People - HR Strategy (Implementation & Evaluation) Flashcards
A strategic project meets the defined objectives but is unsuccessful in its impact to the strategy. Which action in the project planning process has the project manager overlooked?
Answer: Collaboration and agreement on how the project purpose supports the overall strategy
Explained: Collaboration and agreement on how project objectives are related to the organization’s strategy are critical in the planning stage of a project. If the connection is not clear, all objectives may be met but the initiative may not affect the strategy. Therefore, clear alignment on the objectives and how success will be measured must be considered at the start of the project.
Why is it important that employees understand how day-to-day activities support the strategic goals of the organization?
Answer: It drives employee behavior, as the connection to how they are able to contribute is evident.
Explained: Employees are more motivated and driven to perform when they understand how the work they do supports the organization’s strategy. This is one of the five elements needed for the effective implementation of strategy.
- Communication outward to the entire team
- Communication inward to leaders
- Leadership support of decisions made by subordinates
- Free flow of information across organizational boundaries
- Enough information to allow team members to connect their work to the strategy.
Why is it important to involve stakeholders at various points in a project?
Answer: They can increase acceptance of the project’s eventual outcome.
Explained: The best answer is that stakeholder involvement can improve and increase acceptance of the project’s outcome. Stakeholders do not always contribute to budget or have access to management. They can be users rather than influencers or funders.
During what phase of the strategic planning process does motivating employees to work toward organizational goals take place?
Answer: Implementation
Explained: Implementation reflects the process of strategic management. This requires clear communication of objectives to teams, coordination and support of their efforts, and control of resources.
Which characteristic is associated with the Six Sigma project management approach?
Answer: It measures value and uses evidence-based analysis.
Explained: The Six Sigma approach to project management is focused on measuring the return of value that allows empirical analysis to inform decision making.
Other not correct choices:
- Limited resources assigned to overlapping tasks is more associated with the critical chain project management approach, as resources are not increased to meet deadlines. The critical chain approach best accounts for dependencies when there are limited resources.
- Carefully allocating and monitoring resources is a characteristic of any approach that is taken to project management. There is no specific emphasis on this important aspect of project management in the Six Sigma approach.
- Having several versions of the deliverable is associated with the agile approach to project management. Iterations are continuously improved.
What type of business problem is solved most appropriately by using Six Sigma tools?
Answer: Improving quality
Explained: Quality issues can be solved by using Six Sigma tools. Six Sigma is a strategy that identifies and removes the causes of defects and errors in manufacturing and business processes.
Other business problems that can be solved by using Six Sigma include too much variation, challenging root cause identifications, numerous technical considerations, and other complex issues. Lean Six Sigma is a strategy that eliminates waste and improves process flows.
At the completion of an HR project, which action demonstrates that the project has been evaluated effectively?
Answer: Measuring outcomes to determine if targets have been met as planned
Explained: The evaluation of a project is complete when the results have been assessed to ensure that the targets or objectives have been met.
Before determining the budget for a strategic HR initiative, which action would an HR project manager first complete?
Answer: Comparing historical budget data to the needs of the strategic venture
Explained: Comparing historical budget amounts and the nature and scope of the activities that were funded to what is needed for the strategic initiative is the first thing an HR project manager would do prior to defining the budget for the strategic initiative.
Which is an essential reason for evaluation of strategic results?
Answer: Measurement of results is a matter of good corporate governance.
The fact that measurement of results is a matter of good corporate governance is one of three reasons for evaluating strategic results.
- Measuring the outcomes of activities is sound strategic management, since an organization’s limited resources must be directed to those activities that deliver the most strategic impact.
- Measurement is also a matter of good governance, of demonstrating to stakeholders that managers are doing a good job in using resources.
- Analyzing results allows organizations to improve their strategies and continually increase their institutional knowledge and skills.
Which is true regarding communicating the results of a strategic management initiative?
Answer: Look at communicating as crafting a narrative supported by data.
Explained: Effective communication works to efficiently and effectively make a point. The best strategy is to create a narrative that is supported by the data instead of letting the data drive the content of the report. Avoid overwhelming audiences by presenting excessive amounts of data via spreadsheet or PowerPoint.
A software development team is creating a new application using an iterative approach, tackling new objectives as they are identified and prioritized by the customer. Which project management approach is being used?
Answer: Agile project management approach
Agile project management is used when the assumptions on which a project is based are unclear or may evolve as project work proceeds. The project focuses on iterations of the deliverables, completing one iteration and then using customer input to plan the next.
