Role of Culture in Project Management

Let us consider the example of Germans, Chinese, Japanese and the Indians.

The Germans are extremely detailed in their approach; control oriented and has exemplary planning and execution skills. Germans have specialized skills and the person who installs a server will most likely not install the database in it. There division of roles and specialization in their areas are visible in their cars and their soccer formation. This cultural aspect is also displayed in their expectations from projects.

The Chinese over the years of Communist rule are like the bees. There is a queen bee and then there are worker bees. They are extremely good at taking orders and execution within a given time frame. I think they are the fastest in getting a project off the drawing board and converting into reality.

Japanese are more calm and collective in their approach. This is displayed in their products and their approach towards planning and execution. They are cautious, calculated and future oriented. There is a general aim for harmony in whatever they do.

Indians are good at multi-tasking. One man can do multiple things. This is a useful feature in projects which throw up sudden challenges but it also hampers the quality of output. Another important aspect is the discipline of sticking to deadlines. Indians are extremely fluid and a commitment for Monday can easily mean Friday.

When we talk of Project Management; the first thing that comes to our mind are Gantt Charts, MS Project sheets, start and end dates etc. We think of how many people will be required to do the job, how long will it take, how much will it cost, how are we going to control the entire show so that the Project is executed as per schedule. Let us not forget that the singular factor in projects is people. They are the ones who plan, control, monitor, execute and deliver. Thus, in order to become successful in any project it is vital that we understand the culture of the people for whom the project is being executed and that of the people who are responsible for the execution.

7 Aspects Where Culture Plays a Serious Role

There are atleast 7 good reasons why project managers should focus on culture and take it into account in any project big or small.

1.      Vision – Culture manifests itself in the Vision that we create for a Project. Take the example of a random flyover. Where some people aim for short term solutions others use it as one of the building blocks for future constructions and town planning.

2.    Dedication and Accountability – Our attitude towards a project is dependent on our culture of dedication. In certain cultures, people require very little supervision and are diligent in their approach. They believe in coming forward and sharing their views rather than waiting on the side lines to be directed what to do. Many cultures promote independence and leadership capabilities from childhood. In others there is an attitude to shirk responsibility and turn a blind eye towards any deviation.

3.      Planning and Buffers – This is a very clear area where culture plays a dominant role. Germans would be very specific whereas Indians will add relaxed buffers since down the line people might not stick to the schedule.

4.      Execution and Reporting – Cultures determine how each step of the project is executed and honestly reported to the next person in the chain. Often, dishonest people would cover up lapses and shift the onus on someone else.

5.      Quality and Acceptance – One of my European bosses had once raised a query on why a particular mesh had slight rust. It was not even a critical part but his eye for detail and his standards of acceptance of quality forbid him from accepting anything substandard.

6.    Analysis and Post Project Learning – Advanced cultures promoted learning and value the lessons of each activity thus ensuring that the same is never reported. There is a show on National Geographic about air crashes. Each unfortunate crash is followed by detailed analysis and learning. It often leads to change in standards and parameters. The same is required in any project. Simply building the house is not all. What were the obstacles? Why did they crop up? What did we do to address the issues? What should we have done differently?

7.   Resource Utilization and Wastage – Projects are often mired by delays and cost overruns. It is because the people who plan make inaccurate assumptions and waste resources in the process. Then all kinds of buffer are loaded onto it. Thus, where something could have been done in 3 days, according to the plan it is being done in 6 days and we pay for 3 extra man-days.

Oft overlooked the success or failure of a project is dependent on the type of people who are at helm and their culture, values and beliefs.

Jack Welch said Culture drives great results.

Book Review: From Planning to “Getting Things Done” - EXECUTION by Ram Charan and Larry Bossidy

From Planning to “Getting Things Done”  

Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan with Charles Burck.

EXECUTION – The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Random House, London. 2002. pp. 288, Rs. 591 (Flipkart)

 

There are many books available on Strategic Planning, Human Resource Management and Development, Employee Recruitment and Motivation, Retention Skills, Change Management, Leadership Skills and Competition etc.

Bossidy and Charan’s Execution however talks about the crux of all organization’s path to excellence – the ability to Execute the Well-laid Plans to Realize the Vision. 

This book has nicely divided into three logical parts that talk of the need for execution, the basic ground requirements and the three core inter-linked processes for successful execution.

Most often we use a lot of data, numbers are crunched, scenarios built and multivariate forecasting done to create a grand plan but in the end it falls short of expectations. We end up achieving too little; projects are riddled with cost overruns, or in worst case scenario lose our competitive edge in the market. The problem lies with the capability of the leader to execute larger strategic plans into operational deliverables at each and every functional level with the same amount of tenacity and pace. A leader’s responsibility is to get the job done and not sit back to take feedback while pondering on mega issues. She or He has to be at the scene taking stock of the situation and making rapid course correction. In today’s world, we are talking of weeks or months to make or break performance. The luxury of an entire financial year or more is long gone. The book echoes the message that it makes a lot of difference when people see the person in action regularly monitoring and maneuvering progress. This is the key underlying message in the book.

The authors have very aptly pointed at three core necessities to build an execution-driven environment.

The Leaders’ behavior is of prime importance. How well the leader knows the business and people will decide the depth and breadth of strategic planning and operational execution. A leader should be able to set clear goals; break it down to tasks and assign the right priority to each task. The ability to mentor subordinates, decide an apt reward system and follow through at every level of execution is critical for success. A leader should be visible hands on person and not a hallowed figure accessible to a selected few. The ease with which leaders are able to make decent connect with the people and processes will be the defining factor for the business outcome. And here the authors also stress on the ability of the leader to honestly and objectively be aware of his/ her capacity and capability.

Another crucial factor is a culture that drives the need to be execution – oriented. Leaders have to bring in the necessary cultural change in the organization setting it in a framework for implementation.

But the most essential part is staffing each position with the right person. The authors point at the need for leaders to know the people before recruiting them so that the leadership gene pool is strong and vibrant. Thus, HR’s role becomes more critical and serious in these circumstances.

In the third and final section of the book, the authors stress on the linkage of three core processes – people (structure), strategy and operations. Strategy can be executed if the people who are assigned the task are suitable and have the same culture of urgency to deliver. Manning right people means both in terms of quantity and quality. This is a very good point since often companies are understaffed and performance falters. The role of HR is more dynamic today than the earlier times when they had a more passive function. Not only are they responsible for recruitment and retention but to manage the non-performers.

The ultimate goal of the people process is to create a “leadership pipeline” that is always green. Often organizations are single leader dependent which is an unsustainable proposition.

Execution can be fine tuned when people, strategy and operations are intertwined and planned in conjunction. The strategy to make the business grow based on competitive forces or decision to expand and in which direction depends on the vision of the leader. What are the issues in making the strategy work and how can it be counteracted is part of the strategy thinking process. Operation is more hands – on about budgets and building the operational plan. The section on operational plan is very apt and worth emulating.  

This book is quite refreshing and unique in this genre as it has been written by drawing the strengths of people from both ends of the spectrum – one who is a business advisor, author and speaker and other is a man who has worked in stellar organizations with remarkable performance record. Ram Charan is a well-known business advisor, speaker and author, admired for this practical real world perspective and solutions. He was a Baker Scholar at Harvard Business School where he earned his MBA with distinction, as well as his DBA. Lawrence Bossidy (Larry) has worked in companies like Honeywell International and General Electric Credit (now GE Capital Corporation) as their CEO.

This book is highly recommended for established and existing business leaders and young upcoming leaders who are being groomed for greater responsibility. The dialogue of both the authors interspersed in the book removes the monotony which usually plagues most of the business books.

Book Review. Is our existence threatened? Are we ready to change?

Published in TISA Feb 2013 Issue. 

John Kotter, Holger Rathgeber.

OUR ICEBERG IS MELTING. Changing and succeeding under any conditions.

Pan MacMillan India Pvt. Ltd. London, 2006. pp. 147, Rs. 248 (Flipkart)

This is an amazing book by Harvard’s John Kotter written in association with Holger Rathgeber who is a modern global manager. Though written in 2006, the book’s content and message is extremely relevant today for individuals and companies existing in these turbulent times.

The appeal of the book lies in its message delivery in the form of a fable. The book talks about the devastating and life threatening challenges faced by a colony of emperor penguins in Antartica and how they overcome them and continue to flourish by altering their culture.

As you read the book, you will be able to identify with the penguin characters. You will realize that many such individuals exist in your company (including yourself) who can determine the direction of your company with their sheer efforts – good or bad. The book will persuade you to sit back and think where you are going, what you are doing, whether you are missing out on potential opportunities or overlooking threats to your existence. How are you gearing up to tackle your issues? The prescriptive nature of the book will let you create your own change management plan and enjoy the fruits.

The authors intelligently use the fable and penguins to explain Kotter’s Eight Step Process for Successful Change that was first introduced in his path-breaking book Leading Change.

The eight step process talked about in the book starts from a sense of urgency created by a young penguin Fred who discovers that the very existence of their iceberg is at stake (which is melting and leave the penguins looking at a bleak future) and when disaster strikes they will be at a disadvantage and ill-equipped to face it. He approached the most “open” person in the council of leaders to share his findings.

Once this leader Alice is convinced that Fred has a strong case, she gathers support from other leaders and creates a core team to find a lasting solution. Penguins with complementing skill-sets like communication, data analysis and pattern formation, negotiator are brought into the team. 

This core team sees an opportunity while observing a seagull and decides on altering their very culture of how they live to tackle the issue of survival. They share this vision of change and how they are going to achieve it with their fellow colony members. As predicted, there are skeptics amongst the penguins who constantly question the validity of data or seriousness of the issue.

The book finely brings out the fears and motivation possessed by individuals, the nuances of group behavior and need for strong communication, the stress that is caused by the need to change and how to overcome the resistance of people and create a brand new culture.

The turning point of the book is when one of the penguin’s Buddy gives a heart rendering speech to the colony members and tells them “This iceberg is not who we are. It is only where we now live. We will find other places to live that are safer. WE WILL PREVAIL.”

As the guiding team sees positive response, they start disseminating proactive information and posters to keep reinforcing the knowledge to the fellow penguins lest their memory becomes dim. This communication is essential for buy-in as the authors suggest. But resistance continues though slowly dwindling.

When the team faces the challenge to look for scouts to identify newer icebergs, they understand the need to empower others to act in whatever capacity they can to bring about the larger change. A little penguin Sally Ann plays a dramatic role here. This shows that when survival is at stake everyone should be pulled in to do their bit for the greater cause.

But with the best of the vision and strategy or team nothing sways support like small verifiable wins which assures people that the vision is real and achievable; parts of which have been achieved. It creates hope and motivates more people to join the mission.

The initial success is little hard to come by but once that happens, there should be a steady push to keep on achieving and doing better. Complacency is the greatest obstacle to all things good. The penguins which have now started living a nomadic life slowly gets used to it and starts enjoying it. This is the birth of a newer sustainable culture given the circumstances.

The actual book is only 125 pages of lucid text and lot of illustrations. An average reader will be able to read the book completely in one hour. However, once you read it, it will hook you on with its message and set alight your thinking process. It will not be surprising if you go back to the book many more times.

Owing to its generic message about the need to change and how to go about it; the book is appealing for a cross section of readers comprising of various age group (18 – 60 years) and gender engaged in diverse occupation and roles from business owners, company CEOs, middle managers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, shopkeepers and politicians to housewives and upcoming entrepreneurs.

Everyday there is an innovation which might make our products obsolete or a new policy that threatens our cash flow, liquidity, investments. In a business, such surprises can spring from any quarter. The more prepared we are to face these changes the greater chances of our succeeding under any condition.

This book is worth investing a short time to read and see what remarkable value it has to offer. Go ahead, read it and share it with your employees, colleagues, friends and family. This book offers something for everyone.