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.