What are the critical types of thinking that are necessary at each stage of a project? What might one look for in creating or picking the most effective team? What skills, in terms of how someone thinks, would provide the best "mixture"? Any suggestions would be helpful! Saving Changes...
Such great insight, thank you for the feedback. Tom, I am curious about your statement, "think TOP DOWN". What are you inferring by this? Is it that a project will be ore successful when the leader of it promotes a certain type of thinking or pushes the team in a certain style? My aplogies for such a bsic question. I am obviously not as knowledgeable about projects as some of you, hence my querries. Thanks! Saving Changes...
By TOP DOWN THINKING, I mean having more of a goal-oriented, requirements-driven, and solutions approach, as opposed to a bottom up/techie approach that seldom results in a viable solution, in other words, think like a manager, not an employee. It is the job of the project manager to LEVERAGE technology, not fall in love with a specific technology. Today, result, ROI, and payback is what matters. Saving Changes...
Anil, you yourself make a great point in your original question when you ask about the 'mixture' in a team. To me the critical ingredient is the mix. Give me thr right group of people and the right environment and I believe I can achieve anything.
A key skill for a project manager, or a manager of any sort is to assemble the team and then create an environment where they can live up to their potential. For me the right team is a mix of personalities and thinking styles. It is human nature to be 'attracted' to people like you. Many times I see teams where everyone appears to think the same way. I believe that this is the kiss of death for creativity. For a team to be creative and to deliver you need debate and challenge. The lead designer at Nissan Jerry Hirshberg (author of The Creative Priority) called this 'creative tension'. When I put a team together I look for complimentary and contrasting skills and approaches. People who will challenge each other. Ideally I want a visionary and a pragmatist, someone who knows the business today and someone who brings fresh thinking from another area, a financial/business oriented person and a creative, etc. Some may have one skill or approach others several. You may have to go outside your usual suspects to build the team - consider including a customer, a vendor, a supplier.
The project manager has a very special role in managing a team like this because the challenge now is people and their interaction. You have created an environment where challenge and conflict is not only inevitable but desirable. Now you must channel it. Know when to let it run free and know when to to close it down. That means that the one trait that you look for in everyone is a respect for others, an ability to listen, to challenge and to be challenged.
I have run with teams like this when I have managed it poorly (very occasionally and I learned from it) and it was a disaster. I have done it well and it has been a joy and produced amazing results.
The reason I believe that this is such an important discussion is that too many projects produce predictable and unexciting results. To deliver value we have to aim high, to exceed expectations and to delight. Saving Changes...
