The Four Major Phases of a Project - Essay Example

Here the term, "Work Breakdown Structure" (Gerard) becomes applicable, which refers to the approach of setting tasks up in order of precedence and including every detail of the tasks in its realizability. For this purpose, a sequence diagram or a pert chart will come in handy. Consequently, it is paramount to make consultations with the actual job doers and the marketers to ascertain the practicability of the structure, its time-table, and its possibly guesstimated cost- implications, and to modify the draft structure, if necessary, according to their recommendations subjected to the manager's critical consideration.

The next phase, the implementation phase, involves executing the developed concept. Here milestones are set and important stages of accomplishments are defined, which become "sub-goals." ( James, 1975). At this stage, the task of the manager ends at the point of sensible and proactive allocation of tasks to the team members. The remaining work involves the actual job-doers. At this stage, though the manager is not totally out of communication, inter-team communication is the main sort of communication.

However, since the fulfillment of the project rests entirely on the success of this very essential phase, constant and multiple communication among the project team is required. A sustained focus - so that every team member keeps to the goal and does not divert;2. The topicality of suggestion - so that unenvisaged circumstances and conditions are answered, every member necessarily liaising with others and with the project manager to keep the project team posted. Always keeping an eye on completion according to schedule, the manager is concerned that the work should be closed out as planned; when he sees a possibility of failure, he constantly urges, presses, and admonishes the workers to greater effort, and works to answer emergencies by making urgent telephone calls, writing letters, making personal visits and errands, etc.

The workers, in turn, if cooperative, not only diligently mind their businesses, but alert their managers on any emerging material or personal emergencies. "Customers feel let down by tardy delivery, the staff is demotivated by constant pressure for impossible goals, corners get cut which harm your reputation, and each project has to overcome the same problems as the last" ( Ibid) All these vagaries call for daily communication among the project team- from and to the manager and the workers- call for moral encouragement, recommendations, and suggestions.