If you’re lucky then your project team will get along well and be able to work together without any problems. However, this is not always the case. If you want to avoid any problems that could derail a project before it even begins, read on to find out how to manage one of your most important resources: Humans. It’s important not to under-estimate the importance of human resource management in a project context and how this can make all the difference between success and failure of a project.
It will probably come as no surprise to most project managers, even the most seasoned ones, that guidance, support and encouragement are required within your team if you want to succeed. Nevertheless, here’s a reminder of what you need to know about just how important the people are to project planning and team building.
Human resource management – what is it?
This is the process of managing the resources of your company and the individuals on your project team. It covers everything from hiring, to training and organisation, to ensuring that you are maximising potential and tracking staff metrics. It is a vital cog in the machinery of your project. Without it your project could be staffed by the wrong team members, deadlines might be missed, and budgets could struggle with scope creep issues.
Project human resource management – why does it matter?
There are many moving parts to a project, and it’s important to be on top of everything. However, when there are multiple project tasks and goals you need to track, clients to appease, and budgets to manage it can be difficult to keep track of the human aspect of your project.
If there is no human resource management then the success of your project could well be in jeopardy. If the team members working on your project are not selected carefully, given project roles that are appropriate and understand their key responsibilities then this could potentially be disastrous. The project could be delayed, morale amongst employees could drop, trust fail, and the expectations of the client may not necessarily be met.
What can help?
Honest, open communication is a key driver in managing people effectively. Events such as weekly stand-up meetings can be used to build team cohesions and motivation, and optimise performance. Project managers can also improve the overall environment for the team by keeping in touch with individuals to review their progress and discuss any issues.
If there is no human resource management within your project then your team can become mismanaged, skills will not be used to the best advantage, and they may simply not know where they stand with regards to expectations and performance.
Developing a human resources management plan
The benefits of managing your human resources sound good and who wouldn’t want to improve the performance of their project, develop team members, and also see a project through to success? In order to do this, you need to create a solid plan. Let’s look at the four steps you should follow to get the most out of your project team.
1. Design a human resources management plan
No two projects are the same. You should first develop a staffing plan that meets the needs of your current project. This means as a manager you should define the structure of the team, the project roles, and responsibilities. Next you should check human resource availability, this will allow you to identify the right people with the appropriate skill sets. If you do not have these people within the company you may need to hire them for high-value or complex projects. You should also identify backup employee options for long projects.
Include training
It is important to discuss any training that might be required to bring your team members up to speed. At this point you should also consider how their performance will be tracked. Schedule regular meetings and rewards that can be used to build your team during the project. Once you have completed this process you will have a strong staffing management plan which identifies your key project roles and the responsibilities associated with them. It will also give you an idea of any other resources you need and any team training that might be required.
2. Build a team and assign roles and responsibilities
Having identified team members for your next project you should assemble your team. At this point you may need to hire any freelancers or permanent new team members. Once you have done this you will need to assign roles and responsibilities. One way in which you can do this is using an RACI chart. This will help you to show key roles and positions of responsibility.
Once you can start your project, you should update the organisational structure of the company to reflect any new team members you have added and the roles they hold.
3. Team bonding and development
A good team is one that can communicate effectively and openly, and this isn’t always possible while the project is getting up and running. Especially if some or all team members do not already know each other. Whether you manage your team remotely or in person you should encourage everyone to feel comfortable with the other members of the team. This means that team bonding exercises could be a good idea for newly formed teams. If your team feels comfortable together and valued, then you are likely to see better productivity.
4. Team management
Once you have identified your team, assigned individual roles, and created a supportive atmosphere then you are ready to go. As a project manager it’s important that you manage your team throughout the project. Ensure you are made aware of any problems or issues and that all the goals are being met at the appropriate stages or mitigating solutions are put in place.
It can be a good idea to track individual and team performance and give regular feedback. This will identify any patterns or behaviours that could negatively impact the project. However, if you as a project manager are in tune with your team, motivating and supporting them, and communicating openly then there’s a good chance you can ward off problems before they happen.
No project is perfect and external factors outside your control can derail a project. Nevertheless, following project management best practice will enable you to successfully manage those factor that are within your control.
