Creativity and the Monitoring and Controlling Process • 241
Preparation Phase
e purpose of the preparation phase is to learn as much information as
possible about a topic and to compile any necessary information that will
prove useful in coming up with creative ideas. is phase focuses largely
on people, process, and performance.
For example, stakeholders dier on the approach for collecting status
information on a project. Some stakeholders want what they refer to as
“project management lite” status collection and reporting. Others want
detail in reporting. Some stakeholders also disagree over how oen status
collection should occur (e.g., weekly, biweekly). e team prefers minimal
TABLE12.6
Monitoring and Controlling Process and Tools and Techniques
Tool and Technique Example
Analogies, metaphors,
and similes thinking
Comparing the logic of a schedule to something unrelated to
the project (e.g., a chain link)
Benchmarking Comparing the cost performance of a project with that of other
projects within and outside the parent organization
Devil’s advocate Assigning someone on the project with responsibility for
challenging assumptions, such as ones made when taking
corrective action for poor schedule performance
Interviewing Asking key stakeholders for any emergent risks and some ideas
on how to mitigate them
Matrices Compiling risk in a matrix form with associated deliverables,
and then recording in each cell the appropriate mitigation
action
Observation Watching the performance of team members on other projects
to get ideas on how to perform responsibilities more eciently
and eectively
Pareto chart Developing a chart to determine which variable has the most
impact in causing a technical problem with a deliverable
PDCA cycle Using the cycle to continuously implement a corrective action
to cost performance and to ascertain its eectiveness over
several iterations
Problem solving Making a concerted eort to determine a specic, measurable
solution to a problem
Scatter gram Collecting data on two variables and determining if there is a
relationship between the variables (e.g., such as a certain
defect and cost)
Trend chart Plotting discrete points of data over time to determine if a
trend exists, and if not, what could be contributing to the
deviation
242 • Creative, Ecient, and Eective Project Management
data collection and reporting, preferably every two weeks. e sponsor
and the customer want detailed collection and reporting.
e project manager assembles a subteam to conduct research on how
past projects of a similar nature conducted status collection and report-
ing. e team also performs benchmarking to compare its project in scale
and complexity with others in dierent organizations inside and outside
the company.
Concentration Phase
e purpose of the concentration phase is to focus on exactly dening
a problem or issue to address. e project manager needs to distinguish
between what is and is not relevant, and just as importantly, what is and
is not signicant.
Continuing with the status collection example, the project manager
assembles the members of the subteam. Disagreements quickly erupt
among those stakeholders wanting minimal status collection and ones
seeking a much more rigorous approach. Everyone agrees that status col-
lection is needed but disagree over extent.
Incubation Phase
e purpose of the incubation phase is to allow the subconscious part of
the mind to work by suspending judgment and avoiding concentration on
a conscious level.
Continuing with the status collection example, the project manager
has everyone take a break from the topic of status collection to focus on
other concerns, such as another project. e project manager also suggests
having everyone allow the subconscious to work, but also knows that it
allows a cooling-o period during what seemed to be a tense impasse that
occurred in the concentration phase.
Illumination Phase
e purpose of the illumination phase is to allow an idea to rise to the
conscious level of its creator. is phase involves coming up with solutions
to diculties identied earlier.
Continuing with the status collection example, the project manager
assembles the members of the subteam. All the stakeholders share their
Creativity and the Monitoring and Controlling Process • 243
thoughts and any additional information. e project manager captures
all the input in a matrix and then appoints a devil’s advocate for each side
of the issue. e members of the subteam list their proposed options on
a white board. e project manager then applies the nominal group tech-
nique to determine the best one.
Verification and Production Phase
e purpose of the verication and production phase is to test and imple-
ment an idea.
Continuing with the status collection example, the project manager
engages the members of the subteam to prepare a management plan to
describe the approach for the monitoring and controlling process of the
project. Aer receiving approval by key stakeholders for the management
plan, the project manager then applies the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle to
implement the contents of the plan.
CONCLUSION
e monitoring and controlling process is highly reliant upon good com-
munications and information. Unfortunately, despite the rise of modern
technology, it seems that both are not present on many projects. If they
exist, both are oen inadequate. Creativity is necessary for this process in
two ways. It enables building a cost- eective infrastructure that encour-
ages good communications and information sharing. It also capitalizes
on the availability of good communications and information if they exist.
Getting Started Checklist
Question Yes No
1. During this process, determine the challenges and constraints that could
impact the creativity of your project team:
Craving for predictability
Dominance of brain thinking
Faster, better, cheaper philosophy
Fear
Focus on the past or future, not the present
Groupthink
(Continued)
244 • Creative, Ecient, and Eective Project Management
Getting Started Checklist
Question Yes No
Inability to adapt
Lack of data and information
Lack of sharing
Lack of tools
Leaping to judgment
Management’s lack of responsiveness
Methodism
Mores, beliefs, values
Overemphasis on by-the-book philosophy
Poor communications
Poor coordination
Silos
Specialization
Stretching resources too thin
Success
Other(s):
2. Determine the creative abilities that are applicable to this process:
Applying cross-domain thinking
Being analytical
Being observant
Being precise
Being self-critical
Conceptualizing
Dening a problem
Embracing ambiguity
Generalizing
Looking from the outside, in
Nonlinear thinking
Reasoning
Seeing multiple answers
Shiing between convergent and divergent thinking
Shiing from analysis to synthesis mode of thinking
Shiing from linear to nonlinear thinking
Shiing perspectives
Suspending judgment
Synthesis
Uncovering patterns
Using linear thinking
Verbalizing
Visualizing
Other(s):
Creativity and the Monitoring and Controlling Process • 245
Getting Started Checklist
Question Yes No
3. Determine the actions that are necessary to lay the groundwork for
acreative environment:
Align individual with project goals and objectives
Allow time for issue denition
Build and maintain trust
Counter groupthink
Emphasize coordination
Relax rules, procedures, and so on
Stress communications
Other(s):
4. Determine the actions to take to improve individual creativity:
Have a diverse background
Have self-discipline
Have the ability to be self-critical
Realize that sooner or later creativity requires being implemented
See outside the box
Tolerate failure
Other(s):
5. Determine the actions to take to improve team creativity:
Act as if on a mission
Allow for open discussion and have a tolerance for ideas
Avoid noncontributory activities
Be emotional and logical
Have a diverse membership
Have facilitative and supportive leadership
Know the priorities
Seek balance among creating, planning, and implementing
Other(s):
6. Identify the creativity tools and techniques to use:
Analogies, metaphors, and similes thinking
Benchmarking
Devil’s advocate
Interviewing
Matrices
Observation
Pareto chart
PDCA cycle
Problem solving
Scattergram
Trend chart
Other(s):
..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset