Project Communications Management Balancing Multidisciplinary Teams Effective Communication

Project Communications Management Balancing Multidisciplinary Teams

Effective Communication Nonverbal Paralingual Feedback

Effective Listening Feedback Active Listening Paralingual

Message received and decoded Encoded Message Sent Paralingual Nonverbal Feedback Active listening Sender Receiver

Communication Methods Communication Method When Used Formal written Complex problems, project management plans, project charter, communicating over long distances Formal verbal Presentations, speeches Informal written Memos, e-mail, notes Informal verbal Meetings, conversations

Communications Exercise Situation Updating project mgmt plan Presentations to mgmt Trying to solve a complex problem Making notes regarding a telephone conversation Making changes to a contract Informing a team member of poor performance (first notice) Informing a team member of poor performance (second notice) Communications Method

Communications Exercise Situation Scheduling a meeting Clarifying a work package Requesting additional resources Trying to discover the root cause of a problem Sending an e-mail to ask for clarification of an issue Holding a milestone party Conducting a bidder conference call Communications Method

The Art of Negotiating � Project Management Is NOT a Contest. ◦ Everyone is on the same side—OURS. ◦ Everyone is bound by the success of the project. ◦ Everyone has to continue to work together. � Principled Negotiations ◦ Separate the people from the problem. ◦ Focus on interests, not positions. ◦ Invent options for mutual gain. ◦ When possible, use objective criteria.

The Art of Negotiating (cont’d) Dealing with Unreasonable People ◦ If pushed, don’t push back. ◦ Ask questions instead of making statements. ◦ Use silence as a response to unreasonable demands. ◦ Ask for advice and encourage others to criticize your ideas and positions. ◦ Work toward a win/win scenario.

Key Elements of Negotiations Each party in the negotiation must believe they have achieved. In other words, both must feel they are or were successful. Do not forget the other party is a human being and needs to feel the other side cares. Fairness is essential to success. Both you and your opponent must perceive that you were treated fairly. (You will know whether you were fair in your treatment of the other person. ) A deal is a deal! You need to honor your side of the agreement and the other side must honor theirs. The essence of negotiations is to do business again. Both parties must win.

Universal Truths • The sum and substance or so-called “Universal Truths of Negotiations” are as follows: Everything is negotiable, • We negotiate continually, • The process is predictable, • Information is crucial to success, and • Time constraints affect the outcome.

Rules For Negotiating Teams � � When you are negotiating with two people; Sit where you can watch both. When you have two people on your team; Sit apart so you “speak with two voices. ” When you have a large group opposing their small group; Keep your group together for the appearance of power. When they have a large group opposing your small group; Intermingle to diffuse their power.

Managing Customer Relations � Customer Satisfaction ◦ The negative effect of dissatisfied customers on a firm’s reputation is far greater than the positive effect of satisfied customers. ◦ Every customer has a unique set of performance expectations and met-performance perceptions. ◦ Satisfaction is a perceptual relationship: Perceived performance Expected performance ◦ Project managers must be skilled at managing both customer expectations and perceptions.

Managing Customer Relations (cont’d) � Managing ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Customer Expectations Don’t oversell the project; better to undersell. Develop a well-defined project scope statement. Share significant problems and risks. Keep everyone informed about the project’s progress. Involve customers early on decisions about project development changes. Handle customer relationships and problems in an expeditious, competent, and professional manner. Speak with one voice. Speak the language of the customer.

Rules for Meetings Set a time limit and keep to it. Schedule recurring meetings in advance. Meet with the team regularly, but not too often. Have a purpose for each meeting. Create an agenda with team input. Distribute the agenda beforehand. Stick to the agenda Let people know their responsibilities in advance. Bring the right people together. Chair and lead the meeting with a set of rules. Assign deliverables and time limits for all work that results from meetings. Document and publish meeting minutes.

Communication Channels [N(N-1)/2]

Responsibility Matrices � Responsibility Matrix (RM) ◦ Also called a linear responsibility chart ◦ Summarizes the tasks to be accomplished and who is responsible for what on the project �Lists project activities and participants �Clarifies critical interfaces between units and individuals that need coordination �Provide an means for all participants to view their responsibilities and agree on their assignments �Clarifies the extent or type of authority that can be exercised by each participant

Responsibility Matrix for a Market Research Project FIGURE 4. 7

Responsibility Matrix for a Conveyor Belt Project FIGURE 4. 8

Project Communication Plan What information needs to be collected? Who will receive information? What information methods will be used? What are the access restrictions? When will information be communicated? How will information be communicated?

Communications Plan FIGURE 4. 9

Performance Reporting Status report Progress report Trend report Forecasting report Variance report Earned value Lessons learned

Project Quality

Quality Definitions Quality: conformance to requirements and fitness of use Quality Management: The processes required to ensure that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken. Philosophy: Gold plating is bad; prevention over inspection is good

Quality Characteristics Grade vs. Quality ◦ Grade: meets spec requirements ◦ Quality: behaves as expected Prevention vs. Inspection Management Responsibility Processes Customer Satisfaction ◦ Keep customer informed ◦ Stick to Requirements

Quality Processes � Quality Planning ◦ Quality standards and methods to meet them ◦ Planning � Quality Assurance ◦ Improvements, audits, measurement comparisons, considering standards appropriateness ◦ Executing � Quality Control ◦ Measuring/testing errors, measuring schedule performance, comparing results to standard ◦ Controlling

Quality Planning Quality Assurance Quality Control Determine a plan for quality Determine if the project is complying with organizational and project policies and processes Measure specific project results against standards • Find existing quality standards for product & project mgmt • Create additional projectspecific standards • Determine how you will measure to make sure you meet the standards • Balance the needs of quality w/scope, cost, time, risk & satisfaction • Create a quality mgmt plan & add it to the project mgmt plan • Perform continuous improvement • Determine if project activities comply w/organization and project policies, process, and procedures – quality audit • Correct deficiencies • Identify improvements the company needs to make • Recommend changes and corrective actions to integrated change control • Measure specific project results against quality standards • Implement approved changes to the quality baseline • Identify quality improvements • Validate defects repaired • Recommend changes, corrective and preventative actions and defect repair to integrated change control Mostly done during project planning Mostly done during project executing Mostly done during project monitoring and controlling

Quality Planning Tools Standards Benchmarking (past analysis) Benefit/Cost Analysis (BCA) Flowchart (future analysis) Design of Experiments (what if? ) Cost of Quality (costs of conformance & non-conformance) Fishbone Diagram (also used in QC)

Quality Assurance Tools Evaluation against standards on regular basis Re-evaluation of standards, methods, and procedures Quality Audit: structured review of quality activities that identifies lessons learned

Quality Control Tools � Inspection � Pareto Diagram � Fishbone Diagram � Checklists � Statistical Sampling � Control Charts � Flow charting (also used in Quality Planning) � Trend Analysis

Quality Techniques Continuous Improvement (Kaizen) Just in Time (JIT) Total Quality Management (TQM)

Optimal Quality and Responsibility Marginal Analysis Responsibility for Quality ◦ Optimal quality is reached at point where incremental value from improvement = incremental cost to secure it. ◦ Senior management is responsible for organizational quality ◦ PM has ultimate responsibility for quality of product of project ◦ Each team member is responsible for self inspection

Monitoring Project Results Variable ◦ Anything measured Attribute ◦ Binary value, either right or wrong Probability ◦ Likelihood event will occur, usually expressed as %

Control Chart Features � Control Limits ◦ Acceptable range of variation of a process often shown as 2 dashed lines on chart ◦ Upper and Lower Control Limits are determined by organization’s sigma quality standard � Specification Limits ◦ Contractual requirements for performance and quality ◦ Not calculated based on control chart ◦ Outside chart control limits if project can meet ◦ Inside chart control limits if project cannot meet

Out of Control ◦ Lack of consistency or predictability in process. ◦ When data point falls outside upper or lower control limit ◦ When non-random data points are still within upper and lower control limits, such as Rule of Seven

Rule of Seven Heuristic referring to non-random data points grouped together in a series that total 7 on one side of mean. Assignable Cause is a data point or Rule of Seven that requires investigation to determine cause of variation.

Impact of Poor Quality Increased costs Low morale Low customer satisfaction Increased risk Rework Schedule delays

Cost of Quality Cost of Conformance Prevention and Appraisal Costs Planning Training Auditing Controlling Cost of Nonconformance Failure Costs Internal Scrap (pre customer) Rework Expediting External Warranty (post customer) Service Recalls

“How to Create a “Miracle on Demand” Experienced project managers sometimes look like miracle workers. They bring in a project that seems impossible, and solve problems that others can’t. They have learned to think like project managers—and to use the tools of project management effectively. As you read and practice the tools provided, you’ll learn some of the secrets for looking like a miracle worker yourself. Your projects are full of hidden resources and opportunities. Every project has hidden resources that can solve many of your problems. Proper planning will help you uncover those resources and use them properly. These resources go by strange names—resource slack, weak constraint flexibility, control point identification. You’ll learn how to uncover and use them as you read this. Resources are scarce—so don’t waste the ones you have. Remember: You waste a resource if you don’t know it’s there in the first place.

How to Create a “Miracle on Demand” When you need one great idea, start with several ideas. The tools of brainstorming are an important resource for project managers. Don’t go it alone; get input and fresh ideas from other sources. When you’re overstressed and overanxious, racing your brain for insights and solutions, you don’t think at top capacity. Allow your project team to carry some of the creative load; it helps you –and it improves their moral at the same time. Take the time to plan and to set goals. Thousands of projects fail each year because their managers didn’t do the preliminary steps in the right order, especially defining and planning. Make sure you know what the goal of the project is; make sure you understand the work; make sure you have a plan. Then start the work. You wouldn’t go to the target practice and shout, “Ready! Fire! Aim!” Don’t take that attitude with your projects.