Free Project Management Training           

Characteristics
Projects normally require key resources, which are not under the direct control of the project manager. The project manager will therefore need to negotiate with the relevant line manager to borrow and control these resources as and when they are required.

The cooperation of line managers is essential for the success of the project and project management staff should work hard at developing a good working relationship with them. The staff assigned to the project will often be reporting to two bosses - their line manager and the project manager; it is important that their position is clear at all times.

Effective project management is characterized by the following:

Clear leadership and direction
Seamless integration of new members into the team
Ability to communicate clearly
Arbitration skills when problem solving
Ability to handle interpersonal conflicts
Capability to plan and secure commitments

Project management staff should have the proven ability to assimilate and prioritize individual demands to make effective decisions. Conflict is a common occurrence in a project environment and project management staff should be skilled in conflict resolution. They will be judged heavily on their personal experience and the credibility that they already possess within the organization.

The inescapable conclusion is that to maximize the opportunities for success, projects and their corresponding management structures, should be run by staff who have gained experience in projects of a similar size and nature.

The diagram illustrates the reporting structures that may result in an organization that is running multiple projects. An individual who is working in department B and who is assigned part-time to projects X and Y will find themselves reporting to three different managers all of whom will have some degree of authority over this member of staff.

Matrix Mgt Needs Effective Communication
Matrix management relies on cooperation and communication between everyone involved. Whilst in a pure project environment, the decision-making authority rests with the project manager; in a matrix environment all major decisions will be reached by consensus.

A satisfactory working arrangement needs to be reached that bridges the inevitable differences in priority that will exist between project managers and line managers. Project managers will tend to view their own project as the focal point whereas departmental managers will tend to view things from a departmental perspective.

To function effectively matrix management environments should have the following characteristics:

There should be effective channels of communication between the managers involved. All of the relevant line managers should contribute to project planning and resourcing decisions should be reached by consensus.

There should be formal procedures in place for resolving any management conflicts that do arise.

Project staff should feel committed to the project as well as to their own department.

In an ideal world the project manager would have little more to do than plan the project, secure the agreement of the line managers to deliver their pieces of the jigsaw on time and within budget, and then sit back and let it all happen. The real world is usually very different.

Matrix management relies on cooperation and communication between project and line managers, as all major decisions are necessarily reached by consensus.

To function effectively, matrix management environments should incorporate effective channels of communication as well as formal procedures for resolving any management conflicts that arise.

Staff Concerns
When introducing project working into an organization a variety of issues may cause concern to members of staff, especially those who are requested to work on the first projects that are implemented.

It is common for staff involved in project work to be concerned about the extent to which the efforts they expend on project related work will be recognized. This problem may be compounded if they feel their project related work will not be acknowledged and recognized within their own department.

Staff may feel that their personal rewards may be jeopardized by undertaking project related work. They may feel that however hard they work on the project it will not effect their chances of advancement or promotion within their department.

Staff may be concerned that the project itself may not be an outstanding success and that any perceived failure on its part will reflect badly on the individual staff involved with it.

Staff involved with projects may have long term worries about what happens to them at the end of the project. Perhaps their department will learn to cope without them; or even worse it may have developed new procedures whilst they were otherwise occupied.

Projects are all about utilizing existing resources and expertise in an efficient and effective way to get things done. The downside of this, from a staff perspective, may be that projects are not seen as training oriented environments in which to develop personal skills.

This concern is primarily an issue with staff seconded to projects on a full time basis. They may feel increasingly isolated and left behind in relation to their long time colleagues and the departmental practices with which they are familiar.

Many of these issues may be complicated further if staff are working on more than one project at a time. Personnel assigned to a project should be totally clear about the management structures, which affect them on a day-to-day basis.