Having The Team Review/rate The PM
Hugo says : Hi,
I like this forum and I hope it gets a lot more traffic.
I work at a company of about 100 people. I was hired as a programmer and within a short time of working here I was assigned my first project. Besides being excited about the project from a programming aspect, I took on the role of a project manager as well, since the product we were producing was technical, I seemed to be the best fit and I wanted more responsibility. I had never been a PM and my project team consisted of about 8 people from various departments including upper level management. Although there is still work to do on the product, version 1 has already been delivered and the project will probably be closing in about 4 weeks. I have had nothing but great responses from my team and the end-users using the product. I really enjoyed being a PM and I want to be a PM in the futrue. I want to be the best PM I can be and hence my questions.
Here is my question: Is it appropriate to have my team review my performance? If so, what questions should I ask?
Thanks in advance,
Hugo
ross_valusoft says : Welcome Hugo,
...and congratulations. By the sounds of it, you have been successful on your first PM assignment.
I found it interesting that because you had the technical skills of a programmer that you were chosen as the PM for this project. Some researchers, eg Frame (1995), and Pinto & Kharbanda (1995) have written about this "accidental profession" and how the new PM acquires the knowledge of how to run projects "in a hit or miss fashion" (Frame).
I would be interested to know if your bosses arranged for you to receive any PM training?
At what stage were you first introduced to the project?
Were the criteria for project success defined, at what stage and by whom?
Addressing these questions will give you an idea of where to start. Have you heard of a "360 degree review"? This is where all of the people around (360 degrees) review your work....subordinates, peers, bosses, users.
Best wishes,
Unregistered says : Thanks for the reply Ross. To answer your questions:
1. The bosses did not arrange for me to have any PM training. The DBA in the IT department just completed PM training and had two manuals that I reviewed during the writing of the Integrated Project Plan. However, I did feel very comfortable in the PM role as I tend to enjoy talking in front of groups (something a programmer doesn't get to do often), taking the lead on projects, and it allowed me to work on several different things instead of just being pigeonholed as a programmer. Also, I had worked on a previous project (before working at this company) and played a significant role during it's development so I felt comfortable taking on the PM role for this project.
2. I was introduced to the project from the beginning.
3. The success criteria was defined in the Integrated Project Plan from the very beginning. Recommendations have been made by our end-users since the product's release and will be incorporated into the product at a later date but, the success criteria was met or exceeded for phase I.
Thanks for the tip on "360 Degree Reviews." I am now working on the Project Closeout and I would like to incorporate my team's feedback.
Any other recommendations would be welcome. Otherwise, I look forwad to visiting this site for more helpful information.
Hugo
salcorp says : A good way to do this would be to review everyone on the project under you. Have them do the reviewing of their own colleges. This tends to show some things you may have not seen happen in the duration of the project. Anonymous or not this will show the group that team integration and reliability is a part of the process, and not only the review of their PM.
ross_valusoft says :
salcorp>A good way to do this would be to review everyone on the project under you. Have them do the reviewing of their own colleges. This tends to show some things you may have not seen happen in the duration of the project. Anonymous or not this will show the group that team integration and reliability is a part of the process, and not only the review of their PM.
Hi Yuri,
Yes, this is simply applying the "360 Degree Review" to another level of the team hierarchy....and it works best if it is in the form of a questionnaire so that everyone has to answer the same questions without slight changes to the wording of the questions which might happen if done face to face. At the end you can provide space for a free form comment. I also like to discuss the answer trends with the team after collating their answers because it can then generate ideas for future techniques. The whole purpose is improvement, not blame.
Regards,
ross_valusoft says :
Unregistered>Thanks for the reply Ross. To answer your questions:
1. The bosses did not arrange for me to have any PM training. The DBA in the IT department just completed PM training and had two manuals that I reviewed during the writing of the Integrated Project Plan. However, I did feel very comfortable in the PM role as I tend to enjoy talking in front of groups (something a programmer doesn't get to do often), taking the lead on projects, and it allowed me to work on several different things instead of just being pigeonholed as a programmer. Also, I had worked on a previous project (before working at this company) and played a significant role during it's development so I felt comfortable taking on the PM role for this project.
2. I was introduced to the project from the beginning.
3. The success criteria was defined in the Integrated Project Plan from the very beginning. Recommendations have been made by our end-users since the product's release and will be incorporated into the product at a later date but, the success criteria was met or exceeded for phase I.
Thanks for the tip on "360 Degree Reviews." I am now working on the Project Closeout and I would like to incorporate my team's feedback.
Any other recommendations would be welcome. Otherwise, I look forwad to visiting this site for more helpful information.
Hugo
Good morning Hugo.
Please do not take the following too much to heart. But do think them over.
Being a PM is not about feeling comfortable talking to groups, or standing in front of a horde of programmers armed with keyboards at the ready (yeah I know...a bit too creative). It is always about working on several things (as you describe it) and they must all have everything to do with delivering the specified project, at a minimum within the iron triangle, but preferably taking into account other metrics of success. It is about monitoring and control, having a backup plan and developing risk strategies and probably to a very large part communications and management of stakeholders, above, below and outside.
Am I correct interpreting your comments at point 3 above, that the end-users did not specify their criteria for success in the initial project plan? This alarms me if correct. The project is all about delivering something to the end users. If it fails to meet their needs why do the project in the first place? There are no guarantees that there will ever be a version 2 of anything.
And as an extension to this train of thought, why put someone in charge without suitable training...this is where the project sponsors (your bosses) could improve the liklihood of success for them and you. There are too many "accidental" project managers around.
Regards,
Hugo says : ross_valusoft,
Thanks for the input. I have to say that I agree, in the end it is all about delivering the project on-time and successfully (i.e. meeting all the success requirements). It seems that the company I work for is new to implementing projects of any significant size and, because of this, I don't think they really ever had to hire a PM (I know it sounds crazy but I and others are trying to make this a company policy, regardless of project size). When it came time for me to create an application for them, I found myself in meetings with 8 others co-workers decidiing on the specifications. It was too noticable that the project needed a "leader" so I, unofficially, took on that role. I was never given the title of "Project Manager" and I was always the "Application Developer/Programmer" but I think that everyone viewed me as the person who was spearheading the whole project and I found myself delegating tasks, monitoring the project, setting up the meetings, and communicating with and managing expectations of the management.
One other point that I would like to mention is that you seemed to have concern that end-users did not specify any success criteria. They DID and the success criteria was met and end-users expectations were met or exceeded.
Lastly, I want to address your thoughts on "accidental" Project Managers and would like for you to know that I realize that could result in a projects having undesired/unsuccessful outcomes. However, overall I found myself enjoying the role (as a psuedo PM) and would really like to learn more about Project Management but I'll save that for another post (stay tuned).
Regards,
Hugo
P.S. What is the iron triangle?
ross_valusoft says :
Hugo>ross_valusoft,
Thanks for the input. I have to say that I agree, in the end it is all about delivering the project on-time and successfully (i.e. meeting all the success requirements). It seems that the company I work for is new to implementing projects of any significant size and, because of this, I don't think they really ever had to hire a PM (I know it sounds crazy but I and others are trying to make this a company policy, regardless of project size).
This reminds me of the directive "Tell me what you do not know". "Well, if I don't know it how can I tell you?" is the likely retort. Obviously the company managers do not know what they do not know. Someone, you, has to explain to them that if they are going to undertake projects that they need to provide the resources to ensure the project's success. They have been lucky this time. Can they afford to gamble money and other resources on another project without trying to ensure success by their preparatory actions? Would they ask the plumber to audit their accounts? Of course not! They need to be educated.
Hugo>
When it came time for me to create an application for them, I found myself in meetings with 8 others co-workers decidiing on the specifications.
Did you then get the management to sign off on this project document? After all, if the document was committing a team of 9 (?) persons to a workload there would be money consequences that they supposedly have authority for.
Hugo>
It was too noticable that the project needed a "leader" so I, unofficially, took on that role.
The company managers need to realise that they have to delegate responsibility for the project and with that goes the title and their openly visible support. They need to name the PM themselves. I was once in a similar position...there were three of us who realised that a PM was needed and we all stepped forward. That is just as bad. Eventually we forced management to perform their role and the PM was "annointed".
Hugo>
I was never given the title of "Project Manager" and I was always the "Application Developer/Programmer" but I think that everyone viewed me as the person who was spearheading the whole project and I found myself delegating tasks, monitoring the project, setting up the meetings, and communicating with and managing expectations of the management.
So now you have demonstrated to management that a project needs one person to do these tasks.
Hugo>
One other point that I would like to mention is that you seemed to have concern that end-users did not specify any success criteria. They DID and the success criteria was met and end-users expectations were met or exceeded.
I gained this impression from what you had said, but am now pleased to hear that the users did get to have their say. Once again I would say that the managers should be "forced" to sign off on these aspects of the specification. Management of stakeholder issues can be a big aspect of any project. You don't want to get caught in between management's directions and the user's needs, especially if they are conflicting.
Hugo>
Lastly, I want to address your thoughts on "accidental" Project Managers and would like for you to know that I realize that could result in a projects having undesired/unsuccessful outcomes. However, overall I found myself enjoying the role (as a psuedo PM) and would really like to learn more about Project Management but I'll save that for another post (stay tuned).
Regards,
Hugo
P.S. What is the iron triangle?
The iron triangle is the name given to the three aspects of a project that bind you in your decsion making;cost, time and quality. Some people say "pick two and lose the other".
Regards,
