Conflict Management | For Project Success While you are trying hard to push a deliverable for the targeted

date, you find your team discussing the pros and cons for the design of a crucial component. Worse your t o very senior architects have very different opinion on the solution, !o you as PM ensure that the project meets its target milestone ith "uality and efficiency, having high team moral## $s this too much to as% or deal ith# $&m sure all of us ho is reading this post have been in situations.

Conflict can arise due to many reason few are below: Conflict over project priorities Conflict over administration procedures Conflict over technical opinions and performance trade'offs Conflict over human resources Conflict over cost and budget Conflict over schedules Personality conflict

!o

do you handle them# $t depends on the project manager, the organisation structure and climate. Conflict Root cause Management (Typical)

Interpersonal Conflict Resolution Techniques (s a project manager you have choice of a conflict management strategy hich ould depend on the intensity of the conflict, your leadership style, importance on maintaining good relationships versus achieving goals. )he best approach ill be the one that minimizes the obstacles to pro ect completion! "IT#$R%"I&'( %)*I$I&' "hen to use: When you do not have time )o gain time )o discourage your opponent )o maintain neutrality or reputation When you thin% the problem ill go a ay by itself

"hat this technique would imply: *ou move a ay from situation *ou say that you do not have time for it The conflict would remain!! You buy time to deal with conflict later. +M**T#I&' (%CC*MM*$%TI&' "hen to use: )o maintain harmony, peace,and good ill "hat this technique would imply:

*ou do not hurt people sentiments *ou ma%e people happy about certain aspects on situation *ou buy time

The make people happy on things which would ease on situation!! conflict reduces by some %. C*M,R*MI+I&' "hen: )o maintain your relationship ith your opponent

When goals are moderately high

"hat this technique would imply: *ou reach a decision by having aspect from all people in conflict. +one of the party have full solution implemented,accepted i.e. decision is taken but both parties may not be satisfied. Conflict reduces to ZER -*RCI&' "hen: When you are sure that you are right. When an emergency situation e-ists ./o or die0 When sta%es are high and issues are important When the acceptance is unimportant

"hat this technique would imply: *ou ta%e decision for all. People may feel displeased i.e. decision is taken but opponent may feel down or lost. Conflict reduces to ZER

C*..%/*R%TI&'(C*&-R*&TI&'( ,R*/.0M +*.)I&' "hen )o gain commitment and create a common po er base When there is enough time and s%ills are complementary )o maintain future relationships

"hat this technique would imply: ( mutual decision is ta%en 1veryone participates i.e. decision is taken and e!eryone is e"cited for new decison. Conflict reduces to ZER

Remember your role as ,M is to ensure pro ect success by de1eloping effecti1e pro ect teams! +one of the conflict Management strategy given above are invalid, $t depends on the time, goal in mind and your po er as ell as your leadership style.

Conflict 2esolution )echni"ues

Which is the 3est Conflict 2esolution )echni"ue# )his as my one of the most favorite topic for my PMP Certification 1-am preparation and $ did a lot of 4oogling to find the correct ans er 5 hich $ couldn6t find. Since, $ have no passed my PMP Certification 1-am, $6m riting this blog post to share my thoughts ith you regarding the 3est Conflict 2esolution )echni"ue. 2ead this post and let me %no if you agree ith me.

$t is natural for conflicts to arise bet een human beings, and PM$ understands this7 therefore, it is a recogni8ed part of project management and incorporated in the PM39: 4uide. Sources of conflicts include or% schedule priorities, scarcity of resources, personal, technical problems, etc. )here are si- conflict resolution techni"ues, hich $ am going to discuss here one by one, and finally defend the best techni"ue for conflict resolution. Withdra ing or (voiding !ere, the project manager simply chooses to avoid the conflict, and allo s the persons involved in the conflict to find their o n solution. +o action is ta%en by the project manager. Smoothing or (ccommodating !ere, the project manager is involved in the conflict, tries to avoid areas of disagreements, and focuses on commonalities. Smoothing is a ay to avoid tough discussions. Compromising )his is a mid' ay approach. !ere, everybody loses and gains something. (ll parties get some sort of satisfaction. $t is a lose'lose approach. Forcing !ere, a decision is ta%en in favor of one party6s vie point at the e-pense of others. $t can demorali8e the team members and may cause to increase the conflicts. $t is a in'lose approach.

Collaborating )his is an e-ample of a in' in approach. !ere, the project manager ill or% ith all parties to find a resolution that involves multiple vie points and negotiate for the best solution. )his techni"ue reinforces mutual trust and commitment. Problem Solving or Confronting !ere, a conflict ill be treated as a problem for hich the project manager has to find a solution. )he project manager ill conduct an in'depth root cause analysis of the reason for the occurrence of the conflict, encourage open discussions to allo parties to e-press their areas of disagreement, and then arrives at a solution. $ have gone through many boo%s and $nternet resources to loo% for the best problem solving or conflict resolution techni"ue, of course from the perspective of project management. (ma8ingly every here $ got the same ans er ; C9+F29+)$+4 92 P293<1M S9<=$+4 is the best techni"ue for conflict resolution. !9W1=12, $ /9 +9) (4211 W$)! )!$S ; )he job of the project manager is not an easy one, and he has to deal ith many conflicts all the time7 moreover, the %ind of conflicts that he ill face ill not be all of the same %ind, so applying the same techni"ue to all conflicts ould not be justified. !e has to use his judgment and e-perience to decide the best conflict resolution techni"ue, hich is suited best to the situation. Sometimes he ill choose to simply ignore the problem, and some other times he ill force his resolution on the conflict. )he type of techni"ue chosen depends on the situation, timing, and the persons involved in the conflict. 2ole of the Project Manager )he project manager6s role in a nutshell is the overall responsibility for the successful planning, e-ecution, monitoring, control and closure of a project7 i.e. successfully complete the project ithin the constraints of the project, and to achieve this he ill apply the best project management tools > techni"ues available to him. ( project manager is not a ?@/41 hose job is to loo% for root cause of every problem, finding and digging every available detail, each scrap of evidence and then ma%ing the decision as ritten in the la boo%s. For a judge, even though it may ta%e several years, he ill al ays use the problem solving techni"ue for every conflict. ( project manager cannot do this for every conflict. $n the problem solving techni"ue, one ins and another other loses. $t is not correct to say that it is a in' in situation because the person ho loses ill usually be unhappy and unsatisfied even he is rong, and it ould be difficult for him to digest his failure. ( prudent project manager ill try to avoid this situation, and al ays loo% for a solution here he could %eep all parties satisfied. )herefore, he ould more li%ely to choose the C9<<(392()$+4 techni"ue hich is a in' in situation for all. +o , let us see hat the PM39: 4uide says about thisA

Page'BCD, second paragraph E$f conflict escalates, the project manager should help facilitate a satisfactory resolution. Conflict should be addressed early and usually in private, using a direct, collaborative approach.F Page'BBD, last paragraph E; managing conflicts in constructive manner, and encouraging collaborative problem solving and decision'ma%ing.F $ never read in the PM39: 4uide, any here that it suggests to use Problem Solving,Confrontation techni"ue for all conflict resolution7 ho ever, $ notice that the PM39: 4uide is recommending the Collaborative )echni"ue. $t seems that PM$ is agreeing ith me tooG

)hough this topic has become little bigger than e-pected, $ suppose it served the purpose. +o , it is time for you to thin% about it and let me %no your comments. if you are agree ith me, or not. $ am aiting for

$ifference between Change Management ,lan and the Configuration Mangement ,lan Submitted by eldrin.connery on )ue, HD,IJ,BHIH ' IKACB I0 What is the difference bet een Change Management Plan and the Configuration Mangement Plan since the t o plans almost loo% the same. B0 (lso, if e have change control procedures in the Change Management Plan . hich $ guess e have only I Change management plan for the entire project0 then hy do e need sections to manage changes in the Cost, Scope and Schedule Management and other plans# C0 Finally, change management plan and configuration management plan are part of the Project Management Plan hile $ thin% change control system and Configuration management system is a part of the 1nterprise 1nvironmental factor. So if e have these systems then hy do e need these plans # (re these plans a part of the respective systems and if yes then shouldnt the B systems also be a part of the project management plan# $ guess $ am getting really confused in seeing the real significance and the difference bet een each of these systems andf the plans. -orums: Change Management ,lan 1s! Configuration Management ,lan (lthough $ have replied to the same "uestion at some other forum, $ that others may benefit from it as ell. ould li%e to repeat the ans er so

(ccording to the PM39: guide the E( change management plan documents ho changes ill be monitored and controlledF. E)he change management plan defines the process for managing change on the project.F .PM39: pgA KI, IBL0.

PM39: defines the configuration management plan as, E)he configuration management plan defines those items that are configurable, those items that re"uire formal change control, and the process for controlling changes to such items.F .PM39: pgAIBL0

)he change management plan is more generic in nature and directs ho any change to any of the project baselines and other areas needs to be managed. 9n the other hand, the configuration management plan only directs ho any change related to the project configuration needs to be managed. 3efore $ go in a little detail, let6s first see hat does the term EconfigurationF meansA

( EconfigurationF is the identified and documented functional and physical characteristics of a product, result, service, or component. )hat is, the physical and non'physical attributes of the product or service you are producing as an output of your project.

+o let6s see this from a different angle. *ou are carrying out a project to produce either a service or product. )he project or% itself is the process and the service or product you produce is the output of this process. )he change management plan directs ho changes to the EprocessF need to be done, hile the configuration management plan directs ho changes to the EoutputF need to be done.

+o , let6s address your second "uestion. Whenever there is a change in the project, e have t o situations at hand. First, e need to analy8e the change and determine hether the change is necessary and viable, and then get it approved. )he change management plan clearly directs us ho e are going to get a change re"uest approved, but it does not tell us ho to analy8e the impacts. $f e have a change re"uest, e first need to analy8e it and have to determine hich project areas .%no ledge areas0 this change affects. We ill the visit the respective %no ledge area6s monitor and control processes to analy8e the change in a greater detail before e try to get the change re"uest approved. 2espective %no ledge areas6 management plans help us here as they provide directions ho to analy8e any change and its impact in that particular area.

+o let6s hit your third "uestion. Please don6t confuse the Echange control systemF and the Econfiguration control systemF as something readily available in the enterprise environmental factors. )he change control system and the configuration control system are your project'specific systems driven by your project6s Echange management planF and the Econfiguration management planF respectively.

Please note that Econfiguration management systemF is listed in the enterprise environmental factors as the organi8ational asset in the form of the project management information system, hich is a soft are. *ou can only use this soft are if your organi8ation has got a license to it. 1ven if the organi8ation has a license, this is just a soft are, and you need to setup it ith your Econfiguration management planF.

Secondly, Echange control proceduresF and Econfiguration management %no ledge basesF are also available in the organi8ational process assets. $f these are available, these contain the information your organi8ation has already captured during earlier projects. 1ven if you have access to these, you have to tailor it into your project'specific Echange controlF and Econfiguration controlF plans to meet your needs.

$ hope this ans ers all of your "uestions.