Companies are forever bringing changes into the business. Any changes are going to affect the people in some way. Any effect on the people is going to involve HR. That’s why, as Louise Druce finds out, HR professionals are now being recognised as having the right softer skills, as well as leadership savvy, to bring all the elements together for successful project management.
The business world seems forever caught up in a whirlwind of change, be it mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing, succession planning, recruitment drives, or integrating new technology. Whatever it is, any kind of change affects people and since HR is all about people, HR professionals are increasingly being brought onboard as project managers to help weather the storm.
“Making people feel engaged and motivated, even if it has negative connotations, brings people to the project,” says James Underhay, director of HR consultancy Chiumento. “They like particpating because they feel they have more freedom over their destiny.”
That’s not to say every HR professional is born to lead. To be successful in project management, vital elements such as strong communication, flexibility and strategic goals and objectives need to be built into any change programmes. But on a broad level, there is now a recognition that HR can bring softer skills to project management, steering it away from feeling as if it is only driven by a faceless force, such as finance or IT.
“Skills like influencing others, even when you don’t have a direct line of authority over them, glavanising a team and making sure conflicts are resolved quickly and efficiently – these are much harder to develop than learning how to do a budget and final forecast cost,” explains experienced coach Joanne Murphy, of executive coaching and project management consultancy Catalyst PM.
“So many HR professionals would be off to a flying start thanks to their people skills,” she adds. “Add into the mix an understanding of time management, risk management, cost management and some robust communication structures and I believe many HR professionals would make great project managers.”
All change
Unfortunately, just as we don’t live in a perfect world, it’s rare to find a project that hasn’t encountered at least one minor hitch. But even if things don’t go as smoothly as planned, what is key to keeping projects on track is the communciation part, starting from the top.
According to David Conkleton, managing director of IT and business services company Parity Solutions, many senior managers only seem to get involved with larger projects that have a major impact on the company, leaving others to fall off the radar. Yet, he argues, it is very often the smaller, seemingly innocuous projects that can unexpectedly hit the company sideways with serious and far-reaching consequences.
1. You are the project manager so don’t spend your time doing non-management tasks. Your job is to steer the ship not stoke the engine.
2. Use the honeymoon period. When you are first assigned/offered a project take time in the first few days to understand everything about it.
3. You own the plan. Always have a current plan which you believe in.
4. Communicate, communicate, and then communicate some more.
5. Ensure your team is well structured and motivated.
6. Don’t just assume that quality will happen. Plan it in.
7. Learn to delegate effectively and watch out for the next ‘monkey’.
8. Organise the filing before the project starts. There will not be time once things start happening.
9. People work best if they are enjoying what they are doing.
10. When is all and said and done, it isn’t a matter of life or death. Always be prepared to put people’s health at number one and family at number two – including your own!
Alwyn Welch, chief executive of Parity Group
He agrees with Underhay that senior level sponsorship is critical to lead change and avoid unwelcome surprises. Even if they are not involved hands-on, bosses need to lend the occasional ear to track key stages of the project to ensure it is being delivered in the right way, otherwise project leaders left to their own devices could find themselves ‘swimming upstream’ trying to meet the objectives.
The most obvious people who need to communicate, of course, are the project team. This isn’t simply a case of the manager delegating duties and ordering the occasional meeting for progress updates. “Fundamental to any project is the understanding of the business case by everyone – what are the expected outcomes? What will it bring to the company?” remarks Underhay.
He recommends that teams distribute accountabilities and responsibilities so they not only know what they are doing, but also how they can achieve it and what the success will look like. “You need to make sure they have transparent tasks that aren’t too ambiguous and that they understand the risks, as well as making sure the team are trained and have the right skills to deliver,” he says.
“You’re not just jumping to end goals, you need project goals and individual goals along the way so the team grows and develops along with the project.”
Finally, any changes brought about by the project need to be communicated externally as well as internally, especially if they are likely to affect customers and clients. And the sooner the better. Clients, stakeholders and shareholders will be more reassured if they know from the outset the project is going on and is being handled in an open, honest and professional way.
Conflict of interests
It is often miscommunication that can trigger conflict during projects. Although Underhay states that unrealistic expectations and timeframes, borne out of a desire to save costs and limit company downtime while changes are implemented, also have an adverse impact on projects. Factored into that, resentment can rear its ugly head if the change involves job losses.
Trying to spot potential problems and heading them off from the outset can be tricky but Underhay believes it is easier than waiting for trouble to appear and then trying to tackling it. “People don’t like change and tend to be resistent to it,” he says. “Let people know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Make them feel part of it and that they can voice concerns.
“You’re less likely to run into conflict if people feel they have the opportunity to shape where the project going. Even if it’s been painful, show them how the change has improved the business overall so they can feel proud of it.
“Be realistic about the benefits,” he continues. “Be prepared to be patient. Changes take a while to bed in. It won’t all happen overnight.”
Conkleton adds: “Programmes and projects do get into difficult times. The worst thing that can happen is when people don’t face up to the difficulties. If they know they can’t achieve something they need to stop, recalibrate and start again. The worst projects happen when people get into a spiralling doom scenario: the harder you work, the harder it gets to sort it out. You need to recognise the difficulties, document them early and look at the remedy. Often, you can then get a new momentum going.”
And, he points out, if time isn’t on your side, be prepared to make compromises to get the job done. “You have to get the balance between pushing people hard for things that are obtainable but difficult to get and knowing from the start what isn’t going to be achievable. People, by their nature, will go that extra mile if they can see it can be done with a little more work,” Conkleton explains.
Beginning of the end
Once the project is complete, it’s tempting to breathe a sigh of relief and then forget all about it as you concentrate your energies on the next task – a big mistake, say the experts. Shutting the door on a project means shutting out the potential to tap into the knowledge (good or bad) gained from the project experience so staff don’t stumble blindly into the next one.
“Every change has got to be a learning experience,” Conkleton concurs. As does Underhay, who recommends bringing the whole team in for a full debriefing session once the project is complete to see what, among the intelligence gathered, can be put back into the company before everyone goes their separate ways. This also gives the team the chance to reflect on and celebrate their achievements.
“Quite often there is a corporate amnesia,” he says. “Every project should have a learning register so you know what you’ve done and can carry that learning forward to subsequent projects to make sure the same mistakes aren’t made.”
