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ASU OGL-321

Module 3: Paper

Kayla McGuffey

February 5, 2021
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There is so much uncertainty in this world right now. There are several problem-solving

strategies that we can use to help approach an uncertain situation. Suppress, adapt, detour an

reorient are the four possible modes to confront uncertainty that we are going to look. If you

would like to effectively manage then being an amazing problem solver will make your

workplace a better environment.

The first way for confronting uncertainty would be to suppress. In this you as the leader

would take preemptive steps to make sure the uncertainty is reduced, and the objective is

reached. With depression there are several things that can be done like analyzing potential

threats, in developing a plan to resolve a problem and accurately forecasting future scenarios. It

is necessary to focus on parts of our project that is the most vulnerable.

The second way to deal with uncertainty is adaptation. With adaptation a project

manager must act quickly to deal with unexpected events. With adaptation a person must

gather information and be prepared to act rapidly and decisively. They must continue to make

changes to reach the goals that are set. I feel like this would be the best way to approach a

situation. By adapting you're facing your problem head on, but just learning to deal with the

problems as they come being flexible and able to make decisions speedily.

Next, in dealing with uncertainty a project manager could always detour. By detouring

they should be creative with other options, evaluate and compare risk and always be ready for

when a better opportunity comes along. I feel like detouring would be the easy way out. By

canceling all the things that are going wrong and changing your direction you are not really

facing the problem just working around it and getting away from the root of the problem.
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The last part would be to reorient oneself. By doing this a project manager will

understand what is going on be honest about the chances of success and failure. They will keep

an open mind to changes that come along. This could be a difficult way to deal with uncertainty

and sometimes you must deliver bad news to the client.

When reading “Easy in theory, difficult in practice” there talk about what can we do

when a team member isn't pulling their weight. In this article it talks about several different

approaches when dealing with other team members. One is a pushed back base model where a

employee is pushed into the work and they either begin to work, like they should or are

replaced. This reminds me of suppression in that a project manager will identify the source and

threat. Then we'll develop a plan to resolve the problem. This plan will include firing this team

member if they do not pull their weight.

The other is a pull faced approach we're a team member works together with a team

and the team gets more done versus the individual. The other way to deal with this answer is

the pull method. This is where an individual is put in a team and the work gets done as a team.

This team will work together and either this employee will step up and do his share of the work

so his team looks great or will step out and quit. This is like adaptation where there is some

uncertainty about how this individual will react but there are objectives and a continuing of

steering the project towards its goal through the help of the team.

“In how to delegate task “A girls guide to project management;” Elizabeth Heron talks

about different ways to delegate. She talks about how delegating is part of a manager's job,

how surrounding yourself with good people makes delegating easier, how to understand the
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skills and motivational levels of your team and how to follow up so no work is overlooked. This

Is in a way adaptation. Bye gathering information and understanding my employees I can stay

focused on the plan and make decisions to help state towards our goal. As a project manager I

can help all my team members stay on task by adapting rapidly and decisively.

This article really hit home with me because I have been working with my manager to

learn how to delegate task. I will often do things myself. I will often detour around difficult

conversations and delegating rather than being the manager that I should be. I really would like

to better myself bye following the advice of this blog. Learning how to delegate. Explaining the

work, check in that they understand, then monitoring and following up. These are very

important steps to follow, and I am going to work hard to be a master of them.

I personally feel that every one of these four possible modes for confronting uncertainty

have some benefits. For one they all end up reaching an objective. Problem solving is an

amazing thing to have when dealing with people and managing them. It's very important to be

alert and focused and understand all that is going on in your project.

When looking at these four-project management problem solving strategies, I realize

there are many ways to solve a problem. I feel like some are better than others but, in a way, if

they all achieve an accomplish the goal then there is success. If I can pay more attention and

think about how I problem, solve then maybe the next time a situation arises I will be able to

accomplish my goals to the best of my ability.

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Leden, D , https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/lib/asulib-ebooks/

reader.action?docID=438596&ppg=1

Bondale, K, July 28,2019 What can we do when a team member isn’t pulling their weight? |

Easy in theory, difficult in practice (wordpress.com)