SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute T-76.612 Software Project Management - Spring 2005 Lecture 5. Managing People and Organizing Teams Chapter 11 Maria Paasivaara HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute Managing People and Organizing Team s ”It is the People – not the procedures and techniques, that are critical to accomplishing the project objectives.” HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute Managing People and Organizing Team s � Often the most difficult areas in managing software development projects � “Most managers are willing to concede the idea that they’ve got more people worries than technical worries. But they seldom manage that way.” (DeMarco & Lister, Peopleware) � One reason: technical experts become managers � Important areas: � Selecting right people for the job � Motivating people � Working as a team HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute Project Manager’s Role � � Communicator with Facilitator or coach for own stakeholders: team � Senior management – � provides possibilities for gaining and maintaining effective work support � PM spends 50-90% of his time � Client – informing, on communication! negotiating � Subcontractors – Senior controlling, negotiating m anagem ent � Project staff- conflict resolution, problem solving Project Project Custom er � External world – team m anager informing (e.g. press, other interest groups) HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Subcontractors
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute Suggested Skills for a Project Manager � Communication skills: listening, persuading � To manage, Organizational skills: planning, goal-setting, To manage, lead or analyzing lead or � administrate? Team building skills: empathy, motivation administrate? � Leadership skills: set example, energetic, positive, delegates, vision (big picture) � Coping skills: flexibility, creativity, patience, persistence � Technological skills: experience, project knowledge � Negotiation skills: negotiates with management to get good team members, enough resources and reasonable goals and schedules HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute PM’s Role betw een Managem ent and Project Team � Management Management/ customer might set conflicting/ impossible requirements and goals for the project � Project team needs goals that are reachable within project schedule � Project manager is a link between the groups and negotiates the resources and the goals Project manager HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Project team
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute PM’s Role betw een Managem ent and Project Team � Management Example situation: project steering group meeting � Advices to a project manager: � Plan carefully, e.g. � A couple of alternative directions that the management group can choose from � Give good reasoning based on data/ facts (calculations & visualizations!) Project manager � Anticipate questions and counter arguments and plan your responses � Opinions, not based on evidence are vague HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Project team
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute W hat is a Team ? � � A team consists of Team size � at least two people, who � Less that 20 people � are working towards a � Optimal size is 4-8 common goal/ objective/ persons for software mission, where teams � each person has been � In a larger project add assigned specific roles or the number of teams � It is optimal that a person functions to perform, and where works only in one project � completion of the mission team at the time requires some form of dependency among group members (Dyer) HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute The Jelled* Team � “A jelled team is a group of people so strongly knit that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The production of such a team is greater than that of the same people working in unjelled form. Just as important, the enjoyment that people derive from their work is greater that what you would expect given the nature of the work itself.” (DeMarco & Lister, Peopleware) (* Jell = tulla hyvin toimeen jonkun kanssa työnteossa) HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute How to Build Effective Team s � Team cohesion ( = yhtenäisyys, yhteenkuuluvuus) � Kick-off meeting � Collocation � Sense of team identity � Frequent and free communication � Trust building (e.g. role based, achievement based) � Give frequent, easy opportunities for the team to succeed together and celebrate the achievement (e.g., team dinner after achieving a milestone) � Jelled teams have fun working together! HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute How to Build Effective Team s � Challenging goals � “Establish a vision” � Goals must � be specific and measurable � represent a significant challenge � be achievable and accepted by team members � Setting goals � By having all team members participate in defining the team goals helps them to accept the goals � Goals should be followed and adjusted if needed HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute How to Build Effective Team s � Establishing plans � Agreeing together a strategy for achieving the goals � Agreeing about the work process and practices used � Team members must � feel that the tasks are achievable � understand their role and responsibilities � agree on how to accomplish them HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute How to Build Effective Team s � Selecting roles � Roles and responsibilities should be defined and assigned together to all team members � Roles should include also communication responsibilities � Max 3 roles per person � Feedback � Goals must be tracked and progress visibly displayed � Frequent and precise feedback motivates HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute Com m unication � Maintaining com m unication am ong team m em bers � Most common team problem is poor communication � High performing teams � know what is happening � can anticipate problems and quickly adjust to changes � know when someone needs help � can see the effects of their work � Both formal and informal communication is needed � Formal: e.g. regular meetings once a week to discuss issues, resolve problems, plan work, follow progress � Informal: Daily contact among team members HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute Sum m ary � Set project goals and objectives � Define roles and responsibilities � Decision making rights � Involve team to planning as early as possible � Commitment to plans & motivation � Arrange a project kick-off meeting � Formal and informal parts � Build trust (e.g. role based, achievement based) � Provide transparency of progress � Give feedback � Project manager is a facilitator - provides possibilities for effective work, supports team, follows progress, steps in when problems, reports to management, communicates HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute 1 st Mid-term Exam � 6.4. at 12.00-14.00 in T1 � Material: � Course book (except Chapters 3 and 6 and Appendixes) � Handouts (pages 1-48) � Lectures 1-5 � Exercises 1-2 � Exam questions: � Definitions � Small questions � 2 Essays � Quite a lot to write within limited timeframe: start quickly, answer briefly! � Remember to register! HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute Questions? ? ? HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Recommend
More recommend
