GLOBAL

PROJECT
MANAGEMENT

Efforts Made by: Amit Garg AP, MIMIT, Malout

 What is Global
Team?
 A global team is when the Project Manager
(PM) or leader is managing his/her team in
minimum of two or more countries.

 When the distance among the team

members in which, travel is required for
physical contact.
 The use of direct phone calls, conference calls, and
video conferencing become essential cost-saving
tools.
Project Management -Best Practices:
Achieving Global Excellence, 2nd Edition.
Harold R. Kerzner
Global Project Management
 The single-region world we used to know has
became more global.
 Technology builds bridges by preventing
unnecessary travel and saves time.
 Allows customers and companies to work together in
more efficient and profitable manner.
 Conference Calls, multiple people to join call in remote
locations.
 Video Conferencing, avoids unnecessary travel and cuts
cost.
 Instant Messages (IM), avoids distraction of face-to-face
Q&A.
 Short Message Service (SMS), is a text messaging
service component for cellular phone.
 Managing Global
Teams
PM’s Must Track.
Performance-how is project coming along.
Communication-prevents
miscommunication and tracks progress.
Accuracy-correctness of quality.
Productivity-production and return on
investment (ROI).
Deadlines-targets, short-term goals/long-
term goals.
Attendance-employee presences at work.
Have Respect for Everyone
 No matter, what you do always have respect
for each cultures
 Holidays, each country has different Government
holidays.
 Activities, your team members should participate.
 Do not let, work boundaries filter into home and/or
life boundaries.
 Showing that you have respect for your team
 Recognizing, that there is a life outside work.

Employees who feel you care, will work

that extra mile when needed.
Time Zones
 When managing global team you will be making
conference call at all hours of the day.
 India as late as 11 p.m.
 Egypt as earlier as 4 a.m.
 Prepare for conference call.
 Have all necessary documents at reach, to issue any
concerns immediately.
 Always be well-rested to think clearly and critically.
 Be Prepared to answer difficult to challenging questions.
 Escalate those questions or concerns to the appropriate party.
 Scheduled for two meetings at the same time
 Leverage the calls to your team members.
 Stress the importance to your team about jotting notes on
“ACTION ITEMS” and “QUESTIONS UNANSWERED”.
 Different Language Barriers
 International most non-English
companies usually speakers.
establish a common  Understanding non-
language for the verbal communication
exchange of  Vocabulary
information.  Ability to make
 English analogies
 Spanish  Tell stories
 Mandarin  Understand jokes
 Create Team
Synergy
 No matter where your teams are located.
 Conduct virtual live meetings.
 Have a few strategic gatherings for all the
members on each team to meet.
 Build the bridge on trust.

 Investing upfront in your team will also go a long

way toward success. Especially, when the
tasks or timelines become critical.
Leadership by Exception
Some Successful PM’s use Tracking Tools
By creating the right metrics, gathers the right

information.

Keeps everyone apprised of the status of
the program.

There is no reason to have an exorbitant

amount of status meetings. Stop doing it!
Project Management -Best Practices:
Achieving Global Excellence John Wiley & Sons
Harold R. Kerzner 2nd Edition. Nov 4, 2010
 Set Goals & Celebrate
Achievement
Regardless, of where your Global Team is
located have:

Vision, of what needs to be accomplished.

 Goals, are articulated.
 Follow-up, the goals are being met.
When there are challenges:
 Reach out, to the team virtually, to gather
brainstorming ideas.
 Suggestions, always offer solutions and comments
to improve processes and streamline procedures.
 Questions
Arises
 If something goes wrong? The PM or
Superior, must be made aware, ASAP. NO
EXCEPTIONS!
Provide your PM or Superior with choices of solutions to solve the
problem or challenge.
 Provide brisk evaluation of the Pro’s and Con’s to each solution.
 Attain approval prior to informing the Customer or Sr. Management,
and Executive Management of the situation.
 Do not go over your superiors head, without making them aware of
the situation.
 Who would you recommend to escalate the task or questions.
 When trying to attain answer quickly.
 Send SMS, send IM, send email, and contact individuals directly by
phone.

For example, sitting in meeting you silently send

 Benefits of Global Project
Management
 Companies that used to operate in only one
country in the 90’s and earlier.
 In the 21st century companies operate globally.
 The benefits for operating globally.
 Helps to increase the consumer bases.
 Increases sales.
 Decreases operational costs.
 Manufacturing for product
 Labor
 Employee Benefits
 Healthcare, Dental, and Vision
 401k, Pension, and Purchase of Company Stocks
 Personal-Time-Off (PTO), Sick Leave, and Vacation Leave
CONT. Benefits of Global Project
Management
 Satisfied customers, whether you are the
customer of your own project.
 Completing project on-time, by staying on
budget.
 Recruiting subject matter experts for
specific areas.
 Benefits for Managing Global
Teams
 Accesses New Skill Levels
 New perspective on situations.
 Local knowledge of distant users.
 Provides 24-hour coverage using normal
shift workers
 More gets done, as other countries sleep.
 Overseas few specific projects for the organization.
 Lower Operational Costs
 Lower taxes
 Employee wages
 Lower benefits costs
Project Management Historical
 In the1940’s
 Line Managers (LM) functioned as PM’s used the
concept “over-the fence” to manage projects.
 Each LM
 Would perform the work necessitated by his/her
team.
 When completed
 The LM would throw the ball (project) over the fence
for the next team to complete their section.
 Once, the ball was thrown over the fence
 The LM would wash their hands of any responsibility
from that p
Project Management -Best Practices:
John Wiley & Sons
Achieving Global Excellence, 2 n Edition.
d

Harold R. Kerzner Nov 4, 2010

How did the Project Fail?
 If a Project Failed?
 The blame was immediately placed on whichever
LM that had the ball, at the that time.
 What are the Problems with this Scenario?
 The LM’s are at fault for other LM’s mistakes and
errors.
 The wrong LM’s are answering the questions, from
the customers.
 There is no Quality Assurance (QA) in affect.
QA would have verified the work was completed in
a c c u r a te l y fashion to the customers
Project Man age m en t -B e st P rac ti ces:
John Wiley & Sons
expectations.
Achieving Global Excellence, 2 Edition.
nd

Harold R. Kerzner Nov 4, 2010

Problems with Line Managers
 Responsibility Customer had no Signal
Point of Contacts to Ask Questions.
 Customers wanted first-hand explanation from the
specific LM, who had the ball.
 Once, that ball was thrown that LM is no longer
associated to that project or would answer any
questions.

Bad Management and Customer

Service!
Project Management -Best Practices:
Achieving Global Excellence, 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons
Harold R. Kerzner Nov 4, 2010
 Challenges with Managing Global
Team
 Global Team Communication is Hard
 Involves multiple languages.
 Can be expensive.
 Time Differences are Inconvenient
 Being located in India and calling the United States
 In India time is 11 p.m. and the United States its 1p.m.
 In Dubai its 1 a.m. and the United States its 1p.m.
 Australia 4 a.m. and the United States its 8 a.m.

 Work Styles
 Cultural variations may lead to difficulties.
 Prevent misunderstandings by following-up with
emails.
 Jobs in Global Project
Management
 Global Project  Global Training
Manager and Development
 Global Logistics  Global Hosting-
Analyst Storage Job
 Global Marketing  Global Tax
 Global Supply Chain Accounting
 Global Sales and  Global IT Service
Marketing Manager
 Global Operations  Global Risk
Excellence Management
 Global Sales
 QUESTIONS,
COMMENTS, OR

SUGGESTIONS?
REFERENCES
 Kerzner, H. (2010). Project management -
best practices: Achieving global excellence .
(2nd ed.). United States of America: John
Wiley & Sons.
 Kendrick, T. (2010). The project management
tool kit: 100 tips and techniques for getting the
job done right. (2nd ed.). United States:
Amoncon.
 REFERENCES
 PMI. (2013). Global project management .
Retrieved from http://www.pmi.org/Knowledge-
Center/Knowledge-Shelf/Global-Project-
Management.aspxhttp://www.pmi.org/Knowledg
e
-Center/Knowledge-Shelf/Global-Project-
Management.aspx
 Sabitino, J. (2012). Successful project

management . (5th ed.). United States of

America: South-Western-Cengage Learning.