The Human Heart of Project Management.
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Transcript of The Human Heart of Project Management.
Project Management and Complexity Theory
© Human Systems Limited 1999-2003 1
The Human Heart of Project Management.
Dr. Terry Cooke-DaviesManaging Director, Human Systems Limited
Adjunct Professor, University of Technology, Sydney
Honorary Research Fellow, University College, London.
Project Management and Complexity Theory
© Human Systems Limited 1999-2003 2
Today’s Agenda
• Project management’s roots in “control theory”, and some unanswered paradoxes.
• Some assumptions “smuggled in” to project management along with “control theory”.
• Insights from complexity sciences. Are they just the latest “fad”, or a radical rethink of “management”?
• What might these insights mean for the management of projects?
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Project Management’s Roots in Control
Proto-Projects 6000+
Dramatic increase in work done as projects.
Engineering 150+
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Gantt etc. 100+
Military 60+
Professional Associations 40
North Sea Oil 30
PC/ICT 20
Pharma R&D 10+
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Maturity of Different Industries
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3.0
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Projectization
Leadership
Business
Multi-projects
Systems
Authorization
Information
Team types
PM Capability
Matrix
Big PharmaMedium PharmaDefencePetrochem
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Some Paradoxes
Project management expenditure and activity is rising
BUTlittle evidence that project results
are improving proportionately& “trainwrecks” still happen
regularly.
Pressure to improve resource productivity is rising in many
industriesBUT
productivity is not responding as a result of project management.
Major efforts are made to “learn lessons” from projects and transfer
them across the organization.BUT
PM focus remains on “control”.
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Two Competing Explanations
“We DO project management pretty well, but senior management doesn’t understand us, and so the environment is inappropriate”
“We DO project management pretty well, but senior management doesn’t understand us, and so the environment is inappropriate” “Project Management is
based on control theory/ operational research, and this is inadequate to investigate all aspects of life that bear on projects.”
“Project Management is based on control theory/ operational research, and this is inadequate to investigate all aspects of life that bear on projects.”
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Deeply-held Assumption 1: Systemic Control
System/Process
Controller/Manager
Goals
Classic project management thinking assumes “first-order” control – goals remain constant (or at least under change control).
Gaps in benefits imply “second-order” control – goals are subject to change – system is more flexible, and more difficult to control.
System/Process
Target
ActualOperations
Goals
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Deeply Held Assumption 2:Individual is Distinct from Group.
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A Radically Different View
Separation: steer to avoid crowding local flockmates
Alignment: steer towards the average heading of local flockmates
Cohesion: steer to move toward the average position of local flockmates
Source: Craig Reynolds http://www.red3d.com/cwr/boids/
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“Complexity Theory” Has At Least Three Strands.
• Chaos theory and derivatives.– e.g. Glueck, 1988; Stewart, 1989.– Strange attractors, fractals.
• Dissipative structure theory– e.g. Prigogene– Bifurcations, spontaneous self-organization.
• Complex adaptive systems– e.g. Reynolds– Agent-based systems, spontaneous adaptation, self-
organization “at the edge of chaos”.– “Complex organizational response” (Stacey and team) is one
particular aspect.
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“Organization” As “Communicative Relationships”.
• Conversation
• Responsive communicative action
• Turn-taking
• Local language practices
• Self-organization
• Power, inclusion & exclusion
• Fantasy & unconscious processes
• Organization as communicating in the living present.
Source: Stacey (2001) Complex Responsive Processes.
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Implications For PM Theory.
As “flocking” is an emergent property of essential bird behaviour. . . .
. . . . So “organization”, “knowledge” and so on are emergent properties of the essential human behaviour of communicating – of “complex responsive processes”.
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Corroboration? 2 “Straws in the Wind”.
Specific benchmark
performance (days)
Team authority & empowerment.
Source: Unpublished PMKN Study.
Org structure
Project risk
Relational norms
Frequency
Media
Content
Source: R. Müller. “Determinants for
external communications of IT project managers”,
IJPM, July 2003
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Some Implications For The Management of Projects.
1. Redefine governance• Above the waterline
• Free to take risks• Encourage “owners” to
find their own solutions• Below the waterline
• Take no risks• “Off limits”• Given
2. Redefine team process• Use “Open Space” principles• “Self-organize” around clear goals.• From “Process” “Outcome”
3. Redefine capabilities of leaders• Competence as conceptual level.• Strategic competence• Integrative competence.
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Is It Real?
There’s a breakthrough out there waiting to happen!!