Reports are great and useful tools, but the most important factor to a successful project is PEOPLE.\u00a0This Tip of the Month discusses\u00a0practical tips that have yielded strong positive results on oil and gas projects. The most important factor to a successful project is PEOPLE.\u00a0There are many books, processes, measures, graphs, reports, meetings, web pages\u00a0and software products for monitoring projects, but most of these miss the key to a successful project.\u00a0Processes and skills, with the right tools, at the right time coupled with\u00a0MOTIVATION\u00a0is the major key to success.<\/p>\n
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Many cost estimates are based on the average productivity of the average worker. Welding, for example, has many tables calculating inch\/day completed for a given pipe diameter and pipe schedule.\u00a0But what if you could get superior results, and not spend more money?\u00a0What if you could create a project culture that motivates your workers to dramatically exceed expectations for no additional money or even save money?\u00a0And that there is a scientific basis that has been known in business schools of management since the 1950s. Develop a MOTIVATION MINDSET for your project\u2026How can I increase motivation?<\/p>\n
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SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR MOTIVATION:<\/strong><\/p>\n Herzberg [1] describes how to motivate employees. He presented a hypothesis\u00a0which\u00a0 has\u00a0been validated in 12 investigations (Figure 1), and the results are repeatable and should resonate with you. It will with your project team!\u00a0Herzberg indicates that there are two factors that motivate or demotivate people.\u00a0He calls them intrinsic motivators and extrinsic hygiene factors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Figure 1.<\/strong>\u00a0Factors affecting job attitudes as reported in 12 investigations [1]\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Extrinsic Hygiene Issues:<\/strong>\u00a0These are things that normally exist in any project and are similar to table stakes.\u00a0For example, salary is not identified as a major source of motivation.\u00a0You need to meet competitive salaries, but increasing the salary past that point will not increase or decrease motivation.\u00a0You can see from Figure 1 that the major source of job dissatisfaction is the hygiene issue, company policy or administration. Herzberg indicates that these issues are extrinsic and can result in disciplinary action. (Bureaucracy)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Intrinsic Motivators:<\/strong>\u00a0The strongest motivators for job satisfaction were\u00a0achievement\u00a0and recognition.\u00a0This is why the polo shirts work every time. It couples recognition and achievement.<\/p>\n The take away from this as a project manager is to look for ways to recognize achievement and remove red tape and bureaucracy!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 9 Practical Tips for Motivating Oil and Gas Teams<\/strong><\/p>\n Tip\u00a0# 1:<\/strong>\u00a0 Team T-shirts\/Polo Shirts\/Baseball Caps\/Coverall Patches\/Hardhat Stickers<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Motivator(s): Team Spirit \/ Achievement<\/strong><\/p>\n Most projects use these, and this is nothing new.\u00a0 But you can spend the same amount of money and get dramatically different results.\u00a0 How?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n AVERAGE PROJECT:\u00a0Project polo shirts are given out to team\u00a0members\/workers. It builds a team and increases esprit de corps.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n MOTIVATED PROJECT:\u00a0The same number of polos are purchased, but only handed out to a few people that you recognize at a project meeting in the office or the field.\u00a0 The difference is how the game is played. In order to get a shirt, you have to find a way to reduce cost, improve productivity, shorten project schedule\u00a0or improve quality. After you pass out the first shirts and recognize thestaff,\u00a0after the meeting ends you have 100 people looking for ways to reduce cost and improve performance.\u00a0 They are all going to get shirts eventually, but you will have people looking for and finding ways to improve your project\u00a0performance\/success. People find what they are focused on.<\/p>\n This option costs the same amount of money, but the results are dramatically different simply by the way the game is played and how it is implemented.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tip # 2:<\/strong>\u00a0How a $40 Buck knife can change the mindset.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Motivator(s):\u00a0<\/strong>Achievement \/ Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n I had Buck knives engraved with the project logo and had them ready to pass out to reward achievement.\u00a0The game was you had to complete your task safely and meet the scope-budget-schedule.\u00a0If you were a technician with a one day job or a welder on the job for the duration you\u00a0were presented\u00a0the award when you completed your task.\u00a0 How did this save money?\u00a0 It costs the project $200 per worker to\u00a0drug\u00a0test. We could prevent\/reduce attrition by playing this game and saving not only drug testing money but also not constantly having to retrain workers and fight the learning curve. Other projects in the area had a 10% attrition rate and workers were hard to attract and retain.\u00a0Fluor Daniel sent several VP\u2019s to the work site to find out what kind of Club Med we were running since our attrition rate was extremely low.\u00a0Our project had a base load of 100 workers and a one year schedule.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tip # 3:<\/strong>\u00a0Paid Days Off<\/p>\n Motivator(s): Achievement \/ Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n During the\u00a0project, we had several critical milestones that were MUST DO\u2019s.\u00a0 Paid overtime is extremely expensive but given a group of highly motivated employees the milestones can be met.\u00a0 I offered two paid days off if we met the target date.\u00a0 I had to use this tip several times during the project and was successful each time without overtime.\u00a0 If you want to have significant results you have to give significant rewards\u2026.Achievement \/ Recognition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tip # 4:<\/strong>\u00a0Give gift certificates instead of spending money on X-rays and rework.<\/p>\n Motivator(s): Achievement \/ Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n We are required to X-ray a certain percentage of welds by code, but if I can get the welder to weld well and not have any busts, I save on rework, waste, schedule\u00a0and\u00a0cost.\u00a0 I\u2019d tell\u00a0them\u00a0if all of their welds pass inspection for the day I\u2019d give them a $100 gift card.\u00a0 I got a lot of high welding productivity results\u2026every time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tip # 5:<\/strong>\u00a0Take an interest in the work they are doing and complement them.<\/p>\n Motivator(s): Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n If the client doesn\u2019t understand or appreciate a job well done, why should the worker?\u00a0 I am not an electrical engineer, but I remember visiting with an electrical contractor who was reading somedrawings\u00a0and using some tools and jigs to make certain that the conduit spacing and mechanical workmanship looked great.\u00a0 I took an interest in what he was doing, learned a few things,\u00a0complimentedhim, and left him feeling that someone appreciated the job and craftsmanship he was putting into his work.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tip # 6:\u00a0<\/strong>Remember, \u201cPeople may never remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.\u201d<\/p>\n Motivator(s): Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tip # 7:<\/strong>\u00a0Build a Reputation of Delivering Services of Unmatched Value<\/p>\n Motivator(s): Relationship with Supervisors and Peers \/ Achievement<\/strong><\/p>\n I learned this from a Fluor project manager.\u00a0 We would meet every month to discuss where we were and where we were going.\u00a0 He had the standard sets of project graphs and metrics, but with a few twists.\u00a0 He never would drop off the report for me to read.\u00a0 He always took me through the report to show me the added value. He never assumed I would read, decipher or understand what value was being delivered.\u00a0 He showed the Achievement and Results.\u00a0 Fluor Daniel had a motto at the time:\u00a0\u201cDelivering Engineering Services of Unmatched Value\u201d<\/strong>\u2026and they delivered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tip # 8:<\/strong>\u00a0Reward Safe Working Performance.<\/p>\n Motivator(s):\u00a0<\/strong>Achievement \/ Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n The game was that I would personally cook steak for everyone once a month if there were no lost time or first aid accidents…\u00a0 I had the privilege of serving steak every month for a year.\u00a0 The cost savings are enormous.\u00a0 As a side\u00a0note,\u00a0you need to start cooking at 9 am for a party of 100 hungry\u00a0craftsmen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tip # 9:<\/strong>\u00a0Habitability<\/p>\n Motivator(s): Work Conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n Give them a safe, warm, convenient, comfortable place to eat or take a break.\u00a0 Require your contractors to provide employees with clean, well maintained, professional coveralls\u00a0and PPE.\u00a0 It\u2019s a statement of professionalism and craftsmanship. Below is a sign at the entrance to a commercial construction site in Katy, Texas.\u00a0 The local staff\u00a0keep\u00a0a \u201cCuss Jar\u201d to eliminate or reduce profanity, and tobacco use.\u00a0 They donated the fines to charity at the end of the year and had the team photographed for the local paper making a nice donation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Figure 2.<\/strong>\u00a0Set Expectations High<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Setting high expectations and a professional working environment yields the following results:<\/p>\n -Safer workplace<\/p>\n -More productive workplace<\/p>\n -Increased professionalism and respect<\/p>\n \n As one engineer told me, \u201cI have never regretted paying for quality\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Figure 3.<\/strong>\u00a0Remember to Supercharge your Project [2]<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n SUMMARY:<\/strong><\/p>\n A motivation mindset generates successful results.\u00a0 Remember to apply Herzberg\u2019s principles [1] to your next project.\u00a0 Supercharge, turbocharge\u00a0and motivate your staff!<\/p>\n To learn more about similar cases and how to minimize operational problems, we suggest attending ourFPM2 (Project Management in Upstream Development Projects)<\/a>,\u00a0FPM62 (Advanced Project Management)<\/a>,\u00a0G4 (<\/strong>Gas Conditioning and Processing)<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0G5 (<\/strong>Advanced Applications in Gas Processing)<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong>PF3\u00a0<\/strong>(Concept Selection and Specification of Production Facilities in Field Development Projects<\/a>)\u00a0andPF49\u00a0<\/strong>(Troubleshooting Oil & Gas Processing Facilities)<\/a>\u00a0courses.<\/p>\n PetroSkills\u00a0<\/em>offers consulting expertise on this subject and many others. For more information about these services, visit our website at\u00a0http:\/\/petroskills.com\/consulting<\/a>, or email us at\u00a0consulting@PetroSkills.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Written by: James F. Langer, P.E.<\/em><\/p>\n Sign up to receive Tip of the Month email updates!<\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.petroskills.com\/website\/var\/tmp\/image-thumbnails\/0\/2852\/thumb__auto_5100bd88df0075e780bbfb26685378c0\/graph.png\")
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