Purpose
People often believe that project managers have to get “stuff” done in very specific ways, and to some extent that is true. But some of their most important work is getting people to work in such a way that …
• the right kinds of questions get asked,
• the right software or product is built,
• the proper diligence is done to de-risk the project,
• the customer is fully satisfied, and
• the objectives of the project are achieved as efficiently as possible.
The first step in the process of building a successful project team is assembling an often diverse set of skill sets and personalities. Like any team, they have to go through the storming, forming, norming and performing stages, and the project manager has to facilitate that as quickly as possible. A project manager has a first level view into the daily performance of individuals on their team, and it’s vital that they assess each individual’s performance.
With one eye focused on the team, a project manager has to keep the other eye on senior level managers and peers. They need to keep communication levels high and navigate the sometimes rough waters of politics in the organization. It takes a careful use of skills and their application to keep balance in the project while moving towards successful completion. Application may mean putting more pressure on or reducing pressure from specific tasks or the people performing them, so project managers have to constantly be aware of multiple factors and assess them dynamically to alter strategies and tactics to get “stuff” done.
Instructions
After completing the reading assignment this week (Chapter 6, Pinto, J.K. (2019). Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage. (5th Ed.), analyze and provide your perspective and insight into the following:
1. Compare and contrast three techniques that you as a leader or project manager might use to build a new team and get them focused and performing on a new project. Explain why you chose these three techniques and how you believe they will contribute to developing a highly functioning project team.
2. Identify at least three situations where you might likely encounter political resistance and/or pressure during a project and describe what specific skill sets you might employ to handle one of those situations and why you chose those methods to continue moving the project forward, both functionally and ethically.
3. Describe how and what kind of feedback you would provide to each team member’s functional manager (their boss when they are not working on the project – most often the manager who writes their performance review(s)). How often would you provide it and why is it important to do?
