Reference no: EM133088277

Leading Project Teams

Objective:

• Identify and apply techniques for motivating teams.
• Understand the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of self-managed teams.
• Discuss technique used to manage teams.

Discussion Questions
Write your response to the question(s) provided and then discuss with others.

Question 8.1
You want to use Maslow's hierarchy of needs to gain a better understanding of the motivational needs of your project team.

Following is a description of each team member's current aspirations:

• Sketch Maslow's hierarchy diagram and insert each team member at his or her correct level, labelling each level.
• Briefly indicate one (1) management strategy for motivating each team member, which matches his or her level

Question 8.2
Here you will use Herzberg's two factor theory to determine your motivation-hygiene preference.

• Complete the following questionnaire. Rate the 12 job factors listed below according to how important each is to you. Place a number on a scale of 1 to 5 on the line before each factor.

• Transfer the score for each of the 12 job factors to the scoring chart below e.g. if you recorded a 4 for factor 1 - An interesting job, then record a 4 in the motivational factors score column. Add up each column.

• Did you select hygiene's or motivators as being most important to you?

• Analyse your result, what does this tell you about your motivational preferences and the way you would best be managed? Compare your results with several of your fellow students with different scores. How would you change your management approach for each of these students?

Question 8.3
Use McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y to determine your manager's style, and discover your preferred management style.

• Complete questionnaire to indicate whether the situation and management style is X or Y.
• Score the statements below using the following scale:
0 Never, 1 Rarely, 2 Occasionally, 3 Often, 4 Mostly and 5 Always

Questionnaire 1:

Complete the following questionnaire to indicate whether the situation and management style is X or Y.

1. My boss asks me politely to do things, gives me reasons why, and invites my suggestions
2. I am encouraged to learn skills outside of my immediate area of responsibility.
3. I am left to work without interference from my boss, but help is available if I want it.
4. I am given credit and praise when I do good work or put in extra effort.
5. People leaving the company are given an 'exit interview' to hear their views on the organisation.
6. I am incentivised to work hard and well.
7. If I want extra responsibility my boss will find a way to give it to me.
8. If I want extra training my boss will help me find how to get it or will arrange it.
9. I call my boss and my boss's boss by their first names.
10. My boss is available for me to discuss my concerns or worries or suggestions.
11. I know what the company's aims and targets are.
12. I am told how the company is performing on a regular basis.
13. I am given an opportunity to solve problems connected with my work.
14. My boss tells me what is happening in the organisation.
15. I have regular meetings with my boss to discuss how I can improve and develop.
Total Score

Scoring Chart 1:

60-75 = strong Y-theory management (effective short and long term)
45-59 = generally Y-theory management
16-44 = generally X-theory management
0 -15 = strongly X-theory management (autocratic, may be effective short-term, poor long-term)

Questionnaire 2:

Complete the following questionnaire to indicate whether the person prefers being managed by X or Y.

1. I like to be involved and consulted by my boss about how I can best do my job.
2. I want to learn skills outside of my immediate area of responsibility.
3. I like to work without interference from my boss, but be able to ask for help if I need it.
4. I work best and most productively without pressure from my boss or the threat of losing my job.
5. When I leave the company I would like an ‘exit interview' to give my views on the organisation.
6. I like to be incentivised and praised for working hard and well.
7. I want to increase my responsibility.
8. I want to be trained to do new things.
9. I prefer to be friendly with my boss and the management.
10. I want to be able to discuss my concerns, worries or suggestions with my boss or another manager.
11. I like to know what the company's aims and targets are.
12. I like to be told how the company is performing on a regular basis.
13. I like to be given opportunities to solve problems connected with my work.
14. I like to be told by my boss what is happening in the organisation.
15. I like to have regular meetings with my boss to discuss how I can improve and develop.
Total Score

Scoring Chart 2:

60-75 = strongly prefers Y-theory management
45-59 = generally prefers Y-theory management
16-44 = generally prefers X-theory management
0 -15 = strongly prefers X-theory management

(Champan, 2002)

• Compile your results, what is your situation management style X or Y? From questionnaire 2, which do you prefer?
• What does this tell you about your situation and the way you would best be managed? Compare your results with several of your fellow students with different scores. How would you change your management approach for each of these students?

Question 8.4 - Motivation Expert Theories *
Which of the psychologists and motivation expert's theories resonate with you the most? Why? How do you see yourself as a project leader making use of theories such as these?

Question 8.5 - Shipwrecked
A private yacht, sailing through an archipelago located between the 10th and 20th parallels in the Pacific Ocean, is caught in a sudden storm and runs aground violently on a coral reef. The passengers and crew miraculously reach the sandy shores of one of the islands. Shortly before the impact, they tried a MAYDAY message on the radio with approximate co-ordinates; it was not possible to repeat the distress message or to receive a reply because of the rush of events. Unfortunately, the chances of the message getting through - in view of atmospheric conditions, quality of transmission, and distance were very poor.
The situation can be summarised as follows:
• The island is small and uninhabited. There is plenty of tropical vegetation, and among the plants abound coconuts, mangoes, and bananas. It rains in the afternoon most days, but the climate is mild and does not require heavy clothing. At low tide, fish and shellfish can be seen just offshore.

• Nobody had time to pick up any supplies from the yacht. The passengers' and crew members' pockets contain some cigarettes, matches, two lighters and a pocket knife. Among them, they have three watches.
• The lagoon between the beach and the coral reef where the yacht ran aground is approximately 900 metres in diameter and has an area of deep water.
• Only a few of the passengers and crew members are good swimmers.
• Most certainly, all the equipment aboard the yacht (i.e. radio transmitter, radar, generators) was destroyed on impact.
• The crew predicts that the yacht will be dragged along the reef and will sink at high tide about eight hours later.

The total group has decided the wrecked yacht must be reached before it sinks in order to recover those items necessary for future survival. The best swimmers will go to analyse the situation on board the yacht and attempt to bring supplies back to the shore. The group needs to prepare a list of those items that it considers most valuable for the group, selecting them in order of priority. Anticipating this, some crew members have complied lists of items (the most that can be retrieved in the time available), listed in order of priority.

Question 8.6 - The Tuckman Model
Use the Tuckman model to identify the present stage of the teamwork that your team is presently operating in.
This questionnaire contains statements about teamwork. Next to each question, indicate how often your team displays each behaviour by using the following scoring system:
1 Almost Never, 2 Seldom, 3 Occasionally, 4 Frequently and 5 Almost Always

1. _____ We try to have set procedures or protocols to ensure that things are orderly and run smoothly (e.g. minimise interruptions, everyone gets the opportunity to have their say).
2. _____ We are quick to get on with the task on hand and do not spend too much time in the planning stage.
3. _____ Our team feels that we are all in it together and shares responsibilities for the team's success or failure.
4. _____ We have thorough procedures for agreeing on our objectives and planning the way we will perform our tasks.
5. _____ Team members are afraid or do not like to ask others for help.
6. _____ We take our team's goals and objectives literally, and assume a shared understanding.
7. _____ The team leader tries to keep order and contributes to the task at hand.
8. _____ We do not have fixed procedures, we make them up as the task or project progresses.
9. _____ We generate lots of ideas, but we do not use many because we fail to listen to them and reject them without fully understanding them.
10. _____ Team members do not fully trust the other team members and closely monitor others who are working on a specific task.
11. _____ The team leader ensures that we follow the procedures, do not argue, do not interrupt, and keep to the point.
12. _____ We enjoy working together; we have a fun and productive time.
13. _____ We have accepted each other as members of the team.
14. _____ The team leader is democratic and collaborative.
15. _____ We are trying to define the goal and what tasks need to be accomplished.
16. _____ Many of the team members have their own ideas about the process and personal agendas are rampant.
17. _____ We fully accept each other's strengths and weakness.
18. _____ We assign specific roles to team members (team leader, facilitator, time keeper, note taker, etc.).
19. _____ We try to achieve harmony by avoiding conflict.
20. _____ The tasks are very different from what we imagined and seem very difficult to accomplish.
21. _____ There are many abstract discussions of the concepts and issues, which make some members impatient with these discussions.
22. _____ We are able to work through group problems.
23. _____ We argue a lot even though we agree on the real issues.
24. _____ The team is often tempted to go above the original scope of the project.
25. _____ We express criticism of others constructively
26. _____ There is a close attachment to the team.
27. _____ It seems as if little is being accomplished with the project's goals.
28. _____ The goals we have established seem unrealistic.
29. _____ Although we are not fully sure of the project's goals and issues, we are excited and proud to be on the team.
30. _____ We often share personal problems with each other.
31. _____ There is a lot of resisting of the tasks on hand and quality improvement approaches.
32. _____ We get a lot of work done.

Question 8.7 - Myer-Briggs Type Indicator
Rate yourself on each statement, using the following scale. Enter your rating in the outlined box. Sum each column and choose the largest of each pair i.e. E or I, S or N, T or F, J or P. Determine your MBIT.

5 a lot like me
4 a bit like me
3 halfway
2 not much like me
1 not like me at all

Question 8.8 - Recognition and Reward *
Discuss two (2) techniques for recognition and/or reward of project team members.

Question 8.9 - Case Study
Read the case study Motivating Others. From the accounts of people's backgrounds, decide which motivation theories best apply and what you would do to motivate Joanne Harper, John Weston, Carol Sinclair, Neville Santo and Tony Hamilton.

Case Study - Motivating Others

Attachment:- Leading Project Teams.rar