Week 2 Flashcards
what is the project manager’s first task?
- they’re briefed on how the project fits in the organisation and its priority, to which the PM is then expected to prepare a budget and schedule
what is a functional manager?
- head of department, who usually has full control over how a task is to be completed and who will do it
- they utilise technical skills and so are analytically focused
- they have full power over all work carried out in their functional department
what is a project manager?
- normally start as specialists in their field and are then promoted as they have a lot less control over all work carried out on the project
- they utilise negotiation skills and so are systems focused
- they rarely get a say in who carries out what role
- they oversee many departments eg finance, engineering, planning
what are the four priorities for the PM?
- What needs to be done?
- When does it need to be done by?
- What resources are required?
- How are these resources going to be obtained?
what is the PM’s responsibility to the organisation, the project and the project team?
- the organisation: Appropriate use of resource, timely and accurate communication with senior management
- the project: keep project on time, within budget, manage conflicting demands from stakeholders, keep customer updated on status of project
- the project team: Manage relationships between team members, foster a team spirit, consider team members’ futures after project has ended
what is the peter principle by Laurence Peter?
The theory that employees within an organisation will advance to their highest level of competence and then be promoted to and remain at a level at which they are incompetent
what are the demands on the project manager?
- Ensuring adequate resources are available
- Acquiring and motivating team members
- Managing obstacles
- Managing trade-offs
- Having a balanced outlook
- Ensuring effective communication
- Negotiating
describe the first demand of PM’s ‘ensuring adequate resources are available’?
- PM has to ensure project stays on track
- initial budgets for projects are usually incorrect due to optimistic forecasts, overselling the project to receive funding and uncertainty
- careful trade-offs have to be made of resources
describe the second PM demand of ‘ acquiring and motivating team members’?
- team members may be ‘borrowed’ from other departments which may require negotiation with department Head and individual but DH has final say
- team members to be acquired should have strong technical skills, sensitivity to politics within the firm, problem orientation, high self-esteem
as part demand 2, what process does Tuckman (1965) describe teams go through?
- Forming: new members join, begin to understand their roles but arent a team yet
- Storming: members work independently still, conflicts occur as team arent working together
- Norming: team establishes norms/ ways of working, members begin to trust each other and change behaviour
- Performing: team functions as a unit and become focused on goals
= some firms get stuck in these phases and then can backtrack
what is the third demand on PM’s ‘managing obstacles’?
every project is unique, PM has to deal with many unplanned crises
- scope creep is common ie when there’s changes to the scope
- the best PM’s are fire preventers not fire fighters
what is the fourth demand on PM’s ‘managing trade-offs’?
- project management requires constant trade offs eg:
- Cost vs. Time vs. Scope
- Progress vs. Process
- Working on multiple projects
- Goals of project Vs. Goals of organisation
- Project Vs. Career
what is the fifth demand on PM’s ‘having a balanced outlook’?
PM has to have a balanced view to cope with highs and lows of moods among team members, as its difficult to know if the project is heading for success or failure which affects team morale
what is the sixth demand on PM’s ‘ensuring effective communication’?
- PM’s main role requires communication with many differing projects and groups who all have differing interests and priorities
- PM must have strong relationship with snr. management which can aid resource gathering, project team and ‘outside’ network eg family & friends which allows PM to ensure all involved are aware of projects requirements
what is the seventh demand on PM’s ‘ Negotiating’?
- negotiation is about obtaining the best outcome, not winning which PM has to be good at to fulfill other demands as every other part of a PM’s role depends on this
- solutions have to satisfy both individual and firm needs
