project management

[Robert Anderson]

I am managing an extensive project and recently had to raise my voice to
drive forward a couple of people that were not delivering on their pieces of
the project. This did light and fire and I did get results quickly.

However, I would prefer not to have to resort to these tactics. Any advice
on other ways to drive things forward without resorting to this sort of
thing? Articles? Other resources?

Ideally, I would have a sort of escalating scale of tactics available to
deal with situations where people are not deliving...

[John A. Weeks III]

Post by Robert Anderson
I am managing an extensive project and recently had to raise my voice to
drive forward a couple of people that were not delivering on their pieces of
the project. This did light and fire and I did get results quickly.

You need to figure out what types of leverage you have, and what
motivates these people. You can then apply something to motivate
them, or use your leverage. For example, yelling was a motivation.
Reporting them to their manager for HR action would be a leverage.
If you threaten to report them to HR, that might move them forward,
but a pair of movie tickets to see Star Wars when it comes out might
be far more effective (and less hassle on your part).

This is an especially hard concept in fully matrixed organizations
where you have a project team, but the team members do not report
through the project team. These team members often are part of
other project teams at the same time, and have conflicting
priorities. For example, on an IT project, you have have a
network engineer assigned to work on your project, but that person
might be assigned to 5 other projects, and all of them might
have deliverables at the same time.

-john-

[Robert Anderson]

Post by John A. Weeks III
You need to figure out what types of leverage you have, and what
motivates these people. You can then apply something to motivate
them, or use your leverage. For example, yelling was a motivation.
Reporting them to their manager for HR action would be a leverage.
If you threaten to report them to HR, that might move them forward,
but a pair of movie tickets to see Star Wars when it comes out might
be far more effective (and less hassle on your part).

The people were actually part of a firm that is doing some work for us. They
are talented at what they do, however, they seem to be oblivious to meeting
deadlines and we often have to ask for things twice and three times. The
thing that set me off was they sent some files -- minus a very important
file that included some changes we had asked for. I asked for the files and
was told that it was there. It was not there so I said what is the name of
the file? More smoke and mirrors.

Finally, I said, "damnit, I asked the name of the file. Don't make me ask
for things twice. What is the name of the file??"

Turns out they were still "working on it". Translation: they had dropped the
ball. They soon did what they agreed to do and delivered it to us that
afternoon, and they provided some other things we had agreed on as well. The
point is that raising my voice lit a bonfire of motivation, whereas before
there seemed to be a sort of "it will get done when it gets done" attitude,
which is unacceptable.

So -- bottom line -- raising my voice worked. Would I prefer another method
of instilling urgency? Definately.

What made me angry was not that the file was missing, or even that they were
late with something they agreed to do. What made me mad was the avoidance
and evasion tactics. Problems, lateness, even mistakes do not concern me if
the person comes clean and says exactly how and when they will fix the
problem. Evasion, smoke and mirrors, and bullshit are unacceptable.

Post by John A. Weeks III
This is an especially hard concept in fully matrixed organizations
where you have a project team, but the team members do not report
through the project team. These team members often are part of
other project teams at the same time, and have conflicting
priorities. For example, on an IT project, you have have a
network engineer assigned to work on your project, but that person
might be assigned to 5 other projects, and all of them might
have deliverables at the same time.

Very true.

[ivan sutton]

I find that on a project by project basis, I assebmle a team, and I build
incentives based on thoroughness, completion in advance of deadline date,
creative input. and overall personality. Although no-one gets voted off the
team, they compete individually and the compete as a whole to bring the
project in on time, on budget, with the added aim of bring some new
innovation to the process for future projects.

This so far seems to work.

Ivan

Post by Robert Anderson
I am managing an extensive project and recently had to raise my voice to
drive forward a couple of people that were not delivering on their pieces of
the project. This did light and fire and I did get results quickly.
However, I would prefer not to have to resort to these tactics. Any advice
on other ways to drive things forward without resorting to this sort of
thing? Articles? Other resources?
Ideally, I would have a sort of escalating scale of tactics available to
deal with situations where people are not deliving...
--
Robert Anderson