:AACE CERTIFICATION 2009-2010:

Hi all,
Here I want to start my #1 blogs. Actually this is my 1#time to write on a blogs. I hope this is an enjoyable process.
As Paul asks for the 1#blogs, I describe below what I learn from the course, specially about formation of team - start from a teamwork....

If we talk about running project, so we need to put attention on TEAMWORK. Teamwork means supporting relation among different “type” individual, which start with a trust and commitment, then work together to pursue a team objective(my personal definition, CMIIW).

We just a week leaving the workshop then forming as a team (the forming phase-refer to day#3; p.80-81).

@Day#3 of workshop, it is interesting to know our friends fall in to several category of “Thomas Kilman conflict mode instrument”. At the end of this exercise,..I said wow... It’s a complementary.... some of us are forcing, or collaborating, compromising, smoothing, or withdrawing/avoiding. There is no good or bad, ...this is all about complementary...as a team.

In my future work, I think the “Thomas Kilman instrument” is a good tool to select a team, or (probably?) tool to suit “what type of person” to “what type of work” assigned. In a project, it is high possibility of communication problem could end up with a conflict, and sometime we will stuck on it then potentially will end up with impact to the project (e.g. slip in cost, slip in schedule etc). I think it is unnecessary.

I believe any role in the construction work type project e.g. engineer, project engineer, quality control engineer, construction manager etc; need specific “type of skill” in handling conflict. As I mention above, .... need to consider “what type of person” to “what type of work”. I can say for an example, at owner perspective, a QC engineer should a (I think) “a forcing types” (why?)... I don’t think I will have a smoothing type as my QC engineer,...then next question in my head,...If I find QC engineer with 10yrs experience as a smoothing type,...is that mean he cannot be a QC engineer?... Well I don’t know,... now I just assume He can be a QC Engineer with set of 10years technical experiences,...but It is more better if you can find 10years experienced QC engineer with forcing type,...my next next question,...is this type of personality add on you since you where born? Or can we develop people to be strong in one/or two of this personality???...

In the entering “storming phase”; it should always a potential conflict. The project clock is start to ticking, sometimes unpredictable thing (know, unknown, or unknown –unknown) condition start to appear, high complexity/interdependency work, and the deadline, will push people under pressure.

When those happen, then people start looking strive to other team member responsibility (what they do? when it will be finish? etc). In the other word, everybody starts to critics to other people work. Again Trust is tested here, regards to the trust among team member, or trust to the Project Manager. What should project manager do in order to control this situation?

In the building construction work we could see the people/team that works for the wall finishing, painting, and the entire interior stuff; sometime pushed in the difficult situation because they need accomplish the last part. They will see and wait (with nervous) if the predecessor (e.g. wall erection, electrical, plumbing etc) start to slip from the schedule. They (the painter) will physiologically under pressure.

In positive side, (my opinion) that a conducive situation, because it is a “control function”; one people controlling other member work against its specification and deliverables.
But sometimes, the problem is “un-patient”. Different people have different tolerance to patient. If the pressure is blown up (one get angry...) then next problem is the trust and commitment itself...

Here, the Leader (Project Manager) needs to guard conducive situation. Monitor deliverable per each team; treat at the same, force on commitment; to every team member. It is a benefit for Project Manager if his/her know their team member personally he/her is forcing, smoothing, avoiding, collaborating, or compromising then use the advantages if conflict is there.

At the end I would says in the benefit of my future career and all friend/folks, as a leader, project manager should successfully drive his team elapsing “storming”, “norming” then flowering at “Performing”. Do not fail on managing this situation, ’cause it will tend to “Adjourning” without “Performing”. When we see some of team member start “slowing down” their work, then loosing direction, losing trust among them, then we should worry ‘cause its finally (soon) will reduce productivity. I think everybody agree we do not want that situation happen to our project. So, keep motivating each other, keep on commitment, keep on trust,.... do not focus to the different ...’cause God create us to be complementary....


B/R, Farid