Week 5

1. How will project communications and interactions work between the project manager, the stakeholders and the project team?

The major elements of project communication include the project manager, project team members (e.g. business analysts, software developers, electricians and plumbers) and stakeholders (e.g. customers, suppliers, community, sponsors, board etc.

The quest for project information by the project manager is the most crucial tool for the success or failure of a particular project. Stakeholders must update project managers on the procession of the individual roles of the project in order to keep abreast with project plans. Effective communication is a crucial tool in building and maintaining relations with stakeholders and also the project team. The project team sees the project as a job responsibility and therefore project performance is closely interconnected to them. The project team needs a comprehensive level of communications gained through their daily relations and the weekly team meetings conducted with the project manager and other members of the team. 

2. What are some of the issues you, as the project manager will need to be concerned about in forming the project team?

(a) Communication: Communication is very crucial for the success of a project and is related with team work and team building and therefore influences occurrence of conflicts. This in turn necessitates the setting up a communication management program for the project.

(b) Establishment of the team culture: The establishment and motivation of teams are interconnected with communication and are vital to get their meaning before undertaking the conflict and the ethical issues connected with conflict.

(c) Conflict resolution and ethical issues: Unless good communication is maintained there are high chances of conflict arising between team members. Project managers resolve conflicts by applying both human resources and communication skills. Project Managers should be exemplary by guiding their team members on how to solve conflicts amongst themselves.

(d) Ethical behavior when handling conflicts: It is recommended that project managers and their team members make ethical plans regarding their personal and professional way of living. Also regarding conflict resolution, project management workers should carry their jobs in an ethical conduct.

3. What, if any, situational factors exist that may affect the project team’s performance?

(a) Fear - the major reason for poor performance of the team is either real or perceived fear. These fears may be personal or shared by the whole group. There is also the worry of the external environment, such as the repercussions of the recent economic crisis that may decline overtime through the creation of equal objectives and goals.

(b) Internal wrangles – is a major contributor of underperformance in most teams. Usually conflicts occur when there are no clear-cut rules and problems are not dealt with amicably on time. Coming up with a team code of practice will aid teams in reducing wrangles by providing team members with set rules to follow and apply in conflict resolutions.

(c) Lack of proper direction – can quickly hinder team performance without members of the team realizing. Clear directions should be laid down by the project leadership and continuously communicated to all members of the team.

(d) Lack mutual trust - between the company management and staff or with team members hence leading to negative attitude that can be hard to change. For example the huge fall in mutual trust among global financial enterprises has been partly contributed to the rise in global credit crisis.

(e) Practice of divisive culture – Usually takes place in teams where there are no proper laid down rules to rule the culture hence leading to prominent people coming up with a team culture that easily disunites them.

4. As the project manager mandated with the responsibility of effectively executing the project I will ensure that the following pitfalls amongst team members are identified as quickly as possible and done away with through the application of quality team leadership skills:

(a)  Inadequate leadership among the team members

(b) Unqualified members being allowed to join the group

(c) Non constructive environment

(d) Low spirit of accomplishing the team’s goals.

(e)  Intergroup relationships that negatively impact on the group.

Reference Adams, J. R. (1997). Principles of Project Management. Oxford University Press.