PMP PREPARATION : HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

I cleared my PMP on 26th may 2014. I have gone through all the three books PMBOK, RITA MULCAHY'S and HEAD FIRST. During preparation I made few notes. so the material has been picked up from all the three books and these are just the key points. 
 NOTE : IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ONE SHOULD READ THESE POINTS IN DETAIL FROM THE BOOKS (which ever interests you more) AND ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED A THOROUGH READING, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THESE POINTS FOR CONSOLIDATION.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Go through rita mulcahy's for this topic. Covered really well.

Team is PM + Project Management Team + Other members of the project team who will be doing the work of the project

DO NOT ASK FOR THE BEST RESOURCES IF THE PROJECT DO NOT NEED THEM

• HUMAN RESOURCE PLAN : What resources you need, their roles and responsibilities, how will you train your team, how to make sure they stay motivated
1. Project Organization Chart : Reporting structure of the resources assigned to the project team
2. Staffing Management Plan : How you will manage and control your resources
3. Roles and Responsibilities : List each role on the project that needs to be fullfilled


• ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS (WAYS TO RECORD AND COMMUNICATE “ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES” ) : Important. How your team members relate with each other
1. RESPONSIBILITY ASSIGNMENT MATRIX : e.g. RACI, Responsible, Accountable, Consult, Inform.
   There can be more then one person responsible for a task but there has to be only one person accountable for the task. It has to be clear whose neck you have to catch if something goes wrong :)
2. OBS (ORGANIZATIONAL BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE) : Responsibility by department. e.g. marketing , accounts
3. RBS (RESOURCE BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE) : Break down the work by the type of resource. e.g. people, material, equipment
4. POSITION DESCRIPTION : Text format, no chart
• STAFFING MANAGEMENT PLAN : Important. Please remember this very clearly that what all is the part of staffing management plan. Everything you need to build a team, keep them motivated , manage them and resolve conflicts
1. Your plan for acquiring the team
2. Resource calender
3. Staff release plan
4. Staff training need
5. Recognition and rewards
6. Compliance (HR Rules)
7. Safety (Policies)


• ACQUIRE PROJECT TEAM : The way you bring them on board
1. Negotiation : You have to negotiate with the concern person who all do you want in your team.
2. Pre Assignment : Who are guaranteed to you. They were already assigned to the project when you got the project.
3. Virtual Teams : All the team members do not work from the same location.
4. Acquisition : Outsource. Acquire resources from outside. e.g. contractor, consultant
• DEVELOP PROJECT TEAM : Make sure the team is motivated and well managed.
• GROUND RULES : Set a standard for how everyone works together. e.g. everyone always emails the team when they take a day off.
• RESPONSIBILITY ASSIGNMENT MATRIX (RAM): Clearly identifies the roles and responsibilities of management, team members and other stakeholders. e.g. RACI

It does not show when people will do their job.

• TIGHT MATRIX : Colocation. Team in one room. Good communication. Less conflicts. OR Many or all of the most active project team members in the same physical location.

Colocated teams may have a WAR ROOM.

• TYPES OF TEAMS : DPPV (my own abbreviation :) )
1. Dedicated : as in Projectized organizations
2. Part-Time : as in Functional organizations
3. Partnership : One project many organizations
4. Virtual : team is located offshore
• MULTI CRIETERIA DECISION ANANLYSIS : (for acquiring the team) when selecting a team, you analyze people not just for one requirement but for many e.g. availability, cost experience, location, knowledge, training, required skill set etc. makes sense :)
• TEAM BUILDING : remember the sequence and the key words. Very important. Questions are asked. In which stage the team is in. or what will be the next stage. Given by Bruce Tuckman


1. Forming : team member working independently. Trying to figure out their role
2. Storming : learn more about project, form opinion about other mates, fights, arguments
3. Norming : learn even more, adjust, start to trust each other
4. Performing : Cohesive unit, work like a well oiled machine
5. Adjourning : close to completion. Project completing. In projectized org team member will be assigned new project and in functional org they will go back to their respective departments.


Try to create some abbreviation for this. For indian Students it can be Faltu Syappa No, Perform Aaho (I never forgot it this way :) )
WBS CREATION IS A TEAM BUILDING TOOL




POWERES OF THE PROJECT MANAGER : (abbreviation can be PREFeR ;) ). please remember the alternative names too. Important.


1. Formal (Legitimate) : Comes from position. All legal. You are authorize to use this power.
2. Reward : Best power. Comes from position. Tied to goals.
3. Penalty (Coercive) : Worst power, Comes from position. Never use it. Always in private. One-on-one
4. Expert : Best power, Earned. Knowledge.
5. Referent : The bigggg boss likes you :) and so people have to listen to you.
So now you know which power is earned, which powers come with the position, what is the best powers to use and what is the worst.




SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP : Using different leadership styles for different situations.
SOURCES OF CONFLICTS : Important. Please remember sequence wise. You can be asked the first, the first three or the last source of conflict. Or you can be given few conflicts and asked which one will you resolve first. There, this sequence will help.


1. Schedule
2. Project Priorities
3. Resources
4. Technical Opinion (memorize the first four)
5. Administrative Procedures
6. Cost
7. Personality (its the last)
Over 50% of conflicts come from Schedule, Priorities or People (Resources)




CONFLICT RESOLUTION TECHNIQUES : Very Important. Please remember the alternative names too.


1. Collaborating (Problem Solving, Confronting) : best way to resolve a problem. Fix the root cause. Their view points and perspective are taken into account. Win-win.
2. Compromising (Reconciling) : lose-lose. You leave some point, you leave some. Compromise only if you can not confront.
3. Withdraw (Avoidance) : People get so angry, frustrated or disgusted that they walk away.
4. Smoothing (Accommodating) : Temporary resolution. Give people some time and space to rethink. Minimize the problem. Cool off people. Emphasize on agreement not difference.
5. Forcing (Directing) : Pick one side. Win-lose. Worst technique.
Forcing and Withdraw – not recommended






ARBITRATION : A neutral party hears and resolves issues.
PREREQUISITES (Perks) : Corner office, Executive dining etc.
FRINGE BENEFITS : Standard benefits for all. e.g. insurance, profit sharing etc.
RESOURCE HISTOGRAM : WHEN people will work on WHAT
RESOURCE CALENDAR : Tell the company, exactly when the team members will be available once they are done.
HALO EFFECT : Just because someone is very good at one job does not mean he or she has the skills to do the other equally hard job. e.g. you have an amazing technical guy and you promote him to the manager team. He was good in technology that does not mean he will have all the leadership qualities also to manage a team.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS :


1. Leadership : Team understands the value, that the product is going to bring to the company.
2. Team Building : Help your team to bond with each other.
3. Motivation : Helping them to be satisfied with the job they are doing.
4. Communication : Open and Honest
5. Influencing : Set the standards for your team mates.
6. Political and Cultural awareness : Understand the similarities and differences in the working environment.





DECISION MAKING : Command, Consultation, Consensus, Coin flip. Self explanatory :)


Please feel free to ask questions or a detailed explanation of any topic. Let me know if you want me to add any topic and if anything you find wrong. Please leave a comment if you find it useful