1. At this point what would you do if you were the project manager?
Being in a position of authority has its pros and cons and as a leader one must understand
the complexities and responsibilities that comes with the position. There will be times
when tough decisions have to be made and no one else can make it except for you, the
leader. As a leader it is important to possess critical decision making skills as the
decisions that are made daily affects everyone from top management all the way down to
the client. In an article written by Turan et al., (2019), the authors described critical
thinking and decision making as being a necessity in both a personal and professional
setting as these skills allow one to think beyond the now and regular way of thinking as
quality and accuracy of decision making is improved. Thus , as the project manager in the
situation described I would ensure that I have all the necessary research and information
readily available so as to discuss with senior management the disparity that exists
between their top down estimates and the bottom up estimates. I would ensure that I
employ my critical decision and thinking skills in order to communicate in an effective
manner with management. It does appear that there may be some challenges in the
organization based on comments made by colleagues, which implies that upper
management may not be receptive to the fact that they are way off in their estimates of
time and cost for the project. However, as a leader I must put aside my apprehensions in
order to ensure the success of the project which in turn will create satisfied clients and a
successful organization.
2. Was top management acting correctly in developing an estimate?
In any organization there needs to be trust. Trust in the people who are employed and
trust in their ability to perform that job to the fullest. Creating a working environment that
fosters trust between management and employees is critical for the success of the
organization. According to Johnson & Wickramasinghe , (2021), trust is what holds an
organization together and is the foundation on which the organization is built. Many
times issues arise within the organization because of management's failure to trust their
employees and their abilities. It is therefore my opinion that top management was not
acting correctly in developing estimates. They hired a project manager that is capable and
willing to do the job. The project manager came with years of experience and hands on
knowledge on how to achieve a successful project of this magnitude. When estimating
cost and time on any project various steps should be taken and certain conditions need to
be met when deciding whether to use top down method or bottom up method. However,
this is not always the case which many times leads to miscalculations and estimates that
are way over the budget. In an idealistic world both methods could be used so that the
most reliable and accurate estimate can be presented to the client which will eliminate or
reduce any false expectations (Larson, 2021). Overall, having the project manager present
an estimate of cost and time for the project by using the skills, knowledge and
competence should have been the approach senior management took.
3. What estimating techniques should be used for a mission-critical project such as
this?
There are many variables to consider when creating an estimate for a project and the risks
of overruns are as real as it will get. Managemnet and project managers need to ensure
that they are choosing the correct method of estimating cost and time of the project and
ensure that they are as accurate as possible. A bottom up estimating technique should be
used for this project. The project is new and requires a more detailed approach rather than
one that generalizes estimates based on prior experience which can be misleading
(Wallerand et al., 2019). Bottom up approach will allow those who have hands-on
experience and knowledge to create an estimate for each work package from the bottom
up allowing them to establish efficient methods at lower costs.
Biblical Integration
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”
( New International Version, 1973-78/2011). This verse teaches us to trust, lean on others
who have a greater understanding, just as we put our trust in the Lord and look to him for
guidance because he is knowledgeable and will lead us through the path of righteousness,
management should also trust the people they put in charge to perform and do the job that
they know best.
Reference
Johnson, R. D., & Wickramasinghe , A. S. (2021). Trust and Organizational Leadership. In
Handbook of Research on Multidisciplinary Perspectives on managerial and Leadership
Psychology (pp. 490–511). essay, IGI Global, Business Science Reference.
Larson, E. W. (2021). Project Management: The managerial process. McGraw Hill.
New International Version. (2011). New International Version Online, https://www.New
International Version/.(Original work published 1973-78)
Turan, U., Fidan, Y., & Yıldıran, C. (2019). Critical thinking as a qualified decision making tool.
Journal of History Culture and Art Research, 8(4), 1.
https://doi.org/10.7596/taksad.v8i4.2316
Wallerand, A. S., Kantor, I., & Maréchal, F. (2019). Bottom-up method for potential estimation
of energy saving measures. Computer Aided Chemical Engineering, 1597–1602.
https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818634-3.50267-8
