Project Governance –the human side of it…

An Illustrated Journey

Ehssan Sakhaee (PhD)ehssan.sakhaee@sydney.edu.au

Project Management Program, Faculty of Engineering and IT, The University of Sydney

September 17, 2013

Inspiration...

• Self determination theory (40 years of motivational psychology research since the 1970s)

• Systems Thinking (starting its roots in Operations Research in the 50s and grew in the 80s to Soft Systems Thinking)

• Positive Psychology (movement that began in 1998 by the president of the American Psychological Association)

• Some interesting people and personal experiences...

a little “scientific” assumption…

Some people are not intrinsically motivated by policies and procedures but by purpose, and when policies and procedures make sense to these individuals, they are more willing to follow them without constant reinforcement of these policies.

These people are not bad people, but are driven by reason and purpose rather than by pure compliance.

The talk

• Purpose• Problem• People• Play

Governing Purpose...

Why are we here?

Governing the problem...

…Putting the Right People on the Boat…

When you have the right people on the boat...

When you have the wrong people on the boat...

Why are you here, Ben?

By now, you’ve (hopefully) got the right people on the boat...

...now lets PLAY !

How do we keep the game rolling ?How do we keep people motivated and

not killtheir motivation or performance ??

Self-Determination Theory

Three basic psychological needs can induce high level of intrinsic motivation:

• Autonomy• Competency• Relatedness

I choose to...

I can ...

I belong...I care for...

and I’m cared for...

I’m MOTIVATED from within and

feel HAPPY, PURPOSEFUL

and PRODUCTIVE !

You must...

You should...You have

to...

Have you consider

ed...

May I suggest..

.

How about...

I quit !

Productivity&

Well-being

Staff Turnover& Costs

Flow – Being in the ZONE…

The Pygmalion Effect

Authority and Responsibility

“Those men and women, to whom we delegate authority and responsibility, if they are good people, are going to want to do their jobs in their own way.”

- William L. McKnight, 3M President & CEO, 1948

Sometimes obstacles may actually be solutions.

Attitude