MOT Workbook – Section 7: R&D and Innovation

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Hans Thamhain, PMP, PhD Bentley University, Boston USA

December 2011

The Changing Role of Team Leadership in Today’s Project Environment

A castle is only as strong as the people

who defend it !

…to build a great kingdom you must first tend to your own state …to build a great state, you must first tend to your own family …to build a great family, you must first cultivate yourself …to cultivate yourself, you need to dedicate yourself to learning.

Confucius, The Great Learning (500 BCE)

5

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. --Henry Ford

Team Leadership in Project Environments

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Jeff Immelt (GE): “I’m proud of our team. They are

passionate and committed. …I spend about one-third of my time with my partner Bill Conaty (HR). We recruit, we train, we develop, we improve. We think about people constantly…“

Bill Gates (MS): “All people we hire are technically

competent. But, they also must have people skills…..”

Jin Mao Tower 上海(秀仕)环球金融中心 Word Financial Center 500m Shanghai

Bur Khalifa, Dubai 828m

…A Complex Subject Area Teamwork

MOT Workbook – Section 7: R&D and Innovation

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HQTS HQTS

HQTS

Perceived Team

Environment

Culture Work & Work-

Processes

Reporting

Organizational Structure

Conflict

Support Sys Power & Politics

Time Zones Risk &

Uncertainty Suppliers

Trust & Respect Unified

Command & Control

Resource

Limitations

Tech Success =|= B-Success

Evolving Solutions

Fast Changes

T2M

Managing w/o formal authority People

Motivation

Leadership

Commitment

Conflict

Politics

Power

Teamwork

Trust

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Team Behavior

Business Process Leadership Project

Management

Managing Project Teams: What we know

Project Team

Leadership.

Group Dynamics ? Risk

Non-linearities

We are less sure on… 1.  What is high team performance (METRICS)? 2.  What influences team performance (MODEL)? 3.  Which influences are controllable by mgrs? 4.  What conditions are conducive to team

performance (CATALYSTS)? 5.  How can mgrs control these influences

[ACTIONS?]

1.  Project performance decreases with complexity (i.e. more failures)

2.  Team development time increases with complexity

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Not all team leaders are equal!

(Low) ……..... Complexity ……..… (High) (Low

) … T

eam

Dev

elop

men

t …(H

igh)

Tim

e

Unmanageable

Area

Team Development Time vs. Complexity

Management Skills ++

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Traits of a High-Performing Team

Minimal Reliance on Procedures

High Need for Achievements

Quality Oriented

Effective Cross-Functional Interfaces & Alliances

Effective Communications

Committed

Enjoy Work

High Morale & Team Spirit

Change Oriented

Self-Directed

Conflict Management

High Response Rate

Membership Self-Development Innovative Behavior

Risk-Sharing

The Effective

Team

What is team performance? How to measure it? Sc

hedu

le Budget

Deliverables

π

Measuring Team Performance § Traditional project performance

- Schedule - budget - deliverables § Risk & contingency § Innovation/creativity § Enterprise benefits § Stakeholder satisfaction § Etc, etc..

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Project Success

Customer

Enterprise Suppliers

Partners

Team

Other

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What the Team Expects From the Leader

  Clear direction and leadership   Clear expectations/objectives   Autonomy and freedom   Assist in problem solving   Facilitate a quality work environment   Create stimulating environment   Encourage accomplishments   Provide visibility and recognition   Resist change and external pressures   Deal with conflict and power struggles   Provide stable work environment

Motivation: A Simple Model [Inducement-Induction Model]

Goal

Satisfaction

Primary Organization

Secondary Organization

Motivation

Contribution Inducement

Need

Figure 1 The Inducement-Induction Model of Motivation.

Mutual Expectations: Sr Mg – PM -- Team

Top View

Project View

A Matter of Perspective

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49 Low …...……..…...Probability of Success ….…..…. High

…St

reng

th o

f Mot

ivat

ion

…H

igh

Reduce risk Increase importance

Motivation as a Function of Perceived Success

(A Situational Insight to Project Management)

The power of perception

What chair ????? You got to see it to believe it !! http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=6NPF0A_vGC4  

What chair ?????

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Example of Quantitative Results from Field Studies

Variables Characteristics

Work Environment & Project Team Characteristics of Work Environment: 1 Interesting, Stimulating Work 2 Accomplishment & Recognition 3 Conflict & Problem Resolution 4 Clear Organizational Objectives 5 Job Skills & Expertise 6 Direction & Leadership 7 Trust, Respect, Credibility 8 Cross-Functional Coop & Support 9 Effective Communications 10 Clear Project Plan & Support 11 Autonomy & Freedom 12 Career Developmt/Advancement 13 Job Security

Characteristics of Project Team: 14 Tolerance for Risk Taking 15 Effort + Commitment to Results 16 Innovative Team Performance

1.0

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Drivers Toward Team Performance

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•  Poorly defined work integration/transfer process, protocol & methods

•  Role conflict, confusion over authority, power struggles

•  Lack of trust, accountability among team members and/or group leaders

•  Inappropriate information technologies or infrastructure

•  Unclear overall objectives, requirements and success criteria

•  Unclear work interfaces.

•  Lack of senior management or sponsor commitment/support

•  Inaccurate/insufficient planning •  Insufficient project performance

measurements •  Insufficient communication/escalation of

problems v Team maturity (PM3) ≠ proj complexity v Weak project leadership.

Many barriers and influences to project team performance are similar for both highly complex and less complex project situations, however the effects are .

Virtual and multinational team approaches often amplify these problems even further!

Work Environment vs. P-Team Performance

•  Project Plan & Support •  Direction & Leadership •  Interesting Work •  Accomplishment, Recognition •  Org Goals, Priorities •  Trust, Respect, Credibility •  Job Skills/Expertise •  Conflict Resolution •  Favorable Project Image •  Career Advancement •  Job Security •  (Salary, comp-time) •  (Complexity, NDP/proj size) •  (Project duration) •  (Organizational stability).

Kendall’s Tau Rank-Order Correlation

…τ…

Schedules & Budgets

Risk Mgmt

Knowledge Sharing

Cross-Funct’l Coop Requirements

Conflict Resolution

Collaborat

ion on…

Communication

Overall Project

Performance

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Strongest Drivers Toward High Team Performance

Ø  Interesting, stimulating work Ø  Clear mission, direction & roadmap (plan) Ø  Skill sets, competencies (best people) Ø  Can-do perception, risk sharing Ø  Team spirit, trust & respect Ø  Effective work process & proj support sys Ø  Direction & Leadership

A professionally stimulating environment

strong catalyst focusing

the team effort on desired results !

  Facilitator   Problem solver   Conflict manager   Cheerleader

A Final Note Effective project management involves a complex set of variables

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•  Organizational Issues •  Human Factors •  Management and Leadership •  Tools and Techniques

Appropriate Resources Quality people People involvement Interesting work Management support Leadership

Team committed to achieve agreed-on objectives

High-performing team

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hthamhain@bentley.edu

Conclusions Companies with high performance teams… 1.  Pay attention to the human side 2.  Create interesting, stimulating work environment (excitement,

recognition, visibility, mg involvement, security, …) 3.  Provide clear b-mission, direction, road map, p-support 4.  Keep work process simple/effective 5.  Have high levels of job competencies (best people) 6.  Create a Can-Do image, risk sharing 7.  Have effective issue resolution processes/systems 8.  Ensure effective cross-functional interaction 9.  Provide autonomy (local), freedom to explore, share risk 10.  Promote continuous team development 11.  Ensure good team leadership.

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How High Performing Project Teams See Themselves

  Enjoy work and accomplishments   Have autonomy and freedom   Have strong support and cooperation from others   Have clear direction and leadership   Make significant contribution to company   Organizational environment is pleasant & supportive   Have mutual trust, respect, competence

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Risks & Anxieties Rewards

Org Environment

Team Leadership Effectiveness

Leader’s Abilities

& Personalities

Organization’s Abilities

& Structures

Work Challenge

Imag

es

Leadership Style

Actual Actual

Power Influence

Leadership Effectiveness

•  Project support/direction •  Personality •  Work environment •  Career development •  Rewards (tangible)

•  Job security •  Work challenge •  Accomplishments •  Comfort & stability.

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