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Module Three Paper

Marlina A. Savini-Boggs

January 30, 2022

Arizona State University

OGL 321: Project Leadership, Strategy, and Scope

Instructor: Ben Pandya

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Resources and Project Management Knowledge

Like the term itself, I initially viewed project management as the ability to

successfully manage projects. However, I came to realize that the title might be a bit

misleading. The focus of project management is not reliant on managing projects

solely, but through people management. Often, we associate project failures with lack

of technical skills and disregard the possibility of lack of interpersonal skills. As Harold

Kerzner (2010) stated, “Organizations must recognize the importance of behavioral

factors in working relationships. When they do, they come to understand that project

managers should be hired for their overall project management competency, not for

their technical knowledge alone.” (p. 379).

Project Manager’s duties are not limited to the planning, scheduling, and

controlling of the project. They must also be able to manage team(s) depending on the

project scale. In order to effectively do so, one must have people skills to be able to

communicate and share ideas across different teams and throughout the lifespan of the

project. They must be able to prepare for and manage risks, constraints, and conflicts

that may arise. This requires a leader with the ability to effectively communicate and

actively listen to team members issues in order to find solutions. “Resolution means

collaboration, and collaboration means that people are willing to rely on each other.”

(Kerzner, H., 2010, pg. 381). A good leader or manager takes every opportunity to

involve their team members in the decision-making process and ensure that the team is

updated consistently on project status. It shows the team members that they matter

and in return enhances the productivity and work quality.

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Assertions, Insights, and Ideas

Depending on the project size, teams with certain skills are formed to complete

certain tasks. It can be anywhere from a single to multiple tasks. Though technical

skills are important to have as a project manager, the ability to communicate and lead

multiple teams are even more important. Behavioral skills are just as necessary as it

brings about cultural awareness. It is easy to prepare for risks and contingency

management, but a good understanding of the team makes it possible to communicate

and resolve issues immediately. A team is only as good as its weakest performer.

Kiron Bondale (2022) mentions that “Givers and matchers are both well suited for

collaborative work where the emphasis is on the best possible outcome for the team as

a whole. Takers, on the other hand, will collaborate with others but only if it helps them.”

I believe that an effective project manager are givers and matchers. They focus not

only on the project and meeting its objectives, but also on the process and keeping up

team morale. In order to achieve key milestones and deliverables, project managers

must also take care of his or her team. Having the necessary skills does not guarantee

work efficiency if a member is not willing to perform. However, a motivational leader

can ensure performance and productivity from members with necessary skills.

A successful project manager should try to ensure that the visions and goals are

that of the team, objectives are well understood, create an environment where one is or

willing to thrive, empower team members, and assist in providing solutions. Perhaps if

we focus more on soft skills versus technical when considering PMs, we might be able

to improve the failures of managing projects. After all, PMs provide overall supervision
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of projects, while team leaders manage their teams. Therefore, technical skills though

necessary should not be a determining factor.

Simulation and Connections

During this module’s simulation, much of the problems that existed all tied to

team morale. Whether it was due to budget or schedule constraints, the outcome was

the same regarding performance and productivity. The Lazy Project Management Blog

share some insightful and useful information on how to assess and approach some of

the issues that I had during this simulation.

For example: loss of staff members due to competition during Week 4 of 17 had

put a lot of stress on the team and made it impossible to meet specified timeline. By

forecasting a shortage or excess of resources, you can be proactive in acting. Such as

restraining existing employees, hiring contingent workers ahead of time, selling

resource time aggressively, or restructuring capacity in different areas. It is also good to

make use of high skilled members to train or coach medium and basic skill members to

better prepare for such time.

Leveraging skills across the organization is one way to improve communication

and productivity while also minimizing costs and personnel turnover. It provides both

team members and management the opportunity for one-on-one coaching, daily stand-

ups, and status updates. Thus, keeping all team members informed of what is going on

throughout the project.

Resource utilization and workforce optimization is a must. Project managers

should understand how to distribute its workforce (by tasks, skills, deliverable, etc.) to
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obtain the best results for project completion. Furthermore, forecasting resources, its

use, and how to maximize it in order to save costs.

Personal Experience

Throughout my career, I have found soft skills over technical to be more

productive when it comes to team management and achieving results. Project

management in my opinion is no different. Even if I you can manage finances to

maintain budget, complete a product within a targeted timeline, or have the expertise in

a specific area; without behavioral skills you are risking either quantity or quality of a

project.

Team morale is important in ensuring that a project is not only completed, but the

product provided meets standards and specifications. This can only be done when

planning, scheduling, leading, and controlling all go hand in hand. It is the project

manager’s duty to ensure that not only key leaders understand the objectives, but the

team. It is also the project manager’s duty to bring up issues or ideas that a team may

have with timeline, resources, and costs. Communication is key to maintain timeline

progress and successful completion.

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Resources:

Kerzner, H. (2010). Project Management: Best Practices – Achieving Global Excellence.

(2nd ed.). Wiley.

Bondale, K. (30 January 2022). Easy in theory, difficult in practice. Are Your Team

Members Givers or Takers. https://kbondale.wordpress.com/2022/01/30/are-your-team-

members-givers-or-takers/

The Lazy Project Manager’s Blog. (6 April 2021). The PMO Game Changer: A Value-

Driven Project Resource Management. https://thelazyprojectmanager.wordpress.com/