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MODULE 7: FINAL PAPER

Module 7: Final Paper

Luis Alvarez

PMG: 321

Professor Pandya

October 2, 2022
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MODULE 7: FINAL PAPER

Part 1

Throughout the course of Introduction to Project Management, there were six lessons and

seven scenarios in the simulation that I found helpful when managing a project: balancing project

objectives, responding to a mid-project staffing crisis, the impact of uncertainty and competition

on projects, staying on schedule, and scope compliance and ethics. Let’s begin by discussing the

quiz “How Good Are Your Project Management Skills?” The initial quiz that was completed is a

tool that helped me determine how well I would perform in the eight key areas that are essential

to project management success. My final score totaled out to be 60 out of 100 which put me in

the category of having ‘ok management skills’. I learned that when projects are relatively simple,

my outcomes are good. Where I lack management skills is when the project begins to have more

complex factors, I begin to lose control and begin performing below my expectations.

Developing my planning skills and preparing for the unexpected will give me a better outcome in

my future projects according to the quiz in Mind Tools (2017). After taking the quiz there was a

clear breakdown of where I scored the least points and where I scored the most points. Schedule

management is an area where I need to focus more time scoring a total of 10 out of 20 points. An

area where I feel comfortable is Risk management which shows me that I understand how to plan

for unforeseen circumstances.

Taking the quiz not only gave me a clear representation of where I stand when managing

a project but a detailed breakdown of what areas I need to improve on. As a leader at Starbucks,

I’d like my project management skill score to be around 75-100 ensuring that I am capable to

lead my team when working towards achieving a common goal. As we learn throughout this

course communication is one of the most important skills a project manager can develop

throughout their career. In the last couple of years, I have been working tremendously in
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communicating clearly and efficiently with my team. Although there has been great

improvement there is still a long journey ahead of me. Giving clear expectations is certainly a

key component of communication but in my opinion, giving and receiving constructive feedback

or coaching individuals is where we lead a group of individuals toward success. At Starbucks,

coaching partners has been a struggle of mine because I care about what others think of me. I

fear that the way I communicate can sometimes be rude or condescending, but some skills I’ve

developed in the past are to approach the individual with empathy using emotional intelligence.

2021 was one of the toughest years in retail service because we were going through a pandemic

and various impactful events in our communities. During this time there was financial support

for individuals that decided to isolate themselves. Although, yes, some were facing the horrific

virus covid-19, others were using the resources put in place to take mental health breaks or

simply take two weeks of paid leave. This created multiple problems in our stores and for the

first time, I used skills I did not know at the time were crucial to project management. Skills like

adaptation, suppression, problem-solving, empathy, and risk management. I experienced being

short-staffed, item outages, and resources being cut off due to the investments made to covid-19-

related resources. The events encountered during the pandemic reminded me of certain scenarios

we encountered in the Harvard Simulation for project management. In the simulations, we had

scenarios that forced us to make changes mid-schedule, changes in scheduling, and changes to

the scope.

In chapter 1: Good Decision Making by Buede and Powell we learn how decision-making

affects the result of a project. As project managers, we must understand how important our

decision-making process is and carefully analyze our decisions. According to Buede and Powell,

“when doing so, we will encounter fewer surprises, handle challenges better, and keep the
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project management team focused on the project objectives, the organizational strategy, and the

overall organizational mission (p.2).” I began having decision-making awareness when I

completed my first attempt at my first scenario of the simulation. Scenario A was all about

gathering a group of individuals to complete a product within 18 weeks. I was given a budget

and the ability to change various parameters. I quickly understood the concept of making

calculated and wise decisions because I did not do so well on my first attempt. I started by hiring

highly skilled individuals which racked up my budget so much I was over budget by $30k. I

figured if I hired highly skilled individuals, I did not have to schedule too many meetings and

perhaps I did not have to manage them as much. Like in the simulation I encountered the same

mistake at Starbucks. During the pandemic, we transitioned to having an opened scheduled to

block scheduling. This meant that there were three-time frames a partner could work. A partner

was able to choose from morning, mid, or night and was not able to work outside of their block.

This type of schedule brought many problems into our workplace limiting the resources a shift

lead could use. As a leader during this time, I would decide to always put the highest-skilled

partner in the hardest position and the least-skilled partner in the least demanding position. It

became a routine for many, they knew exactly where they would go as soon as they arrived on

the work floor. My problems began when my highest-skilled partner would call out or when

partners were simply tired of doing the same thing repeatedly. I knew my decision on making the

same plays was hindering my results instead of challenging and creating goals for everyone. I

began to analyze the changes I could make during my shifts and what goals I could give my team

to work towards. During this time, I wanted to create an environment where everyone worked as

a team, and where everyone knew each position just as well as the others. I began building

capabilities with each partner and gave everyone a clear and obtainable goal. My decisions made
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a difference within 6 weeks of working towards the goals put in place. Allowing everyone to

work on their capabilities gave me the flexibility of where I could place them at any given

moment.

In chapter 10 Behavioral Excellence by Harold Kerzner, we learned that behavioral

excellence is a skill that gives an individual the ability to listen and welcome other people’s

points of view. It also encourages the individual to learn and develop past their level of comfort.

As a shift lead at Starbucks, I consider a successful shift when everything goes smoothly, and no

issues arise. It isn’t until there is conflicts or problems occur that I start feeling stressed and

overwhelmed. In this chapter, I learned that the ability to handle conflict requires a level of

understanding of why conflict occurs. Finding solutions to problems requires the individual to

dig deeper and analyze the situation. Sometimes to find a solution, taking a step backward to take

two steps forward is necessary. A conflict that was challenging for me at Starbucks was when a

partner was influencing other partners to lower their standards when working. This specific

partner would influence others to talk back and question every decision I’d make. During this

time, there was an unhealthy atmosphere in the workspace. Kerzner (2010) discussed five

methods that project managers could use to resolve conflict: confrontation, compromise,

facilitation (or smoothing), force (or forcing), and withdrawal (p.5). As mentioned before I prefer

not to address any issue because I don’t want to look like the bad guy, but I knew that for me to

continue managing my team I had to address the problem. I decided to use confrontation because

I had to face the conflict directly. In the conversation, we decided that withdrawal from the

company would be the best choice for the partner. Immediately there was a change of attitude

with the other partners on my team. It took time and trust for me to build a relationship with

everyone again. After the partner left, I was faced with the problem of filling in the gaps that the
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partner left on the work schedule. I immediately got to work and provided enough resources for

my team including allowing overtime which was one of the parameters seen on the Harvard

simulation. Simulation b was like my experience at Starbucks because during mid-project two of

my team members were recruited by a rival company leaving me short-staffed. Like I did at

Starbucks I tackled my problem head-on and used facilitation to deal with my conflict. I began

easing my team members’ stress by providing enough support and allowing overtime.

Understanding what is preventing my team from reaching the goals put in place was important in

figuring out a plan. If there is anything I feel I could take to my next project or career is the

ability to make good decisions, time management, and risk management. All these skills play a

big role in having a successful project and career.

Time management is a simple but necessary skill to stay on track and prepared. During

the past seven weeks, I have noticed that using a digital calendar and planner has helped me not

only stay on track but create good organizational habits. I learned this during the first few weeks

of the semester. I am currently working and taking more challenging courses that require me to

stay focused and on track. It took time for me to go by my calendar but as soon as I got the hang

of it I saw a change in how well I delivered my assignments. At Starbucks, time management can

be the determining factor in having a successful shift. Usually, when I arrive at the store, I begin

by plotting out when I will be handing out outbreaks and lunches. In the morning we go through

a period called ‘peak’. During the peak, I am not allowed to give breaks because it is the busiest

time of the day. I usually plan my breaks before and after. The difficult part of giving outbreaks

in the morning is when a partner calls out or there’s a no-call no-show. One of the ways I

manage being short-staffed is by taking an early break and making sure I am on the floor

working in the most difficult position to alleviate any stress my team might experience.
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PART 2

In this part of the essay, I will discuss three key points that have helped me get through the

Harvard Simulation. Although the scenarios are manageable, they will get more difficult as the

weeks pass.

 The first key point is paying attention to the objectives and the feedback the team is

providing you with.

- Take enough time to understand what the scope is and how you will manage risk.

- Don’t be too hard on yourself. If there is no improvement within a dew attempt, take

a break and redo the scenario.

- There are times when the objectives will seem unrealistic and unobtainable, during

these times allow yourself extra time to do as many attempts as you can. In each

attempt, you will learn a new way of changing the parameters.

- It will seem like the scenarios are all the same. They are not, some have small

changes that can change the outcome of the score. Pay close attention to each

scenario as they will prepare you for the next one.

 I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and experiment throughout the

simulation.

- Sometimes taking an aggressive approach is what you’ll need to stay within budget

and complete all the items in the scope.

- The simulations I felt I gained the most knowledge from was simulation 6 and 7.

During both simulations, I was able to all the knowledge I learned to effectively lead

my team to success.
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- Pay attention to the parameters and what effects it has on your team. Scheduling a

one-on-one meeting can be the difference for your team in completing 20 tasks rather

than 10.

 Look for external help!

- Don’t be afraid to reach out to the professor if you have any questions regarding the

scenarios.

- Read all the discussion boards as they will be full of information. Most of what I

learned was through people’s experiences during the simulation. I gathered all the

key points and tailored my parameters to help me achieve success.

- Create a group chat where you can discuss experiences and help each other get

through the simulation as everyone has different project management skills.

- Do not be demoralized if you see a higher score, as long as you see improvement on

your end then that is all you need to know you are going in the right direction.
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References

Cleden, D. (2009). Managing project uncertainty.

Heldman, K. (2005). Project manager's spotlight on risk management. Harbor Light Press.

Powell, R., & Buede, D. (n.d.). The Project Manager's Guide to making successful decisions.
O'Reilly Online Learning. Retrieved from https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-project-
managers/9781567263800/OEBPS/9781567263800_epub_c01_r1.htm

Kerzner, H. (2010). Project Management: Best practices: Achieving global excellence.