Project Management Role or Discipline Geof Lory – GTD Consulting, LLC

Tonight’s Conversation Definitions:  Discipline  Project Management Discipline  Projects and Tasks  Project Manager role or title Project management disciplines outside the project manager role Benefits of spreading project management disciplines Line management vs. project management disciplines Special focus of the Project Manager role/title

Defining Discipline Awareness Unconscious Conscious Incompetent Skill Level Competent Unconscious Incompetence 1. Building Commitment 1. Analysis Conscious Incompetence Conscious Competence Unconscious Competence 2. Drilling Technique 2. Diagnosis/Formulation 3. Acquiring Mastery 3. Implementation Implicit Learning

A Definition of Discipline The ability to consciously choose actions that are explicitly in alignment with your goals and intentions. Behavior of conscious choice Exercising your “moral muscles” Internal or self-control NOT external or governed control Requires you stay awake Requires courage and persistence Requires consciousness and honesty of goals and intentions Requires the ability to see beyond the immediate and behave accordingly

The Discipline Set of Project Management Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements” (Project Management Institute) Not exclusive to an organizational position or “the boss” Is not specific to any industry or domain Can be performed at varying levels of formality Is embedded intrinsically in any activity that produces an outcome Can be identified as activities separate from the actual activities/work to produce the project deliverables

 A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.  Temporary - Every project has a definite beginning and a definite end.  Unique - The product, service, or result is different in some distinguishing way from all other products, services, or results. Source: PMI Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge ®, 3 rd Edition How could you Define a Project?

PMI Project Management Areas of Discipline Project management includes these disciplines: Project planning/tracking/change control Scope management Schedule management Cost management Staff resource management Communications management Risk management Procurement Quality management

Project Manager’s Unique Activities How does a Project Manager perform these activities differently than others on the project team? Project planning/tracking/change control Scope management Schedule management Cost management Staff resource management Communications management Risk management Procurement Quality management

Distributing Project Management across the Team Team members or leads for each role own the responsibilities corresponding to the listed knowledge or discipline areas Team Leads Project Manager Product Manager Development Test User Experience Release Manager Quality Management Procurement Management Risk Management Communications ManagementHuman Resource Management Cost Management Time Management Scope Management Integration Management at overall project level at sub-team level

When all team roles are filled by six persons or less…...project manager formally owns project management activities  Development Test Release Manager User Experience Product Manager Project Manager Scaling Up Project Management Functions At three levels of scale… …who is participating in project management?

When roles are filled by subteams, each with a team lead… …project management is distributed among team leads  Development Test Release Manager User Experience Product Manager Project Manager Scaling Up Project Management Functions At three levels of scale… …who is participating in project management?

When project management becomes complex… …program management function team includes a program manager and project manager  Development Test Release Management User Experience Product Management Program Management Scaling Up Project Management Functions At three levels of scale… …who is participating in project management?

When project management becomes complex…  When roles are filled by subteams, each with a team lead…  When all team roles are filled by six persons or less…  … program management owns project management activities … project management is distributed among team leads … program management function team includes solution architect and project manager Program Management Development Test Release Management User Experience Product Management Project Manager Development Test Release Manager User Experience Product Manager Project Manager Development Test Release Manager User Experience Product Manager Scaling Up Project Management Functions At three levels of scale… …who is participating in project management?

Line Management vs. Resource Management Disciplines Function team Feature teams Lead team Program Management Release Management Product Management User Experience Development Test Desktop Feature Team Program Management User Experience Development Test File and Print Feature Team Program Management User Experience Development Test Messaging Feature Team Program Management User Experience Development Test User Experience Role Lead

Activities that Reflect Project Management Disciplines Cross- Discipline Formal PM Role Low Formality of Project Manager Role ExecutorLeadPM Organizational Interdependence High Low High Line or Functional Management Role Lead for work within a domain skill Individual and Informal Disciplines

Assessing Project Management Complexity & Formality  Large size or cost  Geographically dispersed  Multiple organizations  Contractual, legal issues  Fixed budgets, schedules What are your project management risks? Project B Low Technical Complexity Project Management Complexity High Low High Project A Project C Project D Project E

Variable Responsibilities of the Project Manager Role Project management activities are an especially important competency of the project manager role Different project characteristics will require different disciplines from the project manager Domain SME Example of a project manager also functioning as the product manager Project Management Project Manager

Applying Discipline and Process Appropriately Uncertainty of outcome - Change Frequency of Occurrence and Control Low Discipline is replaced by process and governance Requires more discipline by everyone Project A X Project B X High The slippery slope to Unaccountability

Discipline vs. Process – You Decide What You Get Heavy or formal process is more appropriate for problem resolution where the desired outcome is known Process will assure consistency The greater the uncertainty of the outcome, the more flexible the processes needs to be Discipline is more appropriate for creating where the desired outcome is uncertain or changing The greater the process the greater the ability to abdicate responsibility and accountability to the process Discipline will adjust faster to a changing environment because the focus is on the outcome, not the process

How Project Managers Discourage Disciplines Project managers disempower team members when they: Control decision making Act as the sole conduit to the customer/sponsor Act as the “process Nazi” Don’t share ownership of Project Management disciplines Project Sponsor Project Manager Project Team Members

Leading with Discipline vs. Managing with Control Hold people to a higher level of consciousness Be clear about their goals and intentions Echo back behavior and perceived interpretations Be uncomfortably honest Be specific Stay in and foster a learning mindset Don’t be afraid to fail and learn Get your ego out of the way

Moving away from an Orwellian mindset When the disciplines of the team are sufficient, process governance is unnecessary, when the disciplines of the team are insufficient, process governance is ungovernable. Apologies to Emil Durkheim “When the mores of the people are sufficient, laws are unnecessary, when the mores of the people are insufficient, laws are unenforceable.”

More on this and similar subjects Fissure Simulated Project Management training Articles on Project Management and Parenthood at Learning As a Way of Being – Peter Vail Execution – The Business of Getting Things Done – Larry Bossidy

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