Dev: Boss, you just gave me another project while I already have my hands full.

Boss: Have you ever heard of multi-tasking, Try that!

Dev: But I believe that it lowers work quality and efficiency.

Boss: Those are all myths. Watch me! I will take this call while you continue talking.

Dev: Well, multi-tasking has been found to increase production of cortisol, the stress hormone. And research suggests that those who multi-task more had less empathy and emotional control.

Boss: I am done with the call. Sorry, did not quite catch the last part. What was that?

Dev (thinking): Sometimes I am glad he multi-tasks.

Project Human Resource Management
Elimination of resource multitasking reduces conflicts between priorities and keeping team member focused on those items that are critical for project success. All of these benefits support reducing project risk and reaching the end goal of finishing the project on time, within budget and without scope reduction.

Boss: I am putting you on Maya’s project as she will be going on medical leave a week from now.
Dev: huh!

Boss: Make sure the necessary handover is completed.
Dev: But Boss, I am a Data Analyst and Maya’s project scope is beyond my understanding. So how will I ..

Boss: Dev, when will you learn to step up and be enterprising? Moreover, this project is not at all complex. You can take it up as a small challenge.

Two weeks later
Boss: How is the project “Square Peg in a Round Hole” coming along?
Dev (whispers): Just like it should be…in a hole!

Boss: Say that again...
Dev (thinking): Never mind, he will never get it!

Project Human Resource Management
Selecting the ‘right’ people to manage projects is the key to minimizing project failures, maximizing organizational efficiency, improving time to market, and increasing profits. With the right project managers in place, projects are managed more effectively, increasing the probability for success and return on the project management investment.

Dev: Boss, as you are aware, the Financial Management application that we are developing needs to be integrated with third party application.
Boss: Yes Dev, I know…but why do you look concerned?

Dev: Because the team does not have required knowledge and exposure to work on this third party application..
Boss: Oh is it!

Dev: To avoid any unwarranted delay and also for future maintenance requirements, I propose we train them.
Boss: Sorry to say this but we no longer have training budget.

Dev: But why Boss?!
Boss: We are doing business in difficult times where every penny counts, moreover, training programs don’t add much value according to me.

Dev (thinking): I know what he is thinking right now. But the only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay as said by Henry Ford.
Boss (thinking): Train them and then see them leave to join competitors. No way!!

Project Human Resource Management
Training is an important technique for developing project teams. It helps to improve skills and competencies, and employee motivation, reduces staff turnover rates, and improves overall project performance.

At the team meeting…
Project Manager:  Team, we shall be starting with our new project from next week. And for that I have made a perfect project plan which details out all the resources, tasks and dependencies related to this project.

After sometime…
Project Manager: Now that each one of you knows what tasks have to be accomplished we shall meet in couple of weeks for a quick update on the same.
Maya: Yes!

After two weeks…
Project Manager: Did you all finish the tasks that we talked about in the last meeting?
Team Mate 1: Yes!
Team Mate 2: Yes!
Team Mate 3: I have finished only half of my part and for other half I am waiting for Maya’s input.

Project Manager: Huh! So where on earth is Maya? She is the key resource for this project.
Team Mate 3: She had to take an early maternity leave on doctor’s advice and she said won’t resume office any sooner…

Project Manager (thinking): Oh boy! How did I forget Maya’s early maternity leave sanction in the Human Resource Management Plan.
Team Mate 2 (whispering): Looks like this project will go on a “pregnant pause” mode now.

Project Human Resource Management
As part of the Human Resource Management Plan, the Resource Calendar documents the time periods that each project team member is available to work on the project after taking into consideration their constraints, including time zones, work hours, vacation time, and commitments to other projects.

Boss: Dev, I have to give a presentation at the board meeting next week and I want you and your team to put that together for me. It’s urgent so make sure it gets done on time and without my supervision.

Dev: But Boss, we are working on a project already which is urgent and on tight deadline.
Boss: Dev, stop making excuses and learn to multi-task. No ifs and buts.

After a week..
Boss: Dev, your project is a week behind schedule. Want to explain?
Dev: Yes! By all means!

Boss: huh!
Dev: A week is exactly the time you made me and the team spend on your presentation for the Board meeting. By the way, I heard it got postponed?

Boss: Whoa, stop right there young man! A good manager can manage anything…I am sure you have heard this before, from me. So don’t justify with lame excuses.
Dev (thinking): I wish I could learn just one thing - How to manage a boss?

Project Stakeholder Management
It includes processes required to identify people that could impact or be impacted by the project, to analyze stakeholder expectations and their impact on projects, and to develop appropriate management strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders in project decisions and execution.

Project Manager: Boss, we are just a week away from the go-live date. Today during the demo, we had invited the concerned users to provide their feedback and a final go-ahead.
Boss: Ok, then what!

Project Manager: The Head of IT Operations and his team members were also there. And they rejected the project outright saying that project has a direct impact on other important operational processes.

Project Manager: They said that we cannot implement these software changes without taking care of that first.
Boss:  What! Were they not aware of these changes when we started work on this project?

Project Manager: Hmm…Unfortunately no.
Boss: How come? Did you not identify them as important stakeholders and get their buy-in?

Project Manager: Boss, you told us that it was critical that the project be delivered on time. So we hit the ground running. And hence totally missed including them. What do I do now?
Boss: Now only thing you can do is pray! Only God can salvage you, me and the project.

Project Stakeholder Management
It is important to identify the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by the project, analyze their expectations, and to develop appropriate management strategies for engaging them in project decisions and executions.

Boss: As a cost-effective approach, our USA counterpart has decided to outsource part of a new project work to our India Team. It’s quite an interesting and challenging project. And we got to work collaboratively.

Boss: By the way, schedule a meeting in the coming week for a better understanding of the project. And yes, they are going to handover the project requirements during the meeting, so please be attentive!
Project Manager: Sure Boss!

Next week…
Project Manager: Boss, as proposed, I did schedule a meeting with our US team but I could hardly understand what they spoke. I think it was their accent. Believe me I was all ears!

Boss: What time did you schedule the call, may I ask?
Project Manager: Hmm..it was around mid night.

Boss: What! Why could you not suggest them to schedule the call at a mutually convenient time? Their accent was not the problem but it was your assent to have a call at such an unearthly hour.
Project Manager (thinking):  Uh Oh

Project Human Resource Management
In today’s increasingly complex and competitive global market place, technical skills are simply not enough. Project managers and team members are required to have soft skills such as negotiation and influencing skills to make a project successful.

Dev: Boss, need your urgent attention. I just realized that the technology to be used for Project Steadfast may not be cut out from our existing platform.

Boss: huh!
Dev: Yes, it could make the application slow and unstable with bugs. Also, may lead to development failure.

Boss: Whoa! Stop right there! I know you are the Project Lead but who's the boss here?! No need to teach me the technical details. I have 30 years of experience. I know what's right and what's wrong.
Dev (thinking): huh!!!

3 months later...
Boss: Dev, I have just been told that Project Steadfast is in trouble. You have to do something about it urgently.
Dev: I knew this would happen. Didn't I tell you long back about this issue. See, I am so good at anticipating problems but you don't even value it.

Boss: I wish you were even half as good at convincing me and forewarning me. We could have surely averted this situation today. Now get this sorted out at earliest.
Dev: huh!

Project Human Resource Management
Effective negotiation skills are critical for a project manager to be successful. It is important to embrace a mindset that everything about a project is negotiable and that a project leader needs to be a skilled negotiator. Hence, right up front is the necessity to define project success and establish desired outcomes.

Team meeting...
Boss: Team, don't look so tensed. Relax! I have not called for this meeting to reprimand you on your dismal performance which caused the last project to fail.
Team mate 1: Oh really! It seems like it though.

Boss: ...But as a forward looking leader I want to offer something valuable to you. This I am sure will surely motivate the dispirited team.

Team mate 2: Is it a compensatory leave for all the weekends we worked in last 3 months?
Boss: Nope! You have to sign up for a Performance Improvement Plan which includes attending a tutorial after office hours for the next one month.

Boss: And this will be funded through your salary budget. So expect a cut in your next month's salary.
Team mate 1: huh!! huh!!

Team mate 2 (thinking): Is this motivation or entrapment?
Team mate 3 (thinking): What can we expect from him anyway!

Project Human Resource Management
If a project is to succeed, it must have both a motivated project leader and a motivated project team. To encourage positive "change management", top management should provide an appropriate environment to support and motivate project managers because this can take away the negative effect brought by previous project failure.