Halo Effect

Halo Effect
Halo Effect is the assumption that because the person is good at a technology, he will be good as a project manager.
http://www.preparepm.com/notes/hr.html

communication channels

1.       You are managing a telecom project. You have got two teams reporting to you. One team is responsible for equipment installation and the other team is responsible to commission and test that equipment. Both teams are working in parallel such that as soon as the installation teams finishes equipment installation at one site they move on to another site for installations and the commissioning and testing team start their activities on the newly installed site. The reporting structure is such that each of the teams has 5 engineers headed by a team lead. Each team member interacts with each other; however only the team leads interact with you. Both the team leads also interact with each other to synchronize their operations.
How many communication channels do you have in your project?
A.       33
B.       23
C.       42
D.       78


the answer is 33 and logic convinces (But the explanation is little misunderstanding, so I am putting in different words)
Here we have two independent teams.
Each team has 6 members, i.e., 5 engineers and one team lead.
Each team member is interacting with each other, so communication channels for each team are (6)(6-1)/2=15.
Both the team leads are communicating with you (PM) so there are two communication channels for this interaction.
Further since both the team leads are interacting with each other there is an another communication channel between them.
Hence the total communication channels in your project is 15+15+2+1=33


http://pmzilla.com/question-calculation-communication-channels-please-help-solution-0

• N(N-1)/2 – Formula for Number of Communication Channels

N(N-1)/2 is the formula to calculate the number of communication channels on a project where N=the number of team members/stakeholders on a project
http://projectmanagementessentials.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/nn-12-formula-for-number-of-communication-channels/

Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory

• Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory

The Two-factor theory (also known as Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and Dual-Factor Theory) states that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction. It was developed by Frederick Herzberg, a psychologist, who theorized that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction act independently of each other


Two-factor theory distinguishes between:

Motivators (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) that give positive satisfaction, arising from intrinsic conditions of the job itself, such as recognition, achievement, or personal growth,and

Hygiene factors (e.g. status, job security, salary, fringe benefits, work conditions) that do not give positive satisfaction, though dissatisfaction results from their absence. These are extrinsic to the work itself, and include aspects such as company policies, supervisory practices, or wages/salary


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-factor_theory

mcclelland's achievement theory

• mcclelland's achievement theory

David McClelland and his associates proposed McClelland’s theory of Needs / Achievement Motivation Theory. This theory states that human behaviour is affected by three needs - Need for Power, Achievement and Affiliation. Need for achievement is the urge to excel, to accomplish in relation to a set of standards, to struggle to achieve success. Need for power is the desire to influence other individual’s behaviour as per your wish. In other words, it is the desire to have control over others and to be influential. Need for affiliation is a need for open and sociable interpersonal relationships. In other words, it is a desire for relationship based on co-operation and mutual understanding
http://www.managementstudyguide.com/mcclellands-theory-of-needs.htm

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology, proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

Douglas McGregor's X Y Theory

• Douglas McGregor's XY Theory

Douglas McGregor, an American social psychologist, proposed his famous X-Y theory in his 1960 book 'The Human Side Of Enterprise'. Theory x and theory y are still referred to commonly in the field of management and motivation, and whilst more recent studies have questioned the rigidity of the model, Mcgregor's X-Y Theory remains a valid basic principle from which to develop positive management style and techniques. McGregor's XY Theory remains central to organizational development, and to improving organizational culture.

McGregor's X-Y theory is a salutary and simple reminder of the natural rules for managing people, which under the pressure of day-to-day business are all too easily forgotten.

McGregor's ideas suggest that there are two fundamental approaches to managing people. Many managers tend towards theory x, and generally get poor results. Enlightened managers use theory y, which produces better performance and results, and allows people to grow and develop

http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm

• Motivation Theory - McGregor

Theory X workers could be described as follows:

- Individuals who dislike work and avoid it where possible

- Individuals who lack ambition, dislike responsibility and prefer to be led

- Individuals who desire security


Theory Y workers were characterised by McGregor as:

- Consider effort at work as just like rest or play

- Ordinary people who do not dislike work. Depending on the working conditions, work could be considered a source of satisfaction or punishment

- Individuals who seek responsibility

http://www.tutor2u.net/business/people/motivation_theory_mcgregor.asp

• Theory X and Theory Y

Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human motivation created and developed by Douglas McGregor at the MIT Sloan School of Management in the 1960s that have been used in human resource management, organizational behavior, organizational communication and organizational development. They describe two contrasting models of workforce motivation.

Theory X and Theory Y have to do with the perceptions managers hold on their employees, not the way they generally behave
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_X_and_Theory_Y

contract types

Contract Types and Risk	1. Fixed Price 2. Cost-Reimbursable 3.Time & Material
CR	Buyer has risk, as total cost are unknownYou are buying “what to do” from seller.
Cost plus fee or Cost Plus Percentage of Cost (CPPC)	No valid for federal contracts. Sellers are not motivated to control cost, used when buyer can tell what is needed then what to do. Seller write SOW. Bad for buyer
Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF)	Used for research and development contracts (which generally have low level of detail in the scope); fixed fee can change if there is a change to the contract (usually through change orders). The risk rests with the buyer. This is the most common cost reimbursable contract.
Cost Plus Incentive Fee CPIF)	Buyer and seller share in savings based on predetermined %s; long performance periods and substantial development and test requirements (incentive to the seller to perform on or ahead of time) Cost plus agreed fee plus a bonus for beating the objective
Cost plus Award fee	Similar to CPIF but award amount is amount is determined in advance and apportioned out depending on performance.
	In Cost plus contract, the only firm figure is the fee
T & M	Used for small amount contract. Good if the buyer wants to be in full control and/or the scope is unclear/not detailed or work has to start quickly. Profit factor into the hourly rate. Fixed rate but variable total cost. They are open ended.
Fixed price or Firm Fixed Price (FFP)	Buyer defines reasonably detailed specifications (e.g. SOW). Shift risk to seller. Good when deliverable is not a core competency. Fixed Price (FP) is the most common type of contract in the world. Seller is at risk.
Fixed Price Plus Incentive Fee (FPIF)	Incentives for fixed price contract. The inventive is same as CPIF. High-value projects involving long performance periods
Fixed Price Award Fee	“bonus” to the seller based on performance (e.g. 100K + 10K for every designated incremental quality level reached. Award fee is decided in advance.
Fixed Price Economic Price Adjustment (FPEPA)	Allow Price increase if the contract is for multiple years
Purchase Order	A form of contract that is normally unilateral and used for simple commodity purchases. It is simplest type of fixed price contract and is usually unilateral(Signed by one party instead of bilateral)
Contract type Vs Risk	FP – FPIF – FPAF – FPEPA – T&M – CPIF – CPAF – CPFF – CPPC Fixed Price – T&M – Cost Reimbursable Buyer’s risk from low to high Seller’s risk from high to low

http://www.pmpnotes.com/pmp-notes/procurement-management/

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

• Win-Win, Win-Lose, and Lose-Lose Situations

Win-win, win-lose, and lose-lose are game theory terms that refer to the possible outcomes of a game or dispute involving two sides, and more importantly, how each side perceives their outcome relative to their standing before the game. For example, a "win" results when the outcome of a negotiation is better than expected, a "loss" when the outcome is worse than expected.
expectations determine one's perception of any given result.


Win-win outcomes occur when each side of a dispute feels they have won
Since both sides benefit from such a scenario, any resolutions to the conflict are likely to be accepted voluntarily

Win-lose situations result when only one side perceives the outcome as positive. Thus, win-lose outcomes are less likely to be accepted voluntarily.

Lose-lose means that all parties end up being worse off. An example of this would be a budget-cutting negotiation in which all parties lose money. In some lose-lose situations, all parties understand that losses are unavoidable and that they will be evenly distributed. In such situations, lose-lose outcomes can be preferable to win-lose outcomes because the distribution is at least considered to be fair

http://www.beyondintractability.org/bi-essay/win-lose


Resolving conflict rationally and effectively

We've all seen situations where different people with different goals and needs have come into conflict
The fact that conflict exists, however, is not necessarily a bad thing: As long as it is resolved effectively, it can lead to personal and professional growth.
Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) which helps you to identify which style you tend towards when conflict arises.
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_81.htm

•  ACHIEVING EFFECTIVE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

  Thomas (1976) proposes that each of the five management styles identified may be effective depending on the situation.  In fact, he matches the five conflict management styles with the appropriate situation as follows:

Avoidance

- When the issue is trivial
- When the costs outweigh the benefits of resolution
- To let the situation cool down
- When getting more information is imperative
- When others can solve the problem more effectively
- When the problem is a symptom rather than a cause

Compromise/sharing

- When the objectives are important, but not worth the effort or potential disruption likely to result from assertive behaviour
- When there is a "standoff"
- To gain temporary settlements to complex problems
- To expedite action when time is important
- When collaboration or competition fails

Competition/domination

- When quick, decisive action is essential, as in emergencies
- When critical issues require unpopular action, as in cost cutting
- When issues are vital to the welfare of the organization
- Against individuals who take unfair advantage of others

Accommodation

- When you find you have made a mistake
- When the issues are more important to others
- To build good will for more important matters
- To minimize losses when defeat is inevitable
- When harmony and stability are particularly important
- To allow subordinates a chance to learn from their mistakes

Collaboration/integration

- When both sets of concerns are so important that only an integrative solution is acceptable; compromise is unsatisfactory
- When the goal is to learn
- To integrate insights from individuals with different perspectives
- When consensus and commitment are important
- To break through ill feelings that have hindered relationships (pp. 101, 102)


http://www.mun.ca/educ/faculty/mwatch/vol1/treslan.html

• Team Conflict Management Strategies to Grow Your Organization

Defining Destructive and Creative Conflict

Destructive conflict is typically characterized by ineffective communication and work relationships leading to tension, argument, antagonism, or animus. Destructive conflict may take the form of mild team conflict, wider arguments or hostility, or even a dysfunctional senior leadership team. Left unaddressed, destructive conflict may spread throughout the work place. It reduces effectiveness and The PICAS Factors, and can tear apart an organization.

Constructive or creative conflict is characterized by effective communication and strong relationships. There is deep respect for and valuing of each other's ideas and perspectives. People have the mindset and skills to work together well with colleagues and customers of different cultural backgrounds. This builds The PICAS Factors and business success.

http://mdbgroup.com/conflict1.html

• Seven Strategies for Managing Conflict

Deal with it. Most people prefer to avoid conflict.

Conflict needs to be dealt with. If you ignore or avoid it, it can lead to increased stress and unresolved feelings of anger, hostility and resentment.

Think it through. Before addressing the person with whom you have a conflict, consider discussing the situation with an objective friend or family member

Talk it out, face to face. Meeting in person can be intimidating, but it is often the best way to go.

Use a mediator if necessary. If a situation is particularly volatile or troublesome and other efforts have not worked, you might invite a neutral third party, such as a supervisor, to act as a mediator if this is agreeable to all concerned

Apologize when appropriate. Be aware of your own part in creating the conflict. If you've done something wrong or inappropriate, be willing to acknowledge it and say you're sorry, even if the conflict is not entirely a result of your actions

Choose your battles. There always will be differing opinions and ways of doing things. Decide which issues you can live with and which need addressing

Work to minimize conflict. Take steps to minimize conflict at work before it happens

Work on your own communication skills. The ability to express yourself clearly will allow you to say what's on your mind, ask for what you want and need and get your point across

Avoid troublemakers as much as possible. They will suck you in and drag you down.

http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/sevenstrategies.html

• Conflict management

Conflict management involves implementing strategies to limit the negative aspects of conflict and to increase the positive aspects of conflict at a level equal to or higher than where the conflict is taking place
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_management

• Resolving Conflict in Work Teams

http://www.innovativeteambuilding.co.uk/pages/articles/conflicts.htm

• Successful Team Conflict Management Strategies

http://www.life123.com/career-money/career-development/team-conflict/team-conflict-management-strategies.shtml

Gold-Plating

  What Is Gold-Plating in Project Management?
 
    Gold-Plating in Project Management is the act of giving the customer more than what he originally asked for. Gold plating is common in software projects, and is usually done by team members either on an individual or a collaborative basis, most of the times without the knowledge of the Project Manager.

Why Gold Plate?

Gold plating is giving the customer something that he did not ask for, something that wasn’t scoped, and often something that the he may not want. So why do it?
http://www.projectmanagementlearning.com/what-is-gold-plating-in-project-management.html

• Gold plating

Gold plating in software engineering or Project Management (or time management in general) refers to continuing to work on a project or task well past the point where the extra effort is worth the value it adds (if any). After having met the requirements, the developer works on further enhancing the product, thinking the customer would be delighted to see additional or more polished features, rather than what was asked for or expected. The customer might be disappointed in the results, and the extra effort by the developer might be futile
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_plating_%28software_engineering%29

Kaizen

• Kaizen

Kaizen  Japanese for "improvement", or "change for the better" refers to philosophy or practices that focus upon continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, and business management.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen

• What Is Kaizen?

In business management, kaizen is a Japanese tradition which is now used internationally, modified by each culture to best suit their own business environments. A literal translation of kaizen could be "to become good through change". At its most basic the concept of kaizen is one of restructuring and organizing every aspect of a system to ensure it remains at peak efficiency.

Kaizen is founded upon five primary elements:

    Quality Circles: Groups which meet to discuss quality levels concerning all aspects of a company's running.

    Improved Morale: Strong morale amongst the workforce is a crucial step to achieving long-term efficiency and productivity, and kaizen sets it as a foundational task to keep constant contact with employee morale.

    Teamwork: A strong company is a company that pulls together every step of the way. Kaizen aims to help employees and management look at themselves as members of a team, rather than competitors.

    Personal Discipline: A team cannot succeed without each member of the team being strong in themselves. A commitment to personal discipline by each employee ensures that the team will remain strong.

    Suggestions for Improvement: By requesting feedback from each member of the team, the management ensures that all problems are looked at and addressed before they become significant.
   
    Unlike many Western management techniques, which treat employees as numbers to be crunched for maximum efficiency, kaizen takes the opposite outlook, proposing essentially that a happy employee is a productive employee.
   
    http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-kaizen.htm#

Seven Basic Quality Tools

• Seven Basic Tools of Quality

The Seven Basic Tools of Quality is a designation given to a fixed set of graphical techniques identified as being most helpful in troubleshooting issues related to quality
They are called basic because they are suitable for people with little formal training in statistics and because they can be used to solve the vast majority of quality-related issues

The seven tools are:

    Cause-and-effect (also known as the "fish-bone" or Ishikawa) diagram
    Check sheet
    Control chart
    Histogram
    Pareto chart
    Scatter diagram
    Stratification (alternately, flow chart or run chart)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Basic_Tools_of_Quality

• Seven Basic Quality Tools

Quality pros have many names for these seven basic tools of quality, first emphasized by Kaoru Ishikawa, a professor of engineering at Tokyo University and the father of “quality circles.”

Start your quality journey by mastering these tools, and you'll have a name for them too: "indispensable."

    Cause-and-effect diagram (also called Ishikawa or fishbone chart): Identifies many possible causes for an effect or problem and sorts ideas into useful categories.
    Check sheet: A structured, prepared form for collecting and analyzing data; a generic tool that can be adapted for a wide variety of purposes.
    Control charts: Graphs used to study how a process changes over time.
    Histogram: The most commonly used graph for showing frequency distributions, or how often each different value in a set of data occurs.
    Pareto chart: Shows on a bar graph which factors are more significant.
    Scatter diagram: Graphs pairs of numerical data, one variable on each axis, to look for a relationship.
    Stratification: A technique that separates data gathered from a variety of sources so that patterns can be seen (some lists replace “stratification” with “flowchart” or “run chart”).

http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/seven-basic-quality-tools/overview/overview.html

• Basic Quality Tools

Most of the organizations use quality tools for various purposes related to controlling and assuring quality.
These quality tools are quite generic and can be applied to any condition.
There are seven basic quality tools used in organizations.
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/management_concepts/basic_quality_tools.htm

• run chart     

A run chart is also known as run sequence plot. It is a graphical representation of observed data in a time sequence. The data generally represents the performance or output of a process. They are used to find anomalies in data that may help to detect factors that influence variability of a process. It is a simplest form of control chart as it depicts only the elementary measures of data over a period. These can also be created in Excel from the Ql Macros pull down menu
http://www.management-hub.com/project-management-tools-pert-gantt-run-chart.html

• Pareto Charts 

Pareto Charts have been used in project management, especially Six Sigma, as a useful tool. The Pareto chart shows vertical bars (in descending order) and a line chart depicting the cumulative totals of categories. Pareto charts can be easily created in Microsoft Excel. Generally, Pareto charts are an important tool used in quality management - but when are you supposed to use these? There are at least four instances when creating a Pareto chart is advisable:

To analyze the frequency of defects in a process
To look at causes in a process
To figure out what the most significant problem in a process is
To communicate data with others
http://www.brighthubpm.com/project-planning/57119-when-do-you-need-to-use-a-pareto-chart/

• Cause-and-effect diagram (also called Ishikawa or fishbone chart): Identifies many possible causes for an effect or problem and sorts ideas into useful categories.

Control charts: Graphs used to study how a process changes over time.
Pareto chart: Shows on a bar graph which factors are more significant.
Scatter diagram: Graphs pairs of numerical data, one variable on each axis, to look for a relationship.
http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/seven-basic-quality-tools/overview/overview.html

• The run chart can be a valuable tool at the beginning of a project, as it reveals important information about a process before you have collected enough data to create reliable control limits.

https://www.pqsystems.com/qualityadvisor/DataAnalysisTools/run_chart.php

Direct and Manage Project Execution

• Direct and Manage Project Execution

Direct and Manage Project Execution  is the process for "[...] executing the work defined in the project management plan to achieve the projects's requirements defined in the project scope statement"

Process Output
     The Deliverables are the produced (but not conformed) results of the project
    The Requested Changes "are request "[...] to expand or reduce project scope, to modify policies or procedures, to modify projct cost or budget, or to revise the project schedule [...]"
    The Implemented Change Requests are the realized results of approved change requests
    The Implemented Corrective Actions are the realized results of approved corrective actions
    The Implemented Preventive Aactions are the realized results of approved preventive actions
    The Implemented Ddefective Rrepair are the realized results of approved defective repair
    The Work Performance Information are status information collected and documented by the team
   
    http://www.mypmps.net/en/mypmps/knowledgeareas/integration/direct-manage-project-execution.html