Getting What You Pay For - Resource Performance Issues

By Denise DeCarlo, PMP

Being a project manager is tough; we have lots to manage and juggle.  Dealing with people performance issues is something we typically don’t have time for – but must manage if our projects are going to be successful.  In this article we’ll discuss the common resource performance issues a project manager has to manage and options on how to best deal with these challenges.

When we suspect that we have resource performance issues, we need to ask lots of questions to assess if this issue is due to lack of skill, poor attitude, too many things on the plate, the work not being clearly defined and communicated, or a personal issue which is impacting the person’s work capabilities.  Here’s a list of good questions to assist in the evaluation process:

1. Can you clearly describe your work assignment?
2. How many hours did you work on this task this week vs. the number of hours you planned to work? (If they can’t answer this question you need to get a mechanism in place to track time accordingly.)
3. Are you enjoying the work you are doing?
4. What do you like (or not like) about the work you are doing right now?
5. What is the total number of hours you worked per week over the last month (Are they working tons of overtime and possibly are fatigued?)
6. What obstacles stopped you from completing the task on time?
7. Do you have questions on how to complete the assigned task?
8. What else are you working on other than this task?
9. Have you done this type of work before?
10. Do you like to be challenged at work, or would you prefer to work on something that you’ve successfully done before?
11. Did you participate in defining the hours and duration required to complete this task?
12. Is there anything happening that is impacting your ability to work the designated hours on this project?
13. When was the last time you had a vacation?
14.  Describe what happens during a great day at work
15. How long have you been in this position?
16. Are you bored with this job and ready to do something else?
17. What are your professional goals for the next five years?

The answers to these questions guide us in determining if we have a personnel issue. The possibilities are nearly endless, but there are a few common issues that appear in the project management world. We will take a look at these common performance issues:

1. The person was never told what they needed to do – or were not specifically told the expectations
2. The person truly does not have the skills to complete the work
3. The person has too many things on their plate (some items are likely not even project related) and they are trying to make everyone happy

Let’s address each of these items one at a time.

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