CH 3 - Role of the Project Manager Flashcards
Which of the following describes a key difference between management and leadership?
A) Focus on relationships vs. focus on long-range vision
B) Maintain vs. administrate administer
C) Directing vs. influencing
D) Focus on bottom line vs. focus on status quo
C) Directing vs. influencing
Which of the following is the LARGEST part among the four of the project manager's role? A) Adhering to the schedule B) Developing skills & abilities C) Dealing with people D) Operating within budget
C) Dealing with people
Which of the following is LEAST likely to be a project manager role?
A) Ensuring that organizations are operationally aligned with financial objectives
B) Consulting with business leaders on advancing strategic objectives
C) Evaluation and analysis of project-related activities prior to project initiation
D) Assisting in business analysis, business case development, and aspects of portfolio management for a project
A) Ensuring that organizations are operationally aligned with financial objectives
Complexity exhibits all of the following characteristics EXCEPT:
A) Exhibiting dynamic interactions between the parts
B) Containing high-risk parts
C) Containing multiple parts
D) Exhibiting emergent behavior, which cannot be easily explained as the simple sum of parts
B) Containing high-risk parts
Each of the following describes the role of the project manager, EXCEPT:
A) They are responsible for the final result of the team
B) They need to integrate multiple disciplines
C) They communicate with the team
D) They need to be an expert or knowledgeable of all aspects of their endeavor
D) They need to be an expert or knowledgeable of all aspects of their endeavor
True or False: A project manager is usually involved in a project from its initiation through its closing
TRUE
What is a methodology?
a system of practices, techniques, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline
What is “tailoring” in project management?
a selection of appropriate project management processes, inputs, tools, techniques, outputs and life cycle phases to manage a specific project
What are two things you need to understand in order to tailor a project?
It is your duty to understand:
1) the environment in which the project is carried out and 2) the needs of the project itself
What is Project Integration Management?
the activities used to combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities during the project life cycle
What is a critical skill for project managers?
Integration
Fill in the blank:
The project manager plays a critical role in the ______ of a project team in order to achieve the project’s objectives
leadership
Involved in a project from its initiation through closing: PRIOR TO PROJECT INITIATION
Involved in evaluation and analysis activities: consulting with leaders on ideas for advancing strategic objectives, improving organizational performance, meeting customer needs
Involved in a project from its initiation through closing: DURING PROJECT
Manage/assist in business analysis, business case development, and aspects of portfolio management
Involved in a project from its initiation through closing: CLOSING PROJECT
Follow-on activities related to realizing business benefits from the project
What are the three areas of duty that the project manager is responsible for?
- Membership & Roles
- Responsibility for the Team
- Knowledge & Skills
Fill in the blank:
Project managers _______ and _______ their team toward the successful completion of their objectives
Communicate & Motivate
True or False: The project manager is NOT responsible for what the team produces
FALSE
Fill in the blank:
A project manager must take a _____ view of their team’s products in order to plan, coordinate, and complete them
holistic
What skills does a project manager provide to the project team?
- leadership
- planning
- coordination through communication
What type of knowledge does a project manager need in order to be successful?
- project management knowledge
- technical knowledge
- understanding
- experience
What five areas are in the project manager’s sphere of influence?
- project
- organization
- industry
- professional discipline
- across disciplines
Fill in the blank:
The project manager seeks ways to develop ______ that assist the team in achieving goals & objectives of the project
relationships
Who does the project manager influence within the project?
- Project Sponsor
- Stakeholders
- Team members
What two communication roles does the project manager fulfill?
- Provides direction & present the vision of success for the project
- Uses soft skills to balance the conflicting and competing goals of the project stakeholders in order to achieve consensus
Fill in the blank:
Research reveals that the top 2% of Project Managers distinguish themselves by demonstrating superior relationship & communication skills while displaying a _______
positive attitude
List 8 communication skills/techniques
- Communication methods - verbal, written, nonverbal
- Creating, maintaining, & adhering to communication plans and schedules
- Predictable & Consistent communication
- Concise, clear, complete, relevant, simple, and tailored communications
- Including positive & negative news
- Incorporating feedback
- Seeking to understand the STAKEHOLDER’S communication needs
- Developing & maintaining relationships (extensive network of people)
What types of people are considered a part of an informal network?
subject matter experts, influential leaders, contacts in different functions
Why are informal networks the most important?
Project managers need to engage multiple people in solving problems and navigating the bureaucracies encountered in a project
Who does the project manager influence within the project?
- other project managers
- project sponsor
- other managers within the organization
- the organization as a whole
What are the different types of reporting lines for project managers?
- Functional manager
- Project Management Office (PMO)
- Portfolio / Program Manager (ultimately responsible for 1+ organization-wide projects)
- External consultant (temporary PM role)
How does a project manager advocate for the project management profession?
○ Demonstrate value of project management
○ Increase acceptance of project management in the organization
○ Advance the efficacy of the PMO when one exists in the organization
Fill in the blank:
Project manager should maintain a strong ______ role within the organization
advocacy
What are the 5 ways that project managers play an advocacy role?
- Proactively interact with other managers in the organization
- Works with project sponsor to address internal political & strategic issues that may impact the project
- Works toward increasing the PM competency & capability within the organization
- Involved with tacit & explicit knowledge transfer or integration initiatives
- Advocate for the PM role
What is the importance of interacting with other project managers?
- Helps to create a positive influence for fulfilling various needs of the project
- Projects/program may be co-dependent and are impacted by shared resources, priorities of funding, distribution of deliverables, alignment of project goals & objectives
How does a project manager use the industry to influence projects?
The project manager stays informed about current industry trends to see how those trends may impact or apply to current projects
True or False:
Continuing knowledge transfer & integration is very important for the project manager
True
True or False:
Professional development in the PM field is ongoing
True - also true for other areas where the PM maintains expertise
How does the project manager serve as an informal ambassador?
Orients & educates other professionals regarding the value of a project management approach and the advantages of project management (timeliness, quality, innovation, resource management)
