ICT project success & the suitability of key persons. David Bryant

Transcription

1 ICT project success & the suitability of key persons David Bryant

2 Key messages Key person suitability matters for ICT project success Self awareness matters for job satisfaction

3 Research Scope At the completion of the project and the transition to benefits realisation Bread and butter ICT projects 2-3 years < $10m Commercial Projects

4 The problem Low rate of ICT project success is seldom due to technical issues (Dearco 1988) Eligibility Criteria: availability, experience, qualifications Suitability Criteria: Complementary Fit: the level of fit between team members Supplementary fit: congruence between team member values and the organizational culture

5 The approach What are the behavioural roles of key members of successful ICT project teams in internally focussed organisational cultures? key persons identified Complementary role fit A successful ICT Project Team due to core team alignment Supplementary cultural fit

6 Research theories Key person theory: 2-3 people can make a disproportionate contribution

7 Research theories Role Theory: we all have preferred behaviours as a result of personal characteristics, social position and expectations of others. Role repertoire Belbin Primary Role Belbin Secondary Role Team Role Knowledge

8 Belbin Behavioural Roles Shaper (SH) Implementer (I) Completer Finisher (CF) Coordinator (CO) Team Worker (TW) Resource Investigator (RI) Plant (PL) onitor Evaluator (E) Specialist (SP) challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure; has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles; a proneness to frustration, and irritation. disciplined, reliable, conservative and efficient; turns ideas into practical action; adherence to the orthodox and proven. painstaking, conscientious, anxious, searches out errors and omissions; delivers on time; perfectionism. mature, confident, a good chairperson; clarifies goals, promotes decision making; delegates well; takes credit for effort of a team. co-operative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic; listens, builds, averts friction, calms the waters; avoiding situations that may entail pressure. extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative; explores opportunities; develops contacts; loses enthusiasm once initial excitement has passed. creative, imaginative, unorthodox; solves difficult problems; preoccupied with ideas and neglects practical matters; strong ownership of ideas. sober, strategic, discerning; sees all options; judges accurately; skepticism with logic. supplies knowledge and skills in rare supply; prefers to operate on this limited basis.

9 Productive / Harmonious Relationships Team Role CO TW RI IP PL E CF SH CO TW RI IP PL E CF SH Blue dots: harmonious but not productive interaction. White dots: neither harmonious nor productive. Other combinations: harmonious and productive.

10 Research findings The key persons are the Project manager(s) and Business Representative(s) They exhibit the behavioral roles of Co-ordinator, onitor Evaluator and Completer Finisher in internally focused cultures. CO: The co-ordinator: mature, confident, a good chairperson; clarifies goals, promotes decision making; delegates well; (PEOPLE) E: onitor-evaluator: sober, strategic, discerning; sees all options; judges accurately; scepticism with logic (CEREBAL) CF: Completer: Painstaking, conscientious, anxious, searches out errors and omissions; delivers on time; (ACTION)

11 What is an internally focussed culture? e.g. Hospital Flexibility e.g. Start up company CLAN ADHOCRACY Internal Focus External Focus HIERACHY ARKET e.g. Large Government Department Control e.g. SAP or Oracle Cameron Quinn Competing Values Framework

12 Diagnosing your organisational culture? CLAN Flexibility ADHOCRACY Internal Focus Orientation: Collaborative Leaders: Facilitators, entors Values: Commitment, Communication HIERACHY Orientation: Controlling Leaders: Coordinator, onitor Values: Efficiency, Consistency Orientation: Creative Leader: Innovator, Visionary Values: Innovation, Agility ARKET External Focus Orientation: Competing Leader: Hard driver, competitor Values: arket share, goal achievement Control Cameron Quinn Competing Values Framework

13 Relating preferred behaviours to organisational culture Flexibility CLAN ADHOCRACY Internal Focus IP, CF, TW, SP CO, E RI, PL, SH External Focus HIERACHY ARKET Control Ref: Cameron Quinn Competing Values Framework

14 Relating core team alignment to project success Project anagement Success measured as on time, on budget and scope delivered Core team aligned Project Success measured as stakeholder satisfaction Project Success measured as business success

15 Core Team alignment contributes to team effectiveness Team Potency Team Climate Team coordination, cooperation & communication Team Conflict Team regulation, performance dynamics, and adaption

16 Relating core team alignment to project success P Efficiency Stakeholder satisfaction Key people exhibiting Complementary and Supplementary fit Improved Team Effectiveness Business success

17 Conclusions Key person suitability matters for ICT project success The key persons in ICT projects are project manager(s) and business representative(s) Ensure you have core team alignment as the project finishes and benefits realisation begins by: Considering your own preferred behaviour Considering the preferred behaviours of key persons Team design (suitable members) plus team training produces better results that team building with a group of eligible team members.

18 Questions

19 Tools: Role theory tools equivalence Belbin (1993) umford (2006) Benne & Sheats (1948) ccann & argerison DuBrin (1995) Parker (1996) Bales (1950) Coordinator Contractor Coordinator Assessor Collaborator Collaborator Gives orientatio n onitor Evaluator Completer Finisher Critic Completer Evaluatorcritic Procedural technician Reporter Challenger Challenger Disagrees Concluder Knowledge contributor Contributor Ancona & Caldwell (1992) Barry (1991) Organising 6 others 7 others 16 others 5 others 6 others 1 other 10 others 4 others 4 others

20 Establishing a causal link between suitable key persons and project success Project manager(s) and Business Representatives exhibiting Co-ordinator, onitor evaluator and Completer Finisher behaviours Structure: Key person team embers of the project team P P P P P P P Supplementary behaviours Complementary behaviours Team climate Team mental models Transactive memory Team Learning Team Conflict Team cohesion Team potency Team affect, mood & emotion Team coordination, coop. & comms Generative echanisms P skills / methodology Support from top management User/client involvement Committed motivated team Skilled sufficient staffs Good leadership Time, cost and quality (P Efficiency) E E Success E Stakeholder agreement on success Team member Good performance competencies by contractors / Team regulation, consultants performance dynamics, and adaption Contingent Conditions: ICT projects in internally focused cultures Business Success plus 19 other process & technical factors