Tag Archives: teams

10 tips to get that problem project back on track #pmot #in

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1)       Create Space – nothing clouds judgement more than pressure to create a fast solution. Tell stakeholders you are assessing the situation and will provide an update in 1 weeks time.

2)       Talk to everyone involved in the project and get their perspective. Make it an informal chat, reduce the pressure and you will get more honesty.

3)       When you have identified what the problem is get the team together to Brainstorm possible solutions. Try an Ishikawa diagram to clarify whether the problem is with men (people) , machines, method, materials or environment (external factors)Ishikawa Diagram

4)       Pick the top three possible solutions and start experimental work to evaluate success.

5)       Implement the solutions in the timeline to evaluate timescales.

6)        Agree with the Team a primary solution and a contingency plan.

7)       Inform stakeholders of the revised timescale.

8)       Execute the plan, keep a close watch on progress and issue daily updates if required.

9)       On completion hold a “lessons learned”  meeting to minimize the chances of repetition.

10)    Celebrate Success – take  the team for a beer  or a sticky cake 😉

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project managers and business consultants

#Zen & the Art of Project Management* #pmot #in

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buddha Don’t ask me what “Zen” is.

I am not qualified to answer such a question. All I can say is that anyone who studies Zen applies it to their daily lives and work.

As a project manager I apply Zen in the following ways:-

1) When constructing a project plan  I think of the plan as a river flowing to the sea.  It never goes uphill and avoids major obstructions. It has a natural rythym to it with everything happening in the right order.  I check it once, twice, thrice then I get the Team to review it.

2) When allocating timescales I ask the person who is actually doing the task. I might push them to do it quicker but I need timescales which are aggressive but realistic. I need that person’s commitment.

3) I never lie to the customer. I always keep them appraised of progress even if its bad news. Once trust is lost it’s gone forever.

4) I always offer the customer options. If my timescale has slipped I offer alternative solutions.

5) I am neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic.

6) I tell Senior Management the bad news. They dislike obfuscation even more.

7) I never allow myself to be bullied into giving unrealistic timescales. What’s the point, I will only look stupid when we can’t meet them.

8) I am open & honest with my team and expect the same in return.

9) “Best laid plans of mice & men gang aft agley” – say no more!

10) Calmness in the eye of the storm is either a sign of great leadership or incredible stupidity.

* Recommended reading: Robert M Pirsig – Zen & the art of motorcycle maintenance.

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1o ways to invigorate teamworking #pmot #in

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teamworkMost people involved in New Product Development agree that best results are obtained when people work effectively in teams so here are 10 guaranteed ways to improve teamworking:-

1) Locate the team together in the same room. – If people sit together they work together. It is essential that the primary form of communication is face to face. There should be some allowance for privacy but any cubicle walls should be below head level.

2) Locate the Project Manager in the same room – As the Project Manager there may be a tendency to remain distant or aloof from the team. This is counterproductive and wrong. The Project Manager should be located in the same room as the team. If She has her own office the door should be left open to allow ready access. If She sits with the team there should be a private office available for personal discussion.

3) Hold regular team meetings – although there may be some resistance to this (too much work etc) it is essential that the team meet at least once a week to discuss project status.

4) Issue meeting minutes – It helps communication if everyone knows exactly what is expected of them following the team meeting. The minutes also act as a good crib for next weeks meeting.

5) Promote a democratic culture – environments where people feel free to speak their minds openly and honestly lead to faster problem solving and decision making.

6) Promote team activities – 5 a side football or similar activities are great if everyone is  fit and active but be careful to choose something EVERYONE can take part in otherwise you will alienate some team members and defeat the purpose. I have always found bowling to be a great choice which just about everyone can do.

7) Eliminate the Blame Culture – resist every opportunity to blame others and take responsibility for your own decisions. Blame Cultures are endemic in some organizations and will take time to be eradicated but the changes in performance will be immeasurable.

8) Listen twice as much as you talk – we all know the old saying about empty vessels making the most noise and no where is this more true than in Project Management.  Try really listening to people and see their reaction.

9) Put the Structure in place – whether its based on PRINCE2, Project Management Institutes PMBOK or some alternative combination, Teams are more effective when they no what the rules are.

10) Keep a sense of humour – as the Project Manager nothing upsets or disorients the Team more than a panicky Manager. Keep a sense of perspective, enjoy the fun bits and lead by example.

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PGBANNERSTATIC

10 tips for faster leaner new product development #in #pmot #lean

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new-product-development

Bringing New Products to Market faster & more efficiently is even more critical as product life-cycles shrink so here are 10 tips for faster, leaner New Product Development:-

1) Nail the spec early – the sooner the product spec is finalised the smoother & faster the development will be. Less time & effort will be wasted debating the minutiae if the spec is closed early.

2) 5s the area – Apply the Lean principles of 5s (see earlier post) to remove unnecessary distraction and promote “clear thoughts”

3) Promote re-use in Design – to reduce design effort and make best use of proven and qualified technology.

4) Parallel Planning & Design – Design is normally the longest phase in New Product Development so why wait until the end of Planning to start Design. Start Design in parallel and adapt the plan when more is known about the length of the design phase.

5) Arrange Regular Reviews – during the Design phase and break the task into smaller “chunks”. Design is one of those tasks which has a tendency to expand to fill the time allowed for it.

6) Structure the Innovation process – ensure that Innovation board reviews are scheduled well in advance and board members have suitably qualified deputies so that stage gate reviews suffer no delays due to the absence of key personnel. The Innovation process should become Institutionalized.

7) Dedicated multifunctional Teams – are more effective than matrix teams  If resource allows.

8) Design for Manufacture – manufacturing & production engineers need to be involved in the product development process to ensure a smooth transition from development to manufacture.

9) Minimize interruptions & noise – in the product development area.

10) Promote a democratic involving Management style – to increase free discussion and mutual respect.

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PGBANNERSTATIC

pmot# Dealing with awkward buggers………

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awkwardFirst of all please let me apologize for the use of the word “buggers” which some of you may find offensive but I just couldn’t think of another term (apart from an even more offensive B term) to describe those people who are just plain damn awkward.

You know the ones I’m talking about, they just won’t “play the game” or “go with the flow”, they have to disagree with everyone and cause a row about the slightest thing, in fact they “create a bloody mountain out of a mole hill” the awkward buggers.

And you know what, a lot of these people are Engineers. They are so damn clever they just won’t go along with what I want them to do without causing an almighty row about it.

They won’t sign the project through to the next stage because they’re not happy with some bloody thing.

They won’t put that product into volume production because they think we could improve some damn thing no-one even cares about.

And they want to keep improving the product performance even though it already meets the bloody customer spec !

So how should we deal with them ?

I’ve had a few ideas over the years, involving rat poison, sawing through brake pipes and accidents on the stairs.

But you know what I’m going to do now ?

L-I-S-T-E-N

that’s right listen.

Because I’ve come to realize some of those buggers are awkward for a good reason, and I want to know what it is

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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PGBANNERSTATIC

LEAN doesn’t work….

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LEAN workers need training

LEAN workers need training

…unless the workers on the “front line” are given the autonomy and authority to make key decisions about product quality and the structure of their work. They also need the authority to be able to stop the line should a quality issue occur.

LEAN only works when the workers are enmeshed in the decision making process and their responsibilities rewarded with more secure contracts and conditions.

Some organizations try to introduce LEAN on a piecemeal basis but this will only lead to disappointment. In order to implement a LEAN strategy successfully workers need extensive training in order to exercise their autonomy effectively. This means a real commitment from Management to Training and personal development.

An effective LEAN strategy depends on a complimentary commitment from workers and management.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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PGBANNERSTATIC

What the heck is 5s ?

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The Lean Process

The Lean Process

A key part of adopting a LEAN strategy is the implementation of 5s.

5s refers to the following Japanese words and their meaning in relation to LEAN.

Seiri (Sorting)

In order to minimize confusion and increase efficiency anything not in immediate use should be stored out of the way in designated areas.

Seiton (Straightening)

Every tool should be in its place and in line with the workflow.

Seiso (Cleaning)

The workplace should be cleaned regularly and periodically and everything put back in its place.

Seiketsu (Standardization)

Work practices should be consistent and standadized and everyone must know their duties and responsibilities.

Shitsuke (Maintenance)

Enforce the previous 4s whilst reviewing and modifying them as required.

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“Give me a faster horse”

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modelTHenry Ford once commented that if he’d asked his customers what they wanted they would have replied “Give me a faster horse”.

Sometimes in New Product Development we have to take a Quantum leap in imagination so that we can develop products which no one else has imagined.

“Brainstorming” is one techniques to help that process:-

1) Form a team of maximum 10 people drawn from all levels of the organization.

2) The “Chairperson” should be mid level with no obvious authority.

3) Provide some drinks and snacks to create a relaxed atmosphere.

4) Go round the table asking each one in turn what products they think the Company should be developing.

5) Don’t reject anything at this stage.

6) Don’t criticize anyone else’s contribution.

7) Get someone to list all the contributions on a whiteboard.

8 ) When all contributions are exhausted arrange them into different categories.

9) Vote on the top 5.

In the next post we will explore how to take these ideas forward.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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Directing from the bunker……

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SHIT-HOTEL

Have you seen “Undercover Bosses” on Channel 4 ? (9pm Thursdays)

In the series a number of company Executives go “undercover” to see how their business really works.
Last week it was David Clarke’s turn. David is the C.E.O of Hotel chain “Best Western” which doesn’t actually own any hotels but acts as an “umbrella brand” and booking agent.

David explained to his rather bemused board that he was going undercover for 5 days and would report his findings on his return.

David grew a beard and assumed an alternate identity.

He needn’t have bothered really because, despite a 1 million pounds marketing campaign, none of the staff had any clue what Best Western did or who they were.

David met a number of staff most of whom were extremely dedicated despite having to work extra hours unpaid and generally receiving just above minimum wage.

The funniest was the maintenance guy who clearly didn’t give a sh*t !

“Aren’t we going to fix that properly” asked David. “Nahh we’ll just move it to another room” – so that when the Best Western Inspector returned and checked the same room the offending item would be elsewhere and replaced by one from another room. Other shenanigans involved changing the room numbers on the Inspector’s report to confuse him on his return.

David, quite understandably, was not amused.

David returned to the boardroom to announce his findings – The Marketing Director was visibly shocked to hear that the advertising campaign had been particularly ineffective.

At the end of the show David anounced (in Secret Millionaire style) his true identify to the staff he had met during the show.

One Lady had worked for Best Western for 20 years. She earned around 6 pound per hour as a Cleaning Team Leader and regularly worked well over her standard shift for no extra recompense.  During the show it transpired that her Son had spent some considerable time in Great Ormond Street Childrens hospital. Consequently David, in best philanthropist style, got out his chequebook. The Cleaner’s lip trembled and a loose tear rolled down her face as he wrote out a cheque for…….two and  a half thousand pounds.

Best Western is part of the Interchange & Consort Hotels Group Ltd which is a private limited company and as such its accounts are not readily available in the public sphere in the same way that a PLC’s are.  It is however one of the largest hotel chains in the Western world. One would have thought that a more generous donation would have been in order from such a “prestigious” organization rather than this rather tawdry sum.

The program highlighted a number of issues prevalent in many companies today:-

  • A boardroom in the bunker mentality – completely out of touch with it’s own workforce and the issues it faces on a daily basis.
  • A CEO living in a “bubble of bullshit” provided by his fellow Directors.
  • Workers being exploited on minimum wage and working excessive hours.
  • Workers with such dedication compared to their highly numerated counterparts in the boardroom it makes you seeth.

There is an old Management technique called “Management by walking around” which is exactly what it says on the tin.

Executives need to extract their heads from their own orifices and get out there on the shop floor and find out what the hell’s going on in their own organizations. Get out there and talk but more importantly listen to your own workers.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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May the best team win………

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north-koreaWhilst the football may not have lived up to the hype so far we have still seen a couple of excellent team performances. So what is it that makes for a great team performance whatever the situation ?

* A leader who doesn’t just tell the team what to do but who provides a vision and who communicates that goal to the team by clearly outlining the task at hand and how it is to be achieved.

* The team are all pulling in the same direction putting individual disagreement behind them.

* The rewards of success are shared equally amongst the team members.

* There is no “finger pointing” if someone makes a mistake and the rest of the team rally round to support the individual.

* The Team leader provides all of the tools and instructions neccessary to complete the task.

As we enjoy the World Cup see which teams exhibit these qualities and measure their success.

The best team may not have the most outstanding individual players but the best team will win.

chris@projectsguru.co.uk

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