Project Teams - people issues, roles, and responsibilities

Project Teams –

People Issues, Roles, and

Responsibilities

July 31, 2012

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About Your Presenter

• Sr. VP KeyedIn Solutions Consulting Group

– Helping companies align their business and technology

– Focus on people, process, and then the technology

– Subject matter expert on business process management

– On-going research into next generation of technology for

enterprise systems

• 25 years experience in enterprise systems

– USAF Research Project (1985)

– Founder of enterprise quality software company (1988)

• Trusted advisor to global organizations, government

agencies, and professional groups

http://www.linkedin.com/in/johncachat

Thought for the Day

"People and things do not upset us. Rather, we

upset ourselves by believing that they can upset

us."

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Many of the problems encountered during a typical

implementation are from people, the roles they are

required to play, political issues, and comfort zones.

Today’s Discussion

• Project Managers

• Consultants

• Four types of Users

• User Responsibilities

• Sufficient Resources

• Get in the game – this is not practice!

Everything looks easy from 30,000 feet

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Project Managers

• Steer the ship and listen to crew members

• Track progress

• Listen to consultants and users when they bring issues to the table

• Involve senior management when needed

• Experience tells them

– When to escalate

– When to meet

– Let the implementation team work

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Client Project Managers

• May not have the experience

• Reputations and political

capital are on the line

• Reluctant to concede – come

hell or high water, we are

going to get this done, on

time and under budget

• Have a tendency to push the

team to the breaking point

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Consultant Project Managers

• Been there, done that –

experienced with

hundreds of projects

• Must be willing to lay

down the law

• Must be able to challenge

the Client Project

Manager

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Type of Project Managers to be Avoided

• The Yes-Man– Make promises that put the project at risk

• The Micromanager– Team spends more time reporting than working

• The Procrastinator– Deadlines are missed, deal with it later

• The Know-it-all– Alienates everyone

• The Feel Good– Its OK, we are making some progress, how do you feel?

• The Pessimist– Always focused on what still needs to be done

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Consultants

• Need to immediately challenge any client

decisions that have an impact on the project

• Need to advise clients of potential problems if

they proceed with poor decisions

• Key objectives

– Transfer knowledge to the clients

– Make them self expendable

– Listen to clients and engage Client project manager

on key issues

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Four Types of Users

Type Description

Willing and Able Fully embrace the project as a means to enhance their skills

and support the business – they do whatever it takes

Willing but not Able Want to learn, but do not appreciate the impact of their

actions – become confused and panic – they will ask or help

Able but not Willing Have an ax to grind – frustrate everyone on the project – if

turned around, can really help

Neither willing or

Able

I am too old for this. This is going to threaten my job.

Always find excuses why not to learn the new system

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User Responsibilities

• Specific role

– Technical

– Functional

• Systems aptitude

• Availability

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Resources - Many project fail due to:

• Not providing enough

resources

– I have a full time job

• Tolerate users that have an

ax to grind

– able, but not willing

• Fail to provide timely

training to users

– I am not going to use this

app for 4 months

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Get in the game – this is not practice!

• Lack a sense of urgency

• Pretend tomorrow will

never come

• Assume others will bail

them out

• Ignore warning signs

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Things to Remember….

• People, Process, Technology

• Great project plans will fail with

difficult or team members

without the required skills

• Culture will eat technology for

lunch

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About KeyedIn Consulting Group

Experts providing solutions to specific problems

– Business and IT Alignment

– People and Process Alignment

– Enterprise Software Selection

– Project Rescue

– Project Management & PMO Managed Services

Follow KeyedIn

Corporate Website: www.keyedin.com

www.twitter.com/keyedinsolution

www.linkedin.com/company/2434133?trk=tyah

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Questions & Answers

Q ACopy of Presentation Future Webinars

Contact:

Shelly Bird

[email protected]

952-835-1041 ext.163

Visit:

www.keyedin.com

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