what’s needed most - pmi-la.org · simpson pmi 2020 expanding expertise author: maria simpson...

What’s Needed Most:Expanding the

Definition of Expertise

Maria Simpson, Ph.D.Building Workplace Relationships

[email protected]

Source

•PM BOK Guide, 2000•Chapter 9: Project Human Resource Management• 9.1: Organizational Planning• 9.1.3: Organizational theory

• 9.2: Staff Acquisition• 9.2.2: Staffing pool description

• 9.3: Team Development• developing individuals and group competencies (team

building, dealing with conflict)

What's Needed Most Maria Simpson, Ph.D. 2

Definitions of Expertise

• “a specialized knowledge or skill”• American Heritage Dictionary

•Quantitative (objective)• Education, experience, past projects

•Qualitative (subjective)• Personality traits: dependable? Easy to get along with?

Do the work?• Communication traits: clear, make thoughtful

contributions; disagree appropriately?What's Needed Most Maria Simpson, Ph.D. 3

Agenda

• Four stages of team development•Org planning and theory

•Parker’s roles in teams• Staff acquisition

•Which roles are most needed at each stage• Team development

•Dealing with too much of a good thing


Team Development


4 Stages of Team Development

• Stages 1-2: Relationship-based• Storming: Sorting out relationships•Norming: Planning, establishing norms for working together

• Stages 3-4: Task-based• Conforming: Applying the norms and starting the real work• Performing: Working together efficiently and effectively,

including resolving disagreements


Expertise Needed

§Stages 1 and 2: Relationship-based§ communications§ conflict resolution§ relationship building§ consensus building

§Stages 3 and 4: Task-Based§ technical expertise§ communications § ability to disagree productively§ process managers


Patterns of Change

• Stages of team development are fluid and not necessarily linear• Necessary competencies change during the process

•When membership changes, teams go back to Stages 1 and 2 to re-establish relationships and norms.

•When goals or tasks change, teams go back to Stage 2 to clarify goals and adjust norms so the work can be refocused.


Conflict During Change

§ Interpersonal differences§ values differences§ communications/conflict styles§ personality differences

§Structural imbalance§ inappropriate systems or policies§ imbalance of roles, power, and/or authority (Schrich, The

Little Book of Strategic Peacemaking)§Find the right expertise for each stage to resolve the

conflict


Roles in Teams

Each role is associated with an expertise needed at each stage of development to maintain functional balanceTeam Players and Teamwork, Glenn M. Parker, Jossey-Bass, 1996.


Functional Balance: Roles in Teams

Proj.Mgr.

Contribu-tor

Collabora-tor

Communi-cator

Challenger

Task oriented, focused on info, sets high performance standards

Goal oriented, big-picture person, open to new ideas

From Team Players and Teamwork, Parker

Questions goals and methods, willing to disagree, candid and open

Process-oriented, effective listener and facilitator, builds consensus, resolves conflict


Project Manager’s Role: Create Balance

• Recognize stage of team development

• Recognize specific expertise of each team member

•Match expertise with stage of team development

• Select team members for the skills needed at stage

•Demonstrate respect for all roles

•Make it OK to step up with this expertise at any stage


Effective Contributors: Dependable. Task-oriented, provides technical information, pushes the team to high standards

Behaviors• Freely share data and info• Accepts responsibility for

actions as a team member• Provides technical training and

mentoring• Has clear priorities• Completes all work

Descriptors• Organized• Efficient• Logical• Systematic• Relevant• Clear


Effective Collaborators: Big-picture person. Goal-directed, sees the vision or mission as paramount, willing to work outside personal role

Behaviors• Helps establish goals and revisit

them• Encourages setting goals and

plans• Pitches in to help others • Open to new ideas• Shares credit with others

Descriptors• Cooperative• Flexible• Confident• Forward-looking• Generous• Open• Imaginative• Visionary


Effective Communicators: Positive people person. Process-oriented, good listener and facilitator, creates relaxed climate

Behaviors• Helps to resolve team conflict or

other process problems• Builds consensus• Listens attentively• Creates urgency and enthusiasm

about the work• Helps to build relationships• Provides relevant and useful

feedback• Not defensive

Descriptors• Supportive• Encouraging• Relaxed • Tactful• Helpful• Friendly• Considerate• Spontaneous


Effective Challenger: Candid and open. Questions goals, methods, ethics, willing to disagree

Behaviors• Candidly shares views• Willing to disagree openly• Pushes to high ethical standards• Seeks explanations• Challenges the team to take risks• Willing to report infractions• Supports team consensus when

overruled

Descriptors• Candid• Ethical• Questioning• Honest• Outspoken• Principled• Adventurous• Brave


What’s Needed When


Stages and Roles

Stages 1/2: Storming, Norming

Relationship-Based

• Communicator• Helps to resolve conflict• Builds relationships• Creates enthusiasm for the work

• Collaborator• Helps establish and revisit goals

and plans• Open to new ideas• Helps others

Stages 3/4: Conforming, Performing

Task-Based

• Contributor• Shares data and technical

expertise• Pushes for high standards

• Challenger• Pushes team to take reasonable

risks• Asks “why” and ”how”• Provides candid feedback


Calling on the Skills You Need

• Match stages of development and strengths of each role• Make appropriate task assignments• Call on people with the skill needed at that time• Encourage team members to contribute those skills and reward them

for expertise

• Manage meetings• Stay focused on agenda• Help the team set ground rules (norms) for discussing disagreements

• Build trust (listen, share credit)• Mentor/model/train for appropriate behavior and strengths


The Downsides: Dealing with Too Much of a Good Thing


In-Effective Contributors: too focused on task; forget people

Behaviors• Overwhelm with data• Push for unreasonable

performance standards• Lose sight of the big picture• Lack patience with others• Focus too hard on

“objectivity”/lose track of people

Descriptors• Data-bound• Short-sighted• Perfectionist• Uncreative• Impatient


In-Effective Collaborators: unrealistic goals, want to do everything

Behaviors• Fails to revisit mission and goals• Lack of attention to basic tasks• Emphasis on goals to the

exclusion of other considerations• Sees people who disagree as

“obstructionists”• Try to do too much and interfere

with other’s work• Think too broadly

Descriptors• Insensitive• Over-committed• Over-involved• Too global• Over ambitious• Unrealistic


In-Effective Communicators: forget the goal, waste time

Behaviors• Sees team process as an end in itself• Fails to challenge others and risk

conflict• Fails to see need to complete tasks• Over-use of humor to manage

relationships• Sees communications skills as the

only valued skill set• Puts positive relationships over

more important goals

Descriptors• Aimless• Foolish• Placating• Impractical• Manipulative• Time-waster


In-Effective Challenger: style overwhelms content and intent; discourages others; undermines reaching the goal

Behaviors• Not knowing when to stop

challenging• Becomes self-righteous and

inflexible• Pushes team to unreasonable

risks• Uses “honesty” as an attack• Ignores or demeans other

perspectives

Descriptors• Rigid• Arrogant• Self-righteous• Contentious• Nit-picking • Dismissive• Hurtful


Dealing with the Downsides• Balance perspectives/discussions

• What would you do if most team members take on the same role? If a role is missing?

• Manage difficult behaviors• Recognize the positive intent behind the negative behavior• Reward the positive intent• Suggest alternate behaviors for the future; coach

• Brinkman and Kirschner, Dealing With People You Can’t Stand)

• Mentor, coach, train• Raise difficult issues appropriately (also applies to team)

• Begin with a neutral observation• eliminate the pronoun “you”• state an observation or information you want to “check out”

• Ask for that person’s perspective• Correct information• Provide clarity about expectations


Maria Simpson, [email protected]


Maria Simpson, Ph.D. has been an organizational conflict consultant and executive coach for over 20 years using skills she honed as a mediator for the LA County Superior Court. Among the organizations she has worked with are Bank of America, Toyota Financial Services, Center Theater Group, and Easter Seals Southern California, as well as city agencies, arts organizations, and universities. Since 2003 she has written a weekly column called “Two Minute Training” and published a collection called Leading Unstoppable Teams! She serves on several boards of directors including Empathia Pacific and Kids Managing Conflict, the SCMA Education Foundation, where she was board chair 2013-17. She has also taught in the graduate program on Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding at CSU Dominguez Hills and in the MAOM program at Antioch University Santa Barbara. She has received the SCMA President’s Award twice for her contributions to mediation and the Conversity Award for Leadership in Education from the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center. To read her articles, go to the Two Minute Training Library at www.mariasimpson.net.

http://mariasimpson.com

what’s needed most - pmi-la.org · simpson pmi 2020 expanding expertise author: maria simpson...

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