Workforce management ensures the right people are assigned to the right tasks at the right time. It includes resource planning, acquisition, development, and performance management.
Organizational Structures
Structure
PM Authority
Best For
Functional
Low (coordinator role)
Stable, routine projects
Matrix (Weak)
Low to Moderate
Cross-functional with functional managers retaining power
Matrix (Balanced)
Moderate
Shared authority between PM and functional managers
Matrix (Strong)
Moderate to High
PM has significant authority, dedicated team
Projectized
High (full authority)
High-priority, complex projects
Staffing Plans and Succession Planning
A staffing plan identifies when team members are needed, their roles, and how they will be onboarded and released. Succession planning prepares the project for key personnel changes by developing backup resources and cross-training team members.
Balanced Scorecard
A strategic planning framework that translates vision into four perspectives:
Financial — How do we look to shareholders?
Customer — How do customers see us?
Internal Business Processes — What must we excel at?
Learning & Growth — How can we continue to improve?
Virtual Teams
Remote and distributed teams are increasingly common. Best practices include:
Clear communication protocols and tooling
Regular synchronous check-ins and async updates
Cultural awareness and time zone management
Virtual team-building activities
Documented processes and knowledge sharing
Case Study: Automattic (WordPress) operates with over 1,200 employees across 70+ countries. They use async communication (P2, Slack), grant high autonomy, and rely on written documentation. Their distributed model requires strong self-discipline and exceptional written communication skills.
Practice Task: For a project with 10 team members distributed across 3 time zones, design a staffing plan showing roles, availability, and timeline. Choose an organizational structure and justify it. Create a balanced scorecard with 3 objectives under each of the four perspectives.