Global Project
Management
Communication, Collaboration and
Management Across Borders
List of Figures xiii
List of Tables xv
Acknowledgements xvii
Preface xix
Introduction 1
Traditional, distributed, international and virtual projects 1 Global projects 1 Examples of global projects 3 Global programs 5 Global projects and programs requirements 8 To be or not to be … global? 10 Organisational change and organisational theory 11 A framework for global programs and projects 12 The framework sources 15 What the framework provides to global organisations 16 The next steps 17 Key concepts 18 Further reading 18 Interactive section 20
Part I GLoBaL teams 21
Chapter 1 Cross-Cultural Collaboration 23
Defining culture 23 Culture and project management 24 The cultural dimensions defined by Hofstede 25 The cultural dimensions from Trompenaars 28 The impact of the dimensions on global project management 33 A 360° analysis of the cultural dimensions on your project team 34 Avoiding generalisations 39 Building on the richness of a multicultural team: crossvergence and hybridisation 40 4-step framework for effective cross-cultural project management 42
Chapter 2 Global Project Leadership 43
Project management and leadership 43 Global leadership 44 Commitment 45 Motivation 46
viii G l o b a l P r o j e c t M a n a g e m e n t
Becoming a good global leader 48 Brainstorming on global leadership 49
Chapter 3 trust Building 51
Identifying the level of trust required 52 Trust and communication channels 52 Establishing trust 54 Maintaining trust 56 Long-term trust 59
Chapter 4 Conflict Resolution 61
Global sources of conflict 62 Conflict levels in global projects 62 Global perspectives on conflict 63 Conflict management steps 63
Chapter 5 Coaching over Distance 69
Coaching on global projects 70 Global coaching principles 70 Establishing a global context for coaching 71 Create a global understanding and direction 72 Review achievements and objectives 72 Anatomy of a coaching session 73 Completing the global coaching process 74 Part I: Key concepts 75 Part I: Further reading 76 Part I: Interactive section 77
Part II GLoBaL CommuNICatIoN 79
Chapter 6 stakeholders and Communication Channels 81
Identifying the global key stakeholders 82 Knowing the global stakeholders 83 Analysing the global stakeholders 83 The stakeholder commitment framework 84 Defining strategies to change stakeholders’ commitment levels 85 Completing the global stakeholder register 87 Global communication channels 87
Chapter 7 meeting rules and templates 91
Meeting types and communication media 91 Etiquette for cross-cultural meetings 92 Online meeting templates 92 Visual information 98
Chapter 8 Global Communication strategy 101
ix C o n t e n t s Identifying the stakeholders’ requirements 102 Define a global communication matrix 105
Chapter 9 Global Communication techniques 109
Collecting information from the global team members 109 Distributing information to the global stakeholders 110 Exchanging project information 113
Chapter 10 Global Creativity 117
Project management processes and creativity 117 Online brainstorming sessions 118 Limitations of online brainstorming sessions 124 Asynchronous brainstorming 126 Part II: Key concepts 127 Part II: Further reading 127 Part II: Interactive section 128
Part III GLoBaL orGaNIsatIoNs 129
Chapter 11 Global Project structure 131
Centralised project management 131 Distributed project management, with local coordinators 132 Distributed project management, with functional coordinators 134 Round-the-clock project management 135 Project management global network 136
Chapter 12 selection of International Human resources 139
Global team members’ skills 140 Global program and project managers’ skills 142 Recruitment 143 Selection 144 Induction and training 150
Chapter 13 Global Program and Project Offices 153
Defining project offices 153 Program or Project Management Offices (PMO) 154 Program or Project Support Offices (PSO) 156 Features of global project offices 156
Chapter 14 organisational support 163
Build emotional intelligence 163 Promote work-life balance 165 Value the human resources 166 Promote the use of collaborative tools 167 Develop and promote a global project management methodology 167 Establish 360G performance appraisals 168
x G l o b a l P r o j e c t M a n a g e m e n t
Establish a global rewards policy 171 Implement a corporate training scheme 171
Chapter 15 Global Collaborative Networks 173
Collaborative networks: a project-centred approach 173 Understand the challenges 174 Define a collaboration strategy 175 Initiate the collaboration 176 Monitor the interfaces 176 Part III: Key concepts 177 Part III: Further reading 178 Part III: Interactive section 179
Part IV ImPLemeNtatIoN of CoLLaBoratIVe tooLs 181
Chapter 16 Basic Infrastructure 183
Basic technologies 183 Evaluating the current situation 184 Implementing changes 184 Defining documentation and procedures 185 Evaluating the implementation 186
Chapter 17 Interactive audio and Video 189
Evaluation of current audio conferencing solutions 189 Evaluation of new audio conferencing solutions 189 Implementing changes 191 Defining procedures for audio conferencing set-up 191 Evaluating the implementation 191 Video conferences 192 Evaluating existing video conferencing solutions 193 Implementation of new video conferencing solutions 193 Defining procedures for video conferencing set-up 194 Evaluating the implementation 195
Chapter 18 Interactive text and Images 197
Evaluating technologies for instant messaging 197 Evaluation of the existing instant messaging solutions 198 Implementation of a new instant messaging solution 198 Defining procedures for instant messaging set-up 199 Evaluating the implementation 199 Evaluating technologies for web conferencing 200 Evaluation of existing web conferencing solutions 200 Implementation of web conferencing 201 Defining procedures for web conferencing set-up 201 Evaluating the implementation 202
xi C o n t e n t s
Chapter 19 Knowledge sharing 205
Evaluating technologies for knowledge sharing 205 Evaluating the existing knowledge-sharing solutions 207 Implementing a new knowledge-sharing solution 207 Defining procedures for knowledge-sharing set-up 208 Evaluating the implementation 209
Chapter 20 Collaborative Project management software 211
Evaluating collaborative project management software tools 211 Defining procedures for the collaborative project management software 213 Implementing the new collaborative project management software 214 Evaluating the implementation 214 Part IV: Key concepts 215 Part IV: Further reading 216 Part IV: Interactive section 216
Part V aDoPtIoN of CoLLaBoratIVe tooLs 217
Chapter 21 Getting Connected 219
Understanding what can be improved 219 What to avoid in e-mail discussions 221 Using telephones 222 What to avoid in telephone discussions 222
Chapter 22 effective audio and Video conferences 225
Understanding what can be improved 225 Using audio conferences 225 Using video conferences 228
Chapter 23 Coordinating and attending online meetings 231
Understanding what can be improved 231 Communication style during online meetings 232 Special considerations for instant messaging discussions 232 Special considerations for online meetings via web conferencing 233
Chapter 24 fostering Knowledge exchange 237
Understanding what can be improved 237 Defining the rules for knowledge sharing 238 Leading people to share information 239
Chapter 25 Collaborative Project management 241
Understanding what can be improved 241 Updating information on the project management software 242 Information pushed by the project management software 244 Pulling information from the project management software 244 Interfaces between the project management software and other tools 245 Part V: Key concepts 246
xii G l o b a l P r o j e c t M a n a g e m e n t
Part V: Further reading 246 Part V: Interactive section 247
Part VI ImPLemeNtING tHe GLoBaL ProjeCt maNaGemeNt
frameworK® 249
Chapter 26 a Charter for the framework 251
Stakeholder needs and expectations 251 The benefits of the framework implementation 253 Defining a scope for the implementation 254
Chapter 27 Implementation strategies 255
The emotional intelligence guidelines 255 The maturity model approach 257 The action research cycles 263 Part VI: Key concepts 264 Part VI: Further reading 264 Part VI: Interactive section 264
Coda 267
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 269
Bibliography 271