Essential People Skills for Project Managers

by FLANNES, STEVEN W.LEVIN, GINGER

• ISBN13: 9781567261684
• ISBN10: 156726168X
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2005-08-01
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Summary

A Treasury of How-to Guidance for Project Success! People problems can really hurt your project, causing delays, eroding quality, increasing costs, and resulting in high levels of stress for everyone on the team. Yet if you’re like most project managers, you’ve never been taught the soft skills necessary for managing tough people issues. Essential People Skills for Project Managers brings the key concepts of people skills into sharp focus, offering specific, practical skills that you can grasp quickly, apply immediately, and use to resolve these often difficult people issues. Derived from the widely popular original book, People Skills for Project Managers, this new version provides condensed content and a practical focus. • Apply project leadership techniques with confidence • Resolve conflicts and motivate team members • Help a team recover after a critical incident • Determine your team members’ personal styles so you can work more effectively with them You’ll also learn how to apply people skills for a more successful career and life! • Discover how to manage stress – personal and professional • Learn proven methods for managing your own career • Find out how to thrive in an atmosphere of change

Author Biography

Steven W. Flannes, PhD, is a psychologist and management consultant with 18 years of experience in helping managers increase their effectiveness in the “people” areas of managing.
Ginger Levin, DPA, is a senior consultant in project management with more than 25 years of experience in project management maturity assessments, development of training programs in project management, program evaluation and auditing, and organization development. Together they bring a unique, integrated approach combining behavior management with project management.

Table of Contents

Forewords	xv
David I. Cleland
Kenneth H. Rose
Preface	ix
The Importance of People Skills in Project Management	1	(18)
Projects: Technical Problems with Human Dimensions	1	(1)
Why Are People Skills So Important?	2	(14)
Cyclical and Stage Nature of Projects	2	(7)
Trend in Organizations to Become More Project-Based	9	(1)
Increase in Project Complexity	10	(1)
Continual Downsizing and Outsourcing	11	(1)
Movement Toward Customer-Driven Projects	11	(1)
Leading in a Matrix Management Structure	12	(1)
Increase of Virtual Teams and a Distributed Workplace	13	(1)
Role of Project Managers as Change Agents	14	(1)
Use of People Skills for Risk Management	15	(1)
What Can a Project Manager Do to Improve Key Project Skills?	16	(3)
Project Manager: Leader, Manager, Facilitator, Mentor	19	(20)
Project Manager Versus Functional Manager	20	(5)
Clarity of Organizational Structure	20	(2)
Consistency of Human Resources	22	(2)
Sources of Leverage for Motivation	24	(1)
The Four Leadership Roles of the Project Manager	25	(11)
Project Manager as ``Leader''	26	(2)
Project Manager as ``Manager''	28	(4)
Project Manager as ``Facilitator''	32	(1)
Project Manager as ``Mentor''	33	(3)
Discussion Questions	36	(3)
Interpersonal Communication Tools for the Project Manager	39	(24)
Developing Concrete Communication Skills	39	(4)
Sending ``I'' Messages	40	(1)
Listening Actively	40	(1)
Asking Open-Ended Questions	41	(1)
Tracking the Message	41	(1)
Reframing the Point	42	(1)
Identifying and Appreciating Individual Differences: The MBTI Approach	43	(2)
Communication Tips: Using the MBTI to Deliver Your Message	45	(6)
Communicating with the Extraverted Team Member	46	(1)
Communicating with the Introverted Team Member	46	(1)
Communicating with the Sensing Team Member	47	(1)
Communicating with the Intuitive Team Member	48	(1)
Communicating with the Thinking Team Member	48	(1)
Communicating with the Feeling Team Member	49	(1)
Communicating with the Judging Team Member	50	(1)
Communicating with the Perceiving Team Member	50	(1)
Paying Attention to the Tone and Texture of Communication	51	(6)
Being ``Present'' During the Discussion	51	(1)
Listening to the ``Music Behind the Words''	52	(1)
Considering the Alliance and the Context	53	(2)
Keeping the Communication Reciprocal	55	(1)
Being Aware of the Content and the Process	56	(1)
Recognizing Communication ``Stoppers''	57	(5)
Denial	57	(1)
Projection	58	(1)
Displacement	58	(1)
Objectification	59	(3)
Discussion Questions	62	(1)
The Art of Motivation	63	(22)
Global Trends That Affect Motivation	63	(1)
Strategies for Motivating Team Members	64	(13)
Motivating Using Personal Style	64	(2)
Motivating Using Career Stages	66	(2)
Motivating Using Career Values	68	(4)
Motivating Using Situational Considerations	72	(5)
Systemic Approaches to Motivating the Team	77	(2)
Creating an Empowered Team	77	(1)
Applying Force-Field Analysis	78	(1)
Motivational Mistakes	79	(2)
Motivational Checklist for the Project Manager	81	(1)
Discussion Questions	82	(3)
Managing Project Conflict	85	(22)
Conflict Is Pervasive	85	(2)
The Personal Experience of Conflict: Body and Mind	87	(2)
The Cognitive Level	87	(1)
The Physiological Level	88	(1)
The Affective Level	89	(1)
When Conflict Is Not Addressed	89	(1)
Conflict in Project Phases	90	(3)
Project Initiation Phase	90	(1)
Project Planning Phase	91	(1)
Project Execution Phase	92	(1)
Project Closeout Phase	92	(1)
Thomas-Kilmann Model of Conflict Resolution	93	(5)
Competing	94	(1)
Avoiding	95	(1)
Accommodating	95	(1)
Collaborating	96	(1)
Compromising	97	(1)
Conflict Resolution Checklist	98	(3)
Managing Agreement: As Important As Managing Conflict	101	(3)
Discussion Questions	104	(3)
Stress Management for the Project Manager	107	(26)
Inherent Sources of Stress in Project Management	107	(7)
Intrinsic Stress of Being a Leader	108	(2)
Matrix Management	110	(1)
Solving Singular Problems	111	(1)
Project Ramp-Up and Ramp-Down	112	(2)
Project Management Stress Caused by Dysfunctional Organizations	114	(4)
Lack of Organizational Congruence	114	(2)
Treatment of People As Objects	116	(1)
Dysfunctional Leadership at Senior Management Levels	116	(2)
Stress Caused by the Project Manager's Personal Traits	118	(6)
Perfectionism and Time Urgency	119	(1)
Overcontrol	120	(1)
The Overly ``Feeling'' Project Manager	121	(1)
Runaway Personal Myths and Beliefs	122	(2)
Adapting to Stress: Maladaptive and Adaptive Coping	124	(6)
Using Positive Psychology	125	(1)
Developing Resilience	126	(1)
Crafting Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies	127	(1)
Finding ``Flow'' Activities in Your Life	128	(1)
Using ``Expressive'' Tools	128	(2)
Discussion Questions	130	(3)
Critical Incidents: When Traumatic Events Strike the Project Team	133	(20)
Impact on the Victim	133	(2)
How Can the Project Manager Help?	135	(1)
Impact on the Project Team	136	(2)
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing	138	(2)
Beginning the Debriefing Meeting	139	(1)
Letting Members Tell Their Stories	139	(1)
Concluding the Debriefing	140	(1)
When All Else Fails: The Project Recovery Plan	140	(4)
Specific Steps to Project Recovery	142	(1)
Assessing Team Effectiveness and Performance	143	(1)
Is a Project Recovery Manager Needed?	144	(5)
Need to Review Progress and Actively Communicate	145	(1)
Personal Qualities of the Effective Project Recovery Manager	146	(3)
Project Failure and Project Closure	149	(1)
Critical Incident Checklist for the Project Manager	150	(2)
Discussion Questions	152	(1)
Future Issues, Career Management, and Thoughts on People Issues	153	(18)
Future Issues and Challenges in Project Management	153	(1)
Improving Your Performance as a Project Manager	154	(2)
Crafting a Personal Improvement Plan	154	(2)
Getting By Is Not Good Enough	156	(1)
Improving the Performance of Team Members	156	(2)
Become a Guide	157	(1)
Create a Team Culture of Success	157	(1)
Career Management for the Project Manager	158	(7)
Rule #1: Actively Consider What You Want to Do	158	(2)
Rule #2: Network, Network, Network!	160	(1)
Rule #3: The Higher You Go, the More It Becomes a Matter of Chemistry	161	(1)
Rule #4: Keep Your Resume Current and Active	162	(1)
Rule #5: Put Your Personal References in Order	163	(1)
Rule #6: Create Your Two-Minute Introduction	164	(1)
Consider a Portfolio Career	164	(1)
Thoughts About People	165	(6)
Change Is Taking Place, but Do Not Forget the Constants	166	(1)
Existential Givens of Being a Person	167	(3)
Parting Thoughts	170	(1)
References	171	(4)
Index	175