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Zack Peterson

Dr. Jennifer Chandler

OGL 320

27 April 2019

Culminating Project Essay

When defining what a project is, or what does it mean to contribute to a project, the

different iterations of responses to such a broad question can be quite diverse. Although, what

exactly is a project? Based on my experience throughout this course, working on creating several

products within the overall project, a project can be defined as continuous, daily work put in by

an individual or a team over a scheduled length of time to create a product, or several products in

my case. Upon each new project that’s taken on, it’s helpful to think of the projects I contribute

to because, essentially, they’re a reflection of who I am as a person, as well as a project manager.

The contribution I put forth that has to do with a project and the creation of a product speaks to

the style of my work and management ethic, which can either be to my advantage when I look

for new projects or can be to my disadvantage depending on how the project resulted. Overall,

what I’ve learned in my time as a project manager is that it’s important to be aware of what your

contribution is to a project and how you can be of helpful service to both your client and your

team.

My performance in this course could be compared to thinking of the projects I contribute

to in that this course has been my project, and week after week I’ve contributed myself to

enhance my comprehension of the course’s subject matter: project management. The goal I had

for myself in this class, as illustrated in my Baseline Assessment Essay, was to have a better

understanding of project management and what it takes to be a good project manager. Much to
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my delight, as I’ve reached the end of my project, I can say that I now understand the goal I set

for myself. From what I learned and observed during the entirety of my project, project

management is a very involved process that requires me to be present in every moment of

everyday so that I am able to deliver a quality product to my client.

The required reading in this module applies to my experiences in this course in that it

made me aware of the types of biases and mindsets I endure on a daily basis. Thinking that I was

competent in my overall performance before starting this project, it was during my project and

reading about the multiple biases and types of mindsets that I realized I’m somewhat

incompetent. I’m usually quite conscious of areas I can improve upon within myself and the

work that I do, but studying these biases and mindsets opened my mind to what I have to work

on. For me, I’ve found it to be beneficial to address and focus on the incompetence so that I’m

able to be a more well-rounded project manager.

I planned for this project by using a project plan, as created in Module 1 of my project.

Having a project plan that outlined my orderly deliverables, tasks and subtasks, and time

strategizing kept me motivated, focused, and aware of what my work was accounting for. A

technique I used that comes from O’Connell’s What You Need to Know About Project

Management was establishing SMART goals. Of this technique, O’Connell says, “You need to

think in terms of your goals being SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-

bound” (O’Connell p. 25). For me, during my project, this was a technique I kept relying upon

on a daily basis. An action I had used, which I didn’t realize was as necessary as it was until I

had started my project, was prioritization. Of this action, Wiefling says “Prioritization isn’t

something we do to create a list of things we won’t do. It forces us to clarify what’s important in

a project so we can focus our limited resources where they matter most” (Wiefling, p. 69).
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During my project, I used this action most often when deciding which tasks or subtasks were a

priority for creating each of my products.

To be completely transparent, I am someone who pays close attention to details. It’s a

quality I’ve possessed ever since I can remember. Throughout the length of my project, with

each new module came new assignments that contributed to the creation of one of my many

products. With that being said, I would, at times, focus on the details of an assignment more so

than the project’s bigger picture. I struggled with this concentrated focus on particular

assignments only when an assignment would take longer to complete than I had planned for. In a

way, I felt that giving each assignment such dedicated focus would make me understand the

bigger picture, when really I would lose track of what the bigger picture was because I was so

enthralled with each assignment. What was easier for me was immersing myself in the details of

an assignment, such as making sure each element of the assignment met the quality criteria

exactly and that it all made sense for that specific assignment. I found that the project’s bigger

picture was more enjoyable than focusing on the details of assignment because I was able to see

how everything came together. Not looking at the overall project with such a detailed and critical

lens, as I would with an assignment, would be a relief and it allowed me to really enjoy the work

I was doing and would be doing. Going forward, I can help myself achieve balance between the

two by taking the high level of concentration I have for the assignments and cutting it in half,

giving one half to the assignments and the other half to the project’s big picture. That way, I’m

giving each facet of the project equal attention and care.

In conclusion, the work I contributed as a project manager to my project has brought

forth new meaning as to what being a project manager is and what project management does for

a project. Whereas before I had a slightly narrow-minded idea of what the two meant, it’s
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because of my experience in this course and the work that I put into my products that my

knowledge and skillset has expanded. Having grasped this information during my project has

taught me that a project itself is much deeper and connected to who I am as an individual, but

also as a team member and project manager. In going forward from this course, I look forward to

using what I’ve learned here and applying it to future projects to come.
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References

O’Connell, F. (2011). What You Need to Know About Project Management. West Sussex, United

Kingdom: Capstone Publishing Ltd.

Wiefling, K. (2007). The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls Every Project Faces. Cupertino,

California: Happy About.