Role Clarification Workshop
Overview
The major problems inhibiting the success of an organization and
its projects can be traced back to the leadership skills exhibited
by those that hold the critical positions of project manager and
resource manager. Project managers direct the planning and execution
of a project and are held personally accountable for the success
of the project. Simply stated, they nurture the project to meet
its objectives. Resource managers hire, fire, make job assignments,
coach, counsel, evaluate, award, promote and secure future work
opportunities for direct reports. In other words, they nurture
people to both reach their individual potential and to meet their
commitments on projects.
The project manager champions the project. The resource manager champions people. These are oversimplified definitions, but it is important to understand the difference in the roles and responsibilities between these two critical leadership positions and how they can best work together for the mutual good of the enterprise.
This workshop is a best-practice tool to teach and reinforce the roles and responsibilities of project managers and resource managers. It is highly interactive where each attendee participates in solving problem scenarios that confront those holding these positions. This workshop assembles many of the "power players" of an organization to work out issues that may be obstacles inhibiting the organization from progressing towards a common, productive work culture.
The Role Clarification Workshop helps both project managers and resource managers understand their jobs as it relates to items that include: development of employees, development of the organization, development of project members, success of a project, working with one another, working with peers, working with bosses and senior management, and working with a client
Length of Workshop
One to two days. The length of the workshop depends on how well
the attendees understand their fundamental roles and responsibilities
before they attend the workshop.
Who Should Attend
This workshop is for all project managers and resource managers
within an organization. Resource managers include entry level
to middle managers to executives.
Prerequisite
It is recommended, but not required, that the workshop participants
first complete the workshop, "The Essentials of Software/IT
Project Management: Best Practices," or equivalent. This
core workshop offers attendees a framework for understanding their
roles and responsibilities and the culture that is being encouraged.
Two to three weeks before the workshop begins, each participant is required to send the instructor/facilitator his or her top two to three problem scenarios to be discussed during the workshop.
You Will Benefit
Workshop attendees benefit from the workshop by:
 |
Having attendees identify their current role/responsibility problems |
|
Discussing and solving role/responsibility problems |
|
Being coached/mentored by a leading industry authority |
|
Promoting team building among workshop attendees |
|
Improving project and organizational effectiveness |
|
Teaching leadership behavior and reinforcing effective leadership behavior already in play |
|
Providing attendees with a renewed understanding of their roles/responsibilities as they relate to projects, people and the overall organization |
Sample Scenarios
Here are examples of scenarios that are commonly identified and
played out:
| 1. | Coaching and counseling employee scenario. Should the resource manager stay abreast of his or her employees' performance against their project plans or is that the exclusive domain of the project manager? |
| 2. | History repeats scenario. New projects consistently suffer from the same problems encountered on previous projects. Where's the problem? Who's primarily accountable? |
| 3. | Test plan scenario. A project has no test plan. Who's primarily accountable? The project manager? The tester/test team leader? The tester's/test team leader's resource manager? The project manager's resource manager? Other? |
| 4. | Missed commitments scenario. A project member consistently misses his or her commitments. Who's not doing their job? The project member? Project manager? Resource manager? Other? |
| 5. | Escalation scenario. When two parties are unable to resolve a conflict related to a project, what role should the project manager provide in resolving the conflict? What role should a resource manager provide? |
| 6. | Management style scenario. Which is worse: overmanaging or undermanaging? |
| 7. | As a project manager, are-you-doing-your-job? scenario. What accountability do you feel for the success or failure of the events occurring around you? |
| 8. | As a resource manager, are-you-doing-your-job? scenario. What accountability do you feel for the success or failure of the events occurring around you? |
| 9. | Resource managers working with their peers scenario. What's more important: doing what's right for the department, the project, the organization, the company, the client, other? |
| 10. | Problem resolution scenario. Who should a project member turn to when they have a problem? The team leader? The project manager? The resource manager? Other? |
Instructional Methods
Group exercises, discussion and some lecture.
A small notebook that includes problem scenarios to discuss and the book, The EnterPrize Organization: Organizing Software Projects for Accountability and Success.
Workshop Size
Up to 20 participants is optimal.
Notes
Project managers and resource managers want to perform at their
best, but they first need to understand what is expected of them.
This workshop fills that void. For senior managers and executives
struggling with the issue of whether leadership can be taught,
this works!