Chapter 8 Human Resource Management

Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change , 3e Tilde Publishing

Chapter 8

Human Resource Management Developing courage, personal commitment and performance

standards

© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Chapter overview1. Planning for human resource management 2. Acquiring the project team3. Developing the team4. Teams and their personalities5. Learning and development opportunities 6. Managing the project team7. Dealing with conflict8. Project organisational structures

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Planning for human resource management

The human resource management plan establishes the baseline for identifying the prerequisite resource needs (and necessary skills) for the project’s success.

A well thought out resource management plan could contain: internal or external acquisition strategy roles and responsibilities acquisition and release timetables identification of professional development needs team building strategies plans for recognition and rewards performance management procedures

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Acquiring the project team negotiating with operational managers to release or share resources investigating prevailing market conditions for availability and commercial rates

for contractors reviewing preferred supplier arrangements communicating potential consequences to stakeholders on failing to acquire

the necessary resources evaluating potential resources against the ambit of legal, regulatory,

mandatory and/or other specific criteria covering their assignment considering the professional development plans for the nominated resources

and how this time and cost will be addressed by the project budget factoring in the challenges of managing resources collocated in multiple

locations each with different time zones and communication protocols determining how performance throughout the project will be measured and

evaluated reflecting on the managers ability to manage a group of diverse

resources brought together for a finite time span

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Developing the team Forming – a room full of strangers Storming – cliques forming, turf wars developing Norming – work rhythm established Performing – balanced productivity and cohesion Adjourning – impending sense of loss and

identity

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Teams and their personalitiesPeople will bring their personalities to the project. Consideration should be given to understanding (and accepting) their:

natural preferences for focusing their energy, gathering information, making decisions and living a certain way

preferred way to respond to team challenges style of interacting and communicating with others unique way in how they make a distinctive contribution areas of strength and weakness in being on the

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Learning and development opportunities

Resources need to be able to the technical knowledge that so often prescribes their learn, unlearn and relearn—and not just position description.

The pool of knowledge, skills, insights, experience and information held by the team will need to be tapped and developed throughout the project.

Learning shouldn’t be limited to just plugging the gaps, as it should also be about ‘…strengthening existing skills, identifying development opportunities and developing people for the future’ (Cole 2010).

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Managing the project team Motivation

oMaslow’s hierarchy of needsoHerzberg satisfaction and productivity

This innate driving force will: o energise the team to complete their scheduled worko direct the team towards meeting deadlines, milestones and other

constraintso draw the team together cohesivelyo enable the team to function in self-directed modeo allow the team to self-correct much of their own work.

Performance managemento developing and sustaining peak performanceo five conversations

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Dealing with conflict Forcing (win/lose) Avoiding (lose/lose) Accommodating (lose/win) Compromising (50/50) Collaborating (win/win)

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Project organisational structures Functional

oa traditional structure aligned with the existing organisational department or functions (in effect, an overlay of the existing organisational chart)

MatrixoA blended structure supporting both the existing functional

authority, priorities, performance and accountabilities with the (at times) competing and conflicting authority, priorities, performance and accountabilities from the project

Projectisedoa separate and discrete structure that technically sits outside

the existing organisational structure with dedicated full-time resources assigned to the project

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Review questions1. Why is human resource management planning

fundamental to the success of the project?2. What information and decisions must be factored in

to acquiring the project team? 3. How does the project manager help their team

develop throughout the project?4. Should conflict be viewed as a positive force in a

project and how should it be dealt with? 5. What is the role of the performance review in

contributing to peak project performance? 11

© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Group learning activities Discuss what value a human resource management

plan would produce beyond an existing human resource department

Discus the different strategies required to get the best out of any team

Debate the notion that the underpinning theory behind team development often differs ‘in practice’ – Figure 8.1

Discuss why team performance measurement is crucial in developing the project team

Identify areas in projects where conflict has created positive outcomes

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© 2014 Hartley, Project Management: Integrating Strategy, Operations and Change, 3e Tilde Publishing

Assessment options Develop a (one page) human resource management plan Create a checklist of skills, knowledge and/or attitudes required by

a (generic) project team Develop a learning and development plan template for project

resources Critique both Maslow and Herzberg’s theories of motivation as they

apply to project management Write a report on the value of ongoing project performance

management Evaluate each of the organisational structures and justify the choice

made on a current project Short answer questions Multiple choice questions

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