Motivation of personnel in the project

Any company carries out two types of activities. One activity is regular, associated with the performance of typical, repetitive work without any changes (for example, hiring staff or reporting). Other activities are aimed at solving a unique problem in a limited period of time with limited budget and other resources (for example, the development and implementation of a new IT system), such an activity is called a project.

In some companies, projects are implemented infrequently, while the activities of other organizations are based solely on the implementation of various projects for clients. This is how consulting companies, system integrators, the entire construction industry work.

In general, in Russia the word “project” has many meanings, but in this article we will proceed from the definition given above and consistent with international standards. Here I suggest that you stop reading the article for a moment, remember and preferably write down a few projects that are currently being carried out in your company. Then you will be able to relate everything you read about to your practice.

Over the past decades, a whole science has been formed: project management (PM), or Project Management. It is to her, or rather, to one of her little-studied sections, that this article is devoted.

Project personnel

A variety of resources are needed to successfully implement a project. By and large, the difference between a truck crane and a worker is small: both do a certain amount of work in a certain period of time and cost us a certain amount of money. Nevertheless, people have a number of features that require the allocation of project personnel management into a separate functional area. And if a lot has been written about project schedule management or risk management, then personnel management is often like shamanism and is performed “by eye”, at the instigation of one or another manager.

The project team

So, the project is a temporary phenomenon, and this determines the specifics of managing its participants. For the duration of the project, a so-called project team is created. Despite the diversity of existing projects, a number of more or less standard roles can be distinguished in the team.

First of all, this is a project manager (head) - an individual who is personally responsible for the success of the project and carries out operational management.

As a rule, companies appoint a project curator - a representative of top management, who, although he does not delve into the intricacies of the current state of affairs in the project, controls its progress, makes sure that the project meets the strategic goals of the company, and if he lacks authority, he helps him with its authority.

The project committee is created in companies in which the business is built according to the project type. This is a body whose tasks are to select projects and control their implementation at the highest level, to make key decisions. In technically complex projects, the role of the chief project engineer (CPI) is important, which is sometimes equal in status to the project manager. In large projects, managers can be allocated for various functional areas, for example, for managing finances, personnel, risks, etc.

All of the above roles form a project management team that is part of the project team. Also, project team members are performers both from among the company's full-time employees and those hired specifically for the implementation of a specific project. Sometimes it includes contractors and subcontractors.

It is worth highlighting separately. In the simplest case, this is a kind of secretariat, which stores all the documentation for the project. It may consist of one or more employees. In more advanced companies, the project office also plays the role of a methodological center serving all the projects of the organization. On fig. 1 shows an example of a typical project team.

Fig.1. Typical project team

Project and company

No project exists in a vacuum. As a rule, it is implemented in the interests of some company that initiates it. Such a company is called a parent, head or parent company. Accordingly, the company has a certain organizational structure, and the project somehow "fits" into it.

In Russian companies, a functional organizational structure is very common (Fig. 2), in which project coordination is carried out at the level of heads of line departments. Sometimes one of the employees of the functional unit is appointed as the project coordinator. However, he has little actual authority, and he resolves all issues through his leader. Such a structure is very static and effective only for the implementation of local projects within the unit.

Fig.2. Functional structure

The project structure (Fig. 3) is completely opposite to the matrix one in its organization. Here, the project teams sort of form their own temporary units, created for the duration of the project and led by project managers. With such an organization, functional units perform a service function in relation to projects, that is, they provide them with services, such as technical support or accounting services. Functional departments also play the role of a pool of resources (for example, specialists) dynamically redistributed between projects. In the project structure, team members are focused only on achieving the goals of the project and report only to its leader.

With such an organization, the project is actually a branch of the company, while the “laws” under which the employee operates within the framework of the project are completely determined by the project management. Such a structure is effective in large, significant projects for the company, as a rule, lasting more than two years.

Rice. 3. Project structure

Note: Employees participating in the project are highlighted in color.

The main drawback of the project structure is that resources are not always used efficiently (for example, you use a lawyer for only a few hours a week, and it is not profitable to pay for them entirely from the project budget).

This problem can be solved by the matrix structure (Fig. 4), which is a compromise between the functional and project structures. Here, the employee reports on the one hand to the project manager, and on the other - to his functional manager. Depending on which of them has more power, they distinguish between weak (minor power of the project manager) and strong, or rigid (the project manager is higher than the functional manager) matrices. A balanced matrix seems to be ideal, in which the project manager is responsible for its results, and the functional manager is responsible for the quality of work of his employees “seconded” to the project. The main disadvantage of the matrix structure is the double subordination of employees.

Rice. 4. Matrix structure

Note: Employees participating in the project are highlighted in color.

Different organizational structures can coexist in a company at the same time. In our experience, in Russia, the weak matrix has received the greatest use, since the role of functional managers is traditionally great.

External project environment

The project interacts not only with the parent company, but also with a more distant environment. A key role in the project is played by the customer, who is interested in the project achieving its goals. The investor wants to return the money invested in the project with a certain profit. The end consumer wants to get a quality product at a reasonable price. Also, do not forget about the state, about public organizations, about the families of the project participants.

The main goal of the project manager is to achieve the goals of the project, taking into account all the constraints. And the motivation of the participants has the most direct impact on the success of the project.

So, the first step is to identify all project participants, taking into account the roles described above (perhaps some more will be added). Here I suggest that you remember some project that is relevant to you and then write down all its participants on a piece of paper, indicating their roles. Then it will be useful to find out how everyone relates to your project (from an enthusiast to an oppositionist), as well as the level of influence of each of the participants on the project.

The result is a matrix, which I suggest you build.

"What's the motivation here?" - you ask. And besides, now you can determine in which square of the matrix you would like to see this or that participant, and also learn how, for example, to make a neutral-minded influential participant an enthusiast. In this way, you will be able to increase the value of your project in the eyes of the head of the company, regularly demonstrating to him the benefits of the project and informing him of the progress made. As an exercise, I suggest that you develop a plan for moving at least three project participants to the squares you need.

We move on. If someone is a participant in the project, then he is somehow interested in it. And it is useful to know these interests, because effective motivation is precisely based on understanding the needs of those whom we are going to motivate.

Now I suggest that you determine the interests of each participant in your project. Try to take into account not only material interest, because, although it is the base level of Maslow's pyramid, man does not live by bread alone. For example, the curator's goal is often not so much to make money on the project as to increase his political weight in the company. But the project also has some requirements for its participants. For example, from an investor you need full and timely financing, as well as a minimum of control is desirable.

These are the requirements I suggest you now write down on a piece of paper.

The resulting table is the key to building a system of motivation for project participants. You know, on the one hand, what you need from each participant, and on the other hand, what they need from you, how they can be motivated. Not necessarily money will be the main motive: after all, you, as a project manager, are vitally interested in saving the budget. At our trainings, heated discussions often arise when identifying project participants, assessing their impact, and developing a plan for influencing them. In the course of these debates, documents are born that can later be applied when the participants of the training carry out real projects.

Selection of people

In many ways, the motivation of the project team is determined at the stage of selecting its participants. Here are some principles that will help you lay the foundations for the success of a future project already at this stage.

Invite to the team those people for whom participation in the project means possible prospects for career and professional growth and the subject of the project is of interest.
Check each candidate for compliance with the criteria of professionalism. In order for the results to justify your expectations, it is better to describe in advance, before determining possible candidates, what professional and personal characteristics this or that team member should have. After all, just because someone is a good person does not mean that he is an efficient worker.

For the main roles of your project, determine the necessary knowledge, skills and personal qualities.

Think about the psychological compatibility of the team members, because then they will have to communicate closely, work side by side for a long time.
Assess your candidates in terms of their experience. On the one hand, it is risky to take amateurs: there is no guarantee that a person will cope with the task. On the other hand, if the team consists of only professionals, conflicts and disputes are possible, because everyone has their own rich experience behind them. Sometimes this leads to the failure of the project. Therefore, the basis of any team is specialists with 1–5 years of experience in this field.
Also pay attention to the personal qualities of future participants. The most important for working in a project team:

teamwork and communication skills;
a higher level of initiative than when working in a functional structure;
the ability to work in conditions of uncertainty and constant change (after all, in the vast majority of projects, plans change many times during the implementation process);
stress resistance and willingness to work overtime (in Russia, the load often peaks at the final phase, when the project must be completed “yesterday”, and the customer begins to make new requirements, the fulfillment of which often does not fit into the initial time boundaries (scope) of the project);
result oriented, not process oriented. Willingness to ensure that income is directly proportional to the results achieved.

How to get the right people for the project

For the success of the project, it is important that its team includes sufficiently professional, team-working employees. First of all, for this it is necessary to formulate the project's need for personnel: in what period and how many specialists of a particular profile are required.

And finally, you need to find the right people. And it's not so easy. After all, even if there are instructions “from above”, not every manager will agree to give you their best employees. Himself needed! This is where negotiation skills come in handy. And, of course, good relationships with colleagues from different departments. In general, practice shows that the manager's ability to negotiate and resolve "political" issues largely determines the success of the projects he implements.

material motivation

Now let's talk about motivation itself in the sense that is usually put into this word. Although without all of the above, motivation is much less focused and effective.

There are several approaches to staff motivation, each of which has the right to life.

The employee receives all material remuneration in his functional unit. Plus - in the transparency of such a scheme, minus - in the absence of a person's motivation for the results of work in the project. A variant is possible in which the functional manager independently decides on bonuses to employees. This may have a stimulating effect, but there is a high probability of a subjective approach to the evaluation of employees.
While working in the project, the employee receives all remuneration from the project budget. This scheme is suitable for those participants who are completely relieved of their daily duties for the duration of the project.
The employee continues to receive a constant part of the remuneration (salary) in his "native" division, and bonuses are accrued to him from the budget of the project for which he performs the work.

I must say that so far in Russia the first payment scheme is the most common due to habit and ease of implementation. Separately, it is worth talking about the motivation of the project manager.

It is important that his income directly depends on the results of the project. To do this, they conclude a contract with him, which stipulates the terms of payment. A certain minimum is paid to him in the form of a salary, a part - upon completion of certain stages of the project, and the main part - a bonus, bonus - following the results of the project. The size of the bonus directly depends on the results achieved, compliance with deadlines and budget. Other criteria may also be taken into account, which must be specified “ashore” and fixed in the contract.

Motivation at the project closing stage

Often problems arise at the last stage of the project implementation and are associated with cleaning up the "tails":

it is necessary to ensure that the customer signs acts and pays for the work performed, it is often desirable to conclude contracts for further support;
all contracts must be closed;
project team members need to be “returned” to their jobs, but they have not been empty all this time; if an employee is engaged only in project activities, then he should be given the opportunity to “sit out” somewhere until the next project, otherwise you may lose a valuable employee;
it is necessary to resolve issues on all legal entities that could be created during the project;
it is necessary to close all questions on taxes, etc.

No wonder most project managers perceive all this work as an additional burden, after all, the main project is done! And often the “tails” of completed projects drag on for years, quietly eating away the profits of the project. In this regard, sometimes part of the project bonus is paid only when the project manager has signed in the company's services (accounting, legal department, etc.) a kind of "runner" that they have no complaints about the project.

Mutual settlements between the project and the parent company

The issue of mutual settlements between the project and the parent company arises very often and concerns not only personnel, but also premises and other resources (transport, etc.). Much here depends on the degree of isolation of the project, on the maturity of project management in the company and on the specific project manager.

Various options are possible. For example, gratuitous provision of resources to a project within a given budget (although many companies do not have enough project accounting and it is not easy to separate project costs from the company's total expenses).

At the other extreme, the company acts as a lender and pool of resources, providing projects with everything they need for a fee, perhaps at better rates than the market. But here it must be taken into account that often the decision to provide a project with a particular resource is rather political and the company may deliberately go for some dumping. For example, in a project (especially with third-party partners) it is always more profitable to have your own proven lawyers and financiers.

If you want projects to pay a company for the use of its resources, you will need to put in place a strong management and time accounting system and develop "internal price lists" for the cost of resources.

Non-material motivation

Using the methods of non-monetary motivation correctly, you can increase the efficiency of the project participants, create a more pleasant creative atmosphere, and, importantly, you can save the budget and increase your bonus at the end of the project. In general, all methods of non-monetary motivation are aimed at raising the spirit of your team.

Proper start of the project

The launch phase of your project is very important. The fact is that the attitude to the project is often formed even before the start of its implementation, because "the earth is full of rumors." And if you don’t want to see the mournful faces of your colleagues at the first meeting of the project team, who are sure of failure in advance, then it makes sense even before the start of the project to start forming an aura of success around it.

The first meeting of the project team is especially important. On it, you have about an hour (no more, because people quickly lose interest in the material presented and are not able to hold their attention for too long), during which you must make the project participants enthusiasts, dispel their possible doubts about the project. At this meeting, everyone should understand what benefits he will personally receive if the project is successfully implemented.

It is not unknown that the project team goes through a number of stages in its emotional development (Fig. 5).

Rice. 5. Stages of emotional development of the project team

At first (if you did everything right in the preliminary stages), people are full of enthusiasm, because the project is certain opportunities, prospects, a chance to break out of the routine of everyday work. Then comes the recession, the participants "fall from heaven to earth." Also (sometimes implicitly) intra-group conflict arises when people distribute roles, including fighting for informal leadership.

To get through this stage faster, team building trainings are sometimes arranged, where participants gain experience in effective teamwork in a few days. Sometimes the team comes up with a name, symbols and other attributes, forms a command code. If this decline is successfully overcome, then the team reaches the level of effective creative work.

Project mission

To increase the motivation of various project participants, the project mission can be used - a description of the project goals in terms of their benefits for the participants, as well as for the external environment of the project.

In essence, the mission is a description of how well each person involved in the project will live if it is successfully completed. A well-written mission is a description of a beautiful picture that should appear in a person's head when he thinks about the project.

Here are the basic rules for writing a mission:

sentences use second person present tense verbs;
statements contain an indication of the personal responsibility of each participant for receiving benefits from the implementation of the project (the optimal wording is: “By doing this and that, you get this and that”);
all the promised benefits at least partially correspond to possible reality, i.e., realistic (do not deceive: nothing irritates like empty promises);
the whole range of needs of the addressee is affected (basic, social needs, guarantees and security, respect and self-respect, self-realization).

The Appendix contains slightly modified fragments of a mission created with the participation of consultants for a real project to implement a quality system in a large Russian company.

Maintaining motivation during project implementation

The project lasts for quite a long time, and all this time it is important to keep the motivation of the staff at a high level. This will help you:

regularly informing the team about the progress and changes in the project (it is especially important to celebrate intermediate successes - this is highly motivating);
providing project participants with the opportunity to report potential or actual difficulties to the manager;
a working mechanism for resolving problems and overcoming difficulties;
on the one hand, it is important to collectively make key decisions so that everyone feels personal responsibility for their implementation, and on the other hand, a real leader, which the project manager should be, has the moral right in an emergency to make a decision alone and make sure that the team executes it as your own.

Competent completion of the project

Often the completion of the project is associated with the signing of acts by the customer and the receipt of project bonuses, and the employees who were involved in the project are forgotten. At the same time, a well-executed closing event lays the foundation for the success of future projects. Here it is important not only to arrange a banquet, but also to take stock: what goals were set, what was achieved, how did it go. It is useful to emphasize the contribution of individual participants to the successful implementation of the project, to note their achievements. And, of course, put all the “discoveries” made during the project into the “treasury of experience” of the company, although this is a topic for another article.

Mikhail Yurievich Rybakov