Session46 47

PROJECT MANAGEMENT & ECONOMICS
SESSIONS 46-47
H. Dealing with Difficult People

Not everyone will function as a perfect employee You cannot satisfy everyone Some employees are just never happy Difficult people can make working very tough and affect productivity
DR ASSEM AL-HAJJ, Univation, RGU Project Management and Economics. SITP-SPDC, NIGERIA
What would you do?

Nothing Leave Change your attitude to the person Change their attitude to you
Types of Difficult People focus People

Honesty NOTHING MAN Get them to participate YES MAN Approval Get along Get it right ABOMINABLE NO-MAN Survive WHINER Get them to problem-solve
Hard-soft behaviour in people The danger zone Difficult people

THINK-THEYKNOW-IT-ALL Attention Dont allow space for bad ideas GRENADE Stop it asap
Get ap preciated Get it done
Passive
Aggressive
KNOW-IT-ALL Open their mind SNIPER
Perfection
Control
TANK
Call attention
Task focus
Gain respect
What you should do

Identify source of problem Meet in private Be honest & straight forward Employ incentives Direct energies into tasks appropriate to personality Apply peer pressure Listen Backtrack Clarify Summarise Confirm Lead
Dealing with Tanks

They are task orientated Demand action Will drive over anyone ineffective ------------------------ Let them vent their concerns Interrupt and quickly backtrack Focus on the objective
Dealing with Snipers

Snipers need somewhere to hide ------------------------ Call attention to their behaviour Ask them to explain Arrange to tackle grievance with a third party
Dealing with Know-it-alls

Know your stuff Backtrack but with respect Tune into their concerns Quote third-party authority Turn them into mentors
Dealing with Think-theyknow-it-alls

Acknowledge, rather than ignore Question, but in a non-challenging way Provide documentation to back up your point-of-view Provide a face-saving escape route Later, be honest Give recognition, if deserved
Dealing with Grenades

Get their attention Say what they need to hear, not what they want to hear Reduce intensity Take a break
Dealing with Whiners

Listen, but interrupt when they repeat Backtrack and clarify Force them to be specific Ask What do you want? Give them tasks to keep them busy Set future actions
Dealing with No-men

Adjust your attitude to them Use them as a resource for problem identification Be positive Act to avoid their negativity spreading
Dealing with Yes-men

Make honesty safe Acknowledge it when they are honest Never take yes for an answer Help them Get commitments out of them Ensure they meet them
Dealing with the Nothingmen

Plan enough time to tackle them Ask questions Look as though you expect an answer Show them the future positively Lighten it up
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Conflicts are a way of life in a project structure. Conflicts are inevitable and can occur at any level. Project Managers has often been described as Conflict Managers Handling conflicts requires understanding of why they occur.
Questions to be asked
Why do conflicts occur?
How do we resolve conflicts? Is there any preliminary analysis that could identify possible conflicts before they occur?
CONFLICTS MANIFESTATION
1. Intra-personnel 2. Interpersonal 3. Intra-group 4. Intergroup
SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Goal incompatibility
misunderstanding of the projects intended outcome, differences between PMs goals and team members goals priorities
Lack of task focus Administrative procedures

information kept at high level leads to complaints from low-level members of the team
Misunderstanding of team members roles and responsibilities.

I am not sure what I should be working on
Technical uncertainty
SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Staffing and resource allocation
fun tasks vs dull tasks plenty of controversy staff attempting to move up the ranks
Budgets and costs

failing to allocate adequate funds team is spending too freely at the expense of other less wellendowed groups
Schedules: a main focus of conflicts

not enough time to do the work right people are squeezed to make up for lost time
Personalities clashes: almost inevitable

people with superior roles, training, and experience may look down their noses at team members perceived as less important. Sometimes it is unexplainable
More Sources of Conflict

Interpersonal stress caused by the pressure to complete the project Individuals anxiety about leaving the project Conflict focusing on the distribution of the projects capital equipment and supplies. Conflict between projects phasing out and those starting
Ways to resolve conflict

Note:
Organisations establish elaborate and complex set of rules and regulations to settle disputes No agreement will cover all circumstances Brutal force
Ways: Absolute rule of monarch Rule of the law Conflict resolution should be the ultimate purpose of the law Contracts as a way of solving conflicts
Ways to resolve conflict

1. Withdrawing
Manager retreats from the disagreement
2. Smoothing
To emphasise areas of agreement to minimise areas of disagreement
3. Compromising
A negotiated solution bringing satisfaction to each party
4. Forcing
Exerting position of power Usually at the expense of someone else Recommended only when all other methods have failed
5. Confronting
Not as strong as forcing The most used form of conflict resolution
Conflict Positive Outcomes

Can point to real problems Educates individuals about others objectives Leads to better ideas Generates collaborative solutions
Negotiation
Negotiation is the primary tool to conflict resolution Method of handling conflict established at outset will set the pattern for entire project Style of negotiation adopted by the PM is critical
Conflict Resolution
Process through which parties seek an acceptable rate of exchange PM negotiation: how to achieve, whom, when, & at what cost
conflict to be settled without irreparable harm to project allow & foster honesty between negotiators
Conflict Resolution
Separate the people from problem Focus on interest not positions Invent options for mutual gains Insist on using objective criteria
Negotiating Steps
1. Know your adversaries 2. Always be pleasant and avoid confrontation 3. Make plans to do lunch 4. Be clear on your situation and status 5. Slow down if things go awry in early talks 6. Dont be forced into anything 7. Accept only acceptable alternatives 8. Get agreement in writing
REFERENCES
1. Dennis Lock (2000), Project Management, 7th edition, Gower.
2. Jack Meredith & Samuel Mantel, Jr (2000), Project Management- A Managerial Approach, 4th edition, John Wiley & Sons. 3. Harold Kerzner (1998), Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 6th edition. John Wiley & Sons. 4. Sunny and Kim Baker (1998), The Complete Idiots Guide to Project Management. Alpha Books.
5. An Introduction to Engineering Economics, 1976, The Institute of Civil Engineers.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT & ECONOMICS

H. Dealing with Difficult People

What would you do?

Types of Difficult People focus People

Hard-soft behaviour in people The danger zone Difficult people

Get ap preciated Get it done

What you should do

Dealing with Tanks

Dealing with Snipers

Dealing with Know-it-alls

Dealing with Think-theyknow-it-alls

Dealing with Grenades

Dealing with Whiners

Dealing with No-men

Dealing with Yes-men

Dealing with the Nothingmen

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Lack of task focus Administrative procedures

Misunderstanding of team members roles and responsibilities.

Budgets and costs

Schedules: a main focus of conflicts

Personalities clashes: almost inevitable

More Sources of Conflict

Ways to resolve conflict

Ways to resolve conflict

Conflict Positive Outcomes

5. An Introduction to Engineering Economics, 1976, The Institute of Civil Engineers.

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