week 6
Reflection and Discussion Forum Week 6Reflect on the assigned readings for the week. Identify what you thought was the most important concept(s), method(s), term(s), and/or any other thing that you felt was worthy of your understanding.
Also, provide a graduate-level response to each of the following questions:
Trust can actually encourage disagreement and conflict among team members. Explain why this could be the case.
Identify the five major methods for resolving conflict. Give an example of how each might be applied in a hypothetical project team conflict episode.
Activity Case Study 6.1: Columbus Instruments
This case is based on a true story of a once-successful organization that had allowed its project management practices to degenerate to the point where assignment to a project team was often a mark of disfavor and a sign of pending termination. The case involves issues of motivation, structural effects on projects, and project team staffing. It offers students an opportunity to see how, if left unchecked, certain behaviors by department heads and others in the organization can work counter to the desires to use project teams to improve organizational profitability and instead make them a dumping ground for malcontents and poor performers.
Questions
What are the implications of CICs approach to staffing project teams? Is the company using project teams as training grounds for talented fast-trackers, or as dumping grounds for poor performers?
How would you advise the CEO to correct the problem? Where would you start?
Discuss how issues of organizational structure and power played a role in the manner in which project management declined in effectiveness at CIC.
Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage
Fifth Edition
Chapter 6
Project Team Building, Conflict, and Negotiation
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
If this PowerPoint presentation contains mathematical equations, you may need to check that your computer has the following installed:
1) MathType Plugin
2) Math Player (free versions available)
3) NVDA Reader (free versions available)
1
Learning Objectives (1 of 2)
6.1 Understand the steps involved in project team building.
6.2 Know the characteristics of effective project teams and why teams fail.
6.3 Know the reasons why project teams often fail.
6.4 Know the stages in the development of groups.
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Learning Objectives (2 of 2)
6.5 Describe how to achieve cross-functional cooperation in teams.
6.6 See the advantages and challenges of virtual project teams.
6.7 Understand the nature of conflict and evaluate response methods.
6.8 Understand the importance of negotiation skills in project management.
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
P M B o K Core Concepts
Project Management Body of Knowledge (P M B o K) covered in this chapter includes:
Plan Human Resource Management (P M B o K 9.1)
Acquire Project Team (P M B o K 9.2)
Develop Project Team (P M B o K 9.3)
Manage Project Team (P M B o K 9.4)
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Figure 6.2 Basic Steps in Assembling a Project Team
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Effective Project Teams
Clear Sense of Mission
Productive Interdependency
Cohesiveness
Trust
Enthusiasm
Results Orientation
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Reasons Why Teams Fail
Poorly developed or unclear goals
Poorly defined project team roles and interdependencies
Lack of project team motivation
Poor communication
Poor leadership
Turnover among project team members
Dysfunctional behavior
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Stages in Group Development
Formingmembers become acquainted
Stormingconflict begins
Normingmembers reach agreement
Performingmembers work together
Adjourninggroup disbands
Punctuated equilibrium is a different model.
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Figure 6.3 Stages of Team Development
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Figure 6.4 Model of Punctuated Equilibrium
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Achieving Cross-Functional Cooperation
Figure 6.5 Project Team Cross-Functional Cooperation
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Building High-Performing Teams
Make the project team tangible.
Publicity
Terminology and language
Reward good behavior.
Flexibility
Creativity
Pragmatism
Develop a personal touch.
Lead by example
Positive feedback for good performance
Accessibility and consistency
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Virtual Project Teams
Use electronic media to link members of a geographically dispersed project team.
How Can Virtual Teams Be Improved?
Use face-to-face communication when possible.
Dont let team members disappear.
Establish a code of conduct.
Keep everyone in the communication loop.
Create a process for addressing conflict.
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Conflict Management
Conflict is a process that begins when you perceive that someone has frustrated or is about to frustrate a major concern of yours.
Categories
Goal-oriented
Administrative
Interpersonal
Views
Traditional
Behavioral
Interactionist
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Sources of Conflict
Organizational
Reward systems
Scarce resources
Uncertainty
Differentiation
Interpersonal
Faulty attributions
Faulty communication
Personal grudges and prejudices
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Conflict Resolution
Mediatediffusion/confrontation
Arbitratejudgment
Controlcool down period
Acceptunmanageable
Eliminatetransfer
Conflict is often evidence of progress!
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Negotiation
Negotiation is a process that is predicated on a managers ability to use influence productively.
Questions to Ask Prior to Entering a Negotiation
How much power do I have?
What sort of time pressures are there?
Do I trust my opponent?
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Principled Negotiation
Separate the people from the problem.
Focus on interests, not positions.
Invent options for mutual gain.
Insist on using objective criteria.
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Summary (1 of 2)
Understand the steps involved in project team building.
Know the characteristics of effective project teams and why teams fail.
Know the reasons why project teams often fail.
Know the stages in the development of groups.
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Summary (2 of 2)
Describe how to achieve cross-functional cooperation in teams.
See the advantages and challenges of virtual project teams.
Understand the nature of conflict and evaluate response methods.
Understand the importance of negotiation skills in project management.
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Copyright
Copyright 2019, 2016, 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved