Project management: Managing the team
I. About teamwork
• The context of web-based project management
• Groups and teams
II. Managing teams
• The manager‟s responsibilities
• The importance of communication
III. Leadership and project management
• Being a leader
• Managing for effectiveness
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Project management: Managing the team
I. The context
Where is the web going?
Emergent technologies and changing audiences
Internet access continues to increase
There is increasing demand for new web services
Information, entertainment, government services,
commerce, education
There is a move towards increased accessibility
People are accessing the web with a wide range of digital
devices
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Web as information store
It is a central repository for important information
Postal services, digital libraries, government services
The interface must be simple and easy to use
Will require extensive and intuitive searching
People have to be able to find what they want when
searching large and complex databases
Web as interactive TV
Broadband allows richer media
It can be accessed from televisions and kiosks
This will require designing for a different type of interface
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
The portable web
Accessing the web with small devices
Cell phones, PDAs, wrist devices
Designing smaller interfaces
Developing minimalist and meaningful content
Adding graphics and streaming media
The rise of multimedia
Designing 3D spaces, sound design, animators, web-
video development
Increasing importance of security
This will be a specialist position
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
The importance of teamwork
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
http://mstu.cz/~bozek/obrazky/Animals/team
work.jpg
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
• Groups and teams
A group is an expression of the needs and aspirations of
the people who constitute them
A team is a group with three additional characteristics
They are formed by management directive
Members are responsible for outcomes and operations
They typically exist in supportive work contexts
The organization emphasizes the mutuality of interests
between employers and employees
Team members can influence work related decisions
There is open information and two way communication
about organizational policies and practices
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Characteristics of well-functioning teams:
Purpose: members share a sense of why the team
exists and are invested in accomplishing its mission
and goals
Priorities: they know what needs to be done next,
by whom, and by when to achieve team goals
Roles: they know their roles in getting tasks done
and when to allow a more skillful member to do a
certain task
Decisions: authority and decision-making lines are
clearly understood
Conflict: conflict is dealt with openly and is considered
important to decision-making and personal growth
National School Boards Foundation. (ND). Leadership teams.
http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/LeadTeams.html
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
More characteristics
Personal traits: members feel they are appreciated and
their talents are well utilized
Norms: group norms for working together are set and
seen as standards for every one in the groups
Effectiveness: members find team meetings efficient
and productive and look forward to this time together
Success: members know clearly when the team has
met with success and share in this equally and proudly
Training: opportunities for feedback and updating
skills are provided and taken advantage of by team
members
http://www.mgcpuzzles.com/mgcpuzzles/images/all_new_core_images/
Corporate_Puzzles/teamwork_images/teamwork_kids_teamwork_A.jpg
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Being an effective team member:
Contributing ideas and solutions
Recognizing and respect differences in others
Learning how to give and receive criticism
Valuing the ideas and contributions of others
Listening and sharing information
Asking questions and receiving clarification
Participating fully and meeting your commitments
Keeping the project manager and colleagues informed
Reporting problems early
Being flexible and respecting the team
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Characteristics of a high-performing teams:
Participative leadership: interdependence through
empowering, freeing up and serving others
Shared responsibility: an environment in which
members feel responsibility for the project
Purposeful alignment: a sense of common purpose
about why the team exists and the function it serves
Frequent and high quality communication: a climate of
trust and open, honest communication
Future focused: change as an opportunity for growth
Focus on task: keeping meetings and interactions
focused on results
Rapid response: identifying and acting on opportunities
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Goals and functions of a web team:
Developing strategy
Strategists manage the group and lead the project
Develop and communicate the intended message and
corporate image to members
Set objectives, timelines, benchmarks and milestones
Communicate with other members in their areas of
expertise
May include sales, marketing, executives and other
decision makers
Berry, M. (2001). Building your web team. New Architect (1)
http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/2001/01/berry/
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Design and user experience
Design represents the intended message and
corporate image
The information architecture is a crucial blueprint for
design
Content development
Requires close interaction with client
Technology
Programming and coding: HTML markup and
development, scripting, DB and applications work
System and network infrastructure
Maintain the servers and systems.
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
An ideal web team consists of three sub-teams:
Client-side specialists: create an attractive, clear front
end and interface
Server-side specialists: create a smoothly operating back
end
Support specialists: make sure the two sub-teams can do
their jobs
The total team shouldn‟t consist of more than 7 people
One person should be responsible for project: planning,
coordinating, communicating, oversight, accountability
Koch, P.E. (2002). The ideal web team (pt 1).
http://www.digital-web.com/columns/keepitsimple/keepitsimple_ 2003-
04.shtml
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Client side work
Graphic design
What does the site look like?
What look-and-feel and associations does it
communicate?
Interaction design
Has the site been ordered logically?
Is the navigation consistent?
Can people find what they‟re looking for?
Koch, P.E. (2002). The ideal web team (pt 2).
http://www.digital-web.com/columns/keepitsimple/keepitsimple_
2003-04.shtml
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Client side work
Copywriting
How does the site present information?
Is the text scannable?
People don‟t read text; they scan it
Is the text well written and filled with relevant links?
Client-side programming
Do all effects and styles work?
Is the site usable even with an ancient or rare user
agent?
Are any people excluded from the site?
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
At least half of the team members should be seniors in
their area of expertise
They can quickly answer practical questions and devise
workable solutions
Less experienced members can learn from them
Each member should also have clear-cut responsibilities
The project manager should make sure that all members
know about each other’s responsibilities
Everyone should understand the timeline, milestones
and benchmarks
The team culture should encourage members to ask each
other for advice
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Project management: Managing the team
I. About teamwork
• The context of web-based project management
• Groups and teams
II. Managing teams
• The manager’s responsibilities
• The importance of communication
III. Leadership and project management
• Being a leader
• Managing for effectiveness
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
• The manager‟s responsibilities
Keeping the team together
Staying current
Introducing new technologies into the group
Giving them the opportunity to keep their skills sharp
Assuming you know and can evaluate web technologies
Encouraging professional development
Sending team members to conferences to participate
It‟s good for them and good for business
Encourage them to join user groups and take classes
They can become part of a local community
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Help the team develop its skill sets
HTML coding is going away
Static pages are for babies
Coders have to create dynamic pages and work with
DBs and scripting languages
Programmers will spend more time working with
servers, DBs, linking them to dynamic web sites
Application development, server-side programming,
CGI development (tool building)
Increasing demands on creative team members
As web site users become more sophisticated, they have
to develop more compelling user experiences
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Monitoring the team
Detecting weaknesses among the group
This is a form of risk assessment
How strong and cohesive is your team?
Does the team miss deadlines?
Are they over budget?
How is the quality of the work?
*Who is the weakest link?*
Study the record
Look at time sheets, read project reports, talk to team
members regularly
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
• The importance of communication
Information exchange among team members is critical to
team success
It develops over time and requires learning and practice
Poor communication
People from different disciplines do not have a common
language
Lack of mutual understanding of a common set of
terms
Ex: What is “quality assurance” and how can it be
measured?
Personality differences
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Conflicting and hidden agendas
Expert, player, opposition, clown, slacker
Ineffective meetings
Running a good meeting is important
Lack of proximity
It is possible to run virtual teams, but face to face
meetings are still important
Members’ tacit assumptions about the work and each other
If not shared, people may work at cross purposes
Poor infrastructure and support
If the ICT is not transparent, communication will suffer
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
How to evaluate team communication
Can you describe the communication flows?
Can you describe the underlying ICTs?
Can members easily handle the files they sent each other?
Does every team member know how to get in touch with
every other member?
Are there undocumented and ad hoc meetings?
Who is getting together? Why? What results from these
meetings?
How does a manager find out about events and problems
in the workgroup?
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Documentation can help a team work more efficiently
Style guide
Use the one that makes sense to you and make it
available to the team
Proscribed digital content
APA has a 5th edition that covers digital content
Production guide
Explains how the web site will be developed
Describes conventions used throughout the project
Provides members with an overview of the work flow and
allows them to see how their work fits in
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Production guides should include
A map of the directory structure
Functional specs
File naming conventions
Server information
Target audience specs
Coding conventions
Programming conventions
Rules for image formatting
Explanation of version control
Benchmarks and timeline
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Provide the team with a good communication
infrastructure
Make sure everyone has the same software for writing
and email
Develop an archive of all project-related communication
This will be digital and paper-based
Post important documents to your secure web site
Try to automate parts of the communication process
For example, project management software can
automate task monitoring
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Project management: Managing the team
I. About teamwork
• The context of web-based project management
• Groups and teams
II. Managing teams
• The manager’s responsibilities
• The importance of communication
III. Leadership and project management
• Being a leader
• Managing for effectiveness
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
• Being a leader
Challenge: how to manage a team that can handle
continuous adaptation to change
Without losing strategic focus
Transactional leaders work with their systems
Focus is on rewards and exchanges in the organization
They try to meet the needs of their teams
This is a form of cultural maintenance
Charismatic leaders use the force of their personalities
They tend to be persistent and committed to their long
term goals
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Leadership roles
Coordinate team activities
Set agendas for meetings
Schedule work and track progress
Motivate team members
Anticipate, handle and resolve conflicts
Ensure effective communication
Be the liaison to supervisors, external decision makers,
clients
Brown, J., and Dobbie, G. (1999). Supporting and evaluating team
dynamics in group projects. The Proceedings …. 281-285.
http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/299649.299788
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Leadership involves managing people
Conflict management
Identifying and taking steps to prevent situations that
could result in unpleasant confrontations
Managing and resolving conflicts and disagreements in
a positive and constructive manner to minimize negative
impact
Promoting diversity
Recruiting, developing, and retaining a diverse high
quality workforce in an equitable manner
Leading and managing an inclusive workplace that
maximizes talents of each person to achieve sound
business results
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Team building
Inspiring, motivating, and guiding others toward goals
Developing and sustaining cooperative working
relationships
Encouraging and facilitating cooperation within the
organization and with customers
Developing leadership in others by coaching,
mentoring, rewarding, and guiding employees
Service orientation
Creating and sustaining an organizational culture that
encourages others to provide high quality of service
Enabling others to acquire the tools and support they
need to perform well
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Articulating a vision for the team
Leaders provide a realistic vision and mission for the
team
It addresses the needs of all of the stakeholders
It requires depth knowledge of the project and the
environment
What the project is --> what it can become --> how
the team will get there
The team’s mission is a framework for action
It must articulate shared values and goal and appeal
to the major stakeholders
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Then the vision must be disseminated
All members of the team should have a copy of the
project mission
There should be an early team meeting
Here the leader seeks buy-in
To gain a shared sense of broad purpose
Should be clear about the direction and objectives and
forceful about the means
In a sense, leadership is making meaning with a team that
is shared by the team
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Managing groups to help them work effectively
How effectively groups work is generally a combination
of the following three factors:
Level of effort
How much effort the group applies to carry out its task
Task performance strategies
How do they carry out the task?
Level and appropriateness of the skill
What do group members bring to the task?
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
It is difficult to influence these three factors directly
In part, this is because of the internal characteristics of
people
These are hard to access or change
Look for external characteristics that can be manipulated
Behavior norms
Task design
Composition of the group
These factors can be used to affect group performance
indirectly
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Changing norms is usually the best way of improving task
performance strategies
It can lead to increased effort
A leader or group can require:
Regular attendance at meetings
Regular reporting and accountability
Redesign the task
Improves both effort and task performance strategies
Introduce greater specialization of responsibilities
Increase amount of job enrichment
Give members tasks that fit their experience
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Managing teams to help them work effectively
Be ready to change the team‟s composition
This means having a list you can turn to if necessary
Use volunteers where possible
This increases the chances that the members want to
be working on the project
Try to ensure that the team has representatives from
different departments
If this is not possible, try to maintain contact with the
different departments
Try to have at least some more experienced workers
This increases the possibility that mentoring occurs
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Problems with teams
A major problem is groupthink
Conformity: going along with or behaving in a way
consistent with the majority
Compliance: changing attitudes or beliefs as a result of
group peer pressure
Particularly common in long-established groups
Tends to arise in “us versus them” situations
Severe self-censorship and group pressures to conform
“Mind-guards” deny or ridicule dissenting opinions
Can blind group to facts and reasoning useful in making
a decision
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Managerial problems
Disagreements among the members may result in an
inability to reach a decision
Calling it a team but managing members as individuals
Failing to maintain the balance of authority between
management and the team
Failing to provide the team with appropriate amounts
of structure for accomplishing the task
Failing to provide organizational supports for
accomplishing challenging team objectives
Assuming members have the required competence to
work well as a team
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Overcoming groupthink
Dealing with false consensus
Encourage critical evaluation from members
If you lead, reinforce this by accepting criticism of your
own ideas as well as those of other members
Try to begin impartially by describing the problem
without taking a position
Encourage critical evaluation from members
Use other groups in the organization, or sub groups of
your own group to work on the same issue in parallel
Invite outside experts
Assign a group member to a role of devil‟s advocate
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06
Sometime a team needs “deviant thinking”
This can be particularly important when
The team needs lots of ideas
For example, there is a complex problem that must be
attacked from many points
The decision is important or controversial
When the group is brand new or very old
The problem is ill-defined
L577: Design of Information Systems Fall „06