CH-10 The Project Manager – Successful Project Management : Chapter Notes

CHAPTER 10: The Project Manager Chapter Concepts It is the people, not the procedures and techniques, who are critical to accomplishing the project objective. Procedures and techniques are merely tools that help people do their jobs. For example, an artist needs to have paint, canvas, and brushes to paint a portrait, but it is the skills and knowledge of the artist that allow a portrait to be created with these tools. So, too, in project management are the skills and knowledge of the people involved vital for producing the desired result. This chapter focuses on one very important person: the project manager. Based upon this chapter, students will become familiar with • The responsibilities of the project manager • The skills needed to successfully manage projects and ways to develop project manager competence • Approaches to effective delegation • How the project manager can manage and control changes to the project Learning Outcomes After studying this chapter, the learner should be able to: • Discuss three responsibilities of a project manager • Identify, explain, and practice at least five skills and abilities a project manager should have • Describe and take actions to develop project manager competence • Discuss and practice effective delegation • Explain how to manage changes Project Management Knowledge Areas from PMBOK® Guide Concepts in this chapter support the following Project Management Knowledge Areas of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide): • Project Integration Management • Project Human Resource Management • Project Stakeholder Management Teaching Strategies 1. The two vignettes reinforce the skills necessary for project managers and the value of project management techniques. Having good business acumen is valuable to help not make decisions that could negatively impact the success of a project. Project managers have the opportunity to create an environment for success as done in the development of the wastewater treatment facility. Collocation and innovations in communication helped include feedback from stakeholders that were internal and external to the project team. 2. Have students examine projects that use and do not use project management. Ask them how using project management skills would be valuable. 3. Many times people say that a project is too small to need project management. Have students apply project management techniques to their work for one week. They should write their plan and list the tasks, durations, and due dates for the week and any additional resources they will need to accomplish the tasks. At the end of the week, ask students to compare the week to other weeks and assess what went differently. Usually, students will find that they achieved so much more and wasted less time because of the plan. 4. Let the class develop three to five questions for each person to ask a project manager, and then ask students to find a project manager to interview. Next have the class examine the responses for trends. Were any of the trends new to the students? Lecture Notes 1. Real-World Project Management Examples Vignette A: Mind Your Business Understanding the business acumen helps project managers be able to communicate with executives and clients in a more concise way and be able to focus projects to meet the business objectives of the company. • Organizational planning and decision making by project managers is more than choosing between which team member should be assigned a task or implementing a change that will impact the project’s progress. • Planning and decisions include understanding what drives business objectives and how the marketing, finance, operations, and other functions of an organization impact how a project meets the organization’s long-term objectives and strategic plans. • Having well-informed business acumen helps increase the confidence and credibility project managers exhibit when communicating with upper management. • A project manager’s development of business acumen extends to learning about the clients’ business objectives. • To gain valuable insight about a company, project managers could review public documents, listen to shareholder reports, or pay attention to competitors to spot successes and failures. • Informal discussions with customers, one-on-one meetings with executives and team leaders, and water-cooler conversations with co-workers help to develop an increased understanding of what really matters to an organization. The development of relationships and increased communication help a project manager more easily describe how their projects deliver value to an organization. Minding the business helps the project manager to avoid inadvertently making a decision that could negatively impact a project’s success in meeting the needs of the organization. Vignette B: The Right Combination A team that built a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility in Spokane, Washington using technological advances, collocation of key team members, stakeholder meetings, and sustainable processes. • Population growth, elimination of septic systems, and effluent water quality standards created a critical need for the development of a new Spokane County Regional Water Reclamation Facility in Spokane County, Washington, USA. • The project team used a design, build, and operate approach with the goal to provide the greatest possible value while minimizing the short-term capital expenses and the long-term operating costs. • Calculations indicated that the design, build, and operate approach could save up to 15 percent of the total project costs for design and construction compared to the design, bid, and build approach. • The winning bid was required to have the facility operational in 3.5 years. ○ Partnering with a third-party facilitator at the start of the project ensured clearly defined goals and milestones. ○ The project team accepted input from the project owners, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders for the project. ○ The project manager collocated the key project team members with county personnel to facilitate expedient resolution of any problems and increase the sharing of creative ideas. ○ Open communication and document sharing were implemented to provide information during meetings, reviews, and workshops. ○ The project team took advantage of local expertise and reduced expenses for labor by subcontracting companies located in the Spokane area. ○ The project manager delegated authority for the construction of the educational facility, the main offices, a laboratory, and the control center. ○ All the project teams were committed to technical innovation to meet the stringent requirements of the project related to effluent discharge requirements and public health and safety. ○ The project manager led a team committed to sustainable development. The facility received the 2012 National Design-Build Award in the water and wastewater category for the project team’s approach for a single point of responsibility for the design and construction services. The project manager, the project team, and the stakeholders were the right combination to develop a state-of-the-art treatment facility in Spokane County. 2. Project Manager Responsibilities A. Overview • It is the responsibility of the project manager to make sure the customer is satisfied that the work is completed in a high-quality manner, within budget, and on time. • The project manager has primary responsibility for providing leadership in planning, organizing, and controlling the work effort to accomplish the project objective. • The project manager coordinates the activities of the various team members to ensure they perform the right tasks at the proper time, as a cohesive group. B. Planning • The project manager clearly defines the project objective and reaches agreement with the customer on it. • The manager then communicates this objective to the project team to create a vision of what will constitute its successful accomplishment. • The project manager spearheads development of a plan to achieve the project objective. • The project manager reviews the plan with the customer to gain endorsement and then sets up a project management information system for comparing actual to planned progress. C. Organizing • Organizing includes securing the appropriate resources to perform the work. • The project manager must decide which tasks should be done in-house and which by subcontractors or consultants. • The project manager also assigns responsibility and delegates authority to specific individuals or subcontractors for the various tasks. • Finally, and most important, the task of organizing includes creating an environment in which the individuals are highly motivated to work together as a project team. D. Controlling • To control the project, the project manager must track actual progress and compare it with planned progress. • If actual progress falls behind planned progress or unexpected events occur, the project manager takes immediate action. • The project manager plays the leadership role in planning, organizing, and controlling the project but does not try to do it alone. He or she includes the project team in these functions to gain their commitment to successful completion of the project. 3. Project Manager Skills A. Overview • The project manager is a key ingredient in the success of a project. • Effective project managers have strong leadership ability, ability to develop people, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to handle stress, problem-solving skills, negotiating skills, and time management skills. B. Leadership Ability • Leadership is getting things done through others; the project manager achieves results through the project team. ○ Project leadership means inspiring the people assigned to the project to work as a team. ○ The project manager must create for the team a vision of the result and benefits of the project. • Effective project management requires a participative and consultative leadership style, in which the project manager provides guidance and coaching to the project team. ○ The project manager establishes the parameters and guidelines for what needs to be done, and the project team members determine how to get it done. ○ The effective manager does not tell people how to do their jobs. • Project leadership requires involvement and empowerment of the project team. ○ The project manager should involve individuals in decisions affecting them and should empower them to make decisions within their assigned areas of responsibility. ○ The capable project manager understands what motivates team members and creates a supportive environment in which individuals work as part of a high-performing team and are energized to excel. ○ The project manager must be careful not to create situations that cause individuals to become discouraged. ○ The project manager must foster motivation through recognition of the project team as a whole and of individual members. Recognition should be carried out as soon as possible after the action being recognized. • The project manager sets the tone for the project team by establishing an environment of trust, high expectations, and enjoyment. ○ Capable project managers have high expectations of themselves and of each person on the project team. They believe that people tend to live up to what is expected of them. ○ Project managers tend to be optimistic and positive. ○ Project managers should encourage the same positive attitude on the part of the project team members and facilitate the team-building process. ○ Leadership requires that the project manager be highly motivated and set a positive example for the project team. • The project manager has self-confidence and exhibits confidence in the project team members. • The project manager leads by making things happen. C. Ability to Develop People • The effective project manager has a commitment to the training and development of the people working on the project. ○ He or she uses the project as an opportunity to add value to each person’s experience base, so all members of the project team are more knowledgeable and competent at the end of the project than when they started it. ○ One way of encouraging such growth is to talk about the importance of self-development at project team meetings. ○ Another way is to meet with project team members individually at the start of their project assignments and encourage them to take advantage of these assignments to expand their knowledge and skills. • A good project manager believes that all individuals are valuable to the organization and that they can make greater contributions through continuous learning. ○ He or she stresses the value of self-improvement by encouraging individuals to take the initiative. ○ A capable project manager provides opportunities for learning and development by encouraging individuals to assume the initiative, take risks, and make decisions. Rather than create a fear of failure, the manager acknowledges that mistakes are part of the learning and growth experience. ○ The project manager can try to provide “stretch” assignments that require individual team members to extend their knowledge and accomplish more than they may think they can. • Another development role the project manager can play is to identify situations in which less experienced people can learn from more experienced people. ○ The project manager can develop people by having them attend formal training sessions. ○ The project manager might even provide coaching. • During individual meetings with the project team members, assess opportunities for growth by having the members identify what they learned by working on the project. D. Communication Skills • Project managers must be good communicators. ○ They need to communicate regularly with the project team, as well as with the customer, any subcontractors, their own company’s upper management, and other stakeholders. ○ Effective and frequent communication is crucial for keeping the project moving, identifying potential problems, soliciting suggestions to improve project performance, keeping abreast of customer satisfaction and stakeholder issues, and avoiding surprises. ○ A high level of communication is especially important early in the project to build a good working relationship with the project team and to establish clear expectations with the customer. • Effective project managers communicate and share information in a variety of ways. ○ These tasks require that the project manager have good verbal and written communication skills. • Good project managers spend more time listening than talking. • The project manager establishes ongoing communication with the customer and other stakeholders to keep the customer and other stakeholders informed and to determine whether there are any changes in expectations. ○ Communication by project managers needs to be timely, honest, and unambiguous. ○ Effective communication establishes credibility and builds trust. • It’s important for the project manager to provide timely feedback to the team and customer. Both the good news and the bad news should be shared promptly. ○ The project manager must create an atmosphere that fosters timely and open communication without any fear of reprisal. E. Interpersonal Skills • Good interpersonal skills are essential for a project manager. ○ It’s important that the project manager develop a relationship with each person on the project team and each key individual in the customer’s organization. This requires making the time to have an informal conversation with each. ○ The project manager should try to learn about the personal interests of each individual without being intrusive.  In informal conversations, the project manager should use open-ended questions and do a lot of listening.  Good interpersonal skills enable a project manager to empathize with individuals when special circumstances arise. ○ An effective project manager develops and maintains these interpersonal relationships throughout the duration of the project. • A project manager needs good interpersonal skills to try to influence the thinking and actions of others. • A project manager also needs good interpersonal skills to deal with disagreement or divisiveness among team members. Such situations can require delicate handling. F. Ability to Handle Stress • Project managers must be able to handle the stress that can arise from work situations. • Stress is likely to be high when a project is in jeopardy of not meeting its objective. • The project manager cannot panic; he or she has to remain unruffled. • The effective project manager is able to cope with constantly changing conditions. • In certain situations, the project manager needs to act as a buffer between the project team and either the customer, stakeholders, or upper management. • The project manager needs to have a good sense of humor. Used appropriately, humor can help a project manager handle stress and break the tension. • The project manager can improve his or her ability to handle stress by keeping physically fit through regular exercise, good nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle. G. Problem-Solving Skills • A project manager needs to be a good problem solver. • Good problem-solving starts with early identification of a problem or potential problem. The project manager should encourage project team members to identify problems early and solve them on their own or seek help if they need to. • Problem-solving will be discussed in detail in Chapter 11. H. Negotiating Skills • Good negotiating skills are essential for project managers. ○ During the project life cycle, project managers encounter many occasions to employ their negotiating skills in interactions with the sponsor or customer, the project organization’s management, subcontractors, vendors, end users of the project’s product, and other stakeholders. ○ The subject of negotiations can be contract terms and conditions, specific resources to staff the project, subcontractor prices, vendor delivery schedules, payment for damages, the cost or schedule impact of changes, customer approval of designs, the need for rework if quality standards were not met, the best approach to resolving a technical performance issue, interpretation of acceptance criteria or test results, approaches to get the project back on track if it is behind schedule and/or over budget, stakeholder concerns about the impact or safety of a project, and so forth. • It is helpful if the project manager has developed a trusting relationship with the other person, because this can provide a strong foundation for positive and robust negotiations. • The project manager needs to use effective listening, to make a persuasive case, and to clearly articulate his or her position on issues. • Negotiating with customers or subcontractors in global projects can be particularly challenging. The project manager must take cultural differences into consideration when negotiating. • Effective negotiation strengthens relationships; it does not erode them. I. Time Management Skills • Good project managers manage their time well. • Project managers must have self-discipline, be able to prioritize, and show a willingness to delegate. • Time management is discussed thoroughly in Chapter 11. 4. Developing Project Manager Competence • People are not born with the skills needed to be effective project managers; rather they develop those skills. • There are various ways to develop the skills necessary to be an effective project manager. ○ Gain experience. Work on as many projects as you can. Each project presents a learning opportunity. It’s helpful if the projects aren’t all the same. ○ Learn from others. ○ Interview project managers who have skills that you want to develop in yourself. ○ Conduct a self-evaluation, and learn from your mistakes. ○ Get a mentor. ○ Participate in education and training programs. ○ Join organizations, such as the Project Management Institute. ○ Read -- subscribe to journals or look up articles related to the skills you want to develop. ○ Earn a credential. ○ Volunteer -- contribute to the community or a specific cause and try your hand at developing leadership skills. • Learning and development are lifetime activities—there’s no finish line. 5. Delegation • Delegation requires empowering the project team to achieve the project objective and empowering each team member to accomplish the expected results for his or her area of responsibility. ○ It’s the act of allowing individuals to successfully carry out assigned tasks. ○ Delegation implies more than just assigning tasks to specific members of the project team. It includes giving team members the responsibility to accomplish job objectives and the authority to make decisions and take actions to achieve the expected results, as well as accountability for accomplishing those results. • Effective delegation requires effective communication skills. ○ The project manager has the responsibility for providing a clear understanding of what is expected in terms of specific results. However, the project manager should not tell the individuals how to do the task. That should be left up to the individuals so they can be creative. • Delegation means selecting the project team members who are best qualified to perform each task and then empowering them to do it. ○ Effective delegation requires that the project manager have confidence in each member of the project team. • Some common barriers to effective delegation: ○ The project manager has a personal interest in the task or thinks he or she can do it better or faster than the team. ○ The project manager lacks confidence in the capability of others to do the work. ○ The project manager is afraid he or she will lose control of the work and not know what is going on. ○ Team members lack self-confidence or fear being criticized for mistakes. • Figure 10.1 depicts various degrees of delegation. • Figure 10.2 depicts a checklist for rating your effectiveness at delegation. 6. Managing Changes • The one thing that you can be sure will happen during a project is change. Despite the best laid plans, changes will still occur. ○ Changes may be: • initiated by the customer, • initiated by the project team, • caused by unanticipated occurrences during the performance of the project, or • required by the users of the project results. • An important aspect of the project manager’s job is to manage and control changes. ○ Generally, the later in the project that changes are identified, the greater their effect on accomplishing the project objective. • The aspects most likely to be affected are the project budget and the completion date. ○ At the start of the project, procedures need to be established regarding how changes will be documented and authorized. These procedures must cover communication between the project manager and the customer and between the project manager and the project team. ○ Whenever a customer requests changes, the project manager should have the appropriate project team members estimate the effects on the project cost and schedule. • The project manager needs to be sure that team members won’t casually agree to changes that may require additional person-hours. • Some changes become necessary as a result of unanticipated occurrences, such as an early snowstorm that slows down the construction of a building. • Open communication and a climate of trust are prerequisites for introducing change, reducing resistance to change, and gaining people’s commitment to change. • If possible, the project manager should have users participate up front in the decision to change. 7. Critical Success Factors • Successful project managers accept responsibility for making sure the customer is satisfied and the work scope is completed in a high-quality manner, within budget, and on time. • The project manager needs to be proactive in planning, communicating, and providing leadership to the project team to accomplish the project objective. • The project manager needs to inspire the project team to succeed and to win the confidence of the customer. • By involving the project team in developing the project plan, the project manager ensures a more comprehensive plan and gains the team’s commitment to achieve it. • Successful project managers are proactive in addressing problems. They do not take a “let’s wait and see how things work out” approach. • The project manager needs to have a project management information system that distinguishes accomplishments from busyness. • Effective project managers have strong leadership ability, the ability to develop people, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to handle stress, problem-solving skills, negotiating skills, and time management skills. • Successful project management requires a participative and consultive leadership style in which the project manager provides guidance and coaching to the project team. The effective project manager does not tell people how to do their jobs. • Project managers show they value team members’ contributions when they seek their advice and suggestions. • Project managers can foster motivation through recognition. People want to feel they are making a contribution and need to be recognized. Positive reinforcement helps stimulate desired behavior; behavior that is recognized or rewarded gets repeated. • The effective project manager does not monopolize, seek the spotlight, or try to take credit for the work of others. • Capable project managers are optimistic and have high, yet realistic, expectations of themselves and each person on the project team. • Projects should be fun. Project managers should enjoy their work and encourage the same positive attitude on the part of the project team members. The project manager should set a positive example for the team in terms of expected behavior. • A good project manager provides opportunities for learning and development by encouraging team members to take the initiative, take risks, and make decisions. Rather than create a fear of failure, the project manager realizes that mistakes are part of the learning and growth experience. • Good project managers spend more time listening than talking. They listen to the needs expressed by the customer and the ideas and concerns expressed by the project team and stakeholders. • Communication by project managers needs to be timely, honest, and unambiguous. • The project manager should create an atmosphere that accepts different viewpoints and fosters timely and open communication without fear of reprisal must be open to differing viewpoints. • When unforeseen events cause turmoil on a project, effective project managers remain composed and do not panic. • Effective project managers recognize that the best solution often emerges from differences of ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and opinions. • The project manager must maintain integrity and respect for the other party throughout the negotiating process. • To make effective use of their time, project managers need to have self-discipline, be able to prioritize, and be willing to delegate. • At the start of a project, the project manager needs to establish a change control system to define how changes will be documented, approved, and communicated. 8. Summary • It is the responsibility of the project manager to make sure the customer is satisfied that the work is completed in a high-quality manner, within budget, and on time. • The project manager has primary responsibility for providing leadership in planning, organizing, and controlling the work effort to accomplish the project objective. • The project manager is a key ingredient in the success of a project and needs to possess a set of skills that will help the project team succeed. • Project manager competence can be developed through a number of activities individually or with others. • Project managers need to be good delegators. • The project manager manages and controls changes to minimize any negative impact on the successful accomplishment of the project objective. Questions 1. Describe what the project manager should do to perform the planning, organizing, and controlling functions for a project. Give some specific examples. The project manager must clearly define the project objective, reach agreement with the customer on this objective and communicate this objective to the project team. The project manager involves the project team in developing the plan and setting up a system for comparing actual to planned progress. Specific examples will vary. Answers should include the activities of a project manager performing project planning. Organizing includes securing the appropriate resources to perform the work. The project manager must decide which tasks should be done in-house and which by subcontractors or consultants. The project manager gains a commitment from the specific people who will work on the project and assigns responsibility and delegates authority, thus creating an environment in which the individuals are highly motivated to work together as a project team. Specific examples will vary. Answers should include the activities of a project manager organizing the project's tasks and resources. To control the project, the project manager implements a project management information system designed to track actual progress and compare it with planned progress. If actual progress falls behind planned progress or unexpected events occur, the project manager takes immediate action. Specific examples will vary. Answers should include examples of how the project manager controlled the tasks, resources, and analyzed the project's progress. 2. What are some essential skills for an effective project manager? How can these skills be developed? Effective project managers have strong leadership ability, ability to develop people, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to handle stress, problem-solving skills, negotiating skills, and time management skills. There are various ways to develop the skills necessary to be an effective project manager. First, gain experience by working on as many projects as possible. Each project presents a learning opportunity. Project managers should also seek out feedback from others; conduct a self-evaluation; learn from mistakes; interview project managers who have skills they want to develop; participate in training programs; join organizations; read journals or look up articles related to the skills to be developed; and finally, volunteer where they can develop skills. 3. What leadership skills have project managers with whom you have worked possessed? How can you develop these leadership skills? Answers will depend on the example given and should include a variety of skills, such as ability to develop people, delegation skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, ability to handle stress, problem-solving skills, negotiating skills, and time management skills. Development suggestions will be dependent upon the students’ experiences and opportunities. Responses could include, but not be limited to: seek out feedback from others; conduct a self-evaluation; learn from mistakes; interview project managers who have skills they want to develop; participate in training programs; join organizations; read journals or look up articles related to the skills to be developed; and finally, volunteer where they can develop skills. 4. Describe how being rewarded or not being rewarded has changed how you worked on a project. Were there other rewards that would have been more appropriate for you or your team members? Answers are dependent upon experiences. Positive rewards may have worked to motivate the team member to work more or help others on the project team. Negative or non-rewards may have deterred involvement or made the team member feel less valued. Appropriate rewards are dependent upon the project team member. Some team members report that recognition for good work in a team meeting or a personal e-mail or phone call was a great reward. Extra compensation for doing extra work was valuable to other team members. 5. Describe why a project manager needs good verbal and written communication skills. Communication is the key to success. Project managers need to communicate regularly with the project team, as well as with the customer, any subcontractors, and their own company’s upper management. Effective and frequent communication is crucial for keeping the project moving, identifying potential problems, soliciting suggestion to improve project performance, keeping abreast of customer satisfaction, and avoiding surprises. 6. What is meant by the term interpersonal skills? Give some examples of interpersonal skills, and explain why they are important. Interpersonal skills govern how well we work and get along with other people. The project manager needs to establish clear expectations of members of the project team so that everyone knows the importance of his or her role in achieving the project objective. It helps to emphasize that everyone’s contribution is valuable to successfully executing the plan. The project manager should also look for areas of common interest with each individual. One technique is to mention his or her own hobbies or family and see whether the team member picks up on the topic. In informal conversations, the project manager should use open-ended questions and do a lot of listening. Good interpersonal skills enable a project manager to empathize with individuals when special circumstances arise. A project manager needs good interpersonal skills to try to influence the thinking and actions of others, and to deal with disagreement or divisiveness among team members. 7. What are some things a project manager can do to help create an environment in which a project team will feel motivated? The capable project manager understands what motivates team members and creates a supportive environment in which individuals work as part of a high-performing team and are energized to excel. A project manager can create such an environment by encouraging participation and involvement by all members of the project team. Techniques include facilitating project meetings so as to draw all individuals into the discussions, soliciting an individual’s ideas when meeting separately with that person, and having various team members participate in presentations to the customer or the company’s upper management. The project manager shows that he or she values the contributions of each team member and also fosters motivation through recognition of the project team as a whole and of individual members. 8. Describe a time when negotiation resulted in a win-lose outcome. What changes could have been made to make the result a win-win outcome? Responses will be dependent upon experiences. For instance, one project manager gave concessions to another in an organization, ceding access to the lab during the regular work day so the first project manager and team had to do all their work at night and missed a number of activities that occurred in the evening. The project manager could have negotiated to share the lab in the day time and not have only one team in the lab at a time. This would have reduced the hardship on the project team. 9. What is meant by the term delegation? Why is delegation essential for project management? Give some examples. Delegation means empowering the project team to achieve the project objective and empowering each team member to accomplish the expected results for his or her area of responsibility. It’s the act of allowing individuals to successfully carry out assigned tasks and includes giving team members the responsibility to accomplish job objectives and the authority to make decision and take actions. Delegation is a must for an effective project manager; however, the project manager is still ultimately responsible for achieving the project results. He or she needs to define what specifically constitutes each task and its desired result. This includes its work scope, tangible results or products to be delivered, expected quality, budget, and schedule. Specific examples are dependent upon experiences. Answers should include descriptions of how the project manager empowered team members to be responsible for project deliverables. Empowerment also increases buy-in for the project and helps develop the team members' skills. 10. What are some barriers to effective delegation? Following are some common barriers to effective delegation: • The project manager has a personal interest in the task or thinks he or she can do it better or faster than the team. • The project manager lacks confidence in the capability of others to do the work. • The project manager is afraid that he or she will lose control of the work. • Team members lack self-confidence or fear being criticized for mistakes. 11. Why is it important to manage changes during a project? How are changes initiated? Give some specific examples. It is important to manage and control changes in order to minimize any negative impact on the successful accomplishment of the project objective. Some changes are initiated by the project manager or project team; others are requested by the customer. Specific examples will vary. Answers should include a description of the initiation of the change. The project team might request a change because new technology is available or something has reduced the possibility of completing the work (such as a snowstorm), or the customer might have a different need and ask for the project to achieve something different. 12. Describe some ways a project manager can make a project more fun and team members more committed. One technique is to initiate periodic social gatherings—lunches, picnics, or pizza parties—for the project team. Another technique is to situate all the project team members in one office location, if feasible. The project manager should also look for opportunities to celebrate successes, especially early in the project, and to recognize and reinforce team members' efforts and communicate them to their supervisors (if they are not directly supervised by the project manager). 13. Think of a project on which you have worked. Describe what made the project manager for that project effective or ineffective. How could the project manager have done a better job? Specific answers will vary and should evaluate the effectiveness of the project managers. Some answers have included that project managers were effective because they listened to team members and asked them to offer suggestions on how to best complete the tasks. Project managers described as ineffective did not trust the members of the team to complete the tasks and micromanaged every task. They could have delegated tasks, communicated with and listened to the team more, scheduled team meetings, and trusted the team to do the work. 14. List 20 statements (of no more than six words) such as “Thank you” or “Good job” of what you might say to thank or compliment someone on your project team. Specific answers will vary. Answers should provide specific compliments that are no more than six words. Some examples of how to say thank you or to compliment someone on the project team: “I appreciate your work on the project.” “We couldn’t have done this without you.” “Great work on this part of the project.” “Your efforts are exemplarily.” Internet Exercises Assign the Internet Exercises to your students as homework or complete them with students in a computer lab. The Voices on Project Management link on the Project Management Institute’s website is completed by a number of bloggers who are globally dispersed. The opinions of the project managers are diverse and represent a variety of industries. An evaluation of what the project manager’s did in the entries on the Voices on Project Management Teams link provide an opportunity for students to consider the actions described and learn of the decisions and outcomes in other projects. Students are to determine what the project manager did right or wrong. Searches for "effective project leadership" and "effective delegation" result in definitions, suggestions on how to develop each, and lists of competencies of effective leaders and delegation. The Project Management Institute site lists a number of project management positions. Searches can be completed by keywords and location. Case Study #1 Codeword This case study describes a medium-size firm named Codeword that designs and manufactures electronic systems for the mass transit industry. Most projects range from $10 million to $50 million in cost and from one to three years in duration. A new employee to the company, with eight years of experience, is having trouble with the way her project manager is treating her. Answers to Case Questions 1. Do you think Jack is ready to serve as a project manager? Why or why not? How could Jack have prepared for his new role? It sounds like Jack has the potential to be a very good project manager. He has done well in the company and is well respected. However, based on what we are seeing in the case study, he clearly needs some training and guidance if he is going to be successful in this new role. Just because someone is an excellent engineer doesn’t necessarily mean he or she will be an excellent project manager. Jack needs to develop the skills required for this new position. He should have attended training specific to his new role to familiarize himself with its new demands. 2. What is the major problem with the way Jack interacts with Alfreda? Jack is used to working with his buddies and Alfreda is new to the company. She is better educated than Jack and makes more money than he as well. This might make him a little insecure. 3. Why do you think Alfreda hasn’t had an open discussion with Jack about the way he’s treating her? If Alfreda approaches Jack directly, how do you think he will respond? It sounds as though every time Alfreda has some good ideas about design issues she tries to show them to Jack, but he won’t listen. So she probably believes that if she approaches him about the way he is treating her, he won’t listen then either. Jack will probably respond the way he has in other circumstances. He will not really listen, tell her she is wrong, and dismiss her ideas. 4. How do you think the manager of electrical engineering will respond to this situation? What should the manager do? The manager of electrical engineering will probably call Jack in and have a talk with him, and afterwards he might have a meeting with Jack and Afreda together. Also, because it appears Jack is insecure, he might reassure Jack of his capabilities and then act as a mentor to him in his new role. Likewise, he should reassure Alfreda that her experience and credentials will be respected. He should also have frequent, brief discussions with each of them individually to see whether progress is being made. Group Activity Split the course participants into groups of four or five students to discuss the following questions: • What should be done to remedy the situation? • What could have been done to prevent the situation? Have each group choose a spokesperson to present its conclusions to the entire class. Case Study #2 ICS, Inc. This case study is about a small 20-person information systems consulting company that just received a contract from a Fortune 100 company. Answers to Case Questions 1. Considering Ivana’s management style, how should the group of employeesassigned to the project proceed? Yikes! Could you imagine working for someone like that? Let the class debate the answer to this one. Answers have included having the project team develop a response to the project with realistic expectations for completing the work. 2. How should the project members interact with Ivana throughout the project? First, they didn’t even know she had submitted a proposal. Then she decided to take a two-week vacation to reward herself. The team members must find a way to improve communications and not let her make all their decisions for them. 3. Why do you think Ivana behaves the way she does? Who knows? Clearly she has an interesting background and now it all seems to be about “her” success. Ivana is the owner and has forgotten that the workers are the ones who help make her company successful. 4. Should the project members approach Ivana about her management style? If so, how? It might be best if they call a group meeting with her. With the increased competition in the information technology market, a negative outcome with this Fortune 100 company could spell disaster for Ivana's company. This would be a good case to act out in class. Group Activity Select five course participants to perform a skit of this case in front of the class. One person will be the narrator describing the scene and the transition between scenes. The other four participants will play the roles of Ivana, Patrick, Ester, and Harvey and read their lines. At the conclusion of the skit, have the entire class discuss their response to the case question. Optional Supplemental Activities 1. If possible, have each student interview an experienced project manager (it doesn’t matter what the field is) and find out about his or her: • educational background • work experience • views on what it takes to be a good project manager • resolution of a very challenging issue he or she has faced as a project manager 2. Have the students read the chapter and answer all the Reinforce Your Learning questions and the questions at the end of the chapter. 3. Ask an experienced project manager to speak during a class session and answer questions the students have about being a project manager. Instructor Manual for Successful Project Management Jack Gido, Jim Clements 9781285068374