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www.sims.monash.edu.au Project Management; Working in teams; Conflict resolution; Negotiation in teams. IMS9300 IS/IM FUNDAMENTALS

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 2 What is project management? Project Management is the process of planning, directing, and controlling the development of an acceptable system at a minimum cost within a specified time frame Whitten et al. (2001) On time On budget

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 3 Why project management? Project management is necessary because of: the number of people involved the number of tasks to be done the extent of the interaction between the tasks and people the complexity of the interactions between the tasks and people

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 4 Project management activities Defining tasks and the dependencies between them critical path Allocating people and resources to tasks Scheduling, resource sharing, skill sharing Monitoring progress of project against plan monitoring Taking remedial action when things dont go according to plan intervention

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 5 Basic process of project management Select systems development methodology Plan the project tasks Estimate the resources and time required to complete individual phases of the project Staff the project team Organise and schedule the project effort(tasks/time/ people/technical resources) and therefore cost Control the project development (directing the team, controlling progress, replan, restaff,.... )

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 6 Some Project Management Tools and Techniques Deliverables - to check what has been done. Binary deliverables. Milestones - to check where we have got to (and how far to go) PERT Charts - to show the connections between tasks (Whitten p.130) Gantt Charts - to show progress on tasks (milestones) (Whitten p.131) Project support software eg. Ms. Project, graphical output

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 7 Planning the project The project plan it establishes intermediate tasks en route to the projects objectives Staffing choose team members, match skills to task, training for team members, morale (idleness, overburden) Project control well-defined requirements, estimated rate of progress, reporting (at detailed and overall levels), review performance against plan.

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 8 The Project Managers contribution order point of reference, metrics (measurements) method companys favoured project methodology planning coordination, preparation, critical path support monitor, aid, re-planning control warn, intervene, smooth over, fix

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 9 Teams (in systems development) systems development is complex many people and tasks must be coordinated and controlled teams are commonly organised on a project basis together for one project then divided for the next team membership can include various stakeholders - IT managers, systems analysts, users, business managers, programmers, and other specialists at various points in the project.

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 10 A team is a group where: members are operating within a charter members see themselves as having specified roles members see the team as accountable for achieving specified organisational goals the team provides a forum where the members interact, relationships develop, a common approach emerges, goals are reached (Dwyer 1997 chap 10) Teams in systems development ctd.

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 11 team leader (or project manager) - responsible for organising work on the project everyone else is nominally equal team skill set determined by the nature of the project team size - large enough for specialist skills, large teams are difficult to manage, teams within teams are common Working in teams

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 12 team success depends on teams skills - how the group is assembled teams effort - participation and productivity team management - the leader must be organised, informed, with good communication and human relations skills Team success

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 13 Characteristics of good teams diversity tolerance communication trust put the team first reward structure (Hoffer et al p 17, p 57 )

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 14 Group decision making professional work involves many decisions with group work decisions impact others meetings allow group decision making democratic decisions agreed and equitable load sharing review of strategy formal authorisations

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 15 Group membership group membership presumes competence address your knowledge and skills shortfalls in your specific, delegated tasks in related areas in your general ability and skill levels

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 16 Why Conflict/Negotiation in IS Projects? Conflict management and negotiation are central to IS development: - Provision of a service to a client - Non-standard products - Development for a mass audience - Products which significantly change the way people work - Team-based multi-disciplinary development process - Rapidly-changing technological and theoretical base - Externally-based development support

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 17 Parties to Conflict/Negotiation for the IS Professional The client - wants something from us The users - uses what we provide Fellow IS professionals - participate in the process Project management - direct and manage resources External groups who are contributing to the project - provide services and support

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 18 Strategies for Conflict/Negotiation Avoiding/ignoring Withdrawing/giving in Competing/bullying Collaborating Compromising

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 19 Common Precursors to Conflict/Negotiation Failing to establish realistic expectations Failing to understand the others viewpoint Failing to communicate effectively Failing to define responsibilities Failing to deliver what had been promised

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 20 The IS Professional: Key Issues for Conflict/Negotiation Our responsibilities as professionals Our role as negotiators/conflict managers The nature of our specialist knowledge

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 21 Key Issues in Conflict/Negotiation: The IS Professionals Standing Status of IS professional as a professional Far-reaching impacts of work on people and organisations The nature of professional and ethical responsibilities Refer to future lectures on professionalism

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 22 Key Issues in Conflict/Negotiation: The IS Professionals Role Nature of role determines nature of conflict management and negotiation tasks Refer to earlier lecture on multiplicity of roles Rate of change of role

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 23 Key Issues in Conflict/Negotiation: The IS Professionals Knowledge Specialised knowledge - unavailable/inaccessible to laymen Technical knowledge - scientific/rational Nature of knowledge - fragmented/partial/ever- changing

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 24 The IS Professional in Negotiation/Conflict Thats not my problem; Im a technical person It should work if you do it properly Thats just the way the system operates Theres no point getting upset about it

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 25 Conflict resolution Indicators of conflict: discomfort: things do not feel right incidents: e.g. a sharp exchange occurs misunderstandings: motives, facts are confused (mindreading) tension: relationships affected by negative attitudes, fixed opinions- Im sick to death of Harry! crisis: normal functioning is affected, extreme reactions are contemplated eg. quitting

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 26 Why does Conflict Occur? differences in values, attitudes, traditions, prejudices different goals expectations not being fulfilled different work practices responses to incidents misunderstanding competition feelings of anger, of disappointment, of being offended

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 27 Effective communication is essential: active listening Assertive behaviour is best: state and uphold your views whilst respecting those of others Aggressive behaviour is not constructive: it involves dominating and winning at all costs Submissive behaviour is not constructive: it involves an inability to promote a point of view and ones own needs and goals Responses to conflict

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 28 Negotiation Negotiation is a process in which two or more people attempt to resolve differences, discuss problems and arrive at an agreement Style: personal style will affect the way in which an individual negotiates and can be classified according to ways in which the individual uses/experiences power and psychological barriers Strategies: win-win, win-lose - each strategy has a different outcome and relies on different styles of communication

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 29 Stages in the Negotiation Process Plan - establish clear objectives before engaging the other parties Select appropriate time and setting - cool heads Set the Context- establish trust and confidence via listening skills, establish the areas of common ground, ensure all parties feel equal and safe Define needs - establish the needs of each party by listening

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 30 Stages in the Negotiation Process Discuss - deal with one issue at a time, clarify and summarise the content, feelings and ideas which are, and have been, communicated Negotiate - brainstorm possible solutions, evaluate those options, select those that everyone can agree to, implement the solutions Action plan make sure the solutions are implemented as agreed

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 31 Conflict resolution options Compromise (win-win) will it last? Collaboration (win-win) will it continue? Competition (win-lose) revenge? Accommodation (lose-win) thin end of the wedge? Avoidance (no resolution) repeat?

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www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims9300 32 References SCHWALBE, K. (2004) 3rd ed., Information Technology Project Management, Thomson Learning, Inc. Massachusetts. Chapter 1. MARTIN,E., BROWN, C.V., DE HAYES, D.W., HOFFER, J.A. and PERKINS, W.C. (2002) International ed., Managing Information Technology, Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey. Chapter 12