I accidentally posted this response in the wrong topic and cannot delete it please ignore this response.
When assembling the project team and delegating tasks, the PM should be sure to outline the responsibilities for each team member. Furthermore, if an individual is part of other teams and has other obligations, it is important that they disclose this to the PM. While they may have obligations to other projects, agreeing to be part of another team means that they are aware that they now also have an obligation to do their part in completing the tasks of the new project and maintaining communication with the members of the new team.
When dealing with absences and vacation, again, communication is important. Illnesses and emergencies are not planned but team members should let the PM and the team know if something like that arises. The team and the PM can then work to make sure the tasks that need to be done are completed. While projects can last for years and vacations may not be planned that far in advance, they are something that should be planned ahead of time and should be disclosed to the PM and the team. The individuals should be aware of the deadlines they have to meet and so should keep that in mind when trying to plan for a vacation and the PM should be able to delegate tasks to other members of the time while the individual is away.
As many of the other people have stated in this forum: communication is the key to handling issues that may arise due to workers not being, "robots".
It's often easy to forget that everyone in a workplace exists outside the workplace. i.e: while they may be dedicated to the project they may have other priorities or responsibilities in their lives. Talking with other team members and leaving a running line of communication can make it so that team members can appropriately communicate when they want to go on vacation, when they're sick, etc.
There also needs to be a contingency plan in case of sudden departures or emergencies amongst team members. While team members are all essential, there should be a back-up plan so that if, for example, a team member is unable to work on a project for a period of time, another team-member can maintain this part while the other team member is unable to.
For example, I have an experiment actively running in the lab I work in but was unable to come in due to car issues and the snow making the roads dangerous to drive on. I didn't abandon my work though; instead, I had another lab member upkeep the experiment for me while I could not. It was a two way street though. I didn't just abandon my task to this member, I actively coached them through it and did what I could due to the limitations of the situation.
It's this kind of planning and communication that's necessary to keep things rolling when there are absences or emergencies.
One of the interesting things that Dr. Simon mentioned in this weeks lecture was the concept of team development. When you are a project manager, your project team is not composed of robotic entities. They are human beings who can develop chemistry, think critically, and work in collaboration. Team development is combining team and individual skill sets to enhance the project, but sometimes the team can run into some real world issues. So what happens in these scenarios?
That's my question you guys. As a PM, how would you deal with team members taking absences or vacations? What would you do in order to deal with shifting personnel resources? What would be the course of action if certain team members have obligations to other teams?
I personally do not have any experience as a project manager however, I can share what my project manager did in these situations.
Issues such as "real world" problem or leave of absence are all accounted for in most cases. As those hurdles are such that you can't avoid them and just have to anticipate them. When I was working as a project controller for EU MDR my project manager ensured that there was two SME or expertise for each major parts of the project. For example our head engineer who was responsible for conducting risk assessment for us had to go on FMLA. As my manager had assigned 2 experts for each subject the next engineer in-charge stepped up and took on the responsibility.
In an another instance there was case in which the engineer was pulled into two different projects at the same time and because his obligation was to other project, as a result of this several bottle necks were created. It wasn't the engineers fault, he was just doing what he was told, so my PM decided to talk it out to his reporting manager and assign priorities. Priorities play a key role not only in your day to day task but also project in general.
It is very important to decide who should be working in a team. A project manager can chose someone who they know well. Team working, collaboration and flexibility of schedules also play a very important role in a team. Instances like vacations and absences should not harm the project from progressing because there should be enough people of similar expertise to cover the absences by working on the project. If certain team members have obligations to other teams, it can create a little bit of conflict and difficult situations between both groups. Regardless, both teams should be communicative and discuss about how to accomplish the project in a moderate way.
If I was a project manager tasked with dealing with changing personnel resources, the first step I would take is to consult the original project timeline, using the software that the company uses. Then, I would assess the impact that the shift of personnel resources would have on the project goal deadlines. If I thought the impact is too large, I would try to negotiate with the team member and the other teams using the data I have gathered as evidence of the need for that team member.
I completely agree with @sts27 in that proper planning and communication is the best way to handle unexpected emergencies or problems within a project team. The initial prompt mentioned how a project is made up of humans and not robots. Because of this, I think it is important for project members to form personal connections if possible. It allows for more comfortable and better communication between members. Then, if any emergencies arise, others could potentially help, such as in the case sts27 mentioned. However, depending on the project team, this may not always be possible. Regardless, forming a comfortable working environment in which everyone can communicate well can be vital in handling emergencies.
More than this, through my own past experiences, I have seen a few methods in which the company I was an intern for anticipated for emergencies and changing team members. I remember a calendar that was constantly updated with team member availability. This worked well for planned vacations and time off. Another aspect I remember from this experience was that in any task that I conducted, there was typically a manual of how to do the task. If a manual did not exist, a new manual was made. This helped to combat the issue of changing team members, allowing new members to learn how to do certain tasks much easier. Through various methods like these, as well as with planning and communication, team issues can be appropriately handled.
As a PM, the most important thing is to develop a comfortable environment or network for your team members. It is important for these people to be comfortable with, not only you but also with their other team members. This will come in handy when people decide to go on vacation or are absent. In a perfect world, all would go smoothly. The person would let you know when they are going on vacation or if they will not be coming in that day and you will be able to adjust appropriately. However, we don't live in a perfect world. We need to account for emergencies and unknown and this is known as risk management. We need to take into account the fact that there will be emergencies and people who have allegiances to other teams.
t’s important to practice the following skills when resolving team conflict in the workplace:
Treat everyone in your team fairly and equally, provide them with praise and recognition, and be open and honest at all times. Read team members’ body language (e.g. crossed arms), facial expressions and tone of voice. Take action early to help your people resolve the situation before it escalates. Ensure team members listen to one another, respect each other’s points of view, and refrain from interrupting each other.. Your role is to help the team members address the issues causing the conflict and to reach a resolution that works well for them.
For me, I think dealing with team members taking absences or vacations is not one of the project manager duties because I consider it as departments or teams issue. For example, If a team member were absent the team leader should deal with that and splits his or her daily tasks to the rest of the team members. However, the team leader must take an action about this situation if if it happens frequently. Also, I think the project manager should be involved if the team's outputs are affected by this.
From seeing how well my boss handled my team as a supervisor, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic, there were a few key lessons I have learned that I would like to apply to when I become a project manager. One thing I’ll ensure is understandment. Being understanding has allowed our team to be very transparent with each other. When a certain task could not be completed, for example, we would explain what the obstacle or challenge was in completing the task on time. In response, my boss would understand what the obstacle was and ensure that that obstacle wasn’t in the way the next time the task had to be done. By having that quality of understandment, our team was very transparent with each other. Our boss would work with us to overcome any challenges we had. In terms of absences or vacation, one thing that I saw that worked really well was splitting tasks amongst other team members to lessen the workload the employee would have once returning back to work.
One of the interesting things that Dr. Simon mentioned in this weeks lecture was the concept of team development. When you are a project manager, your project team is not composed of robotic entities. They are human beings who can develop chemistry, think critically, and work in collaboration. Team development is combining team and individual skill sets to enhance the project, but sometimes the team can run into some real world issues. So what happens in these scenarios?
That's my question you guys. As a PM, how would you deal with team members taking absences or vacations? What would you do in order to deal with shifting personnel resources? What would be the course of action if certain team members have obligations to other teams?
This is a very great question being that it is simply reality. Of course projects are important but there are things in life that occur unexpectedly and in a sense, you have to respect that. Of course every situation is different and with this being said, as a PM I would allow a certain amount of absences to be authorized without any excuse needed. Most businesses asks for excuses but in reality, a day off to rest is a legit excuse. People cannot fully put in work if they are "out of work". The employee would just need to be aware of how much time they can take off. As a PM, I would also have to be strict about it simply because people can abuse their power when they think you can be taken advantage of. Vacations should be provided out of respect. A person's life should not revolve around one thing. Being able to take time off from doing something you spend most of your time doing allows you to receive a mental and physical break. Whether you are taking a vacation to give the body rest, spend time with family, or explore the world, you can learn new things in the space you endure that you can possibly end up bringing to your workplace. Shifting personnel resources can also be tolerated as long as the rules are followed. As for the last question, team members having obligations to other teams will not be allowed. If you are assigned a team from the start of the project and you agree to be a part of that team, then by all means you need to stick with that team or you will have to suffer consequences such as termination. If a PM enforces strict, threatening rules at the beginning of a project along with employees who agree to abide by them, I feel that things can go as planned.
As a project manager there will always be team problems and issues. Having effective management skills will keep problems and issues to a minimum. Developing systems to seamlessly transition job duties when employees are on vacation, quit, or take a leave of absence is essential to avoid disruptive workflow. A tremendous part of this would be effective communication. Under certain organizational systems, some team members would work on multiple projects at a time and therefore would have to prioritize different tasks. Effectively communicating what needs to be done when by developing and implementing systems will ensure that obligations for different projects are met.
As the PM,
I am a firm believer of everyone being accountable for their jobs. I believe that if the person is absence and their jobs are complete, there is nothing I really need to do. This pandemic has showed us that technology is beneficial, and I think it has help project teams understand the process of being inside the building is no longer needed. Now, if the person cannot complete their jobs in a timely manner, then the proper protocols will take place. I would start with a conversation with the person, reminding them of the expectation that takes place. If they can not complete the tasks still, I would sit down and develop strategies to help, after that then I would have to let them go.
