Project management Managing the team I About teamwork
Project management: Managing the team I. About teamwork • The context of web-based project management • Groups and teams II. Managing teams • The manager’s responsibilities • The importance of communication III. Leadership and project management • Being a leader • Managing for effectiveness Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Project management: Managing the team I. The context Where is the web going? Emergent technologies and changing audiences Internet access continues to increase There is increasing demand for new web services Information, entertainment, government services, commerce, education There is a move towards increased accessibility People are accessing the web with a wide range of digital devices Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Web as information store It is a central repository for important information Postal services, digital libraries, government services The interface must be simple and easy to use Will require extensive and intuitive searching People have to be able to find what they want when searching large and complex databases Web as interactive TV Broadband allows richer media It can be accessed from televisions and kiosks This will require designing for a different type of interface Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
The portable web Accessing the web with small devices Cell phones, PDAs, wrist devices Designing smaller interfaces Developing minimalist and meaningful content Without graphics (for the near term) The rise of multimedia Designing 3 D spaces, sound design, animators, webvideo development Increasing importance of security This will be a specialist position Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
• Groups and teams A group is an expression of the needs and aspirations of the people who constitute them A team is a group with three additional characteristics They are formed by management directive Members are responsible for outcomes and operations They typically exist in an supportive work contexts The organization emphasizes the mutuality of interests between employers and employees Team members can influence work related decisions There is open information and two way communication about organizational policies and practices Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Project management: Managing the team I. About teamwork • The context of web-based project management • Groups and teams II. Managing teams • The manager’s responsibilities • The importance of communication III. Leadership and project management • Being a leader • Managing for effectiveness Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
• The manager’s responsibilities Keeping the team together Staying current Introduce new technologies into the group Give them the opportunity to keep their skills sharp This assumes that you are conversant with web technologies and know how to evaluate them Send team members to conferences Encourage them to participate It’s good for them and good for business Encourage them to join user groups and take classes They can become part of a local community Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Help the team develop its skill sets HTML coding is going away Static pages are for babies Coders will have to learn how to create dynamic pages This will involve learning scripting languages Programmers will spend more time working with servers, DBs, linking them to dynamic web sites Application development, server-side programming, CGI development Increasing demands on creative team members As web site users become more sophisticated, creatives will have to develop more compelling user experiences Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Monitoring the team Detecting weaknesses among the group This is a form of risk assessment How strong and cohesive is your team? Does the team miss deadlines? Are they over budget? How is the quality of the work? *Who is the weakest link? * Study the record Look at time sheets, read project reports and talk to team members regularly Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
• The importance of communication Information exchange among team members is critical to team success It develops over time and requires learning and practice Poor communication People from different disciplines do not have a common language Lack of mutual understanding of a common set of terms Ex: What is “quality assurance” and how can it be measured? Personality differences Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Conflicting and hidden agendas The “expert” Ineffective meetings Running a good meeting is important Lack of proximity It is possible to run virtual teams, but face to face meetings are still important Members’ tacit assumptions about the work and each other Because these are not shared, people may be working at cross purposes Poor infrastructure and support If the ICT is not transparent, communication will suffer Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
How to evaluate team communication Can you describe the communication flows? Can you describe the underlying ICTs? Can members easily handle the files they sent each other? Does every team member know how to get in touch with every other member? Are there lots of undocumented nd ad hoc meetings? Who is getting together? Does the team turn in projects over budget? How does the manager find out about events and problems in the workgroup? Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Documentation can help a team work more efficiently Style guide Use the one that makes sense to you and make it available to the team APA has a 5 th edition that covers digital content Production guides This document explains how the web site will be developed It explains the conventions that will be used throughout the project The guide provides the team with an overview of the work flow and allows them to see how their work fits in Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Production guides should include A map of the directory structure Functional specs File naming conventions Server information Target audience specs Coding conventions Programming conventions Rules for image formatting Explanation of version control Benchmarks and timeline Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Provide the team with a good communication infrastructure Make sure everyone has the same software for writing and email Develop an archive of all project-related communication This will be digital and paper-based Post important documents to your secure web site Investigate ways to automate parts of the communication process For example, project management software can automate task monitoring Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Project management: Managing the team I. About teamwork • The context of web-based project management • Groups and teams II. Managing teams • The manager’s responsibilities • The importance of communication III. Leadership and project management • Being a leader • Managing for effectiveness Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
• Being a leader Challenge: how to manage a team that can handle continuous adaptation to change Without losing strategic focus Transactional leaders work with their systems They focus on rewards and exchanges in the organization They try to meet the needs of their teams This is a form of cultural maintenance Charismatic leaders use the force of their personalities They tend to be persistent and committed to their long term goals Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Leadership involves managing people Conflict management Identifies and takes steps to prevent situations that could result in unpleasant confrontations Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a positive and constructive manner to minimize negative impact Promoting diversity Recruits, develops, and retains a diverse high quality workforce in an equitable manner Leads and manages an inclusive workplace that maximizes the talents of each person to achieve sound business results Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Team building Inspires, motivates, and guides others toward goals Develops and sustains cooperative working relationships Encourages and facilitates cooperation within the organization and with customers Develops leadership in others by coaching, mentoring, rewarding, and guiding employees Service orientation Creates and sustains an organizational culture which encourages others to provide high quality of service Enables others to acquire the tools and support they need to perform well Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Articulating a vision for the team Leaders provide a realistic vision and mission for the team It addresses the needs of all of the stakeholders It requires depth knowledge of the project and the environment What the project is --> what it can become --> how the team will get there The team’s mission is a framework for action It must articulate shared values and goal and appeal to the major stakeholders Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Then the vision must be disseminated All members of the team should have a copy of the project mission Then the leader seeks buy-in To gain a sense of broad purpose Should be clear about the direction and objectives and forceful about the means In a sense, leadership is making meaning Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Managing groups to help them work effectively How effectively groups work is generally a combination of the following three factors: Level of effort task How much effort the group applies to carry out its Task performance strategies How do they carry out the task? Level and appropriateness of the skill What do group members bring to the task? Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
It is difficult to influence these three factors directly In part, this is because of the internal characteristics of people These are hard to access or change Look for external characteristics that can be manipulated Behavior norms Task Design Composition of the group These factors can be used to affect group performance indirectly Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Changing norms is usually the best way of improving task performance strategies It can lead to increased effort A leader or group can require: Regular attendance at meetings Regular reporting and accountability Redesign the task Improves both effort and task performance strategies Introduce greater specialization of responsibilities Increase amount of job enrichment Give members tasks that fit their experience Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Problems with teams Compliance: Going along with idea or behaving in a way consistent with the majority Peer influence: changing attitudes or beliefs as a result of group pressure Groupthink: severe self-censorship and/or group pressures to conform Particularly common in long-established groups Tends to arise in “us versus them” situations Presence of “mind-guards” who deny/ridicule dissenting opinions Can blind group to facts and reasoning which may be useful in making a decision Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Dealing with false consensus Describe the problem without taking a position Encourage critical evaluation from members If you lead, accept criticism of your ideas Use other groups in the organization, or sub groups of your own group to work on the same issue in parallel Invite outside experts Assign a group member to be a devil’s advocate “Deviant thinking” is particularly important whent he decision is important or controversial When the group is brand new or very old The problem is ill-defined Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
Managerial Problems Calling the unit a team but really managing members as individuals Failing to maintain the balance of authority between management and the team Failing to provide the team with appropriate amounts (too much/too little) of structure for accomplishing the task Failing to provide org supports for accomplishing challenging team objectives Assuming members have the required competence to work well as a team Advanced Information Architecture- Fall 02
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