Project Manager Role Flashcards
Active Listening
The message receiver restates what’s been said to fully understand and confirm the message, and it provides an opportunity for the sender to clarify the message if needed.
Active Problem Solving
Begins with problem definition. Problem definition is the ability to discern between the cause and effect of the problem. Root-cause analysis looks beyond the immediate symptoms to the cause of the symptoms - which then affords opportunities for solutions.
Avoiding Power
The project manager refuses to act, get involved, or make decisions.
Charismatic Leadership
The leader is motivating, has high-energy, and inspires the team through strong convictions about what’s possible and what the team can achieve. Positive thinking and a can-do mentality are characteristics of this type of leader.
Expert Power
The project manager has deep skill and experience in a discipline (for example, years of working in IT helps an IT project manager better manage IT projects).
Ingratiating Power
The project manager aims to gain favor with the project team and stakeholders through flattery.
Informational Power
The individual has power and control of the data gathering and distribution of information.
Interactional Leadership
The leader is a hybrid of transactional, transformational, and charismatic leaders. This leader wants the team to act, is excited and inspired about the project work, yet still holds the team accountable for their results.
Guilt-Based Power
The project manager can make the team and stakeholders feel guilty to gain compliance in the project.
Leadership
Aligning, motivating, and inspiring the project team members to do the right thing, build trust, think creatively, and to challenge the status quo.
Laissez-Faire Leadership
A “hands-off” approach to the project. This means the project team makes decisions, takes initiative in the actions, and creates goals. While this approach can provide autonomy, it can make the leader appear absent when it comes to project decisions.
Management
Utilizes positional power to maintain, administrate, control, and focus on getting things done without challenging the status quo of the project and organization.
Media Selection
Based on the audience and the message being sent, the media should be in alignment with the message.
Meeting Management
Meetings are forms of communication. How the meeting is led, managed, and controlled all influence the message being delivered. Agendas, minutes, and orders are mandatory for effective communications within a meeting.
Personal or Charismatic Power
The project manager has a warm personality that others like.
Presentation
The presenter’s oral and body language, visual aids, and handouts all influence the message being delivered.
Pressure-Based Power
The project manager can restrict choices to get the project team to perform and do the project work.
PMI Talent Triangle
Defines three areas of PDUs for PMI certified professionals to maintain their certification. This contains technical project management, leaderships, and strategic and business management.
Positional Power
The project manager’s power is because of the position she has as the project manager. This is also know as formal, authoritative, and legitimate power.
Professional Development Units (PDUs)
Earned after the PMP to maintain PMP certification. PMPs are required to earn 60 of these per three-year certification cycle. Of these 60, 35 hours must come from educational opportunities.
Project Manager
The role of leading the project team and managing the project resources to effectively achieve the objectives of the project.
Punitive or Coercive Power
The project manager can punish the project team.
Referent Power
The project manager is respected or admired because of the team’s past experiences with the project manager. This is about the project manager’s credibility in the organization.
Reward Power
The project manager can reward the project team.
Sender-Receiver Modules
Communication requires a sender and a receiver. Within this model may be multiple avenues to complete the flow of communication, but barriers to effective communication may be present as well.
Servant Leadership
The leader puts others first and focuses on the needs of the people he serves. They provide opportunity for growth, education, autonomy within the project, and the well-being of others. The primary focus of this leadership is service to others.
Situational Power
The project manager has power because of certain situations in the organization.
Style
The tone, structure, and formality of the message being sent should be in alignment with the audience and the content of the message.
Transactional Leadership
The leader emphasizes the goals of the project and rewards and disincentivizes for the project team. This is sometimes called management by exception as it’s the exception that is rewarded or punished.
Transformational Leadership
The leader inspires and motivations the project team to achieve the project goals. These leaders aim to empower the project team to act, be innovative in the project work, and accomplish through ambition.
