Unit II case study

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Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

2. Explain the demands of project managers. 2.1 Apply the core project management traits to a project negotiation situation. 2.2 Examine the impact of the triple constraints in a project negotiation situation.

3. Characterize important project management issues.

3.1 Describe the importance of effective communication in the project management process. 3.2 Interpret how continuous changes in the project scope create conflict in project management. 3.3 Select a strategy that accounts for a company’s project scope, organizational structure, and

project structure.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

2.1

Unit II Lesson Chapter 3, pp. 77-105 Chapter 4, pp. 106-137 Unit II Case Study

2.2

Unit II Lesson Chapter 3, pp. 77-105 Chapter 4, pp. 106-137 Unit II Case Study

3.1

Unit II Lesson Chapter 3, pp. 77-105 Chapter 4, pp. 106-137 Unit II Case Study

3.2

Unit II Lesson Chapter 3, pp. 77-105 Chapter 4, pp. 106-137 Unit II Case Study

3.3

Unit II Lesson Chapter 3, pp. 77-105 Chapter 4, pp. 106-137 Unit II Case Study

Reading Assignment Chapter 3: The Project Manager, pp. 77-105 Chapter 4: Managing Conflict and the Art of Negotiating, pp. 106-137

Unit Lesson What comes to mind when you hear the title project manager? By virtue of the word manager, one might assume that a project manager is in charge and responsible for the overall planning and execution of the said project from the beginning of the project to its completion. Another viewpoint might be that project managers are actually change agents that really push the project forward, ensuring that each stage of the project is executed. In many cases, they are responsible for budgets depending on the organizational structure and project plan. At the end of the day, project managers are purposed toward driving business and project results

UNIT II STUDY GUIDE

Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills

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as designated at the beginning of the project. Meredith, Mantel, and Shafer (2018) suggest that the project manager’s responsibilities reside in three main areas to include responsibility to the parent organization, responsibility to the project/client, and responsibility to the members of the project team. Throughout the process, there are a number of human resource skills required of the project manager as he or she is continuously managing the people associated with completing the project tasks. Motivating and maintaining the focus of each of these individuals is key to becoming an effective project manager. Meredith et al. (2018) also emphasize that a project manager “must never allow senior management to be surprised” (p. 80). Why do you think this is so important? The project manager works in a world of continuing change and turmoil. Juggling people with varied priorities and managing problems and conflict are continuous. Project managers need to manage this while, at the same time, maintaining detailed and accurate communication with senior management. This is important in order to maintain credibility with senior management as well as the entire project team. The integrity of the project must never be compromised! Motivation of team members is complicated in any organization. It is particularly challenging in project teams as all the members of the project are “borrowed” from other functional areas in order to complete the project. This system assures that the project has cross-functional support with adequate expertise and experience, but, as stated earlier, this can provide additional challenges. These challenges are associated with motivating members to join the team and to be truly devoted to the mission of the team. The project manager wants only the most highly qualified individuals on his or her team, but the question is whether or not these individuals are interested in joining his or her team. The members of the team need to have a sense of the nature of the politics associated with the organization and the project itself. In other words, is this a project that has been initiated by the president of the organization? Is this a highly visible or a not-so-visible project? What type of impact will this project have on the overall organization? A project manager is also interested in team members who have a strong ability to identify the problem or opportunity associated with the project as well as the skill to align this with the project goals. Throughout the project, there is a project life cycle that identifies stages that the members move through. This might include the stages listed below.

Understanding the team members’ progression through the team building stages provides the project manager (as well as the team members themselves) with a better understanding of the complexities associated with building an effective team. In addition to engagement, empowerment is another critical component of project leadership. The project manager strives to increase engagement by empowering each of the members of the team. This might be accomplished by involving team members in the daily decisions within each of their designated areas. The entire team should be included in the decision-making process and assigned responsibility and authority as warranted. This will enable team members to make decisions and be held accountable for those decisions. Delegation is a key component of this process as well. Project

(Meredith et al., 2018)

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managers need to delegate just enough but not overburden. There is a fine line between empowerment and delegation that can mean success or failure of the project. Some project managers find the process of delegation difficult for several reasons: They simply think they can do the task better and faster themselves, they believe their team is not qualified, or they want to maintain total control of the project. What about leadership? How does that relate to the role of a project manager? Leadership suggests a state of being where others will follow. A leader has the ability to create relationships with all stakeholders typically based upon loyalty and respect. Leaders have the innate ability to influence and negotiate. Leaders tend to take on styles of leadership. Each of these leadership styles can be effective depending upon the organization, the specific situation, and the work styles of the team members. Take a look at the leadership styles below and the description of each (Longenecker, Petty, Palich, & Hoy, 2014).

 Visionary style o Mobilizes people toward a vision o Works best with projects that are considered inspirational

 Coaching style o Strives to improve employee performance by encouraging employees to perform at the best of

their abilities o Focuses on mutual respect and commitment o Works best with motivated, self-directed employees

 Affiliative style o Creates emotional bonds o Works best when team needs motivation

 Democratic style o Creates and enforces consensus o Works best when leaders need to tap on the collective wisdom of the group

 Pacesetting style o Sets high expectations and standards of excellence o Works best when the project is in shambles

 Commanding style o Dictates and expects immediate compliance o Is not used very often

Which of these leadership styles best describes you? Do you ever change leadership styles? Why, or why not? Self-reflection on leadership styles will provide project managers with the ability to better lead and manage their team. A tool used in formalizing the project manager, team member, and organizational relationships can be accomplished through a performance review system based upon SMART goals (O'Neill & Conzemius, 2006). This tool suggests that goals should be specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.

SMART goals (O'Neill & Conzemius, 2006)

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Expectations should be specific and detailed and should include measurable parameters. Establishing goals that are unrealistic and unachievable is a recipe for disaster. Instead, communicate realistic goals that are logical and straightforward. Finally, remember that we live in a time-poor society. Placing unrealistic time demands will only create the atmosphere for shoddy or incomplete work. Conflict brings with it a negative connotation, but when managed correctly, it can actually bring forward a more insightful project conclusion. Conflict is a product of two or more team members not agreeing on a process, strategy, vision, or methodology. It may result from differing goals and expectations, uncertainty on the level of authority and responsibility, or simply interpersonal conflicts (personality differences) among team members. Managing these conflict areas may possibly be accomplished through negotiation and communication. Negotiation suggests that two-way communication is implemented with some level of compromise. Meredith et al. (2018) suggest that successful negotiation will separate the people and their personalities from the problem. This moves it from a people-to-people conflict to a people-and-problem conflict. Another recommendation is for the project manager to manage the conflict by reviewing the options. Sometimes, reviewing the options creates a level of softer understanding by both parties. In summary, project managers are not only managers but also leaders. In order to effectively manage multiple priorities and continuous change within the project, they need to have strong communication and negotiation skills. Instilling a cooperative team atmosphere among the project team will encourage engagement and ultimately high performance.

References Longenecker, J. G., Petty, J. W., Palich, L. E., & Hoy, F. (2014). Small business management (17th ed.).

Boston, MA: Cengage. Meredith, J. R., Mantel, S. J., Jr., & Shafer, S. M. (2018). Project management: A strategic managerial

approach (10th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. O'Neill, J., & Conzemius, A. (2006). The power of SMART goals: Using goals to improve student learning.

Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

Suggested Reading In order to access the following resources, click the links below. This article analyzes the critical qualities of leadership and how their positive impact can benefit project managers in any industry and, therefore, promote project success to include team building, the establishment of clear relations and roles between project members, openness, self-confidence, organization, and clear definition of project successes. DuBois, M., Hanlon, J., Koch, J., Nyatuga, B., & Kerr, N. (2015). Leadership styles of effective project

managers: Techniques and traits to lead high performance teams. Journal of Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance and Marketing, 7(1), 30–46. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/logi n.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=101746680&site=ehost-live&scope=site

The article addresses the importance of project managers as transformational leaders in the presence of top management support. Iqbal, S. M. J., Long, C. S., Fei, G. C., & Bukhari, S. M. L. A. B. S. (2015). Moderating effect of top

management support on relationship between transformational leadership and project success. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences, 9(2), 540–567. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/logi n.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=110164961&site=ehost-live&scope=site