvement
- Anchor Changes in Corporate Culture
Virginia Satir Change Model
- A model that describes how people experience and cope with change
- Aims to help project team members understand what they are feeling to move through change more quickly
Transition Model
- Model describing the psychological experience of people when organizations change
- Differentiates between change and transition stating
- Change is situational whether or not people transition through it
Complexity Models
- Frameworks to understand complexity and how to make decisions in a complex environment
- Helps with projects since there is ambiguity from multiple systems working together with uncertain outcomes
- Cynefin Framework
- Stacey Matrix
Cynefin Framework
- Complexity model that offers 5 problem and decision-making contexts
- Helps to diagnose cause and effect relationships and aid with decision making
Cause & Effect
- One of 5 contexts according to Cynefin Framework
- Follow best practices when Causality is certain
Complicated Relationships
- One of 5 contexts according to Cynefin Framework
- Complicated relationships exist when there is a set of known unknowns or a range of correct answers
- Assess the facts, analyze the situation, apply best practices
Complex Relationships
- One of 4 contexts according to Cynefin Framework
- Include known and unknowns
- No apparent cause and effect or obvious right answers
- Emergent process of repeating cycles of “Probe, Sense, Respond”
- Complex environments change in reaction to multiple stimuli; what worked once may not work again
Chaotic Environment
- One of 5 contexts according to Cynefin Framework
- Cause and effects are unclear
- Too much confusion to wait to understand the situation
- Try to stabilize the situation
- Sense where the stability exists
- Turn the chaotic environment into a complex one
Disordered Relationships
- One of 5 contexts according to Cynefin Framework
- Lack clarity
- Need to be broken down into smaller components with links to the other contexts
Stacey Matrix
- Model to understand and respond to complexity through 2 dimensions
- Relative uncertainty of the requirements for the deliverable
- Relative uncertainty of the technology required to create the deliverable
- Projects can be simple, complicated, complex, or chaotic
Think Win-Win
- Negotiation model that has 3 outcomes “Win-Win”, “Win-Lose”, “Lose-Lose”
- Character: parties are mature, demonstrate integrity, and share the belief that there is enough for everyone
- Trust: parties trust each other and agree on how to operate and are accountable
- Approach: parties are willing to see the situation from the other perspective and identify acceptable solutions and how to achieve them
6 Ways to Address Conflict
- Confronting/Problem Solve
- Collaborate
- Compromise
- Smoothing/Accommodating
- Force
- Withdrawal/Avoiding
Confronting/Problem Solving
- Treats the conflict as a problem to be solved
- Used when the relationship between parties is important
- Works well when both parties have confidence in each other
Collaborate
- The objective is to incorporate and learn multiple views about a conflict
- Effective when there is trust among participants and time to come to a consensus
Compromise
- Both parties give and take
- A willingness to not escalate
- Both parties must have equal “power”
Smoothening/Accomodating
- Used when reaching the goal is more important than the disagreement
- Maintains harmony within the relationship
- Useful when there is a relative power differential (i.e between a Project Manager and Sponsor)
Forcing
- Used when there is insufficient time and one party forces their will upon another
- May be used when a health and safety conflict needs to be resolved immediately
Withdrawal/Avoiding
- Backing off from a conflict or allowing a “cool off” period
- Used for no-win scenarios
- Examples include complying with regulatory agencies on requirements
The “Sweet Spot”
- The optimum amount of planning to maximize the return on investment
- It is different for every project
Planning Tradeoffs
- Planning reduces risks, oversights, and rework
- Over-planning can reduce ROI, market share, and relevance of a product
Process Groups
- Model to organize the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs that are tailored to meet the needs of an organization
- Groups of processes are NOT phases
- Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing
Project Team Development Models
- Models to support project team growth towards being mature high-performing
- Tuckman Ladder
- Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model
