Business Management

BY BRUCE LYNCH

Manage Project Labor More Effectively

Bruce Lynch Labor is by far the highest cost associated with performing design work. Effective project team management boils down to three fundamental activities: assigning tasks, ensuring maximum productivity and delegating work effectively. In this column, I will explain how to get the most out of your team and ensure they are working at maximum efficiency so you can make money on every project.

Assigning tasks
Individual responsibility and accountability for completing each task is probably the most critical aspect of project success. On small projects, these detailed assignments should be made prior to or during the initial project kickoff meeting. On larger jobs, these assignments should be done on an individual basis rather than at a group meeting. Each assignment should be specific, concrete and stated in terms of the desired end products.

To ensure that task assignments are fully understood, you should ask the individual responsible for each task to outline his or her assignment, the way in which it will be completed and the allotted time required to accomplish the work.

Task assignment tips

Set definite time limits for each team member to “digest” his or her assigned task(s) and to prepare an outline of the approach, timetable, etc.
Make sure that each team member’s approach provides time for preparation and documentation of the task.
Provide each team member with a copy of the most recent version of the work flow diagram developed during the project’s planning phase.
Make it a habit to challenge the hours estimated to complete each task. This should yield more realistic estimates and better “tailoring” of the technical effort to the allocated hours.
If the work hour estimate and the completion date estimate (as prepared by the individual responsible for the task) do not agree with the original planning
estimate, take one of three courses:

Determine the impact of the independent estimates and decide if an adjustment to the total hours and the completion date is possible.

Ask the individual to replan the task to accomplish it in accordance with the original estimate.

Use a combination of the first two points. Replan the task with a slightly larger budget or a different completion date.

Ensuring maximum productivity
You need to play several important roles in leading, guiding, directing, monitoring and evaluating the project team. These roles involve both leadership and management aspects. Keep in mind that there are two interrelated aspects when examining production of design services: (1) progress rate and (2) quality of the product or service. You must monitor both aspects to ensure that the project team produces products or services in a timely manner but also satisfies the client’s (and the firm’s) quality requirements.

To ensure that the project is making acceptable progress, you must monitor and adjust schedules throughout the life of the project. Certain assumptions were made about production rates when the project was planned, and you must periodically compare actual production to the projected and assumed rates. To do this, you can:

Compare the number of completed drawings to the original drawing schedule.
Check percentage completion of each drawing against drawing preparation checklists.
Compare actual progress against key milestone dates.

There are several ways to maintain the production rate. Skilled and capable team members who have demonstrated abilities to work at the expected rates should be assigned to the project. If less-capable staff members must be employed, it may be necessary to use additional staff to complete a task. While authorizing project staff to work overtime can be used to meet the schedule, it should not be required as normal practice. Before overtime is used, its effect on the budget should be evaluated. You should periodically confer with the designers, engineers and technicians on the project to ascertain that they understand their assignments, the schedule and budget implications of their work, and the manner in which their tasks fit into the overall project. The management technique of MBWA (management by walking around) is extremely powerful in the design industry. It should be the most common management technique used by on large and small design projects.

You should also conduct periodic reviews of progress and production with other project managers to determine project status and coordinate corrective actions. The project status compared to the budget and schedule should then be discussed with team members.

Delegating successfully
Delegation is not as simple as telling someone else what to do. It involves the highest degree of communication skills between both parties. In addition, make sure the person is qualified to do the task and that you trust him or her to do an acceptable job. Here are 13 keys to successful delegation:

When starting to delegate to a person with whom you have not worked before, always increase authority and responsibility gradually.
Set clear, realistic goals for the task being delegated. Make sure the expectations of both parties are clear and exactly the same. Communicate the assignment thoroughly and clearly.
Give the person all relevant information on organizational policy and procedures as these relate to the assignment. Don’t keep secrets or allow the person to be blindsided.
Define the limits of responsibility in the assignment. After the person thoroughly understands the limits of authority, allow him or her to take charge and complete the task.
When you have given your subordinate the responsibility for a decision, allow him/her to make it. Resist making
decisions yourself, even if you are asked. Learning is largely the result of actually making decisions and doing something, not being told what to do. If an emergency arises, take enough time to help a person work their way through the solution (rather than telling them what to do), so when it comes up again, he/she can go ahead without interrupting you.
If the person comes to you with a question concerning a delegated task, do not give specific directions but rather take the time to help him think it through.
Set up your own follow-up system that requires interim reports or checkpoints so you can review progress and make sure that tasks don’t get too far behind.
Establish a realistic date for completion of each delegated task.
Delegate each task to the least experienced person who can perform the task. If that person’s subordinate can perform the task, then indicate that you believe this can be further delegated.
If a subordinate’s decision must be reversed, permit him or her to reverse it.
Never openly countermand your subordinates’ orders. Back up your support people in their relations with their subordinates.
Give the team members the authority needed to carry out the assignment and inform others that she has this authority. This will lessen the resistance of coworkers when the delegate seeks information and/or help from them in carrying out the assignment.
Never expect that the results will be exactly as you would have done it.

Where to go for help
PSMJ publishes the Ultimate Project Management Manual. This is an essential resource for any design firm professional that wants to make more money. For more information, visit www.psmj.com.

Bruce Lynch is vice president of publishing at PSMJ Resources, Inc. in Newton, MA, www.psmj.com.