Chapter 2
The Manager, the Organization,
and the Team
MEM 612 Project Management
THE PM’S ROLES
MEM 612 Project Management
Facilitator
• Manager-as-supervisor versus manageras-facilitator
• Systems approach versus analytical
approach
– Suboptimization
• Must ensure project team members have
appropriate knowledge and resources
• Micromanagement
MEM 612 Project Management
Communicator
Figure 2-1 Communication Paths Between a
Project’s Parties-At-Interest
MEM 612 Project Management
Virtual Project Manager
• Geographically dispersed projects
• Communication via
– Email
– Web
– Telephone
– Video conferencing
• “Never let the boss be surprised!”
MEM 612 Project Management
THE PM’S RESPONSIBILITIES
TO THE PROJECT
MEM 612 Project Management
Three Overriding Responsibilities
• Acquiring resources
– Getting necessary quantity and quality can be
key challenge
– “Irrational optimism”
• Fighting fires and obstacles
• Leadership and making trade-offs
MEM 612 Project Management
Negotiation, Conflict Resolution,
and Persuasion
• Necessary to meet three overriding
responsibilities
MEM 612 Project Management
SELECTION OF A PROJECT
MANAGER
MEM 612 Project Management
Key Criteria
• Credibility - The PM is believable
– technical credibility
– administrative credibility
• Sensitivity - Politically astute and aware of
interpersonal conflict
• Leadership, Style, Ethics - Ability to
direct project in ethical manner
MEM 612 Project Management
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS A
PROFESSION
MEM 612 Project Management
Project Management as a
Profession
• Project Management Institute
– More than 64,000 members
• Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK)
• Project-oriented organization
MEM 612 Project Management
FITTING PROJECTS IN THE
PARENT ORGANIZATION
MEM 612 Project Management
More on “Why Projects?”
• Emphasis on time-to-market
• Need for specialized knowledge from a
variety of areas
• Explosive rate of technological change
• Accountability and control
MEM 612 Project Management
Figure 2-2 The Pure Project
Organization
MEM 612 Project Management
The Pure Project Organization
• Advantages
–
–
–
–
Effective and efficient for large projects
Resources available as needed
Broad range of specialists
short lines of communication
• Drawbacks
– Expensive for small projects
– Specialists may have limited technological depth
– May require high levels of duplication for certain
specialties
MEM 612 Project Management
Figure 2-3 Functional Project
Organization
MEM 612 Project Management
Functional Project Organization
• Advantages
– technological depth
• Drawbacks
– lines of communication outside functional
department slow
– technological breadth
– project rarely given high priority
MEM 612 Project Management
Figure 2-4 Matrix Project
Organization
MEM 612 Project Management
Matrix Project Organization
• Advantages
– flexibility in way it can interface with parent
organization
– strong focus on the project itself
– contact with functional groups minimizes projectitis
– ability to manage fundamental trade-offs across
several projects
• Drawbacks
– violation of the unity of command principle
– complexity of managing full set of projects
– conflict
MEM 612 Project Management
Figure 2-5 Mixed Project
Organization
MEM 612 Project Management
THE PROJECT TEAM
MEM 612 Project Management
Characteristics of Effective
Project Team Members
•
•
•
•
•
Technically competent
Politically sensitive
Problem orientation
Goal orientation
High self-esteem
MEM 612 Project Management
Matrix Team Problems
• Weak (functional) matrix
– PM has no direct reports
– Ability to communicate directly with team
members important
• Matrix projects
– Important to maintain good morale
– Project office
MEM 612 Project Management
Intrateam Conflict
• Life cycle phase and source of conflict
• Name-only team
• Interpersonal conflict
MEM 612 Project Management
Copyright
Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of this work beyond that
permitted in Section 117 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act
without express permission of the copyright owner is unlawful.
Request for further information should be addressed to the
Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The purchaser
may make back-up copies for his/her own use only and not for
distribution or resale. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for
errors, omissions, or damages, caused by the use of these programs
or from the use of the information herein.
MEM 612 Project Management