Project Manager Guy

Theory X vs. Theory Y YouTube Playlist

Douglas McGregor offered a pair of divergent viewpoints of employee motivation as the basis for differing management decisions. McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y manifested these unique ways of viewing the drives and thought patterns of people. McGregor represented those who saw staff members to be lazy individuals as Theory X, the established management method of the day. These Theory X leaders think that employees steer clear of accountability and function solely while threatened. Theory Y, however, symbolized supervisors who believed that the workforce normally want to perform and to do a good job.

I found a few good videos on Theory X vs Theory Y on YouTube.

There were quite a few very poorly done ones to sift through, so I put the best ones into a playlist.  This is my first YouTube playlist, so I'm not sure how well I've done with it.  There are so many different options available on those things.  So, here's my first shot at it.  Let me know what you think.

The Benefits of a Gantt Chart in Project Management

Complex tasks require fantastic project management software in addition to tools meant for scheduling such as PERT and Gantt charts, however scores of less demanding projects that necessitate few personnel in a short time period can also indicate a less demanding methodology to achieve. This indicates that, more often than not, a straightforward undertaking will merely use a handful of steps. These work elements will frequently be dependent on every one of the other steps that come before them. They might furthermore be rather effortless to manage for the leadership in charge of these tasks.

A Gantt chart is a tool currently in use by project managers for tasks which are not overly complex and also on other projects. An example of such an activity could be creating and executing an advertising and marketing plan. A sole owner business could make a plan using the Gantt chart. However, it should be noted a Gantt chart could make a simple project more complicated. It is possible that using the Gantt chart would be overkill for a simple planning job.

All the project members should thoroughly understand a tool like a Gantt chart so that good communication is maintained with involved parties. It may be much more useful to simply use an action plan or a time timetable for simple planning needs. As long as all those involved get their time table and plan things should go smoothly. Members may need to be involved in motivating the project stakeholders to adjust the time table and the management may want to use calendars or diaries for records.

With the projects being measured and monitored than they will be requiring deadlines and will have control points. It does not mean that the project will end if the deadline is missed. New time frames can be negotiated and there could be further discussions and assessment by the members in some of the cases. A Gantt Chart might be required if the deadline is regularly crossed or in case a project gets too complex, however the workforce should be well versed with the use of this tool.

A list of actions and tasks, such as an action plan, can be used to reach a single goal or outcome such as a specific project. Good action plans will focus on reaching one goal. The actions may be put into a to-do list or action calendar, though such lists may also cover more many goals.

Getting a project on track once it has been derailed can be quite complicated. When a task has fallen behind or a worker has quit then management may need to make compromises to recover the overall goal. The reassigning of resources may be required. The order of tasks may be affected or the specified scope of specific tasks altered.

Even the best project managers have to deal with reallocating resources. This is one of the first challenges to be overcome by managers once they discover that there are not enough resources or tasks. Then, it becomes necessary to focus on critical tasks and provide them with resources originally assigned to other less important tasks. In addition, those resources no longer required for some tasks can be used for more difficult tasks. It may also be detected that a planned task is not needed anymore.

When faced with challenges changing the sequence of tasks may be needed. It may be easier to substitute some tasks currently and leave the more challenging ones for a later time. It may also be possible to rearrange tasks to enable multitasking when things are behind. A Gantt chart can be useful in planning for the possible roadblocks a project may run into. When a manager can see the whole plan laid out before them it may help them to see where problems may arise or where time and resources may be better used. This can help to avoid problems before they arise.  

 

Managing People: Theory X vs Theory Y Managers

Douglas McGregor,  MIT professor, has demonstrated two famous theories on the subject of motivation of employees. They are referred to as McGregor Theory X and Theory Y. The former talks about less ambitious workers who do not really like to do the work assigned to them and need to be controlled in order to complete their tasks.

Theory Y, on the other hand, features people who are dedicated to their work and enjoy the tasks they are assigned. They are considered more responsible towards achieving their targets and also provide hard work to maintain quality of their products.

In a company or organization, it can prove to be a lot of trouble if workers are disinterested and lazy. The company may have to suffer huge losses due to the reduced total quality of the workforce it has and consequently, consumers or end users will tend to dislike the products or services delivered.  It is also the company's responsibility to understand and value its workers so that they can feel more confident.

A sound analogy of worker-employer relationship according to Theory Y can be that of a family in which a kid is taken care of by his/her parents. Such a manager would develop great bonding with the workers and make sure the team works as a unit.

If a manager believes in the philosophy of Theory X, he would absolutely not cherish the work done by the employees and take that work for granted. He would practice extreme measures like firing an individual as a response to poor work performance.

A company abiding by Theory X management style would not provide sufficient training and introduction to its new employees. It will simply ask them to start working right from day one and will load them with huge assignments and sharp deadlines. Eventually, they pick up the top performers and kick out the underperformers. The Apprentice, a reality show was carved out from such a philosophy.

Managers belonging to Theory Y give more freedom to their employees so that the environment is friendly to work in. It is fun to work in such environments for the workers. This ease of work later reflects in the company's profits.

A manager should, ideally, treat new hires equally and also consider their perspective of going about with business. This can help the company tremendously as new hires bring fresh ideas and techniques of smart work. This will not only benefit the company's interest, but also motivate the workers by boosting their confidence as their say is valued.

Finally, we can define the term motivation as, a sense of willingness to contribute towards something that would fetch solutions to a particular need. This can be understood well with the real life example of people working hard to earn money so that they can buy food (which is a need).

Transitioning Project Managers

Organizations who experience a vacancy in a senior leadership position such as the CEO of a corporation or the Dean of a College will often decide to appoint an interim professional who takes over in a care taker capacity... I’ve often wondered if the concept of an interim project manager is needed in certain instances on projects... Taking over leadership of a project in mid-stream is perhaps one of the most challenging jobs that a project manager is called upon to do. 

via philipdiab.com

When a project “goes bad”, there are so many potential reasons for it — most of which spell “interesting times” for the inbound project manager. Anything from a disenfranchised team to an overly optimistic stakeholder team might be waiting for you in that prize package. It takes a very seasoned project manager to make these assessments and recover an otherwise flailing project.

Taking over as the leader of a project in mid-stream is perhaps one of the most challenging jobs that a project manager is called upon to do. 

Recruiting for Excellence - Mind your Maslow

The Maslow hierarchy of needs transcends nearly all aspects of life, however none more so than the business world. Staff members are at such staggered stages of living that the odds for tension are of significant concern in business. Even as a boss may well have reached the self-actualization point with a spouse and kids, an entry-level employee might barely be hoping to obtain her first residence.

The considerable difference among workers of different stages of Maslow's theory is most quickly shown with the prior case in point. The stress intensity of somebody who is barely getting by, having anxiety with their physiological as well as safety requirements is of immense concern. Somebody experiencing that much strain can have their job start to suffer.

If a person has their basic needs met such as a place to live, a rewarding family experience, and financial stability, they are more likely to excel in the workplace. It is hard to focus on the job at hand, especially if you don't have the ability to focus. When you are able to focus you are more efficient and effective at work.

This is why a wise business owner puts prospective employees through a thorough interviewing process. Through interviews it's easy to identify those with stable environments. In Maslow's terms, smart supervisors want to recruit employees in the self-actualization and esteem stages. Both of these stages usually take other people into account when working.

Workplace competition generates a higher quality of product and promotes employee cohesion. Esteem stage employees make a great fit for your business due to their more competitive need to excel, combined with their need for attention and the respect of their coworkers. Esteem stage employees are better at maintaining excellent interpersonal workplace relationships and can provide your business with quality work.

Employees in the self-actualization stage are also useful employees. These employees are focused on the task at hand. They have a calmer demeanor, knowing their self-worth and not having the lesser of life's struggles bearing down on them. Also, since people do not stay in a single stage, and my slide back down the pyramid, it is better to have someone who is still high enough on the pyramid, even with a backslide, who will still be a confident, efficient worker.

The business world can benefit from a Maslow-like overhaul of its practices. If carefully studied, we'll see that employees with greater focus and competency mean a more successful business. It naturally follows that the quickest and most efficient route to success is to recruit members from the top tier of Maslow's hierarchy.

Strong Project Management = Conflict Avoidance?

Reading this blog post over on PM Hut today, entitled I Just Want Everyone to Be Happy! made me think about the importance of conflict, while everyone seems to think that hugs and rainbow are what it takes to make a team successful.

I’ve seen some managers who think that any type of conflict on their projects or within their teams is entirely taboo - something to be avoided at all costs and short-circuited when it does come up. They use " conflict resolution" processes in the workplace like smoothing or avoidance hoping that the problems will just go away. Conflict is essential for ideas to be shared and for a group to grow. You cannot get there by everyone being super-agreeable with one another and avoiding the hard conversations.  Conflict management does not just mean "stopping conflict", just as Change management shouldn't mean "stopping change" - it's about understanding how to make these unavoidable things happen in a productive manner for the benefit of the team.

Project Management is for Everyone

Every field requires that you have skills of managing projects effectively and proficiently. It is really not a business specific issue, but rather a work ethic. There are plenty of advantages to being a good project manager. Excellent project management skills are regarded as the trick to accomplish objectives proficiently. Project management training is the most essential course to be taken by every hopeful project manager, so you can grasp the difference between PERT charts and Gantt charts.  In addition, some good Information Technology classes will help you get things done quickly and presentably.  Making a project successful is about obeying a few essential principles, some of which include:

1. One should always be very organized to ensure proper management of workload. Organization shouldn't only be mental, it should reflect from the worker's desk too i.e. one should keep the paperwork in place. An important aspect of being organized is to always chalk out steps and perform them in order.
2. To complete a project in time, one can divide the project into parts. Once the division is done, the duration of each part should be defined and the same be followed to complete each one of them.
3. Doing things digitally is always advantageous as one is armed with tools that can accelerate work process. For this purpose, one should be proficient enough in computers and working with different programs to manage work easily.
4. Management doesn't come hereditarily; one needs to learn it. For this purpose, one should take proper project management training. These programs keep updating with time, so one is supposed to take them on a regular basis to stay on top of things.
5. Never hesitate to ask for help when you are in need of it. One should not feel inferior when he can't accomplish something and should be open enough to involve people around to get the job done. In case one requires more resources, they can be retrieved by a decent request to your boss or supervisor.

Apart from the above mentioned rules (or rather rules of thumb), one should always work with a frame of mind and a plan. Planning is one the most crucial aspect of project management and the outcome of the project, more often than not, depends on the plan that the individual followed. Without a plan, one would most probably make a mess of things since there would be no direction to the project.

For younger individuals, it is imperative to attend project management training, as they do not have any formal experience in the what they are supposed to do. However, working constantly and over a period of time infuses that experience which always proves helpful in future tasks and projects. Make sure to get training in usage of computers and IT which will speed up the work being done.