Module 4 People Flashcards
What are key enablers for building a team?
Determine your project team requirements.
Appraise stakeholder skills.
Support diversity and inclusion.
Continually assess and refresh skills.
Maintain knowledge transfer.
What are key tools and deliverables for building a team?
Tools:
RACI charts (Responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed). For each task, only one person can be accountable. At least one should be responsible. No max or minimum for consulted or informed. Tasks are usually shown on the Y axis, people on the X axis.
Structured interviews and focus groups can help determine what skill sets are needed.
Information radiators (big visible charts) are used in Agile and hybrid.
Need to know requirements and rates.
Deliverables:
Resource management plan.
Team directory
Skills list
Org chart (always Predictive)
What are key enablers for defining team group rules?
These are important for getting buy-in from the team.
Collectively define project rules. This includes setting clear expectations regarding the code of conduct. This isn’t just a preference to acting professional—also means following the chain of command and describing how to handle conflict.
The ground rules muster be communicated.
Establish an environment that fosters adherence. In Agile, the team takes ownership.
Manage and rectify ground rules violations. Assess opportunities for remediation. How can someone make good? Focus on core violations instead of being nit picky. Understand accountability and promote visibility.
What are key tools and deliverables for defining team ground rules?
Tools:
Negotiation skills.
Conflict management.
Brainstorming.
used to be be that conflict was to be avoided at all costs, but there is a realization that conflict can produce better ideas. PMI recommends a problem-solving approach. Confront the problem, not the person. Collaboration is second best. Compromise is lose/lose—everyone gives up something, which is not ideal. Forcing a solution with “I’m the boss” is not a long-term solution, although it may be needed on a deadline. Withdrawal should only be a temporary option, aka if people are about to fight.
Deliverables:
Team charter. This is different than the project charter; this communicates the ground rules.
What are key enablers for building a shared understanding?
Survey all necessary parties to achieve consensus. You need a clear vision of the desired end objectives. Once you have consensus, support the outcome of the parties’ agreement. Set people up for success.
What are key tools and deliverables for building a shared understanding?
Tools:
Brainstorming.
Project charter
Building the project plan.
Kickoff meeting
Deliverables:
Project vision. Don’t shift it too much.
What are key enablers for negotiating project enablers?
It can be harder to negotiate inside the organization due to internal politics.
Start by analyzing the bounds of the negotiation. What is needed? Ensure mutual understanding. Define obligations between the parties. Describe the level of service expected.
Assess priorities and determine your objectives. Prioritize your requirements.
Determine your negotiating strategy. is this one meeting or a long project?
Capture resource availability.
What are key tools and deliverables when negotiating project agreements?
Tools:
Negotiating skills
Expert judgement
Lessons learned
OPAs
Prioritization models. Kano model, which compares features based on how well they will satisfy customers versus how much they will cost. MOSCOW—must have, should have, could have. Assign points to help differentiate.
Deliverables:
SLAs
Resource calendars
“Go Live” blackouts
What are key enablers for empowering team members?
Organize around team strengths. Understand needed competencies, and use a SWOT approach.
Support team accountability. Be clear on how to verify that objectives have been met. Create acceptance criteria.
In Agile, encourage teams to determine how team accountability will be tracked.
In Predictive, use WBS to identify, track, and manage deliverables.
What are key tools and deliverables for empowering team members?
Tools: “Fist to Five” is a voting technique. Planning poker. Roman voting (thumbs up or down).
Deliverables: Decisions.
What are key enablers for training team members?
You need people to be able to step into different roles.
Determine needed competencies, then look at what training can provide them. Includes virtual, self-paced, etc. Also consider mentoring/OJT.
Need to make sure you allocate funding for training, as well as consider the time team members will need to spend on training. Make sure to track outcomes.
What are key tools and deliverables for training?
Tools:
conduct a gap analysis
Deliverables:
Training and mentoring plan
training cost estimates
training calendar
Assessments
What are key enablers for supporting virtual teams?
Examine virtual team needs. What do people need to be successful? Knock down virtual walls. use video conferencing. Promote visibility into work status.
Focus on collaboration instead of tools. What is it that you need to accomplish?
Consider body language. Are people showing signs they do not agree?
What are key tools and deliverables for supporting virtual teams?
Tools:
Communication
Variance analysis. What has changed (good and bad) since you went virtual?
Effective leadership—what techniques are you using?
Deliverables:
Engagement analysis. How are people doing?
Calendars.
What are key enablers for engaging with stakeholders?
Evaluate engagement needs early. Continue doing so throughout the project. Optimize the alignment between needs, expectations, and project objectives.
SMP is the stakeholder engagement plan. You want to document planned engagement.
Built trust and influence stakeholders to accomplish project objectives. Engage them frequently.
What are key tools and deliverables for engaging with stakeholders?
Tools:
Do a stakeholder analysis. What is their power (level of authority and ability to impose their will?), interest (concern regarding the project?), influence (active involvement in the project), impact (ability to effect changes), and authority (right to apply project resources, make decisions, etc?).
Note whether people are unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, or leading. Consider both current and desirable.
Use the salience model. This is a three-pronged approach that contrasts interest, impact, and power.
Deliverables:
Stakeholder engagement plan. Cover their name, role, impact, influence, and attitude.
Stakeholder analysis
What are key enablers for leading the team?
Set a clear vision and mission. The PM should be a visionary leader. He/she should educate the team and stakeholders on the value of the project. Should support diversity and inclusion. You want different behavior types, thought processes, motivations, and working styles on the team.
PM should be a servant leader. Help the team grow as a group. Help individuals achieve their goals. Provide coaching and training. Remove stumbling blocks.
Your leadership style may need to vary from hands off to highly involved. Situational leadership.
Inspire, motivate, and influence the team members. You want the team to bond. Use the vision statement to keep people focused.
What is unique to Agile for leading the team?
Practice servant leadership. The team is self-organized; you do what you can to remove obstacles. You also provide coaching. You work for the team; the team doesn’t work for you. Use active listening. Be culturally aware. You want people to be both highly autonomous but also highly aligned with the vision.
What are key tools and deliverables for leading the team?
Tools:
Salience model—3D model of power, urgency, and legitimacy.
Influence model—horizontal axis is for people on the team, and vertical axis is for the people you with.
Diversity awareness is really important.
Leadership—need to inspire, not just tell people how to do their jobs.
Motivational theories:
—McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y. X is that the person needs micromanagement, and Y is the opposite. You need to vary your style along the situational continuum.
—Maslow was the first to say that external forces can motivate someone. The hierarchy is basic physical, then safety, then social, then self esteem, then self-actualization
—Herzberg said there are hygiene issues such as salary and supervision, as well as motivational issues. You still need to address the hygiene even if you have motivation.
—Vroom said you expect that if you work hard and do well, you will be rewarded.
—McClelland said there are three levels—achievement, affiliation (relationships), and power.
Leadership styles:
—autocratic
—participative
—supportive
—facilitative
—consensual
Deliverables:
Vision/mission document.
Reward and recognition plan
What are key enablers for supporting team performance?
Appraise team performance against established KPIs. Help the team realize progress toward those goals. The goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely).
Support and recognize team growth. Set objectives collaboratively. Bruce Tuckman—forming, storming, norming, performing. Now also adjourning (for people leaving). The circle starts again when someone joins the team.
Enablers: determine how to best provide feedback. Should be frequent. Verify improvements.
What are key tools and deliverables for supporting team performance?
Tools:
Task boards.
Earned value—how to manage resources.
Cycle time—how long should it take to complete a cycle.
RACI charts.
Deliverables:
performance and benchmarking reports.
What are key enablers for managing conflict?
Focus on issues, not individuals.
Remember people have bad days.
ID the root cause of the misunderstanding. use empathy and emotional intelligence.
What are key tools and deliverables for managing conflict?
Tools:
—PMI recommends “confront/collaborate.” Face the problem. Compromise is lose/lose. Smoothing is not recommended. Withdrawal not recommended unless it’s strategic to let things calm down.
Active listening.
Deliverables:
—Updated working agreement. Updated RACi matrix. Leading reason for conflict is that no one is accountable.
Resolved conflict/issue log.
What are key enablers for mentoring relevant stakeholders?
Allocate time for mentoring. Put it on your calendar. Have informal and formal plans. Recognize and act on mentoring opportunities. Determine who can get value from it.
encourage participation from stakeholders. Helps build both your knowledge and the mentee’s.
