Ahmad Hamid

Project Management Paper

Taking the assessment tied to my current role as a district manager. I find myself

constantly in the work of a project because portfolio management isn't precise cookie-cutter

work. Most recently, taking on this role during our COVID-19 crisis has caused me to switch

gears quickly to crisis management. My results ended with 66, which I find myself perfectly

content with the results. I come from a thriving environment of a single unit manager to a learner

of a multi-unit role. Through self-reflection, I have been told that the less control I have, the less

deliverable results I get because of the complexity of the work. Planning has always been my

weakest because I work better under pressure times but slowly realizing that approaching the job

isn't sustainable. As I have taken on this role, I haven't given myself enough time to plan, which

has caused me always to play catch up this is another indicator of unstainable leadership.

Project management learning me truly resonated with me when I read the titanic scenario.

Planning, prioritizing, and staying true to targets were my key takeaways. The fact that that the

ship could have been a successful voyage if they had committed to a few crucial details, a lot of

lives could've been saved. Prioritizing safety and staying aligned on targets were my favorite

vital takeaways. I have missed vital information, which has ended with a lot of reflection on how

I could've done a better job. Although some things may be considered "small," they could

significantly impact a successful outcome. I have always tried to be more agile with my work

and demonstrate the ability to learn and execute quickly. However, this has also resulted in

cutting corners, not considering all the facts, and contributing sections of my work. Like the

titanic increasing speed strayed away from a slow luxury ship's primary purpose, increasing the

ship prevents them from steering the ship in a different direction.

 Ahmad Hamid

Project Management Paper

I have always received feedback to plan my work and stay true to the plan but allow

room for changes. I was reading the learnings of planning and the benefits resonated with me the

most because planning has always been something that I have not to demonstrate actual

ownership of. The documentation piece of project management was somewhat new because it's

something that I never consider along the journey. I always allowed myself the work to go back

and relook at work and take documentation. As I tie this back to my current role as a district

manager, taking documentation of conversations with my leaders is critical when working on a

"project," and I have always told myself I could go back and try my best to reflect. Also, the

methodology is more important than technology is a new considerable factor for me because I

have been raised to work with technology and haven't considered any other way of operating

through my work.

As stated above, the assessment wasn't surprising to my results because it's been a

working progress for my professional development. I work through my weaknesses every day. I

show up to work to not lose track. I am learning to work through ambiguous times but also plan

and prioritize my time. I find myself working through many things at once when I run a project

or take on a new role that doesn't sustain. I have learned that I need to allow myself to have

"white space" to catch up or check and adjust my work. Overextending myself or controlling a

project doesn't let anyone on my team succeed or even myself.

When I reviewed the slide about “Characteristics of Project Managers," I have found

myself on the self-starter and the ability to get things done in the face of ambiguity. This is

because of past experiences and coming out of them more robust with a ton of learning. I find
 Ahmad Hamid

Project Management Paper

myself continuing to improve on and work through thinking and being flexible with changes or

obstacles within my work critically. As I am working through COVID-19, I find myself

becoming a more decisive leader and staying aligned. Again, this might be due to my ability to

work under pressure, but I am looking to develop a lot stronger of a leader with sustainable

improved leadership skills.

When I do work through projects, I use a tool to assist me in supporting my work. I have

been fortunate to have systems and tools to calendar my work and alert me when deadlines

approach. However, I have constantly challenged myself and reflected on the "what if" factor of

not having those tools and resources to support my work. Something I have done in my current

situation was manual scheduling and documentation to ensure if any of my tools fail, I Have hard

copies of my work to recover and continue. I create a cadence and routine to support my

approach, which consists of; creating a plan, checking on the status of the project, checking on

my team, removing obstacles, checking and adjusting if necessary, leveraging tools to ensure

we're on track, and last recap with a summary of the current state of the work.

The learnings of project management don't only pertain to project management skill-

building. I have found this currently impacts my work as a multi-unit manager. This is because a

district manager's work is always a "project" to manage, and the three simple skills I have

learned prioritize, plan, and stay true to targets are essentials to my day-to-day work. Taking the

learnings and seeing how they can positively impact my work will be incorporated every day I

show up to work with my team.

 Ahmad Hamid

Project Management Paper

Simply reflecting on the first week of learning 'Project Management, I have a lot to learn

and apply with my work. I have always worried about cost management and quality

management, but now through this work, I am very eager to learn how to execute with the

learnings and demonstrate the ability to do so. The 'Deming Cycle' is a tool I will continue to

look into and learn how to apply it as it will support my understanding and learning of 'quality

management.' The learning of 'Cost Management' is another excellent learning to take on and

deliver, 'Managing project finances requires many tools and strategies, and it's essential to set up

a reliable control system to keep track of the costs and required changes" (Mindtools).