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Project Management Accountability – Where Does the Buck Stop?. Steven A. Vinson, PMP 14 years of life science project leadership Appointed officer: PMI PharmaSIG B.S. Chemical Engineering Technical Depth: Pharma/biotech manufacturing and development Allied chemical Healthcare
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Project Management Accountability – Where Does the Buck Stop? Steven A. Vinson, PMP • 14 years of life science project leadership • Appointed officer: PMI PharmaSIG • B.S. Chemical Engineering • Technical Depth: • Pharma/biotech manufacturing and development • Allied chemical • Healthcare • Telecommunications For more info or to contact Mr. Vinson: www.vinsoncorp.com
Project Management Accountability – Where does the buck stop? • Begin with the end in mind • Accountability is contagious • Character that Matters • Managing Up • Walk the Talk
Begin with the end in mind • Start out Right • Measure Objectively • Turn over Control
Start Out Right • At kickoff, stress the value of mutual respect and collaboration • Those who take on tasks will rest assured they are in a supportive environment and will more readily accept accountability
Measure Objectively • Goals must be measurable • Performance assessment must be based on objective data whenever possible • Accountability decisions based on facts • Not distorted by opinions, politics, and desire for power
Turn Over Control • A sense of accountability requires a sense of control • If several levels of approvals are needed for routine tasks, it will be abundantly clear that someone is accountable… • it is just not them
Accountability is Contagious • Carpe Auctoritas (Seize Authority) • Support and Clarify Continuously • Align Support Groups
Carpe Auctoritas • Auctoritas (Latin) – Authority derived from a combination of prestige, initiative, and influence. • Often used in reference to the Roman Senate, which accomplished much, though it held no legislative power • Project Managers must seize authority when appropriate
Support And Clarify Continuously • Reinforce this value through your communication and actions • Team members must feel that they can trust leadership • Proactively manage expectations of customers, executive management, and all stakeholders
Support And Clarify Continuously • Frequently changing expectations can be a drain on a sense of accountability • It is easier to blame changes for not attaining goals than it is to commit to getting the job done – take away the excuse!
Align Support Groups • Functional groups must be aligned with business goals • The project manager is the glue that holds it all together • legal, accounting, human resources, marketing, etc. • Clear expectations; clear connection to project success • Successful work team interaction • If key inputs are not under the control of project employees, it is natural to cede accountability
Character that Matters • Seek out accountability • Be politically aware, but rise above office politics • Define project success in business and technical terms – not in terms of personal gain • Do the right thing • Provide support, honor trust
Managing Up • Use the project charter (and not as a club) • Advocate for the team • Minimize Constraints
Project Charter • Confers formal authority • Documents vision • Objective and non-threatening
Advocate for the team • Executive sponsor ultimately provides authority • Team members take risks to be accountable for project results that may not have derived directly from functional managers – convince sponsor to run interference • Sell the project to ensure continued support and funding – accountability is nonexistent when the team feels funding or support could be withdrawn at any time (Part 11 example)
Minimize Constraints • Sense of accountability is smothered by pressure from constraints that are beyond a team member’s control • Example team staffing • If a project work team is short-handed & does not have the ability to bring in new workers, team feels helpless • Helplessness is the great destroyer of the sense of accountability
Walk the talk • Reward consistently and often • Promote use of group problem-solving techniques • Enable creativity and innovation
Reward Consistently And Often • If a team is truly accountable, they should be rewarded when they are successful …and they must accept “corrective action” when the news is not so good • Public Recognition • Avoid perception of arbitrariness or favoritism • Reward accountability and success with increasing exposure and responsibility • Beware: Careful not to reward "non-accountable" performance
Promote The Use Of Group Problem-solving Techniques • Make sure teams work effectively to plan, identify obstacles, & develop their own solutions. • Then respect their conclusions • Otherwise, resulting pressure on participants will make them frustrated & eventually passive
Enable Creativity And Innovation • Nothing de-motivates high-performing, accountable workers more than institutionalized obstacles to goal attainment • Example existing processes & procedures must have clear added value; allow flexibility whenever valuable
Parting Thoughts • Why is this so much more difficult in Discovery and Development versus other project environments? • Project Size, Scope, Duration • Emotional ties to definitions of success • Weak matrix organizations whose business is primarily projects Carpe Auctoritas!