Some thought provoking thoughts about typical people pitfalls experienced on projects. A must read for any project manager.

1. Working and Communicating with
People on Projects
Richard Fryer
Group Manager, Organisational Effectiveness

2. The ground we will cover
 Working with people & communicating effectively (in the
context of projects)
 Explored through some of the common pitfalls
encountered and how to avoid them

3. Why is this stuff important?
 Project failure is most often due to insufficient attention
being placed on people or cultural issues.
 Common sense, not commonly applied

4. An example of the size of the prize…
- Service transformation in Aviva
Service Rating
60%
Aviva
40%
20%
0%
Aug
Oct
Dec
2005
Feb
March
May
July
Sept
19%
8%
34%
55%
2006
-20%
Aviva Scores
-21%
-1%
-10%
-5%
Source: Aviva commissioned independent research.
Net score represents distributor net score
(excellent/good less quite poor/poor service).
Lines represent Aviva and competitor scores.
 Last to first inside 18
months – independently
evaluated
 Successfully followed the
few simple principles I
am about to share with
you

5. Challenging how we think about change
Myths – that unconsciously
drive our project designs
Leaders have
all the
answers
High risk requires
high control
Fear is a good
motivator
People do what
they are told
The only way we can
solve complex
problems and deal
with uncertainty is by
engaging everyone

6. 3 Pitfalls to effective engagement
1. Focusing too much on solution design
2. Failing to achieve voluntary co-operation of the workforce
3. Paying insufficient attention to the formation of teams at
the outset of a project

7. Pitfall 1 – Focussing too heavily on solution
design
 In my experience ‘project management’ often places
insufficient attention on:
– Building commitment to the need to change
– Building habits with the new ways

8. Pitfall 1 – A narrow focus on solution design
Traditional Projects
Will
‘Solution’ Design
Habit
TRUST PLACED IN THE HANDS OF TOO
FEW “CLEVER’ PEOPLE
Taking a more sociological perspective
Will
Solution
What matters most is not the quality of
the solution, but rather the process through
which a critical mass of the workforce are
engaged in the new ways
[Source: Tipping Point
leadership, Chan Kim]
Habit

9. What’s wrong with focussing on solution
design?
 Assumes that great design means great outcome – we
focus too much on WHAT rather than HOW
 When things go wrong, we try and improve the quality of
the solution, rather than engaging with the workforce
 We often forget to build ‘will’ in our need to move quickly
into design
 Resources are often routed to new projects too soon
before habits are fully formed and benefits often don’t
eventuate

10. Overcoming Pitfall 1 - Summary
 Take a broad perspective in project scoping
– The majority of time should be spent in Will and Habit
 Often for projects to realise benefits people need to do
things differently – the best solutions in the world don’t
guarantee this – encouraging people to use their brains
does

11. Pitfall 2 – Failing to achieve voluntary cooperation of the workforce
 Traditional management tools of job profiles, cascaded
communication, financial incentives etc are ineffective at
encouraging people to go the extra mile
 We need to think less about what we want people to do,
and more about the process of engaging them

12. Pitfall 2 – Failing to achieve voluntary cooperation
Traditional tools
Fair Process
•Resource allocation
•Economic incentives
•Role profiles
•Engagement
•Explanation
•Expectation clarity
Attitude
“I get what I deserve”
“I feel my opinion counts”
Behaviour
“I do what I’m told”
“I go beyond the call
of duty”
Performance
Meet Expectations
Exceed Expectations
Management
tool
It really is more about ‘How’ than ‘What’
[Source: Fair Process, Managing in the Knowledge Economy, Chan Kim]

13. Communicating using Fair Process
ENGAGEMENT
•Engage end-users in a meaningful dialogue
•Honest 2-way exchange of views
•Decisions by leaders, not consensus
EXPLANATION
•The leader explains the decision they have made
•Explain why the decision was made
•Demonstrate how you were influenced by those
who were engaged
EXPECTATION
•Describe the expectations you have of people
in the ‘new world’
•Orient people to the future rather than the past

14. Why Fair Process
ENGAGEMENT
•The right people are often missed because they
are not viewed as ‘stakeholders’
•People are not engaged early enough i.e. before
a decision has been made
EXPLANATION
•Decisions are frequently not explained or not
explained in a meaningful way
•Leaders forget that process is more critical than
outcome – making a decision is not enough
EXPECTATION
•People often do the same things they’ve always
done even once a decision is made because
leaders are not clear enough about what they
now expect

15. Overcoming Pitfall 2 - Summary
 Communicate using Fair Process
 If people are disengaging it’s often a sign that you’re not
doing enough in one or more of the 3 E’s
– Not engaging enough of the right people early enough
– Not explaining your decisions
– Not being clear about your expectations

16. Pitfall 3 – A belief that teams form themselves
Level
Merger Mindset
Description
1
My way is the only way
Ignorance about others
2
My way is the best way
Arrogance / superiority
3
You have some good ways too
Understanding / Objective
understanding
4
Let me learn from your ways
Openness to possible benefits
5
Let’s build a new way together
New identity – best of all
worlds
[Source: Walking the Talk, Carolyn Taylor]

17. Overcoming Pitfall 3 - Summary
 Design an intentional approach to building your project
team into your plans
 Assume that people will resist working together initially
(perhaps only unconsciously) – but that this will improve
with time spent together

18. Conclusions
 To work and communicate effectively with people on
projects…
1. Focus on building will and habits, rather than putting all
the emphasis on world class solutions
2. Lead using Fair Process in order to build voluntary cooperation through engagement of the whole workforce
3. Pay conscious attention to the creation of teams

19. Questions?

20. BACKUP

21. 5 stages of being lost – Laurence Gonzales
1. Deny you’re lost – press on with urgency
2. Realise you’re lost – urgency becomes panic
3. Desperately seek anything that looks familiar – seek
confirmation that you’re not lost
4. Deteriorate rationally and emotionally
5. Admit you’re lost

22. Quotes
 We’re lost but we’re making good time – Yogi Berra
 Fear is the cheapest room in the house – I would like to
see you living in better conditions – Buddhist proverb
 Those who lose dreaming are lost – Aboriginal proverb

23. Are we lost in our projects sometimes?
 Admitting we are lost takes courage and is an
emotional transformation