Project Human

Resource
Management
Learning Objectives
 Explain the importance of good human resource
management on projects, including the current state of the
global IT workforce and future implications for it
 Define project human resource management and
understand its processes
 Summarize key concepts for managing people by
understanding theories of motivation, influence, and power;
how people and teams can become more effective;
emotional intelligence; and leadership

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 Learning Objectives
 Discuss human resource management planning and be able to
create a human resource plan, project organizational chart,
responsibility assignment matrix, and resource histogram
 Understand important issues involved in project staff acquisition
and explain the concepts of resource assignments, resource
loading, and resource leveling
 Assist in team development with training, team-building
activities, and reward systems
 Explain and apply several tools and techniques to help manage
a project team and summarize general advice on managing
teams
 Describe how project management software can assist in
project human resource management
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 The Importance of Human Resource
Management
 Many corporate executives have said, “People are
our most important asset”
 People determine the success and failure of
organizations and projects

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 Implications for the Future of IT
Human Resource Management
 Proactive organizations are addressing workforce
needs by
◦ improving benefits
◦ redefining work hours and incentives
◦ finding future workers

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 What is Project Human Resource
Management?
 Project human resource management includes the
processes required to make the most effective use
of the people involved with a project.
 Human resource management includes all project

stakeholders:
◦ sponsors, customers, project team members, support staff,
suppliers supporting the project, and so on.

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 Project Human Resource
Management Summary

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 Human Resource Management Processes
 Processes include
◦ Planning human resource management: identifying and
documenting project roles, responsibilities, and reporting
relationships
◦ Acquiring the project team: getting the needed
personnel assigned to and working on the project
◦ Developing the project team: building individual and
group skills to enhance project performance
◦ Managing the project team: tracking team member
performance, motivating team members, providing timely
feedback, resolving issues and conflicts, and coordinating
changes to help enhance project performance

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 Keys to Managing People
 Psychologists and management theorists have
devoted much research and thought to the field of
managing people at work
 Important areas related to project management

include
◦ motivation theories
◦ influence and power
◦ Effectiveness
◦ Emotional intelligence
◦ Leadership

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 Intrinsic Motivation
 Psychologists, managers, coworkers, teachers,
parents, and most people in general still struggle
to understand what motivates people, or, why
they do what they do.
 Intrinsic motivation causes people to
participate in an activity for their own enjoyment
◦ For example, some people love to read, write,
or play an instrument because it makes them
feel good.

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 Extrinsic Motivation
 Extrinsic motivation causes people to do
something for a reward or to avoid a penalty
 For example, some children take piano lessons for
intrinsic motivation (they enjoy it) while others take
them for extrinsic motivation (to get a reward or
avoid punishment)
◦ Why do some people require no external motivation
whatsoever to produce high-quality work while others
require significant external motivation to perform routine
tasks?
◦ Why can’t you get someone who is extremely productive
at work to do simple tasks at home?

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 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
 Abraham Maslow argued that humans possess
unique qualities that enable them to make
independent choices, thus giving them control of
their destiny
 During the same period, behavioral psychologists

saw human beings as controlled by the

environment.
 Maslow developed a hierarchy of needs which

states that people’s behaviors are guided or

motivated by a sequence of needs

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 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• The order of these needs and their relative sizes in the pyramid are
significant.
• Maslow suggests that each level of the hierarchy is a prerequisite for the
levels above.
• For example, it is not possible for a person to consider self-actualization if he or
she has not addressed basic needs concerning security and safety

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 Maslow s hierarchy of needs
 The bottom four needs in Maslow s hierarchy
physiological, safety, social, and esteem are
referred to as deficiency needs, and
◦ the highest level, self-actualization, is considered a
growth need.
 Only after meeting deficiency needs can
individuals act upon growth needs.
 Self-actualized people are problem-focused, have

an appreciation for life, are concerned about

personal growth, and have the ability to have peak
experiences.
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 Herzberg’s Motivational and Hygiene
Factors
 Frederick Herzberg wrote several famous books
and articles about worker motivation. He
distinguished between
◦ motivational factors: achievement, recognition, the work
itself, responsibility, advancement, and growth, which
produce job satisfaction
◦ hygiene factors: cause dissatisfaction if not present, but
do not motivate workers to do more. Examples include
larger salaries, more supervision, and a more attractive
work environment

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 Examples of Herzberg’s Hygiene
Factors and Motivators

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 Ways to Influence that Help and Hurt
Projects
 Projects are more likely to succeed when project
managers influence with
◦ expertise
◦ work challenge
 Projects are more likely to fail when project
managers rely too heavily on
◦ authority
◦ money
◦ penalty

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 Covey and Improving Effectiveness
 Project managers can apply Covey’s 7 habits to
improve effectiveness on projects
◦ Be proactive
◦ Begin with the end in mind
◦ Put first things first
◦ Think win/win
◦ Seek first to understand, then to be understood
◦ Synergize
◦ Sharpen the saw

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 Process 1: Developing the Human Resource Plan

 In order to develop a human resource plan for a

project, you must identify and document project
roles, responsibilities, skills, and reporting
relationships
 The human resource plan often includes

◦ an organizational chart for the project,

◦ detailed information on roles and responsibilities,
◦ and a staffing management plan.

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 Developing the Human Resource Plan
 Before creating any part of the human resource
plan for a project, top management and the
project manager must identify
◦ what types of people the project really needs to
ensure project success.
◦ If the key to success lies in having the best Java
programmers you can find, planning should reflect that
need.
◦ If the real key to success is having a top-notch project
manager and team leaders whom people respect in
the company, that need should drive human resource
planning.

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 Project Organizational Charts
 After identifying important skills and the types of
people needed to staff a project,
◦ the project manager should work with top management
and project team members to create an organizational
chart for the project.

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 Figure 9-3. Sample Organizational
Chart for a Large IT Project

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 Work Definition and Assignment
Process
 In addition to defining an organizational structure
for a project, it is also important to follow a work
definition and assignment process.
 This process consists of four steps:

1. Finalizing the project requirements

2. Defining how the work will be accomplished
3. Breaking down the work into manageable elements
4. Assigning work responsibilities

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 Work Definition and Assignment
Process
 The work definition and assignment process is carried
out during the proposal and startup phases of a project.
 Note that the process is iterative, meaning it often takes
more than one pass to refine it.
 A Request for Proposal (RFP) or draft contract often
provides the basis for defining and finalizing work
requirements, which are then documented in a final
contract and technical baseline.
◦ If there were not an RFP, then the internal project
charter and scope statement would provide the basis
for defining and finalizing work requirements

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 Work Definition and Assignment
Process
 The project team leaders then decide on a technical
approach for how to do the work.
◦ Should work be broken down using a product-oriented approach
or a phased approach?
◦ Will the project team outsource some of the work or subcontract
to other companies?
 Once the project team has decided on a technical
approach, they develop a work breakdown structure
(WBS) to establish manageable elements of work
 They then develop activity definitions to define the work
involved in each activity on the WBS further .
 The last step is assigning the work.

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 Figure 9-4. Work Definition and
Assignment Process

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 Organizational
Breakdown Structure (OBS)
 An organizational breakdown structure (OBS)
is a specific type of organizational chart that
shows which organizational units are responsible
for which work items.
 The OBS can be based on a general

organizational chart and then broken down into

more detail, based on specific units within
departments in the company or units in any
subcontracted companies.
◦ For example, OBS categories might include software
development, hardware development, training, and so
on.
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 Responsibility Assignment Matrices
 After developing an OBS, the project manager is in a position
to develop a responsibility assignment matrix.
 A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is a matrix that
maps the work of the project as described in the WBS to the
people responsible for performing the work as described in
the OBS
 The RAM allocates work to responsible and performing
organizations, teams, or individuals, depending on the desired
level of detail.
◦ For smaller projects, it would be best to assign individual
people to WBS activities.
◦ For very large projects, it is more effective to assign the
work to organizational units or teams.

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 Sample Responsibility Assignment
Matrix (RAM)

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 RAM showing stakeholder roles
 In addition to using a RAM to assign detailed work
activities, you can also use a RAM to define
general roles and responsibilities on projects.
 This type of RAM can include the stakeholders in

the project. on projects.

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Information Technology Project
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 Sample RACI Chart

R = responsibility
A = accountability, only one A per task
C = consultation
I = informed
Note that some people reverse the definitions of responsible and accountable.

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 Staffing Management Plans and
Resource Histograms
 A staffing management plan describes when and how
people will be added to and taken off the project team
 For example,
◦ if an information technology project is projected to need 100
people on average over a year, the staffing management
plan would describe
 the types of people needed to work on the project, such
as Java programmers, business analysts, technical
writers, and so on, and the number of each type of person
needed each month.
 It would also describe how these resources would be
acquired, trained, rewarded, reassigned after the project,
and so on.
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 Staffing Management Plans and
Resource Histograms
 The staffing management plan often includes a resource
histogram, which is a column chart that shows the number of
resources assigned to a project over time.

After determining the

project staffing needs,
the next steps in project
human resource
management are to
acquire the necessary
staff and then develop
the project team.

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 Acquiring the Project Team
 Acquiring qualified people for teams is crucial
 The project manager who is the smartest person
on the team has done a poor job of recruiting!
 It’s important to assign the appropriate type and
number of people to work on projects at the
appropriate times

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 Resource Assignment
 Staffing plans and good hiring procedures are important,
as are incentives for recruiting and retention
◦ Some companies give their employees one dollar for every hour a
new person they helped hire works
◦ Some organizations allow people to work from home as an
incentive

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 Resource Loading
 Resource loading refers to the amount of
individual resources, an existing schedule requires
during specific time periods
 Helps project managers develop a general

understanding of the demands a project will make

on the organization’s resources and individual
people’s schedules
 Overallocation means more resources than are

available are assigned to perform work at a given

time

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 Resource Leveling
 Resource leveling is a technique for resolving
resource conflicts by delaying tasks
 The main purpose of resource leveling is to create

a smoother distribution of resource usage and

reduce overallocation

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 Benefits of Resource Leveling
 When resources are used on a more constant
basis, they require less management
 It may enable project managers to use a just-in-

time inventory type of policy for using

subcontractors or other expensive resources
 It results in fewer problems for project personnel

and accounting department

 It often improves morale

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 Developing the Project Team
 The main goal of team development is to help
people work together more effectively to improve
project performance
 It takes teamwork to successfully complete most

projects

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 Training
 Training can help people understand themselves,
each other, and how to work better in teams
 Team building activities include

◦ physical challenges
◦ psychological preference indicator tools

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 Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
 MBTI is a popular tool for determining personality
preferences and helping teammates understand
each other
 Four dimensions include:
◦ Extrovert/Introvert (E/I)
(Drawing energy from others (extrovert) or from
yourself(Introvert)
◦ Sensation/Intuition (S/N)
(Sensation type people consider facts, details and
reality, and are practical, intuitive people are imaginative)
◦ Thinking/Feeling (T/F)
◦ Judgment/Perception (J/P)

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  IT people vary most from the general population in
not being extroverted or sensing

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 Social Styles Profile
 People are perceived as behaving primarily in one
of four zones, based on their assertiveness and
responsiveness:
◦ Drivers (pro-active and Task oriented)
◦ Expressives (pro-active and people oriented)
◦ Analyticals( reactive and task oriented)
◦ Amiables (reactive and people-oriented)
 People on opposite corners (drivers and amiables,
analyticals and expressives) may have difficulties
getting along

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 Figure 9-9. Social Styles

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 DISC Profiles
 Also uses a four-dimensional model of normal
behavior
◦ Dominance
◦ Influence
◦ Steadiness
◦ Compliance
 People in opposite quadrants can have problems
understanding each other

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 Figure 9-10. The DISC Profile

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 Reward and Recognition Systems
 Team-based reward and recognition systems can
promote teamwork
 Focus on rewarding teams for achieving specific

goals
 Allow time for team members to mentor and help

each other to meet project goals and develop

human resources

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 Managing the Project Team
 Project managers must lead their teams in performing
various project activities
 After assessing team performance and related

information, the project manager must decide

◦ if changes should be requested to the project
◦ if corrective or preventive actions should be recommended
◦ if updates are needed to the project management plan or
organizational process assets.

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 Tools and Techniques for Managing
Project Teams
 Observation and conversation
 Project performance appraisals
 Interpersonal skills
 Conflict management

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 Conflict Handling Modes
1. Confrontation: Directly face a conflict using a problem-
solving approach
2. Compromise: Use a give-and-take approach
3. Smoothing: De-emphasize areas of difference and
emphasize areas of agreement
4. Forcing: The win-lose approach
5. Withdrawal: Retreat or withdraw from an actual or potential
disagreement
6. Collaborating: Decision makers incorporate different
viewpoints and insights to develop consensus and
commitment

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 Figure 9-11. Conflict Handling Modes

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 Conflict Can Be Good
 Conflict often produces important results, such as
new ideas, better alternatives, and motivation to
work harder and more collaboratively
 Groupthink: Conformance to the values or ethical
standards of a group. Groupthink can develop if
there are no conflicting viewpoints
 Research suggests that task-related conflict often
improves team performance, but emotional conflict
often depresses team performance

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 Five Dysfunctions of a Team
 Patrick Lencioni, author of several books on
teams, says that “Teamwork remains the one
sustainable competitive advantage that has been
large untapped”*
 The five dysfunctions of teams are
1. Absence of trust
2. Fear of conflict
3. Lack of commitment
4. Avoidance of accountability
5. Inattention to results
*Lencioni, Patrick, “Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” Jossey-Bass: Sa
Francisco, CA (2005), p. 3.

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 General Advice on Teams
 Be patient and kind with your team
 Fix the problem instead of blaming people
 Establish regular, effective meetings
 Allow time for teams to go through the basic

team-building stages
 Limit the size of work teams to three to seven

members

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 General Advice on Teams (cont’d)
 Plan some social activities to help project team
members and other stakeholders get to know
each other better
 Stress team identity
 Nurture team members and encourage them to

help each other

 Take additional actions to work with virtual team

members

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 Using Software to Assist in Human
Resource Management
 Software can help in producing RAMS and
resource histograms
 Project management software includes several
features related to human resource management
such as
◦ Assigning resources
◦ Identifying potential resource shortages or
underutilization
◦ Leveling resources

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 Project Resource Management Involves
Much More Than Using Software
 Project managers must
◦ Treat people with consideration and respect
◦ Understand what motivates them
◦ Communicate carefully with them
 Focus on your goal of enabling project team
members to deliver their best work

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 Chapter Summary
 Project human resource management includes the
processes required to make the most effective use
of the people involved with a project
 Main processes include
◦ Plan human resource management
◦ Acquire project team
◦ Develop project team
◦ Manage project team

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