1. Managing Computer Professionals
Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

2. George Mason University
Learning Objectives
Understand the supervisory role of managers
Understand the organizing role of managers
Understanding differences between IT workers and other professionals
12/16/2019
George Mason University

3. Managers Perform Many Functions
12/16/2019
George Mason University

4. You Have Been Managing Computer Professionals
Motivate, coordinate and maintain control
Each project has a manager
The idea is to give you first hand experience of management
How have you done as team manager?
Most have run projects as separate contracts with individual team members
Some have brought entire team together
Others have done little coordination but enthusiastically participated as any team member
12/16/2019
George Mason University

5. Is Management a Science?
A science that we can learn through review of field and laboratory experiments.
An art that we can learn by doing. Most reasonable people can manage.
An insight that we can get from other successful managers.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

6. George Mason University
What Is Management?
Getting tasks done through others.
In small organizations, or for new managers, it is often easier to get the task done yourself. How many of the group managers felt it was easier if they had done the assignment themselves?
12/16/2019
George Mason University

7. How Does Management Differ From Clinical Work?
Managerial skills are different from technical, or clinical skills
Helping others accomplish the task as opposed to doing it yourself
Budget and planning as opposed to providing service with existing resources
System thinking as opposed to focusing on individual patients
Any other?
12/16/2019
George Mason University

8. Can Management Be Learned?
Good managers were not borne with their skills.
Management is not a personality trait.
The first step in learning management skills is accepting the need for them.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

9. Management Is Not Common Sense
The association between management and common sense is so strong as many equate a person "who cannot manage" with a person "who has no common sense and maybe is a little crazy" .
But management and leadership is a learned concept.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

10. What Would Common Sense Tell Us Are the Answers to …
If you pay someone for doing something they enjoy, they will come to like this task even more?
Most people prefer challenging jobs with a great deal of freedom and autonomy
Most people are more concerned with the size of their own salary than with the salary of others
In bargaining with others it is usually best to start with a moderate offer -- near to the one you desire.
In most cases, leaders should stick to their decisions once they have made them, even if it appears they are wrong.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

11. Problem With Common Sense in Management
The advice is often based on analogies & play on words that can be terribly misleading: “A camel is a horse put together by a committee." The image of camel as a distorted horse may make us believe that committees produce convoluted products.  But in truth team work is useful.
Organizations can become victims of the latest management fads. When advice is not based on data, organization may go from one guru to another in search of success that eludes them because they are not looking at data on what works. 
12/16/2019
George Mason University

12. Which one did you do in your team?
Management Functions
Forecasting
Planning
Organizing
Staffing
Influencing
Controlling
Negotiating
Un-organizing
Which one did you do in your team?
12/16/2019
George Mason University

13. George Mason University
Forecasting
Predicting the future is difficult.
One advantage that managers do have in forecasting the future is that they can takes steps to make the anticipated future come about.
Forecasts assume that history repeats itself; That there are lessons to learn from how events have occurred in the past.
Predicting future business operations and functions is by far more important than keeping pace with technology.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

14. Different Ways of Planning
Asking people to do as they are told
Parallel organizations
Creating a champion for the idea
Involving large number of employees in the planning process
How did you plan fir your teams?
12/16/2019
George Mason University

15. George Mason University
Organizing
Managers organize by assigning tasks to various employees
Specialization
Departmentalization
Span of management
Assigning of authority
Assigning of responsibilities
Unity of command
Line and staff assignments
For computer professionals: Networked & remote tasks requires organization of social gatherings, legal contracts, etc.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

16. George Mason University
Staffing
Staffing is the process of hiring personnel to work on the task
Staffing also means looking after employees careers
The environment for telecommuting workers is specially difficult
Health insurance
Communication
Education
12/16/2019
George Mason University

17. George Mason University
Influencing
Self interest
Pay & benefits
Continued employment
Other
Challenge
Social network
Reminders
Communication
Attribution
Work norms
What did you do?
12/16/2019
George Mason University

18. Controlling & Negotiating
Managers control budgets, resource allocation, and product quality
Direct control or self control through data
Version control
Fair play
12/16/2019
George Mason University

19. George Mason University
Un-organizing
It is seldom realized but one of the functions of a manger is to dismantle organizations. 
Often the case with legacy systems.
Rarely, managers need to dismantle the entire organization.
Managers choose or may have to fire employees.
Managers need to continuously improve work processes.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

20. Supervision of Remote Workers
Data contradict the myth that office workers have an advantage over home based workers in their access to new training.
Home based professionals are more committed to the work than to the company.
Home based workers are more likely to be women, married and with children.
Judged based on their productivity than based on their effort.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

21. Supervision of Remote Workers
Office workers say that their work load is irregular.
Office workers say they are more productive outside the office.
Home based groups were more likely to visit customers.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

22. Supervision of Remote Workers
Less than 20% of home workers and more than 80% of office workers say that their work requires daily communication.
Home work is more likely to be organized in smaller self contained activities than office work.
Home based computer programmers assumed more responsibility for cost and time estimates for the job, testing the link among programs.
12/16/2019
George Mason University

23. Supervision of Remote Workers
Office based groups seem to put more emphasize on income (pay and promotion)
Home based group seem to emphasize the nature of the work (interesting work, flexible assignments, and keeping up their skills). 
12/16/2019
George Mason University

24. Are Programmers Different From Clinicians?
Mogg says: “They are probably very task oriented, intelligent, and independent workers. They may lack the interpersonal skills of the average employee.”
Rabeno says: “Programmers are varied.”
Lloyd says: “The most obvious answer is that some are and some aren't.”
Wray says: “Absolutely, Programmers are 100% different.”
12/16/2019
George Mason University

25. Are Programmers Different From Clinicians?
On–site and off-site
Challenge, training, customer relation, etc
Working with machines versus people
Uninterrupted work process
Work hours
Language and communication styles
Disdain for hierarchy (cluster organizations)
Power based on shared information versus unique skills
12/16/2019
George Mason University

26. George Mason University
Table of Content
Learning Objectives
Managers Perform Many Functions
Is Management a Science?
What Is Management?
How Does Management Differ From Clinical Work?
Can Management Be Learned?
Management Is Not Common Sense
Management Functions
Forecasting
Different Ways of Planning
Organizing
Staffing
Influencing
Controlling & Negotiating
Un-organizing
Supervision of Remote Workers
12/16/2019
George Mason University