Session Objectives — Communications

Module 3Building the TeamSession 3.3 Communication and Motivation: Fundamentals of Communication

Session Objectives — Communications At the end of the session, learners should be able to: • Explain why communication is important in a project setting • Describe the classical sender-receiver model of communication • Identify possible sources of miscommunication • Identify their personal communication styles • Use the communication model to improve communications on a project

Session Objectives — Motivation At the end of the session, learners should be able to: • Explain why motivation is important in a project setting • Describe at least 3 theories of motivation • Explain the importance of linking rewards with desired consequences • Apply one or more theories of motivation to project situations

Communication • An iterative process for developing shared meaning and mutual understanding Idea1 Idea3 Shared Meaning express Person A interpret A B interpret Person B express Idea4 Idea2 and then...

The project manager’s communication links for developing common understanding and commitment Top management Company policy and resources Progress reports and messages Project direction and messages Progress reports Project manager Line managers, other projects Stakeholders • Concerns • Requirements • Advice Reports and messages Reports and Messages Project Direction/Leadership Personnel assigned to project

Project Manager’s Communication Roles • Effective Communicator/Presenter • Communication Strategist • Communication Coach

Classical Sender-Receiver Model Message Idea A Idea B ? SharedMeaning A B Feedback Sender (A) Receiver (B) (2 WAY MODEL)

Types of Communication Message Message Feedback 2-Way 1-Way • Mass media • Telephone messages • Videotapes / announcements • Posting on the Internet • Written memos and reports • Synchronous (real time) • Face-to-face conversation • Telephone call • Video • Asynchronous (delay) • Computer • Voice mail messaging • Letter writing

Complex Sender-Receiver Model—with barriers 1. Sender has 2. Sender encodes meaning into 3. Sender transmitsmessage using 4. Receiver getsmessage anddecodes MEANING Idea Knowledge Information Feeling MESSAGE Words Sounds Pictures Organization TECHNOLOGY Storage Media Channel(s) MESSAGE Words Sounds Pictures Organization 5.Receiverinterpretsmeaning 6. Receiver creates & sends feedback message 7. Sender gets feedback message. MEANINGIdea Knowledge Information Feeling REPEAT PROCESS Formulate meaning Encode into message and transmit via media and channel(s) REPEAT PROCESS Repeat until a mutually shared meaning develops or parties stop communicating. Each transition is a possible barrier or filter that can result in faulty communication

Personality style • Technical expertise • Organizational affiliation • Status • Gender • Ethnicity • Social class • Religion • Culture Barriers and Distorting Filters Sending Receiving Transmission Human Barriers

Thought Problem • The Project: A health care project involving facilities construction, medical services, and outreach aimed at prenatal women • The Team: Engineering, Accounting, and Human Services (equal numbers of men and women with much diversity) • The Challenge: Minimize communication barriers and build strong teams • Your Task: Identify potential communication barriers

Some Potential Barriers to Communication • Native language • Semantics / language usage • Culture / geography • Personality / communication styles • Gender • communication styles • life experiences • Religion • Technical expertise • Organizational affiliation

Communication Rules for Project Managers Rule 1 - Recognize the potential for error when communicating Rule 2 - Know your audience: Sender/receiver differences increase the likelihood of miscommunication Rule 3 - The chance of miscommunication increases as the number of people in the process increases Rule 4 - Match media/channels to content and purpose. Use two-way channels for ambiguous or emotion-laden content Rule 5 - Know your own communication style and adapt to the situation

Four Styles of Communication • Action-oriented • Process-oriented • People-oriented • Idea-oriented

Styles • Everyone has 4 styles to some degree • Most people have a dominant style • Style can adapt to a situation (not fixed) • All 4 styles needed on a project team

Uses in Project Management • Know own style for better communication • Understand where people are “coming from” • Anticipate conflict when styles clash • Build needed strengths into your team • Use team members’ strengths in jobs

Summary • Communication is essential to project leadership and team building • Process of creating shared meaning and mutual understanding • Error-prone process (barriers and filters) • Classical sender-receiver model • Five “Rules” for Project Managers

Module 3Building the TeamSession 3.3 Communication and Motivation: Fundamentals of Motivation

Motivation • Motus = to move • Why people do what they do • Reasons people act • Amount of energy or effort expended

MOTIVATION = Pursuit of a Goal or Objective Achieve Objective

Some Theories of Motivation • Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow) • Goal Setting Theory (Locke) • Reinforcement Theory (Skinner) • Equity Theory (Adams) • Expectancy Theory (Vroom)

Hierarchy of Needs • Behavior is driven by needs • Needs are internal states within an individual • Unmet needs cause a state of tension • Unmet needs cause behavior that seeks to reduce tension and satisfy needs • Individuals have a common set of hierarchical needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs “Higher Level” 5 Self Actualization: sense of maximizing potential 4 Esteem: responsibility, self-respect, recognition 3 Social: companionship, affection, affiliation 2 Safety: security, protection from pain and discomfort 1 Physiological: hunger, thirst, sex “Lower Level”

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Elements of Job Design Self-actualization is not an endpoint but a self-renewing need/drive. Self- Actualization Needs Reaching your potential Independence Creativity Self-Expression • Involvement in planning your work • Opportunities for growth and development • Creative work • Freedom to make decisions • Status symbols • Recognition, awards • Challenging work • Opportunity for advancement • Sharing decision making Esteem Needs Responsibility Self-Respect Recognition Sense of Accomplishment Sense of Competence Sense of Equity Social/Affiliation Needs Companionship Acceptance Love and Affection Group Membership • Opportunities to interact/network • Team-based work • Friendly co-workers • Fringe benefits • Job security • Sound policies and practices • Proper supervision • Safe working conditions Safety/Security Needs Security for Self and Possessions Avoidance of Risks Avoidance of Harm Avoidance of Pain • Adequate compensation • Rest periods • Labor-saving devices • Efficient work methods Physiological Needs Food Clothing Shelter Comfort Self-preservation How the Workplace Can Meet These Needs (Adapted from Vijay K. Verma, Human Resource Skills for the Project Manager, Volume 2, 1996, Project Management Institute, Upper Darby, PA, Figure 2.2)

Goal Setting Theory • Developed by Edwin Locke • Well supported by research • Intention (goals) drive behavior • Motivation Influenced by: • Specificity of Goal or Objective • Degree of Challenge • Acceptance of Goal • Feedback

Goal Setting Theory (continued) Findings: • Specific goals are more motivating than general ones • Challenging goals are more motivating than less challenging goals • People must “accept” a goal for it to be motivational • Feedback, especially self-generated, improves motivation • Participation in goal setting affects motivation

“SMART” Objectives or Goals • Specific - one specific (observable) accomplishment • Measurable - attainment can be easily assessed • Attainable - achievement is possible given time, resources, and person’s level of knowledge and skills • Rewarding - attainment satisfies personal need or objective • Time-bound - realistic start/finish dates (timeline) are established

Influences on Goal Setting Theory • Availability of Feedback • Commitment (acceptance of goals) • Self-efficacy • National Culture

The Course’s 12-Step Planning Process • Framework for group and individual goal setting • Participatory — Team can collectively set SMART goals (objectives) • Provides feedback on team performance

Reinforcement Theory • Primary advocate: B.F. Skinner • Behavior is determined by the consequences it produces • Reinforcers increase likelihood a behavior will reoccur • Neutral or punishing consequences decrease likelihood behavior will reoccur • Feedback is key element in reinforcement theory • Extinction - Unrewarded behaviors “go away” over time

Rewards • Satisfy Needs • Intrinsic: Usually intangible and inherent to the behavior being performed • examples: joy of a low golf score; feeling of achievement from goal attainment • Extrinsic: External to the behavior being performed, usually tangible • examples: pay, promotion, certificates • useful when a performing behavior is not intrinsically rewarding • Extrinsic rewards can negate Intrinsic rewards

Rules for Modifying Behavior Reward every occurrence of the behavior (or approximation of the behavior) To establish a new (desired) behavior Reward the behavior as soon as possible after it occurs. Timing is important! The shorter the delay between the behavior and the reward, the better. To maintain an established (desired) behavior Reward intermittently at random intervals 1. Ignore it — do not reinforce it! It will gradually “extinguish itself” (slow process) To stop an undesired behavior 2. Punish it (fast process)

The Power of Contingency: IF-THEN • Rewards Should Be Contingent on Performance! • Reinforce desired performance — say “thanks” • Don’t ignore desired performance • Don’t reward undesired performance • Use Rewards to Recognize and Strengthen Positive Behaviors

Thought Problem How Would You Use Reinforcement Theoryin This Situation? • To Encourage Team Members to bring potential problems to the group for resolution and not wait for problems to develop

Possible Strategies for Thought Problems Using Reinforcement Theory • Don’t punish people who bring potential problems to group • Yourself • Other team members • Other managers • Reward team members who bring potential problems into the open • Yourself • Other team members • Reward team members who support others

Limitations of Reinforcement Theory • Rewards and punishments are “subjective” and vary • Project manager has limited control over consequences

Equity Theory • Developed by Adams • Absolute and Relative value of a reward influences motivation • People compare themselves to referents (4 types) • People want to feel fairly treated

Four Types of Referents • 3. Other - Inside: • Comparison to others’ experiences in the organization • 4. Other - Outside: • Comparison to others’ experiences outside the organization • Self - Inside: Comparison to own previous experiences within the organization 2. Self - Outside: Comparison to own previous experiences outside the organization

Factors Influencing Comparisons • Gender • Length of service • Level of organization • Professional experience & training

Implications of Equity Theory • Rewards should be perceived as fair in both absolute and relative terms • Reward process is as important as reward itself • understood by team • viewed as fair • consistently administered

Expectancy Theory • Developed by Victor Vroom • Well-Researched Theory • Motivation depends on three expectancies • Perceived ability to do a job • Perceived likelihood of being rewarded • Perceived attractiveness of the reward

Motivation Is Situation Specific Motivation = Perceived Ability to do a Jobor Task Perceived Likelihood of Being Rewarded Perceived Value of Reward x x

Implications of Expectancy Theory • Motivation is influenced by individual perceptions • I cando the job • I willbe rewarded • I wantthe reward • The project manager must understand team members and stakeholders and deal with them as individuals as much as possible

Thought Problem New Assignment • High Value Reward • Low Likelihood • Moderate Ability

Solution to Thought Problem

Multiple Sources of Rewards 1. The Parent Organization 2. Functional Departments 3. Project Manager 5. Leadership (Informal) 4. Formal Rewards Team Member 6. P r o j e c t T e a m 7. Job or Task

Integrating Model of MotivationBased on Robbins (1998) 1 5 6 4 8 Opportunity JobDesign AppraisalSystem Ability EquityComparison 2 7 3 10 Organizational Rewards PersonalGoals Individual Effort IndividualPerformance 7 9 7 Expectancies Perceptions of Reward PersonalNeeds Intrinsic Extrinsic Reinforcement(Rewards) 2 Personal Goals

Sample Questions 1. What are an individual’s personal goals and objectives? 2. What opportunities (for performance) can I offer a person? 3. Does the person have the knowledge/skills necessary to perform, or is training needed? 4. Does a personbelievehe or she can perform (regardless of his or her competence)? 5. Is the performance evaluation objective? Is it perceived as objective?

Sample Questions (continued) 6. Am I rewarding desired behaviors and not undesired behaviors? 7. Are the rewards at my disposal perceived asdesirable by the individual? 8. Am I perceived as giving rewards fairly and for performance? 9. Do the rewards satisfy the individual’s personal goals, objectives, needs, and so forth?

CAUTION! • Research has a United States orientation • Research focuses on individual motivation • Rewards can vary from culture to culture • Definitions of equity are culturally dependent • Team motivation is also important

Session Objectives — Communications