Welcome to another instalment of my series on Best Practices in Project Management. Today, I want to highlight why soft skills are crucial to project success by examining their impact on bridging organisational silos and planning an effective and realistic project human resource management plan.
Organisational structure plays a pivotal role in shaping a project's success. It defines how roles, responsibilities, and power are assigned, controlled, and coordinated within an organisation, which in turn affects project planning, execution, and monitoring.
Human resources are the lifeblood of any project. They transform ideas into reality. By strategically selecting, developing, and managing talent, the organisation ensures that teams possess the right skills, knowledge, and motivation to achieve project objectives. Effective Project HR practices foster collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving, leading to improved project outcomes. Moreover, HR is crucial in maintaining employee morale, mitigating risks, and building a high-performance culture, ultimately contributing to the project's overall success.
However, complex organisational structures present a myriad of challenges and barriers that prevent the practical application of these principles. The intricate web of departments, hierarchies, and roles can lead to siloed operations, hindering cross-functional collaboration and information sharing. Decision-making processes become convoluted, often slowed by bureaucratic layers. Furthermore, aligning goals and strategies across the organisation can be difficult, as different units may have conflicting priorities. Additionally, complex structures can foster ambiguity in roles and responsibilities, leading to inefficiencies and potential conflicts. Managing such structures requires effective communication, clear leadership, and robust coordination mechanisms to overcome these hurdles.
This fact often results in resource constraints as departments compete for limited personnel and budget allocations. Additionally, navigating the complex hierarchy to secure necessary approvals and decisions can be time-consuming and frustrating, potentially delaying project timelines. The project manager must also contend with conflicting priorities among different departments, which can lead to scope creep or resource reallocations that jeopardise project goals. Furthermore, understanding the intricate web of relationships and dependencies between various stakeholders can be overwhelming, making it difficult to build effective coalitions and manage expectations.
To navigate the complexities of an organisational structure, a project manager must be a skilled strategist and relationship builder. Effective strategies include:
Building strong relationships: Cultivating positive relationships with key stakeholders across different departments is essential. Understanding their goals and priorities can help align project objectives with organizational objectives.
Clear and consistent communication: Establishing clear communication channels is vital. Regular updates, transparent reporting, and active listening can help mitigate misunderstandings and build trust.
Matrix management: Mastering matrix management skills is crucial. Balancing the demands of both the project and functional managers requires diplomacy, negotiation, and effective resource allocation.
Political acumen: Developing a keen understanding of the organization's political landscape is essential. Identifying key influencers and building alliances can facilitate project progress.
Risk management: Proactive identification and mitigation of potential risks, including those related to organizational structure, is crucial. Contingency plans can help address unforeseen challenges.
Change management: Implementing change management strategies can help overcome resistance to project initiatives and foster a supportive environment.
Leveraging project management tools: Utilising project management software and tools can help streamline processes, improve visibility, and facilitate collaboration across departments.
Let’s discuss this example to demonstrate:
Scenario: A project manager is tasked with developing a new software application for an organisation with a complex matrix structure. The project involves teams from IT, marketing, sales, and finance.
Challenge: Securing resources from each department can be difficult due to competing priorities. For example, the IT department might be prioritising a security upgrade while marketing is focused on a significant product launch. On the other hand, the managers of these departments would like to handle the responsibility of resources for the project internally without the interference of the project manager.
Solution: The project manager builds strong relationships with key stakeholders in each department. By understanding their goals and challenges, the project manager can position the project to align with their department's objectives. For instance, the project manager might emphasise how the new software will improve sales efficiency, thus gaining the support of the sales department. By demonstrating how the project benefits each department, the project manager is more likely to secure the necessary resources. All while considering the impact of this complexity on the project timeline, budget, stakeholder engagement and risk exposure.
Complex organisational structure brings a variety of challenges to resource allocation, and while the project manager may not have the required authority or delegation to resolve or navigate this complexity, it is essential that they arm themselves with practical strategies that can help in bridging silos and building relationships with decision-makers within the organisation. Understanding this dynamic will not only make your project easier to implement but will avoid unnecessary conflict with decision-makers and customers.
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