Leading Projects People and Teams Flashcards
How have I advised on the structure and makeup of project/delivery teams
I haven’t, but what I would consider is experience, attitude towards innovation, general fit with the team, and competence.
Have I lead/managed people, consultants etc and reported on their performance
Contractors/Consultants - yes. I’ve lead project teams where I inputted KPIs relating to performance.
Recruitment of people for a project
I’ve not done it for specific projects, but I have lead recruitment drives and interviews for people to join Arcadis. I focused on competence and how I felt they would fit in with the team
Adapted leadership style
Large Scale Mains replacement - usually I am a democratic leader. In this instance, the team were not making decisions and I had to step in with a more autocratic leadership style. I had to take the information I had, and make a decision and stick with it. The result was that the project was able to move forward. At times previously, I didn’t want to do that, but following this i was able to be more assured in taking an autocratic leadership style.
Identified appropriate action when poor performance observed
A colleague was studying when trying to fill out their forecasting sheet. They referenced that they didn’t understand the purpose of it, and also didn’t really know how to do it.
Herzbergs theory of motivation shows that people need to understand why the work they are doing is important. I highlighted how critical forecasting is to project success, and demonstrated my methodology for it. The next cycle, my colleague did it and I reviewed, and from that point there were no issues.
When did I have to escalate a team members poor performance
On my large scale mains replacement project, one of the team members was being extremely obstructive. He had previously told a consultant to “not bother and let them just get on with it”. I confronted them about this to understand what the issue was. They did not believe we were heading in the right direction as a team. I worked through what I wanted to do with them, and tried to get them on side.
They said they would try, but they kept being very obstructive and I had to escalate it to their manager.
My leadership roles
I act as a democratic leader. I believe in discussing the decision with the wider team as I understand that I do not have all the expertise. I had to adjust my leadership style on my Large Scale Mains Replacement project as the wider team was becoming disruptive. I took the information I had and made a decision based on that.
How can leadership and motivation theories be applied in practice
Looking at herzbergs two factor theory which identifies 2 types of factors (hygiene and motivators). I can influence the motivators more, by ensuring that the team are being recognised for the good work they do.
How have I assessed poor performance
I had a member of the team who was being extremely obstructive. They did not believe the direction the project was taking was correct, and didn’t want to be involved.
I spoke with them one on one a few times, and eventually identified that they did not feel they were being involved in the direction of the project, not that they necessarily disagreed with it.
I changed the approach of the team and ensured that everyone was involved in developing the strategy and direction of the project.
Would my leadership style change when dealin with different parties?
No. I believe my leadership style is the best way for me to lead, and I would only change when absolutely required.
DataFrame - how did you managerial approach change when managing Uk employees vs phillippines?
There are cultural differences around instructions - in the Phillipines they would sometimes take instructions word for word and not challenge, even when they didn’t necessarily agree. I had daily sessions with the team (10-15 minutes just to discuss progress but also get to know them) and really encouraged them to speak their mind and share when they believe things could be improved.
how would I deal with someone questioning my performance
I try to always use best practice guidance (RICS guidance notes) so that this can be minimised. I keep detailed notes on my decisions and how I got to them. However if somebody did not believe I was doing my job correctly, I believe feedback can be very valuable and would seek to discuss with them further to understand what I could do about it.
Level 34 how did you integrate yourself into an existing team
The project was handed over from an Arcadis team, so I had the opportunity to sit in at the meetings and get to know the rest of the team. The first thing I did was establish who the key members of the internal project team were, their ways of working, and how I could start the relationship with them.
What makes a high performing team
Clear understanding of roles
Autonomy
Responsibility
Clear direction of strategy
Recognition
Achievement
Diversity
Types of Organisational Structure
Hierarchical: chain of command from top to bottom.
Functional: Employees organised based on specific skills.
Flat: few levels in between upper and staff-level.
Divisional: divisons have control over resources, operating like their own country
Matrix: cross-functional. Project-based with people still feeding into their direct team.
