Then, along comes a manager who accelerates a slipping schedule by saying, "Things WILL get done on this project."

So, manager's pet project gets ur'gent attention throughout hierarchy. (But, nobody tallies cost for other projects that fall behind as a result.)

Project teams are an effective way to reduce elapsed time from project startup to completion. Project teams tend to keep their focus on tasks that advance their project goals, even if workers are sometimes idle or not working in their primary area.

The functional hierarchy is company's permanent management structure and is lar'ger context for a temporary project team to streamline production from an iterative process.

There's definitely a tradeoff.

If you create a separate, although temporary, organization for a project team, you will most likely breach established accountabilities, Position Contracts, and hierarchical staff/line relationships.

To review (from PVT 17):

* A proper hierarchy has three important rules:

1. No manager may give a command or communicate information to anyone except his or her immediate subordinates.

2. Information and/or requests presented in violation of line relationship must be rejected immediately.

3. No one can report to (be "line to") more than one other person.

* Line Relationships

In a LINE RELATIONSHIP, boss is"line to" his or her subordinates, specified by lines on Org Chart. For example, your boss is "line to" you and has authority to give commands and substantive information to you as his or her immediate subordinate.

* Staff Relationships

In a STAFF RELATIONSHIP, neither person has authority to give commands or substantive information to other. (If you are NOT "line to" or "subordinate to" someone, you are automatically"staff to" that person.)

Thus, when you create a project team, you may create management problems that you should carefully consider.

Still, you can use management tools, such as, Contractual Commitments and Controlling Calendars to minimize possible stumbling blocks.

It would probably be easier to create a separate project team hierarchy for a long-term than to "loan" employees intermittently.

============================================================ How to save time developing specifications ============================================================

You can waste a lot of resources creating formal, detailed specifications at start of a project.

Why? Because requirements inevitably change during project development. A further risk is that market might change by time you finish developing your products.

So, in a dynamic market it is more effective to begin development and let requirements evolve based on feedback from new understandings and changing market conditions.

This way you can prioritize work on product features according to their relative importance.

You decide.

What did you learn today that you found most beneficial?

How will you apply what you have learned at work?

Best Regards,

Mike Hayden, Principal/Consultant Your partner in streamlining business.

PS. If you're not on our P V T Roster, sign up (fr#e) at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com

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(c) 2005 Mike Hayden, All rights reserved. You may use material from Profitable Venture Tactics eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live website links and email link.

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(c) 2005 Mike Hayden

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