Effectiveness in Project Management - Essay Example

How a Project Manager Might Achieve Effective Project Management Effectiveness in project management, simply d, is the attainment of the goals of a project within the constraints specified for it. When a project manager (PM) is assigned a project, he is expected to perform the following activities: (1) identify the requirements; (2) establish clear and achievable objectives; (3) balance the competing demands for quality, scope, time and cost; and (4) adapt the specifications, plans, and approach to the different concerns and expectations of the various stakeholders (Khanna, 2010). Among these, activities, the “triple constraint” – project scope, time and cost – are a paramount consideration, and are shown as antecedents in the framework in our lecture, reproduced below: The focus of discussion is on the project manager, and what attributes he should possess to be able to effectively manage a project, and by such attributes is meant his (1) knowledge, (2) skills, and (3) attitudes with which he addresses his job. Almost instinctively, the first requirement would be for the project manager to possess the technical knowledge of the processes required in the project, such as construction, IT, engineering, and so forth. Technical competence is plainly and simply a necessary requisite, a product of the PM’s education and training. Some such specialized knowledge are obtainable through courses and seminars, such as those described by Dadashzadeh (2010) as Work Breakdown Structure, Gantt charts, and Earned Value Analysis. Pacelli (2010), in describing the attributes of an effective project manager, states that the PM should have the ability to clearly articulate a project workplan, its dependencies, and the resulting deliverables, which could only be attained by an elevated level of technical competence. Possessing competence, the PM should possess the skills needed to perform the tasks of project management. This refers to the ability to systematically plan, schedule, calculate costs, and communicate verbally and graphically, not discounting the use of automated (computerized) means where needed. While knowledge implies cognitive appreciation, skill refers to the ability to practice this knowledge with some degree of expertise. Additionally, the best and brightest technical talent need to develop an entirely new skill set to become effective project managers, according to Hitachi Consulting. The recent proliferation of project management toolkits and certifications still leave a skill gap that may be breached only by a focus on proper project management behaviours. Leaders of project management teams are required to undertake three key actions: (1) They must clarify the expectations of their team; (2) They must increase their knowledge base and those of their team members; and (3) The must demand accountability to established standards (Lien, Wan & Howell, 2010). Furthermore, while emphasizing that effective management requires the technical skills involved in the mechanics of planning and execution, a project professional needs a broader perspective oriented towards “PSO” – People, System and Organization (Andersen, Grude & Haug, 2004). This is consistent with the action-centred leadership, as depicted in the Venn Diagram in the lecture notes that link individual (people) needs with task (system) needs and team (organization) needs. There are other essential PM skills that defy classification but are manifested by particular acts. Some such skills have been described by Pacelli (2010) as: the skill in negotiating win-win solutions between stakeholders and the project team; ability to understand the needs of the stakeholder organization and consider these in daily decisions; ability to objectively present decision alternatives and consequences, and arrive at a rational decision on these bases; ability to articulate and communicate the mission and plans to the project team, and to constantly remind them of it when they stray; ability to earn the respect of the team regardless of reporting relationships; ability to leverage a project sponsor to get him/her to help the project manager through difficult issues; and skills in managing virtual teams. Finally, after knowledge and skills, the attributes most difficult to obtain, and yet the most critical to the success of the project, pertains to the attitudes of the PM. Managing a project subjects all personnel involved, the PM most especially, to a great degree of pressure. A person who possesses all the knowledge and skills requisite for a project manager will deliver short of expectations if he could not muster the personal control over his emotions to apply what he knows and is able to do. Pacelli (2010) describes these attitudes as: staying calm particularly during turbulent times; avoiding showing biases toward any team member or stakeholder organization; desire to hold the team accountable for deliverables, as well as willingness to be held accountable for results and not deflect blame. One critical duty of project managers that requires the strength of character and proper attitude orientation is that of conflict management (Anderson, 2010). For a team to work well it must have good rapport and team spirit, but more often than not the multidisciplinarity of a team and the intensity of interactions usually results in disagreements and quarrels that may, if not properly handled, deteriorates to enmity. It takes a morally and mentally strong leader to step into the middle of conflict and timely and effectively resolve it. This can be particularly problematic, because while behaviour is driven by motivation, it also happens that motivation changes in a conflict situation in ways that are as unpredictable as the personal filters that influence each individual’s perception (Anderson, 2010). In conclusion, a project manager, to effectively discharge his function, will need the totality of his attributes working together to bring about the desired outcome specified in the project undertaking. There are a multitude of techniques, methods, and insights that could help a PM effectively manage a project, but innate in this would be the knowledge, skills and attitudes he possesses. Each situation is different, however, so much so that the approach to creating this ideal mix has often been described as an art (Anderson, 2010). Diverse as the approaches could be, it bears remembering that an effective project shall always be: P Planned R Rational O Objectives & J Justified E Expectations C Coordinated & T Team Driven (Khanna, 2010) WORDCOUNT = 1,000 excluding title REFERENCES Andersen, E S; Grude, K V & Haug, T 2004 Goal Directed Project Management: Effective Techniques and Strategies. London, UK: Kogan Page Limited Anderson, B 2010 Project Leadership and the Art of Managing Relationships. Training and Development, March 2010, pp. 58-63 Dadashzadeh, M 2010 Effective Project Management. Retrieved 12 March 2010 from http://www.oakland.edu/?id=11463&sid=248 Khanna, S 2010 Effective Project Management. Binary Semantics Knowledge Base. Retrieved 12 March 2010 from http://www.binarysemantics.com/pdf/Project_Management.pdf Lien, M; Wan, B; & Howell, S 2010 Growing Effective Project Managers: How to change your project management culture and develop new leaders. A Knowledge-Driven White Paper. Hitachi Consulting Corporation. Retrieved 12 March 2010 from www.hitachiconsulting.com. Pacelli, L 2010 Executive Brief: Attributes of an Effective Project Manager. Retrieved 12 March 2010 from http://www.executivebrief.com/blogs/effective-project-manager-attributes/ Read More