Factors that have Significant Outcomes of Projects - Example

Factors that have Significant Outcomes of Projects Name Course Name and Code Instructor’s Name Date Introduction Critical success factors refer to the few factors that any organization must ensure goes well to ensure the success of a project. This means that they represent the managerial or any other area that must receive special as well as continual attention to bring about high performance. These factors differ depending on what the organization is dealing with, the location and management of the organization. Some of these factors include the support from senior management, how the objectives are set, a good planning that is up to date, good communication feedback, and involvement of customers or the clients. Others includes skills of the employees, affective and efficient change in the management, sponsorship of the project, monitoring and evaluation system, adequate budget, and adaptation of the organization good performance. In addition, competent project manager, a good business case, well allocation of resources, familiar technology, good leadership, realistic schedule, provision of training, good risk management systems and political stability among others are important factors that guide project outcomes (Burns, 2001, pp. 122). This paper covers three critical success factors as follows. 1. Good leadership Leadership as far as organizations is concerned. It has brought in details into light what leadership means and the two main types of leadership. It has also expressed the differences between the two types of leadership in terms of what they entail their characteristics also the main subdivisions that are involved in each type of leadership style. Leadership is a very important aspect as far as the success and progress of a given organization is concerned. This is because leadership is all about the influence, in that a leader is supposed to set the pace for the employees as well as show them the way for them to follow. One of the most important roles of a leader is to ensure the human resource is empowered effectively and efficiently to be able to face and deal with the challenges that are facing the organizations today (Kaufman, 2004, pp. 143). Different people have researched and documented the components of leadership, but there is one main and universal definition of leadership as far as the issue of change exertion in the organization due to globalization is concerned (Hill & Jones, 2007, pp. 49). It entails the analysis of behaviours and characteristics that are involved in leadership. This has made the world define management in terms of the styles that are applied as the organizations strive to deal with the challenges that are occurring on a daily basis in terms of diversity in workforce, organizational structure changes and economic market economy globalization. There are two main leadership styles that are used in the management of organizations namely the transformational and the transactional leadership. The two differs in terms of the characteristics. Transactional form of leadership entails the process of traction between the followers or employees and the leaders. This is whereby they are rewarded with reference to the kind of work they do or their own personal performance (Mullins, 2005, pp. 56). This is a style that very dependent on the ability of the leader to lay down the standards that are to be used to ensure the work meant to be done is accomplished. The standards that are being reinforced are symbolic or materialist, delayed or immediate, explicit or implicit, and may involve the issue of resources. On the other hand, transformational leadership entails the leader carrying himself or herself as a role model. This is whereby the follower gains total confidence and trust for the leader. The leader is involved in ensuring development of the employees through empowerment. The leader is also involved in mentoring the employees to get them reader for any responsibility beyond them. This kind of leadership that enables the leader to communicate the missions, visions and objectives of the organizations to employees or followers through motivating, inspiring and taking great and personal interest to the individual development of the subordinate staff. There are four groups of transformational leadership namely intellectual stimulation, which involves continuous, challenging the followers on how to handle problems in the organization, and individualized consideration, which entails individual mentorship of staff for their development. The other two are inspirational motivation, which entails the capacity of the leaders to set a good example to the subordinates and finally the idealized influence that involves the combination of the three above. Leadership and motivation work hand in hand because motivation is a very important component of every human being. This means that in everyone’s life, motivation is very necessary (Roderick, 2000, pp. 199). However, it is not only important in the life of the human beings but also in the running of any given organization overseen by a manager. One of the most important people who rely much on the motivation is managers. This is because it has a number of effects to the learning of the organization, as far a manager is concerned. These effects include their behaviour towards their goals, it can increase their energy and efforts to their work, it can lead to increment in initiations and persistence, cognitive process enhancement and determination of the consequences being reinforced and most important performance improvement. On the other hand, in any business organization, motivation is very important. If we have to consider the Maslow’s hierarchy of need, then money is one of the motivating factors. Other motivating factors include praises, recognition, respect and sense of belonging (Thad, 2002, pp. 60). Therefore, it is very important to note that motivation is vital in any business organization because it helps the employees to work harder and better, to get to be more effective also to do a more quality work. Another importance of motivation for a manger in any organization includes: putting the human resources available into action by ensuring that all employees have had willingness built up, it also leads to efficiency improvement of employees hence increased productivity, cost of operation reduction and overall improvement in efficiency, it also enable an organization to achieve all of it organized goals. This is because there is better resource utilization, better working environment, and thus, all employees are goal oriented. Another importance of motivation is that it helps build friendly relationships due to reduction of industrial conflicts by the employees, effective co-operation and prevention of employee resistance to changes in the organization (Salder & Craig, 2003, pp. 167). Finally, motivations cause workforce stability. This is whereby; employees tend to remain in the same organization simply because the fell appreciated also part of the organization’s management. To the individuals, motivation is important in helping one achieve goals, individual’s self-development, working in a dynamic team and finally helps one be satisfied in their job. 2. Effective change management Change in whatever environment is very important because it is one of the inevitable factors. The projects in the hospital environment are one of the places where change is very important due to the scientific revolution and innovations that are occurring on a daily basis. Technology is changing, new strains of diseases are also emerging every day, and so there is a need for change. The nursing department is one of the areas that need creativity in developing the changes as well as implementing these changes in the hospital environment due to the sensitivity. The changes are definitely not always gladly welcomed, but, they are very important hence the need for good leadership, dynamism, participation and involvement of all the members of the nursing department in every hospital. Leading and managing of change for the hospital’s Gastroenteritis changed Policy 1200, as a hospital project is an example. Change is because of some driving forces, which actually call for the change (Robert et el, 2008, pp. 78). In this particular hospital, the changes are due to the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the existing policy a factor that calls for a new change. This is with reference to evidence-based king of practice as well as the experiences of nurses in the hospital in paediatrics. As a result, some restraining is expected on the side of the participants and them that will be involved especially in the execution of the changes. With all the driving and restraining forces, there is a need for equilibrium to be struck or attained so that the change can be fruitful. The changes in the nursing department therefore needed to go through a theory of change by Lewis Kurt namely the unfreezing phase, the changing phase and finally the refreezing phase. The unfreezing phase refers to the stage in which the organization or the hospital had to get all the methods, means and ways to ensure the nurses get rid of their old ways in the policy which led to inefficiency and ineffectiveness (Perrow, 2007, pp. 199). The nurses at this point must be trained on the requirement as well as the benefits of the new policy to them, the patients and the hospital. In addition, there is a need for the leaders to lead by example through embracing the changes. Rules and regulation needs to be set showing the penalty and reward for not following rules and following rules. The hospital had some cultures, which were very familiar and actually were habitual for nurses and so there is a need for the nurses to be helped out of the old culture. This is the stage whereby the leaders should be seen practicing the new methods that are required to be used as far as the policy is concerned. The leaders at this point are also very persuasive to the other nurses by trying to show them the advantages of the policy and need for them to embrace the new practices. The hospital should be very vibrant in holding seminars and workshops for the nurses all in the effort of trying to get rid of their old ways in the policy, which led to inefficiency and ineffectiveness. The change phase is embracing change in the mind, feelings as well as through the behaviour. This is whereby the nurse’s actions are seen to change and reflect what the policy entails. The nurses are seen trying to behave as per the expectations of the policy. The old practices are stopped as well as the communication also changes. At this point, the nurses are seen positively talking about the changes. The evidence is in the attitude with which the nurses are seen doing their duties. They can be seen being very enthusiastic with what they are doing or rather being sluggish in their duty performance (Thompson & Martin, 2005, pp. 133). In addition, the rates at which they work can easily be an evident behaviour of the reception and acceptance of the new change. At this point, they can be asked to write their views about the new policy and what they think. This will enable the management to understand. The individual productivity at work can also be very useful is showing their behaviour, feelings and thoughts as far as the new changes are concerned. Finally, the refreezing phase is whereby the nurses as well as the leaders establish the changes by making them their new habit. The practices of the nurses are found to be up to standard with what the policy entails in all ways. This stage is very important because it will ensure the old ways of nursing practices are not resumed. There is harmony, readiness and easy with which the nurses respond and execute their duties as per the changes brought about by the new policy. The relationship of the subordinate staff and managers at this point is very important in showing the impact of change. This is because if the employees accepts the changes willingly and are ready to work then it means that their relationship with the managers will be very good unlike when they have not accepted. This is because they will be blaming the managing for bringing about unnecessarily changes, which will eventually interfere with their relationship with their managers (Thompson & Martin, 2005, pp. 98). There a sense of responsibility at this particular stage because each employee is trying to do what is expected of him or her. In addition, they are seen to trying to find solutions for any problem or challenge that may arise due to the implementation of the policy. The patients are also very comfortable withy the changes that have been brought in the way the organization are functioning. This phase is also dominated by so many meetings which ensure that there is freedom of expression for the nurses to be able to give their views on the areas they think should be improved as far as the implementation of the policy is concerned. The communication at this point is vertical and horizontal, vertical because the management is confident that the employees or the nurses can share knowledge with each other for the purposes of improving their performances (John, 2008, pp. 50). Also at this point, both the leaders and the subordinate staff are actively seen to participate in the change, which means that the leaders are leading, by example and nurses are also emulating from them the right things. This stage ensures that the behaviour, practices, thoughts and attitudes associated with the old policy are gotten rid of. Change cannot be effective unless there is full participation by management as well as the subordinate staff. This is because it is the responsibility and roles of the nursing leaders to be actively involved in the process of shaping the future of the nursing practice as well as health care. This will be done through the help of knowledge-derived form the present and the past (Thompson & Martin, 2005, pp. 103). It is the responsibility of the nursing leaders to acquire leadership styles and skills, which are up to date with reference to the new policy. Moreover, the responsibilities of the nurses as leaders in their profession to use all the knowledge they had acquired through their practices following the old policy to overcome any challenges that they may experience with the new policy. They are also expected to encourage and inspire the new registered nurses who are joining them in the hospital since the policy is a different one in that particular hospital (Thad, 2002, pp. 43). They are expected to apply all of their knowledge as leaders in the process of making a decision. The managers especially them that are involved in the process of changing the policy should be very active in trying to let the other nurses understand the importance of the changes to them, the institutions as well as the patients. This means that they are not supposed to force them or rather manipulate them into doing what is required of them by the new policy. Since the nurses are expected to lead, manage and at the same time follow, then it is their responsibility to acquire some personal attributes like self awareness, management of their own emotions, self motivation, being empathetic and being in a position to handle relationships (Ulrich, 2006, pp. 70). All of the above attributes enables them to be able to handle all the situations synergistically due to their great capacity credibility. Another very grate responsibility of the nurses is to be able to see the big picture in the sense that they should be able to think through all the challenges and come up with the solution. An example is the fact that due to the efficiency of the policy, it is expected that many people will be crowded in the hospital to be able to receive the quality health care. This is a big challenge and so the nurses must be ready with solutions to cater for the challenge. 3. Organizational adaptation/culture/structure The sociology work that has been done outlines a number of concepts, theories and models basing on the issue of management and employees with relation to organization culture, structure and adaptation (Elenkov, 1998, pp. 77). They describe in a better manner the relationship between the employees and management. Many organizations have realized that there can never be a flow in the production of the work without a very good relationship between managers and employees. This s is because definitely despite the fact that the management will give orders to be followed, unless there is a deep understanding between the employees and the management then the orders may not be perfectly executed. Due to this, the organizations have then come into a conclusion that there are a number of management theories as well as practices that must be used in the organization to improve operations in the organization (Mintzberg, 2009, pp. 111). In addition, some of these theories, models and concepts are geared towards improving the productivity of the organization. Apart from that, they are also important in enabling efficient management of the organization as well as an enhancement of the financial rewards. Challenges are also arising on a daily basis and one of the best ways for overcoming them is through practicing some of the management theories and functions. It is very evident that most of the organizations experiences problems of scale because they are they are based on the formal rules as well as the issue of hierarchy offices. However, this may not apply or rather work in organizations where complex division of labour and the formal rules may never apply at all. This means that the issue of bureaucracy may not apply or even work in such a case. In order for any manager to maintain a smooth and a good organizational culture, he or she should adopt some very important organizational theories in the organization culture (Hannagan, 2005, pp. 68). The theories that any organization will adopt must provide a strong link between the employees and management. This means that they have to be structured in such a way that they provide great motivation and courage to employees for improving their working skills and productivity (Ulrich, 2006, pp. 19). In addition, the theories also must infuse some aspects of the organization like values, experiences attitudes and beliefs. This is because these organizational theories are the instrument that every organization uses to cause motivation among all of its workers and employees. These theories comprise of beliefs and ideas of which each member of that organization must comply with to achieve the objectives and the goals of that particular organization (Finlay, 2000, pp. 109). This then means that the theories must be made in such a way that they are acceptable to all the members of the organization whether in the management or employee level. One of the most important aspects that should be considered in implementing organizational theory is the issue of behaviour patterns in the organization. This is the reason as to why most of the organization organizes for seminars and workshops for their employees. So that they can be informed about the organizational theories the organization implements, this is a great advantage because it enables the workers to change their behaviour accordingly to be in line with the organizational goals and objectives (Thompson, 2007, pp. 188). This also enables their behaviour to add much credibility to their work as well as increase ethical value of the organization hence adding its popularity hence giving it a platform for competition. It should be noted that any theory that an organization opts to implement, must be thoroughly scrutinized by the professions before critical decision about its creation is made. This is to ensure that it works for the betterment of that particular organization. A better strategic vision is therefore very important to ensure that all the cultural changes that are made are geared towards the wellbeing of that organization. Another importance of organizational theories is that it brings understanding between employers and employees. As a result, it then leads to development of loyalty and trust within the organization. If for example in a particular organization the team leader in a department does not cope well with the rest of the employees, then it means that there is the need to investigate and find out the cause of the problem (Becker & Huselid, 2006, pp. 900). By doing this, organization will be ensuring that the theories that have been set do not just benefit the organization but also are taking care of the welfare of the employees. There are a number of theories that are used by the organizations to achieve the above benefits and especially the issue of creating a good relationship between the employer and the employee. This work deals with two theories namely contingency theory and rational choice theory (Allingham, 2002, pp. 12). Emotional intelligence is very important in the work place through paving a way to be able to assess all organizational needs, gives a way to assess the individual abilities and quality for the purposes of job assignment. It enables the assessment to be delivered in a great care in that the communication approach is well developed and deliver to the people (Gerald, et el, 2004, pp. 200). There is also the aspect of learning choices maximization, participation among the employees is also encourages since they are able to understand each other and embrace each other’s ideas and opinions. People are able to link their personal goals to be in line with the organization’s they are working for; they are also able to adjust their individual expectations. In addition, it is very important to the management of the organization in that it enables them to assess motivation and readiness for the workers to embrace emotional quotient development (Woodward, 2005, pp. 133). It is also the key for working towards change in the world. This is because it is the key for fostering a good relationship between the leaders and the people under the leadership; it enables people to be able to do personal and self-directed learning as well as change, enables people and organization to split the organizational and personal goals to be achievable. Through teaching people how to manage their personal emotions it has helped them to give the right feedback, build support, improve their self-awareness and encourage personal insights. In addition, there is the aspect of encouraging people to apply their new knowledge in their workplaces as well as develop cultures in the organization to support the same acquisition of knowledge. Emotional intelligence is very important in the area of leadership. This is because a leader who is very well versant with his or her emotions and is able to manage and control them appropriately will be a better leader (Daniel, 2000, pp. 48). Leadership is all about influencing other people and not dictating. A good leader is meant to help the employees in their efforts to develop and improve the performance of the organization. This is because they are the one the employees look up to for direction and performance. This means that the attitudes as well as the behaviours of the leader are very important an important factor in relation to the humanity (Chandler, 2002, pp. 200). Leadership is all about people and it involves a lot of decision-making and as well as so many actions but the most responsibility is the fact that it directly involved the responsibilities towards the people who are directly under the leadership. Good aspects of leadership mean emotional strengths and characteristics in terms of behaviour, which are dependent on the spiritual and mental reserves of the leader (Goleman, 2006, pp. 108). Some responsibilities of the leaders are inevitable especially with reference to the needs of the people meaning the responsibility of leadership is a great profound concept demanding the leader to be very stable as far as the issue of emotional intelligence is concerned. It should be noted that leadership is more than management, directing controlling and instructing people. People will follow someone in the name of a leader nor because of the skills they possess but because of the trust as well as they respect they have for that person (Gaines & Reed, 1995, pp. 100). This explains why leadership is all about attitudinal qualities as far as humanity is concerned. The reason for that is that it involves the relationships they have with their subordinates with reference to some qualities like integrity, humility, honesty, commitment, courage, sincerity, confidence, positivity, passion, sensitivity, determination, compassion and wisdom (Chandler, 2006, pp. 78). All of these characters are largely dependent on one’s emotional intelligence level of development. This means that it is a very important aspect as far leadership is concerned. Conclusion Leadership, Organizational adaptation/culture/structure and effective change management are important success factors of achieving organizational management and improved performance. This is because there is a very great importance of maintaining organizational sustainability since when an organization achieves sustainability in that area its performance in all areas including human resource management also improves (Mintzberg, 2009, pp. 49). This means that leadership should be more than dictatorship and should be more of influencing, motivating, sharing empowering and developing the followers in the organization. Through all of the above, the organization will not only achieve it goals efficiently and effectively but will also give employees a sense of belonging. This is because they will feel appreciated and valued in the organization hence their performance will also increase. Reference Allingham, M. 2002. Choice Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Becker, B. & Huselid, M. 2006. Strategic Human Resource Management: Where do we go from here? Journal of Management, vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 898-926. Burns, T. 2001. The Management of Innovation. London: Tavistock. Chandler, A. 2002. Strategy and structure: Chapters in the history of the American industrial enterprise. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Chandler , A. 2006. Management theory and practice. London: Thomson. Daniel, G. 2000. 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