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Resilience Engineering #26: Organizational Fatigue - Task duration, Schedule
and Politics!

by Gary Monti on December 21, 2011

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task, schedule, politics cropped- Having a root canal without
Novocain can frequently be less painful than getting task durations
from team members. Why does this occur especially when most people want
to do a good job and feel significant?

The answer lies in the politics of scheduling. You might recall that in
situations requiring resilient engineering being starved for resources
is one of the conditions. So what can you do? Below is a simple chart I
use to coax needed information from subject matter experts (SMEs).

Protect, Protect, Protect

We all are familiar with the win-lose approach to estimating tasks.
SMEs are swamped with way too much work so they overestimate. The
manager is aware of the padding and cuts the duration. It all ends up
being a replay of the old Sheep Dog - Coyote cartoons where parties are
maneuvering to maximize their position...all at the expense of project
success.

Here is a simple chart that can help get needed information while
simultaneously addressing the politics involved:

Task Name Duration Assumptions Stakeholders PM's actions

It is presented this way to show a deliverable-oriented approach. In
other words, the focus is on being task-oriented and putting the
contextual and "softer" concerns later in the chart. This is good for
reporting - the scheduling side of life.

In reality I work the chart in a different order, focusing on the
political side of life:

Task Name Assumptions Stakeholders PM's actions Duration

A deeper dive on the meaning of each column header will help.
* Task Name. This actually goes deeper than just putting a name of
something. Checking in with the SME to make sure the task is
defined accurately is the essential. The task has to have meaning
for the person doing the work. I can say, "Price a trip to New
York." It sounds clear but there is more information that is needed
for the travel agent (SME) to execute properly. In other words, a
good travel agent will generate a design specification, e.g., first
class, stay at 3 star hotel, etc., and from there, with my
approval, will generate the tasks needed to price the trip.
* Assumptions. Remember what "assume" does? It makes an "ass" out of
"u" and "me." Checking in with the SME as to what assumptions are
being made is vital. In complex environments the context is
shifting. The project sits on a dancing terrain. Knowing what the
assumptions are and having them up on the table where they are
understood by all and openly discussed will help dampen the
politics and keep the project stable.
This part of the conversation is critical. It actually is about
risk management. "Assumption analysis" seems to be easier for
people to swallow than "risk analysis." The whole thing gets to be
moot since people roll right in to risk analysis once you get
through the icebreaker. In other words, you'll get good information
to the extent you are trustworthy.
* Stakeholders. This is a vital part. I ask the SME, "Who impacts
your work and how?" Here is where my work as the PM comes into
play. Listening to who helps or hurts the SMEs ability to get the
task completed starts a process. The process is putting together a
playbook as to how the PM needs to navigate the politics of the
situation so the SME can stay on task.
All of the above works best as an open conversation. It is about
building trust. The quality of the number I get as to task duration
has to do with the level of trust the SME has in his/her ability to
work and the political surroundings.
* Duration. Here is where a big paradox comes into play. The PM can
ask for durations only to the extent the PM is willing to run cover
for the SME. Again, it's about the trust. Once I commit to
addressing the politics of holding the schedule together the SME
can be challenged to give as realistic a number as possible.

All of this information can be rolled up into a realistic project plan.
This includes pointing out where things are stable and where the
company has a certain part of its anatomy sticking out the window!
Notice, I said "realistic" not necessarily "doable." You'll be able to
gauge what you can do with what you have in the given
risk...er...assumption environment.

The next blog will look at managing the next step in dealing with task
duration, schedule, and politics - managing upward in the organization
- and put this information to work.

--
Gary Monti PMI presentation cropped- Through his firm, Center
for Managing Change, Gary Monti has over 30 years experience providing
change- and project management services internationally. He works at
the nexus between strategy, business case, project-, process-, and
people management. Service modalities include consulting, teaching,
mentoring, and speaking. Credentials include PMP number 14 (Project
Management Institute^Ž), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator certification, and
accreditation in the Cynefin methodology. Gary can be reached at
gwmonti@mac or through Twitter at @garymonti
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The Origin of Leaders #8: Multiplying Others by Helping them find Self-belief

by Conor Neill on December 15, 2011

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h- In meetings, John D. Rockerfeller would sit and not say
anything. Many times he would appear to be asleep. However when he
did speak, it was always a question. It was a question that would
break the status quo of the discussion and bring out new viewpoints on
a challenge. Michael Dell doesn't speak much in meetings, but when he
does it is almost always a question.

As a business school professor I teach by asking questions. Verne
Harnish says "we are good at finding answers to questions, leaders find
the right questions".

Nobody knows as much as Everybody

Business regularly promote the best performer to be team leader. The
top salesman becomes sales manager. The top programmer becomes team
lead. The top engineer becomes operations manager.

The previous strength of the individual becomes their greatest
weakness as a leader.

They know they were the best, so they have the best answers. When they
feel a little threatened in the new role, they stop asking questions.
They diminish the impact of those around them.

Nobody knows as much as everybody. Even if I were to be technically
the smartest person in the room, the combined capacity of others will
be more powerful. We ask questions when we are humble. Liz Wiseman,
author of "Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter",
says we ask good questions when we are not thinking "I am the smartest
person in this room". Liz calls this leader a "multiplier".

John Baldoni offers 4 ways to improve your questions in the Harvard
Business Review. Learn to Ask Better Questions:
1. be curious,
2. be open-ended,
3. be engaged and
4. dig deeper.

Uncertainty and Frustration stop you from Leading Others

Last week, I was with a good friend and our 3 kids at the beach. We
left the beach at sunset and cycled home. When we reached home, I
discovered that we were locked out of the house. I had left another
key in the inside of the lock, and was now unable to open the door from
outside. It was getting dark and our 3 kids (between the ages of 3 and
5) were hungry and asking repeatedly "why are we outside?"

I felt stupid. I stopped communicating. I was getting frustrated by
the kids asking "why are we outside?" I was angry at myself.

I didn't speak much to my friend and our kids. First, I searched see
if any windows or doors were open. After 10 minutes walking around the
house, no joy. Fort Knox.

I asked my friend "do you have your mobile?" I made some calls to get
the number of the security company. I finally spoke to someone who
said they would send a car, it would probably take 40 minutes. I said
"ok".

It was only now that I took a deep breath and explained the situation
to my friend and our 3 kids. I could see that my daughter had really
wanted to help and she felt bad that I had ignored her. My
well-meaning actions had alienated the others. Luckily my friend had
created a little game to play with the kids while we waited. He got
the towels from the bag to wrap the kids and keep them warm. I was no
longer the leader in this group. My friend was the emotional centre of
the group. I was an individual specialist who had emotionally
abandoned the group in a moment of need. I lost control because of my
frustration at myself.

I stop asking questions when I am angry at myself, feel overwhelmed or
uncertain.

The Territory of Leadership is Uncertainty

Managers deal in improving the status quo. Management is about doing
the same things a little better. Leaders deal in uncertainty.
Leadership is about giving others the confidence to move forward,
helping them believe their own answers.

A friend of mine, Jacques, is the father of a tennis player. If she
loses, he asks "when did you know you were going to lose? Why did you
not stop right then?" A leader must be able to regain belief. When a
team is winning, the captain can be a manager. When the team is losing
and doubt is in the minds of the players, the captain must become a
leader. He must take control of emotions. First his own. Then he
must project his certainty out to the group. Leadership is emotional
work. Leadership is about making sense of emotions and helping
everyone reach a mental state that allows for performance.

A great leader believes in people and asks questions that help them perform.

John DeMartini talks about a transformational moment in his life. He
was 17, living in a tent and surfing the beaches of Hawaii with no
purpose or plan. A 93 year old man was talking with a group on the
beach. John listened. At the end John approached the man. The man
asked him about his life and what he wanted to do. John found himself
answering that he would be a teacher. The man listened and when he
finished, looked him in the eyes and said "This is going to happen.
You are going to be a great teacher. What will you do next?" The man
said these words with such conviction and belief that John knew it
would happen. John's goal in life is to do the same for a 17 year old
when he himself is 93 years old. Leadership is about helping people
believe in themselves. It is helping someone reach enough certainty to
take action.

The Best Questions...

* The best Leadership Question: "What is the next right thing to
do?"
* The best Teaching Question: "What do you think? What other options
do you see?"
* The best Coaching Question: "You have achieved what you set out to
accomplish. Imagine yourself there. What does it feel like?"
* The best Friendship Question: "How are you?"
* The best Parenting Question: "What was the best moment of your
day?"
* The best Sales Question: "(I understand that price is important.)
What other criteria are important in making this decision?" (The
implicit question: "What are you comparing this to?")

What question will you ask?

The Origin of Leaders

The next post in this series will turn back inwards and look at why you
would choose the path of leadership and stick to it for life. What is
a fulfilling life? How can you live so that you reach the last day and
say "I don't want to go, but if I had it over again I would live much
the same way."

--
Conor Neill- Conor Neill is the professor of Leadership
Communication at IESE Business School in Barcelona and an entrepreneur
who has founded four companies. Years ago, he was a manager in the
Human Performance consulting practice of Accenture. He loves rugby,
mountain climbing and will run a marathon next march. Conor frequently
blogs at conorneill and tweets as cuchullainn
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12 Ideas and Tips for Finishing Your Book on Time!

by Roger Parker December 12, 2011

Here's a list of proven daily writing ideas, habits, and tips for
finishing your book on time & with minimum fuss. Writing a book doesn't
have to take over your life! Your book doesn't have to prevent you from
participating in the activities that are important to you. Nor, do you
have to suffer the [...]
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Resilience Engineering #25: Organizational Fatigue - Sharpen Your Saw!

by Gary Monti December 8, 2011

Vigilance on the project manager's (PM) part is critical to addressing
organizational fatigue. In line with that one behavior the PM can
display falls under #8 of Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People: Sharpen your saw. This habit is about building a sustainable
process. Sustaining can be very challenging in fatigue situations. You
may [...]
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Dilemmas of Being in Business #5: Ignoring What We Know to be True

by Rosie Kuhn December 2, 2011

I deny aspects of me that I know to be true - those dark shadowy
aspects that if people were to find out about - well, it could mean
rejection, humiliation and annihilation. It's best that I pretend they
don't exist. On the other hand I have a knowing of certain things to be
true, [...]
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Resilience Engineering #24: Thanksgiving and Success

by Gary Monti November 29, 2011

Thanksgiving has provided a great time to inventory what is good about
life. For myself, that included looking at things from a business
perspective. One of the line items is project success. This may seem a
bit funny since resilience engineering is about accidents, failures,
damage, etc. The reality, though, is resilience engineering asks the
[...]
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Dilemmas of Being in Business #4: Growing Pains

by Rosie Kuhn November 23, 2011

A client of mine, Hui Zhong, called me yesterday somewhat distressed.
She is in product management as an information analyzer for an
international corporation headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA. A few
months ago Hui Zhong, pronounced hoy-zong, began reading a book by
Robin Sharma - The Leader Who Had No Title. She began practicing some
[...]
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Resilience Engineering #23: Organizational Fatigue - The Project Fog

by Gary Monti November 22, 2011

Large, complex projects can be a lot like war. They are started in the
name of situations or principles that get run over, ignored, or
destroyed completely. World War II was started to preserve the
sovereign independence of Poland, which ended up under the boot of
Stalin by wars end. In terms of organizational fatigue, [...]
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Dilemmas of Being in Business #3: Seeing the Big Picture

by Rosie Kuhn November 18, 2011

I can't tell you the number of times over that past few weeks that I've
heard the term seeing the big picture. I pay attention when something
is said two or more times; there's something to be mined for myself and
perhaps for others. Seeing the Big Picture; what the heck does that
mean? What [...]
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Resilience Engineering #22: Organizational Failure - Ping for Failure

by Gary Monti November 17, 2011

Hunting submarines is similar to hunting situations likely to fail. In
this second blog on organizational fatigue let's do a deep dive and see
what we can find. There is an irony in that while the submarines are
lurking below the surface the organizational factors increasing the
probability of failure are right in front of [...]
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