University Of South Asia

                                                   

                                                      Quiz 4

Program: BBA
Course: Project Management
Submitted By: Usman Naveed
Roll No: B-21653
Submitted To:  Sir Agha Ali
Q) Distinguish between leader and manager as far as project management is concerned?
Generally speaking, project managers and leaders might not seem to carry a different meaning
but the nature of responsibility that comes with the title is very different to one another with
regards to project management.
A project leader tends to have more control over a project and more freedom to explore their
own management styles than a project manager. There are critical but subtle differences
between the positions. The core differences in project leadership and project management are:

 Project managers tend to be more inclined towards coordination while project leaders
are visionaries. The leader’s vision is what serves as a guideline to execute the project
while the manager’s coordination helps in the execution.
 Project-centric and people centric approach is another major difference between the
two. Project managers are more goal oriented which is the success of the project. Their
concern is ensuring that the team meets objectives on time and that the project stays
on-budget. Project leaders focus on managing the project while inspiring those who
work around them to create their vision.
 Project leaders enable thinking while project managers enable proper execution. Project
managers manage the budget, staffing and responsibilities of team members to ensure
deadlines are met. While project leaders also manage the team’s effectiveness, their
strategy is to motivate and help generate new ideas to achieve goals.
 One major difference is that project managers are only focused on the results while the
project leader is also inclined towards the learning process that comes from it.

Q) What kind of issues/orientation present difficulties for project managers?

1. Scope creep
Clients who don’t precisely know what they want and have vague requirements are one of
the biggest project management challenges for both managers and the project team.
2. Lack of communication
Miscommunication is also dangerous for project teams because it affects their teamwork. It
can cause conflicts among team members and can potentially delay the project.
 3. Lack of clear goals and success criteria
It is also important for a project manager to come up with a way of quantifying project
progress by setting up milestones and quality tests. In addition to helping your team
progress, having a clear set of objectives will also help project managers defend their vision
in front of the upper management and the customers.
4. Budgeting issues
By efficient cost management, a manager can avoid various common complications a
project may face and strive for better and quicker results.
5. Inadequate skills of team members
As a project manager, you can create the most ideal environment but if the team does not
possess the necessary skills to tackle the problem at hand, your project is bound to fail. This
is a huge project management problem that can only be solved with proper experience and
foresight.

Q) List the essential skills needed by today’s project manager to overcome project difficulties.

 Subject matter expertise

 Communication
 Negotiation
 Team management
 Time management
 Risk management
 Budget management
 Coaching
 Technical writing
 Project recovery
 Visualization skills
 Strategic planning
 Active listening
 Research skill