Individual Assignment

Change History 2 Table of Contents 4 II. G3 Analytics Group Communications and Conflict Management Plan 6 Purpose 7 Mission Statement 7 Background 7 Team Action Plan 7 Team Identification 9 Project Resource Management 9 Background 9 Team Action Plan 9 Rotational Roles and Responsibilities 9 Background 9 Team Action Plan 10 Stakeholder Management 10 Team Action Plan 12 Communication Management 13 Group Communications 13 Verbal and Nonverbal Communication 14 Trust 14 Motivation 15 Group Cohesion 15 Diversity 16 Team Meetings 17 Team Assignments 18 Group Decision Making 22 Background 22 Team Action Plan 22 Conflict Management 23 Conflict Management Styles 23 Team Conflict Resolution Strategy 23 III. Implementation Plan 25 G3 Analytics Use of the GCCM Plan 25 Usefulness of the GCCM Plan 25 Recommendations 26 IV. References 27 V. Appendix A – Reading Assignments and Inclusions 30

Working in groups brings many advantages to the table when it comes to tackling a project. People are diverse, and no two people are the same. Each person's unique individual element influences their thinking styles, priorities, drive, and personalities when working in a group (Parks, 2004). A group's power is that it harnesses this web of diversity and brings people together to pursue a common goal. However, with the differing and varied personalities that encompass a group, the project manager must set the theme and provide a leadership style that is exemplary for group members to respect and follow. When the project management is executed effectively, a group can be innovative, provide solutions, and work together amongst various knowledge groups (Parks, 2004).

When initially developing a group, time and thought are considered in deciding on the group culture and establishing group norms and standards. Whether on the small or the large scale, group norms should be regarded as scaled upon their formality. The enforcement of norms ties into the culture and behavioral standards that will serve as the future basis of corrective actions. Norms should be thoroughly communicated and reiterated when new members are added. They should persist if beneficial to the group and may need to be altered depending on circumstances. An effective team can be developed when all the above norms and standards are implemented and well thought out (Chapter 5, 2012). An effective team will have quantifiable benchmarks that hold each member accountable, making every member have a stake in the quality of the end deliverables. Balancing team member composition to include diversity in age, education, and experience will ultimately bring forth a team that is effective and considerate of various perspectives towards their strategy of completing the task at hand.

Our team will create detailed and successful team projects that consider and incorporate all of our team members' ideas and input. We will maintain a consistent and open dialogue amongst all team members that are conducive to the criteria set forth by the professor and also inclusive of our knowledge learned throughout this course. We will do so concerning each other's ideas and input and open communication to remedy any issues.

Goals and Objectives

In every business organization or group, there's a goal and objective. Goals and objectives are the two most misused and generalized terms in business. A goal describes a broad business milestone required to be completed within a set period. It does not delineate specific tasks necessary to achieve the strategy. On the other hand, an objective is a detailed step you plan to take to achieve a stated approach. Objectives are distinct and measurable steps that answer questions such as how long it will take to complete a task, what resources are needed, who is accountable for them.

G3 Analytics will recognize the essential value of setting business goals and objectives. Our team goals will be well-written and supported by our objective outline. We will refer to our goals and objectives throughout the life cycle of our project.

· Goal 1: G3 Analytics strives to complete all of the team assignments on time and to the best of our abilities.

· Objective 1: The team will complete the Week 4 Case Study using the Grading Rubric as a quality control guide and submit the assignment no later than February 9, 2021.

· Objective 2: The team will submit a draft Group Communication and Conflict Management (GCCM) Plan which includes content from the first six weeks of the course no later than February 23, 2021.

· Objective 3: The team will submit a second draft GCCM Plan which incorporates content from the first ten weeks of the course no later than March 23, 2020.

· Objective 4: The team will discuss all feedback received on the GCCM Plan drafts and incorporate appropriate content into the final product, submitted no later than March 30, 2021.

· Goal 2: G3 Analytics strives to improve our teamwork and our products' quality as the semester progresses.

· Objective 5: The team will conduct weekly meetings to discuss the best methods for creating the highest quality deliverables possible.

· Objective 6: The team will complete weekly reading assignment summaries to record essential knowledge and incorporate it into the assignments' content.

· Objective 7: The team will utilize a schedule to assign rotating roles to the team members. The team will discuss each member's feedback as they serve in the various functions and consider adjusting team communications and procedures if deemed appropriate based on requisite team member experience.

Project resource management is the process of identifying resources needed to execute and complete the project (PMI, 2017, p. 307). This process is a critical step in the project planning process because it is an early part of the project team formation process. The resource acquisitions process includes the estimation of team resources and obtaining team members (PMI, 2017, p. 307). Once the team selection process has concluded, the project manager can document team members and their roles and responsibilities for the project (PMI, 2017, p. 334).

The project manager assembles the team based on experience, knowledge, and skills aligned with the project's goals and objectives. There is also an evaluation of team members' attitudes to determine if they have the personality and temperament to be a part of a cohesive team (PMI, 2017, p. 332). Karen Hall, Morgan Henserling, Oluseun Bello, Michael Kinsella, Emma Hale, and Brandy Thompson have been selected to be a part of the G3 Analytics team.

The project manager uses the development team process to build a team that encompasses teamwork, interpersonal skills, and motivated employees to maximize project performance (PMI, 2017, p. 336). The forming phase of team development is when the project manager assigns the roles and responsibilities to team members. Assigning roles and responsibilities is an essential technique that reduces team member conflicts and contributes to group cohesion.

G3 Analytics has agreed on the roles of Project Leader, Secretary, and Editors. These roles can rotate between team members each week. The Project Leader will be responsible for creating and discussing the meeting agenda, assigning GCCM tasks during weekly meetings, and submitting documents to the Group Locker and assignment folder. The Secretary will be responsible for creating and uploading the meeting minutes to Google Drive and Group Locker. The Editors will review the team submissions for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Stakeholder Identification

G3 Analytics will use a variety of techniques to identify stakeholders in requisite projects adequately. There are various stakeholders in any project, including members of the organization (i.e., employees and shareholders, people in the surrounding community affected by the project, and competitors in the marketplace) (Dempsey, 2009, p. 6). It is imperative to the project's success that all stakeholders are categorized appropriately and catered to or otherwise adequately managed.

The methods utilized by G3 Analytics to identify project stakeholders include but are not limited to data analysis, research gathering, and outside expert judgment where G3's knowledge base is otherwise lacking. Stakeholder analyses will also be done and supplemented by specific data representation tools that will enumerate upon later, such as an impact/influence grid, amongst others, which help to provide a more straightforward, visual representation of stakeholder importance and priorities (PMI, 2017, p. 513).

Influence vs. Impact Grid

Background

The Influence vs. Impact Grid is a stakeholder analysis and management tool adapted from Aubrey Mendelow's Power Dynamism Matrix for Environmental Scanning (Mendelow, 1981). Mendelow recommended designating stakeholders as having high or low power based on four criteria: "possession of resources, ability to dictate alternatives, authority, and influence" and high or intense dynamism based on how often they are involved in decision making and how often other factors may affect their power base (Mendelow, 1981, p. 415). The concept is used for stakeholder analysis by dividing stakeholders into four quadrants based on their levels of power/influence and impact/interest. Each quadrant is used to determine the level of involvement and engagement dedicated to each stakeholder in the stakeholder management plan (Serra, n.d).

The PMBOK explains that in various versions of this grid, the stakeholders are grouped "according to their level of authority (power), level of concern about the project's outcomes (interest), ability to influence the outcomes of the project (influence), or ability to cause changes to the project's planning or execution" (PMI, 2017, p. 512). Figures II.1 and II.2 show two versions of the grid. In general, stakeholders with significant influence and high impact should be engaged and managed closely; those with low power and low effects should be monitored and require the least management effort (Serra, n.d.; Sharma, 2010).

Figure II.1

Power – Influence Matrix

Reference: Serra, n.d.

Figure II.2

Influence – Impact Grid

Reference: Sharma, 2010.

G3 Analytics placed the identified stakeholders into an Influence vs. Impact Grid modeled on the grid presented by Sharma (2010). G3 Analytics’ grid is illustrated in Figure II.3.

Figure II.3

G3 Analytics Influence vs. Impact Grid

Team meetings are scheduled every Wednesday at 7:00 pm EST via Google Hangouts. The Project Leader created the following contact sheet and distributed it to all members of the team:

The weekly team meetings will be conducted using the following meeting management plan:

· Members will develop meeting agendas based on the deliverables due each week. The team will use the agreed-upon agenda template for continuity.

· The meeting agenda will be distributed to the team one day in advance of all scheduled meetings and will identify the discussion areas relating to upcoming team and individual deliverables.

· The Secretary will distribute meeting minutes to the team following the conclusion of our meetings. The minutes will include the status of all agenda items along with new action items. The role of the Secretary will be responsible for meeting minutes each week.

· Action Items/Open Issues are recorded in both the meeting agenda and minutes. Action items will include both the action item along with the owner of the action item. The team will review all action items at the start of each meeting.

Team G3 Analytics will agree on internal deadlines for the tasks that are assigned during the weekly meetings. These internal deadlines will be before our class scheduled deadlines to ensure all tasks are completed and allow time to submit the team deliverables and review by the Editors. These internal deadlines will also enable the team to ensure that all portions of the tasks are completed in a timely fashion and redistribute work if a team member cannot contribute.

The following team schedule contains team member roles and responsibilities assigned for each week, and members will distribute it to all team members:

Group decision-making is generally used in the evaluation and implementation stages of the standard problem-solving model to identify options and choose a solution (Aakhus, 2002; Chapter 14.3, 2012). Group decision-making involves determining who will decide and the process the group/decider will use to reach the decision. Decision-making techniques that determine who and how many group members need to agree on the solution are majority rule; minority rule (expert or authority); and consensus rule (Chapter 14.3, 2012). The functional approach is a standard process used for reaching a group decision and involves five steps: “(1) define the problem; (2) identify criteria for a good solution; (3) generate alternative solutions; (4) assess alternatives; and (5) choose a solution” (Aakhus, 2002, p. 380).

G3 Analytics uses Consensus Rule as its standard decision-making method. The group is a small group with specific tasks to accomplish based on the course syllabus and weekly agenda. The team established basic work completion procedures and determined a rotating schedule of roles and responsibilities. This structure helps the team understand expectations and plan upcoming decisions that are made weekly. Should the Consensus Rule method not result in a solution, G3 Analytics will take a vote and use the Majority Rule method to finalize the decision. G3 Analytics uses the functional approach to guide discussions about the required tasks and issues that may arise. The practical approach is especially effective for facilitating these discussions because it outlines the basic steps to make decisions. This basic outline is appropriate for the number and complexity of tasks G3 Analytics needs to accomplish.

Negotiation

Group Communication and Conflict Management Plan is a valuable plan that should be implemented into any group, particularly a group with diverse people. G3 Analytics makes use of the group communication aspect of our GCCM. We did not encounter any conflicts during our team meeting and completing tasks. However, we found that all of the alternative solutions written in our plan were applicable. It showed our GCCM plan was not a waste of time to create as it helps us understand obstacles and learn different ways to resolve them based on the management plan agreed upon by all team members.

G3 Analytics found the GCCM Plan to be beneficial for team organization and division of labor. The plan sections that worked best for the team included the: Roles and Responsibilities, Team Meeting Procedures, and Team Assignments Schedule. In the first two meetings, the group discussed what roles and responsibilities the team members would have during the semester. This discussion was helpful because it provided a framework for organizing the team and reaching an agreement on how the team members would divide the work throughout the semester.

Developing team meeting procedures also helped organize the team and set expectations for how the team members should contribute throughout each week. The team assignments schedule was helpful because it provided specific details and allowed team members to plan for the roles they would fill and work they would do. There were no sections of the plan that the team felt did not work. However, the team did not use the Conflict Management Plan because there were no conflicts to resolve. Had there been conflicts to resolve, the team feels that the conflict management plan using the A-E-I-O-U Method would have served as a valuable guide for finding resolutions.

We highly recommend that teams and groups use a GCCM plan. The GCCM plan is a great tool to manage group communication and resolve conflicts. The use of a GCCM outlines the methods and frequency of contact for the group and designates the ways of resolving disputes. Having a GCCM will benefit the group because it will increase group communication and reduce conflicts. This plan will result in a cohesive high performing group with the ability to achieve their goals. Our recommendation for using a GCCM is based on our team’s performance and success as a group.