project leadership Flashcards
what does Norris et al (93) think the role of a project manager comprises?
mging peopple, carrying out processes, producing the product.
what are the organisational roles of a project manager?
ensure necessary resources available to carry out project. involves tasks that can be carried out internally and those that may need to be subcontracted externally.
for tasks to be carried out internally, mgr is responsible for assigning people within org to carry it out. in complex projects this may involve PM delegating for a group of specific tasks, e.g. in projects to implement info systems may have a senior/lead programmer.
what is the responsibility of a project manager in the planning stage?
primarily - define project objective clearly with customer, communicate with rest of team, make it clear what constitutes success.
PM needs to promote pption. maybe reporting system for progress vs plan. responsibility structures may be used but ensure members don’t forget particular areas are likely to affect others and whole project
what is the responsibility of a project manager in the controlling stage?
monitor towards completion, collect/analyse data, consider corrective action, take advice of team members when deciding course of corrective action - this will foster commitment to objectives
what are the advantages and disadvantages of dedicated teams?
pros - no disruption to ongoing operations, relatively speedy because of full time approach, rapid response times.
cons - can be expensive, teams can become entities in their own right, problem of re-assimilating once project done
what are the task functions of a project manager role?
achieving objectives of work group, defining group tasks, planning work, allocating resources, organising duties/responsibilities, controlling quality, checking performance, reviewing progress
what are the team functions of a project manager role?
maintaining and building team spirit, developing work methods so teams function cohesively, setting standards and maintaining discipline, setting up and maintaining systems of communication, training team, appointing subordinate leaders
what are the individual functions of the project manager role?
meet needs of individuals in group, attend to personal problems, give praise, reconciling conflicts between group and individual needs, developing the individuals
what two characteristics of each team should a project manager pay attention to?
- each project is a complete entity and unique in terms of experiences, problems, constraints, objectives
- members of team concerned may well have not worked together before
what are the ways to resolve conflict for a project mgr?
negotiation - involve the parties and discuss. may not resolve problem
mediation - neutral 3rd party. in practice resolved by accepting view of stakeholder that has financial responsibility for project.
partnering - create comm links between proj ppts with intention of directing them towards common goal ahead of own self-interest
compromise - most obvious approach, although implies mutual sacrifice
what pitfalls can arise when managing projects across orgs?
groupthink - lose critical evaluative capabilities
team infatuation - infatuation with challenge of project and shared vision of team, makes re-assimilation difficult
going native - members start to identify with project customer who may not be org
bureaucratic bypass syndrome - alienating others in orgs by stepping out of usual controls and procedures
what is effective partnering? what are the key practices
process of transforming contractual agreements into cohesive, collaborative team that deals with issues and probs encountered in implementing projects. traditional adversarial relationships are ineffective and self defeating
key practices - mutual trust, shared goals/objs, joint proj team, open comms, long term commitment, obj critique, mutual resource access, total company involvement, integration, shared risk
what are the advantages/principles to bear in mind when partnering teams?
advantages - reduced admin costs, more efficient resource utilisation, improved comms/performance/innovation
principles to bear in mind - don’t consider mgment as a contest, separate people from problem, establish rapport before negotiating, focus on interests not positions, invent options for mutual gain, when possible use objective criteria
what skills does a project manager need?
negotiation, planning and control, people skills, technical awareness, financial awareness, problem solving, communication, change/configuration mgment, delegation, leadership
what is the project stakeholder hierarchy?
project sponsor (makes investment decisions)
project owner (wants end results)
project customer (end user)
project manager (responsible for achieving overall project output)
project team (responsible for achieving project tasks that make up overall project)
who are the project steering committee?
responsible for overseeing project and making all high level decisions. committee will normally be chaired by proj sponsor and members should represent major areas of interest in project
what is mendelow’s matrix?
allows mgr to assess risks associated with groups and indicate where to focus attention
what are the four strategies in Mendelow’s power-interest matrix?
low interest low power - minimal effort
high interest low power - keep informed
low interest high power - keep satisfied
high interest high power - key players
what is the matrix structure?
in conventional functional/divisional structures, often lack of clarity as to how auth divided between line mgrs and proj mgrs. if proj relatively small/short term, may not be big issue but if proj form major part of business may need an org structure such as a matrix, where lines of auth are clearer.
what are the features of a matrix arrangement?
- Horizontal project management structure overlaid on normal functional hierarchy
- Two chains of command — functional and project
- Individuals working on one or more projects, while remaining within the normal functional hierarchy
- Possibility of projects having a designated full-time project manager
what are the advantages of a matrix structure?
- Resources can be shared across multiple projects as well as within functional divisions.
- The project can call on entire resources and expertise of an organisation.
- Specialists maintain ties with their functional group.
what are the disadvantages of the matrix structure?
- The system is complex.
- Tensions are implicit in the process.
what are the characteristics of an organisation that would suit a matrix structure?
- The business of the organisation consists of a series of projects, each requiring staff and resources from a number of technical functions.
- The projects have different start and end dates, so the organisation is continually reassigning resources from project to project.
- The projects are complex, so staff benefit from also being assigned to a technical function (such as finance of logistics) where they can share knowledge with colleagues.
- The projects are expensive, so having resources controlled by functional heads should lead to improved utilisation and reduced duplication across projects.
- The projects are customer-facing, so the customer requires a single point of contact (the project manager) to deal with their needs and problems.
what impact does a matrix structure have on project achievement?
- Improve decision-making by bringing a wide range of expertise to problems that cut across departmental or divisional boundaries.
- Replace formal control by direct contact.
- Assist in the development of managers by exposing them to company-wide problems and decisions.
- Improve lateral communication and cooperation between specialists.
