project team management.ppt

MBA IMC Consulting Process 2007 © Dr. Giselher Dombachpage 1

MBA-IMC®Module 4: Consulting Process

Project Team Management

- Dr. Giselher Dombach -


Objectives of this presentation

• Providing students with the concept of composing the right project team

• Providing recommendations how to manage a project team

Training material of a leading consulting firm was partly used in this presentation.


We will consider four aspects of team management

Handling Breakdowns4Managing Juniors2

Managing Experts3Team Fundamentals1


Teams are more than the sum of their members

• Teams are associated with performance

• Teams are small groups of dedicated individuals

• All members of a team are committed to the same and common task

• Teams combine different and complementing capabilities and potentials of individuals synergistically

• Team members feel mutual responsible for each other

• A team feels responsible as a unit for its success

• Teams are an integrative element of companies dedicated to success


Teams achieve different results

• Teams achieve three types of results based on a certain setting

• Instead of trying to become a team, groups should focus on results and the necessary framework - becoming a team is a natural outcome of this process

Performance

Personal development

Common results

Specific goals

Working together

Thoughtful goals

Problem solving

Technical / function

Interpersonal

Mutual

Small group

Individual

Source: Katzenbach, Smith: “Wisdom of teams”


The case team should be a pyramid – maybe using the client as a “free” resource

Middle staff

Low-cost staff

Senior staff

Middle staff

Low-cost staff

Senior staff

Consulting Team Joint Team

Pyramiding is often prevented by soloing, duetting and scrapping


In selecting the case team, the team leader should attempt integrated case staffing than any other approaches

Each case member will be given clear objectives to reach through his or her work

Soloing „I will do it myself“

Scrapping „I will do it myself and give the dull stuff to others“

Duetting „We‘ll share it“

Duet-scrapping „We‘ll share it and give the dull stuff to others“

Integrated


Five different types of group work mode can be identified

Team performance

Source: Katzenbach, Smith: “Wisdom of teams”

Team efficiency

Working Groups

Pseudo Team

Potential team

Real team

High Performance

Team

Low

High

HighLow


All five types show specific characteristics

Working group

Pseudo team

Potential team

Real team High performance team

Group of individuals with no perceived need for performance improvement

Interaction based on shared information

No common goal behind the actual work or no desire to have such a goal

The sum is less than the potential of all members

There is a potential for significant performance improvements

Individuals perceived themselves as team

Individuals are occupied with their "get together" and not with performance

Group of individuals who perceived performance improvement as necessary

Lack of transparency concerning goal, targets and results

Lack of discipline to establish a common platform

No sense for common responsibility

Small team with complementelcapabilities

Shared goals, targets, and concept

Feel a common responsibility for the result of their work

A "real team" plus:

Search for challenges

Sense for mutual responsibility and support

Overshoots expectations


What is typical for a high performance team?

• A climate of ease and unconstraint

• A lot of factual discussions

• Goals are clear and defined transparently

• Everybody is listening

• You can express deviating opinions

• Most decisions are the result of a common orientation

• No hidden agendas

• The task is important - not the powerplay

• The team is sensible for its own dynamics, brings background discussions into the foreground, and solves problems in a constructive way

• Breakdowns are identified early and are solved constructively


The members of the team form the core of a high performance team

Across disciplines -

the high performance team is a group of highly motivated individuals across all necessary disciplines and functions, working as a high performance team and not as a collection of egos with individual hidden agendas

Willing to make decisions -

high performance teams consist of decision makers - either hierarchical or people who are willing to take risks. The composition of the team is a clear signal to the environment about the commitment to the task

Highly motivated -

the members of the team peg their career to the results of the team

Dedicated to results -

the members want to be measured by the results of their work


Various roles and functions determine the team work

The leader - he or she is the constant pushing factor in the team. The leader is highly motivating and helps the other members of the team to stay committed to the vision and goals. The leaders is leading and not managing the team

The manager - he or she supports the leader by managing the team

The integrator - moderates between various opinions and leads them to a common goal. His or her social skills help to pursue this task

The analyst - evaluates complex situations methodically. He is bound to logic and is not involved in political games thereby helping to avoid group think

The motivator - helps to motivate the team even in difficult situations. The motivator does not accept a leading role but masters complex social skills. The motivator is often the internal trainer for teambuilding

The communicator - helps to communicate results internally and externally. The motivator is involved in drafting and executing the communication plan of the project

The specialist - provides the team with special expertise and can change frequently

The “out of the box” thinker - does not pursue traditional paths of arguments but brings idea from completely different points of view

In high performance teams members accept not a single role but are capable to fit into various roles at the same time


High performance teams work differently

Traditional teams.....

• Work mostly in team meetings. In the other time, individuals work on their specific tasks in their department

• Have limited responsibility and take limited risks

• Assign responsibility to the leader or to some members

High performance teams....

• Work together continuously in an intensive climate over weeks which results in high social stress

• Have high responsibility and visibility. They usually report to a high ranked steering committee

• Share the responsibility of their work and are of mutual support for each other. That needs a high degree of social skills

Appointing the right members for the high performance team becomes crucial for the success


Empowerment is a critical success factor for high performance teams

High performance teams should be empowered to reach their goals, because....

• Teams need power to compete with the hierarchy

• Power speeds up decisions

• Empowerment is a clear signal to the rest of the organization about the importance of the team

• Empowerment is a sign of trust in the team

• Empowerment strengthens the Esprit dé Corps

Two rules guide empowerment

#1 As much power as possible - high performance team are responsible in using power.

Empowerment increases the flexibility of the teams

#2 Sponsorship - the direct access to top management and the personal sponsorship of

managers is an effective way to empower teams

May the force be with you

Yoda, Jedi-Knight


High performance teams are formed by joint work and shared learning

Team performance

Team efficiency

Working Groups

Pseudo Team

Potential team

Real team

High Performance

Team

Low

High

HighLow


Let’s look at three tips for managing juniors

• Motivate by establishing objectives and reviewing at the end

• As far as possible, let juniors plan and do while you only counsel and decide

• Set up the appropriate control and review mechanisms


Motivate by establishing objectives and reviewing at the end

Example


As far as possible, let juniors plan and do while you only counsel and decide

Does it pay to delegate to a junior of level?

TaskJunior

BA Junior Consultant Consultant Pre-Senior

Proposal writing No NO Draft Yes

Case planning No Hardly Yes Yes

Issue analysis No Hardly Yes Yes

Data search Yes Yes Yes Yes

Data crunching Yes Yes Yes Yes

Interview (easy) Yes Yes Yes Yes

Interview (complicated) No No Hardly Yes

Review meetings No Hardly Yes Yes

Presentation writing No No Yes Yes

Oral presentation No No Yes Yes

Budget review No No Yes Yes


Decide when and what to control

Junior level

BA Junior consultant

Consultant Pre-Senior

Timing Daily Daily Weekly Bi-weekly or monthly

Depth All written pieces

All interviews

All written pieces Only key Only issue analysis and reports / presentations

Client relationship

All contacts with the client

All contacts with the client

Weekly report When she / he feels appropriate


Decide how to control

Junior is typically What you should do

Self starter – „I can do it alone“ Insist on formal writing plus some meetings

Always worried Be open and listen

Reassure that there are always problems

„Let‘s take it easy“ List and probe, probe, probe

Insist on competent writing

Little Manager Let him decide

Wants to shine Let him shine, but insist on value of transmitting bad news

Poet of problem solving Insist on getting news of what was done versus what was planned


Make it explicit (1)

• Discuss team successes and shortcomings openly

Critique interviews and meetings afterwards

Ask for impressions and suggestions for next time

• Make frequent, constructive small criticisms and suggestions immediately after the fact

Handle in a friendly manner

Do not exaggerate their importance

Keep encouraging the team member

• Be generous with compliments when warranted

„Try to catch the consultant doing something right“

Watch for and recognise even slight improvements in problem areas


Make it explicit (2)

• Do not abandon the consultant

Keep posted on progress

Remain available to guide and counsel

Offer to help whenever necessary with client contacts and introduction

• Do not do the work for the consultant – you must delegate!

Agree on objectives and limits

Allow consultant to do work and gain credit

• Do not cover up for the consultant

If a collegue is falling short, everyone should recognise and help

Short-term silence only postpones and amplifies longer-term problems

Performances of other team members are frequently downgraded unnecessarily


Your relationships with experts are bound to be like a blind man with his dog

• You don‘t understand what he is talking about

• You can‘t judge the depth and accurady of his output

• You don‘t even understand how he performs what you ask him


Like the blind man’s dog, an expert can be your life saver or generate nasty accidents

• Dolce vita

An expert who gave in two days enough content to shine for six months

An expert who is an encyclopedia, but too introvert to convert knowledge into action

An expert who is recognised internationally by peers through writing, publications, etc

• Hell

An expert who, prior to a presentation, advises you to reject a client‘s ideas, but changes his mind in the presentation when the client strongly disagrees

An expert who is, in fact, only one page ahead of you in the text book


Their use is best in certain types of cases

Joint (with client)

Strategy development Operations planning Organization structuring Management systems Implementation

Help client make entry decision (into new area)

(Hopefully)

Not for usExpert opinion on specific

questions

Low High

High

Low

Consultant company‘s expert content

Co

ns

ult

an

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om

pa

ny‘

s

ge

ne

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kill

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Usefull expert input

IllustrativeTypes of Cases


The expert role is different from the generalist consultant

Lend credibility

Aid dialogue with client

Objective review on issues

(Team Member)

Help reach entry decision

(Partner to Case Leader)

(Hopefully)

Not for us

Expert opinion

Challenge client

Play devil‘s advocate

(Lead the Case)

Low High

High

Low


Co

ns

ult

an

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om

pa

ny‘

s

ge

ne

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kill

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Illustrative

Roles of Experts


It is rare to find expert and generalist skills combined in one

Joint (with client) Strategy development Operations planning Organization structuring Management systems Implementation

Rare

(Hopefully)

Not for usExpert opinion on specific

questions

Low High

High

Low


Ge

ne

ralis

t s

kill

co

nte

nt

IllustrativeLevels of Skill

Usefull expert input


Experts have particularly valuable roles to play

Expert Role

Sales issues Identify industry or technical issues

Pricing Advise on what already known / state-of-the-art

Proposal writingProvide technical / industry examples to demonstrate understanding

Team task planning Provide (careful!) contributions to issue analysis

People management Manage ´technical´ client team members

Budget management Advise on sources, short-cut methods

Quality control Confirm technical / industry wok is state-of-the-art

Communications Clarify technical problems / analyses

Follow-up / Implementation Advise on further technical / industry issues

Client relations Help manage technical cleint members (carefully!)


You are bound to manage experts under uncertainty, but there are three tips for protection

• Get information on reputation

• Behave as if you were the client and only accept conclusions if they are adequately supported

• Have client check findings before presentation


Relationships are influenced by breakdowns

Breakdowns are:

• Situations which cause uncertainties, confusion,

and difficulties

• Interruptions on the way to the goals

• Situations and events which collide with our

commitments


Breakdowns lead to various effects

Breakdowns lead to:

• Playing down problems

• Ignoring problems

• Blaming each other

• Hushing up

• Hope that nobody will recognize it

• Censorship and information control

• Emergency actions


Breakdowns need a new conceptual framework (1)

• Crises are dependent on our engagement

• The higher the engagement the more frequent and bigger the

crises are

• High performance teams perceive breakdowns as breaks on

their way to reach the goals and focus their creativity to

overcome these performance barriers

• Well managed breakdowns are important milestones on the

way to the breakthrough

Or...

• Breakthroughs are well managed crises


• Breakdowns can be multipliers for high performance teams

• Breakdowns are bases for breakthroughs

• Breakdowns can be initiated purposely by high performance teams to test

the team and to create breakthroughs

• All members are foucussing their work to overcome the breakdowns and

to create effective and efficient solutions

• Effective and successful management of breakdowns improve:

• Results

• Working as a team

• Trust

• Risk tolerance

Breakdowns need a new conceptual framework (2)


Breakdowns build the basis for breakthroughs

Something happens

ALTERNATIVES

Reaction

“Problem”(status quo)

What is wrong with ......

Leads to blaming each other

Evaluation of facts

Declaring „breakdowns“

What is possible?

Build possibilities for a breakthrough

Engagement


Ten ingredients for a successful high performance team

• #1 Clarity in goals

• #2 Established ground rules

• #3 Selection of team members according to capabilities

• #4 Clear communication and interactions

• #5 Beneficial behavior

• #6 Quick wins

• #7 Continuous information

• #8 Appreciation

• #9 Awareness of group think

• #10 Spending time with each other

project team management.ppt

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