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AMEER ABBAS
Roll No. 520955311
Course MBA-Semester-3
Subject Project Planning & Scheduling
Subject Code PM 0004-Set-1
The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goa
ls and objectives while honoring the preconceived project constraints. Typical c
onstraints are scope, time, and budget. The secondary and more ambitious challenge
is to optimize the allocation and integration of inputs necessary to meet pre-de
fined objectives.
Project plan can be considered to have five key characteristics that have to be
managed:
Scope: defines what will be covered in a project.
Resource: what can be used to meet the scope.
Time: what tasks are to be undertaken and when.
Quality: the spread or deviation allowed from a desired standard.
Risk: defines in advance what may happen to drive the plan off course, and what
will be done to recover the situation.
b. Competence is a standardized requirement for an individual to properly perfor
m a specific job. It encompasses a combination of knowledge, skills and behavior
utilized to improve performance. More generally, competence is the state or qua
lity of being adequately or well qualified, having the ability to perform a spec
ific role.
For instance, management competency includes the traits of systems thinking and
emotional intelligence, and skills in influence and negotiation. A person posses
ses a competence as long as the skills, abilities, and knowledge that constitute
that competence are a part of them, enabling the person to perform effective ac
tion within a certain workplace environment. Therefore, one might not lose knowl
edge, a skill, or an ability, but still lose a competence if what is needed to d
o a job well changes.
Competence is also used to work with more general descriptions of the requiremen
ts of human beings in organizations and communities.
i. The Organisational Competence was initiated by David McClelland in the 1960s
with a view to moving away from traditional attempts to describe competence in t
erms of knowledge, skills and attitudes and to focus instead on the specific sel
f-image, values, traits, and motive dispositions (i.e. relatively enduring chara
cteristics of people) that are found to consistently distinguish outstanding fro
m typical performance in a given job or role. It should be noted that different
competences predict outstanding performance in different roles, and that there i
s a limited number of competences that predict outstanding performance in any gi
ven job or role. Thus, a trait that is
a "competence" for one job might not predict outstanding performance in a differ
ent role. Nevertheless, as can be seen from Raven and Stephenson, there have bee
n important developments in research relating to the nature, development, and as
sessment of high-level competencies in homes, schools, and workplaces.
ii. A core competency is a specific factor that a business sees as being central
to the way it, or its employees, works. It fulfills three key criteria:
1. It provides consumer benefits
2. It is not easy for competitors to imitate
3. It can be leveraged widely to many products and markets.
A core competency can take various forms, including technical/subject matter kno
w-how, a reliable process and/or close relationships with customers and supplier
s. It may also include product development or culture, such as employee dedicati
on.
Core competencies are particular strengths relative to other organizations in th
e industry which provide the fundamental basis for the provision of added value.
Core competencies are the collective learning in organizations, and involve how
to coordinate diverse production skills and integrate multiple streams of techn
ologies. It is communication, an involvement and a deep commitment to working ac
ross organizational boundaries. Few companies are likely to build world leadersh
ip in more than five or six fundamental competencies.
The need for Competency is shown in action in a situation in a context that migh
t be different the next time you have to act. In emergency contexts, competent p
eople will react to the situation following behaviors they have previously found
to succeed, hopefully to good effect. To be competent you need to be able to in
terpret the situation in the context and to have a repertoire of possible action
s to take and have trained in the
possible actions in the repertoire, if this is relevant. Regardless of training,
competence grows through experience and the extent of an individual to learn an
d adapt. However, there has been much discussion among academics about the issue
of definitions. The concept of competence has different meanings, and continues
to remain one of the most diffuse terms in the management development sector, a
nd the organizational and occupational literature
2. (a) Explain the need for development of management skills & also explain diff
erent steps involved in developing management skills.
(b) Explain each of the following competencies briefly:
Time Management
? Cost Management
? Human Resource Management
? Risk Management
? Contract Management
? Communication Management
? Scope Management
? Quality Management
Avoid Burnout
A lot of new managers get caught up in the excitement and enthusiasm of
their new positions and for all the right reasons: they want to learn as much
as they can as quickly as possible and start getting things done in order to
demonstrate their commitment to the company. As a result, first-time
managers often wind up working excessive hours and when you re working
that hard, for that long, not all of those hours can be productive.
b)
Time Management
Time management refers to a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manag
e time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals. This set encompass
es a wide scope of activities, and these includep lann ing, allocating, setting
goals, delegation, analysis of time spent, monitoring, organizing,sch e du lin g
, andp rioritizing. Initially time management referred
to just business or work activities, but eventually the term broadened to
include personal activities as well. A time management system is a designed
combination of processes, tools and techniques.
Some authors (such as Stephen R. Covey) offered a categorization scheme for the
hundreds of time management approaches that they reviewed First generation: remi
nders based on clocks and watches, but with
computer implementation possible; can be used to alert a person when
a task is to be done.
Second generation:
planning and preparation based on calendar and appointment books; includes sett
ing goals. Third generation: planning, prioritizing, controlling (using a person
al organizer, other paper-based objects, or computer or PDA-based systems) activ
ities on a daily basis. This approach implies spending some time in clarifying v
alues and priorities.
Fourth generation: being efficient and proactive using any of the above
tools; places goals and roles as the controlling element of the system
and favors importance over urgency.
Some of the recent general arguments related to "time" and "management"
point out that the term "time management" is misleading and that the
concept should actually imply that it is "the management of our own
activities, to make sure that they are accomplished within the available or
allocated time, which is an unmanageable continuous resource".[
Cost Management
Quality Management
Quality management can be considered to have three main components: quality cont
rol, quality assurance and quality improvement.
Quality management is focused not only on product quality, but also the
means to achieve it. Quality management therefore uses quality assurance
and control of processes as well as products to achieve more consistent
quality.
The influence of quality thinking has spread to non-traditional applications out
side of walls of manufacturing, extending into service sectors and into areas su
ch as sales, marketing and customer service
Open-mindedness:
The open-minded team member will welcome and encourage other
points of view and other solutions to problem situations. His or her objective
is clearly to do what is best for the team and not look for individual kudos.
Ability to work across structure and authorities:
In the contemporary organization, projects tend to cross organizational lines. C
ross-departmental teams are common. Projects such as these require the team memb
er to work with people form a variety of business disciplines.
7. Personality conflict:
Disagreements may tend to center on interpersonal differences rather than on tec
hnical issues. Conflicts often are ego-centered.
A project team formed by some people that know very well what they are
doing and that are headed by a project manager who is responsible for the
successful outcome of the project. His job is very important because he must
also form and educate team members and teach them how to do what is
needed when they don't know.
The project team carry a huge responsibility upon it's shoulders: the
success or the failure of the project. It's members are the one who practically
execute the project, who give reports to the project manager, who make
changes and corrections when needed. Each member of this team has his
own task, which represents a part of the whole project. So it's important that
everyone respects what he must do so the final result is a good one
Time Life Cycle The life cycle of a project team spans across the complete proje
ct, not
just a particular phase. For example, the Maruti Auto team responsible for
creating a new model integrates activities ranging from assessing an
opportunity to product research, feasibility analysis, development and
engineering, technology transfer to manufacturing, marketing, and field
services. This work may also involve bid proposals licensing, subcontracting,
acquisitions, and offshore manufacturing. The need for close integration of
activities across the entire project life cycle requires that these
multidisciplinary teams stay together as a unified, effective work group for
most of the product life cycle, rather than just for a particular phase of core
activities. For example, the primary mission of the product development
team may focus on the engineering phase, but the team also supports
activities ranging from recognition of an opportunity to feasibility analysis,
bid proposals, licensing, subcontracting, transferring technology to
manufacturing, distribution, and field service. This creates managerial
challenges in dealing effectively with resource leveling, priority conflicts, an
d
long range multifunctional commitment.
Project Team Performance
Team performance is difficult to measure because of it involves highly
complex, interrelated sets of variables, including attitudes, personal
preferences, and perceptions that are difficult to quantify. Yet, in spite of th
e
existing cultural and philosophical differences among organizations, research
shows that a general agreement exists among managers on certain
performance measures for project teams and their results.
Project Performance Measures
Starting with the bottom line of team results and project success, a considerable
agreement exists among managers on the following metrics of nine measures:
1. Project success according to agreed on results
2. On-time budget performance
3. On-budget performance
An estimated 90 percent of project managers include these factors among the thre
e most important measures of project success. The majority of managers rank thes
e factors in the shown order. In addition, other factors are often mentioned as
important to project success. They include:
4. Overall customer or sponsor satisfaction 5. Responsiveness and flexibility to
customer requirements and changes
6. Dealing effectively with risk and uncertainty
7. Positioning the project for future business
8. Stretching beyond planned goals
9. Organizational learning to benefit future projects
2. (a) Explain how do you build high performing project teams. What are the requ
irements of an effective team management? (b) What is leadership? Explain briefl
y about project leadership and leadership competency. a. Requirements of an effe
ctive team management Individual department or functional managers need to embra
ce
ownership and responsibility for success and accomplishing defined strategic
initiatives. However, to maximize the effectiveness of the organization,
managers must be able to work with one another to achieve common goals.
To be effective the following six principles apply: 1. Accountability must be at
the forefront of every initiative. Employees do
want to be held accountable and they willing accept responsibility given the
necessary training, information and the organization encourages
empowerment.
2. Minimize oversight through confidence and empowerment. Do not micro
manage. Workers will accept more responsibility if management isn't
constantly looking over their shoulder. This encourages innovation and
creativity but it requires effective communication.
3. Managers need to function more as facilitators and leaders. Coaching is a
skill set that should be required training for all managers to improve team
management. Regular performance discussions should be scheduled and
strictly held to.
4. Performance management & performance measurement are key
contributors to improved team management. Goals should be measurable
and specific. Creating score cards is an effective tool to improve team
performance.
5. Information sharing and effective communication are critical. Teams must
have unrestricted access to all relevant information. If you can't trust
someone on the team then they shouldn't be on the team.
6. Manager skill sets must be continuously reviewed and upgraded to allow them t
he opportunity to adopt new skills specifically related to coaching and mentorin
g. The manager's role must be redefined for the team environment and an emphasis
on the servant style of leadership
b.
Leadership has been written as the process of social influence in which one perso
n can enlist the aid and support of others in the
accomplishment of a common task. Definitions more inclusive of followers
have also emerged. Alan Keith of Genentech states that, "Leadership is
ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something ext
raordinary happen." Tom DeMarco says that leadership needs to be distinguished f
rom posturing. Leadership remains one of the most relevant aspects of the organi
zational
context. However, defining leadership has been challenging and definitions
can vary depending on the situation. According to Ann Marie E. McSwain,
Assistant Professor at Lincoln University, leadership is about capacity: the
capacity of leaders to listen and observe, to use their expertise as a starting
point to encourage dialogue between all levels of decision-making, to
establish processes and transparency in decision-making, to articulate their
own values and visions clearly but not impose them. Leadership is about
setting and not just reacting to agendas, identifying problems, and initiating
change that makes for substantial improvement rather than managing
change.
Project Leadership is a critical management skill, is the ability to motivate a
group of people toward a common project goal. View of project leader is that ind
ividual who leads a project team
during the project life cycle and accomplishes the project objectives on time
and within budget. Project leadership is defined as a presence and a process
carried out within an organizational role that assumes responsibility for the
needs and rights of those people who choose to follow the leader in
accomplishing project results.
Project Leadership
Anyone concerned with the project may spot potential problems. The
participants should be encouraged and rewarded for bringing these to the
attention of the project leadership. Once an issue is raised, the Project
Manager should ensure that it is proactively pursued and dealt with to the
satisfaction of all concerned parties. It should be easy for the participants to
submit their concerns. It is a good idea to stimulate the submission of issues
possibly by requesting input as part of the participants' regular progress
reporting. One way this might be done is by including an "issues" section on
the project timesheet.
The issue management process will normally involve a combination of
procedures, responsibilities and systems. The key to success is to have a
well-controlled but easy and efficient process. Define and agree:
? who does what,
Types of stakeholders
People who will be affected by an endeavor and can influence it but who are not
directly involved with doing the work. In thep rivate sector,*People who are (or
might be) affected by any action taken by an organization or group. Examples ar
e parents, children, customers,
owners, employees, associates, partners, contractors, suppliers,
people that are related or located near by. Any group or individual who
can affect or who is affected by achievement of a group's objectives.
An individual or group with an interest in a group's or an organization's
success in delivering intended results and in maintaining the viability
of the group or the organization's product and/or service. Stakeholders
influence programs, products, and services.
Any organization, governmental entity, or individual that has a stake in or may
be impacted by a given approach to environmental regulation, pollution preventio
n, energy conservation, etc.
A participant in a community mobilization effort, representing a
particular segment of society. School board members, environmental
organizations, elected officials, chamber of commerce representatives,
neighborhood advisory council members, and religious leaders are all
examples of local stakeholders.
Market (or Primary) Stakeholders are those that engage in economic
transactions with the business. (For example stockholders, customers,
suppliers, creditors, and employees)
Non Market (or Secondary) Stakeholders are those who - although they do
not engage in direct economic exchange with the business - are affected by
or can affect its actions. (For example the general public, communities,
activist groups, business support groups, and the media)
Need for stakeholder s management Stakeholder management is critical to the succes
s of every project in every organization I have ever worked with. By engaging th
e right people in the right way in your project, you can make a big difference t
o its success... and to your career."
The amount of time you should allocate to Stakeholder Management
depends on the size and difficulty of your projects and goals, the time you
have available for communication, and the amount of help you need to
achieve the results you want.
Think through the help you need, the amount of time that will be
taken to manage this and the time you will need for communication. Help
with the project could include sponsorship of the project, advice and expert
input, reviews of material to increase quality, etc.
Stakeholder Management is the process by which you identify your key stakeholder
s and win their support. Stakeholder Analysis is the first stage of this, where
you identify and start to
understand your most important stakeholders. The first step in this is
brainstorm who your stakeholders are. The next is to prioritize them by
power and interest, and to plot this on a Power/Interest Grid. The final step
is to get an understanding of what motivates your stakeholders and how you
need to win them around.
Good Stakeholder Management helps you to manage the politics that can often come
with major projects. It helps you win support for your projects and eliminates
a major source of project and work stress.
Distributed performance arrangements & teamwork dimensions: As organizations bec
ome increasingly dependent on teams to operate
successfully, the globalization process poses a unique challenge: How do
organizations that are distributed globally use a system (i.e., teams) that is
traditionally co located? Like organizations themselves, teams have been forced
to
change with the times. Distributed performance arrangements allow teams to
operate across space time. As few as a single team member, or as many members
as the entire team, may be physically located in different offices, time zones,
or even
countries.
In the simplest sense, distribution is a performance arrangement that affects
how the team members send, receive, interpret, and encode information. The space
between thus has a profound impact on how team members think, act, and feel. For
example, distribution influences the nature of team members mental models and the
cues on which functional experts can call during naturalistic decision making.
Moreover, distributed performance arrangements can be traced to issues with
conflict and shared identity, workload or team opacity and team leadership.
Teamwork Dimensions Major team functions include orientation functions (e.g., ex
changing
information), coordination functions (e.g., performance monitoring and error
correction), and motivational functions (e.g., maintenance of norms, resolving
conflicts). These core teamwork dimensions may further also include performance
monitoring and feedback, communication, coordination, and adaptability.
Virtual teamwork & mention the guidelines for virtual teamwork Virtual teams are
not constrained by typical size limitations, have
distributed functional expertise, and interact a majority of the time via
computer mediated communication.
Because of their distributed nature, virtual teams must rely on some
form of technology, ranging from primitive (e.g., telephone) to advance
(e.g., virtual reality). Thus, virtual teams are dispersed in space time and
use some form to technology to cross their divide. Beyond these basic
parameters, there is considerable variability in defining what is meant by
virtual team.
Guidelines for Virtual Teamwork On the basis of the information in the virtual t
eamwork literature to
date, certain trends can be identified. Although on could argue that different
guidelines should be applied to different types of teams, the following 17
points in general may help promote effective performance when teams are
not co located:
1. Provide clear, engaging directions and specific individual
goes for virtual team members to enhance self regulation,
Meta cognition, and shared mental models.
2. Create structure, standard operating procedures, rules, protocols, and guidel
ines to promote habitual routines. 3. Distribute leadership functions to the tea
m, moving away from hierarchical organization.
4. Support both synchronous and asynchronous interaction.
5. Select appropriate virtual work tasks that are not so complex
that they are better suited for FTF team. 6. Supply team members with informatio
n that may not be available through the VE (e.g., team member availability). 7.
Provide enhanced distributed activity using project
management software, structured workflow, and decision
support systems to teams using virtual technology.
8. Create opportunities for all team members to participate in
group discussions to maintain relationships among team
members.
9. Provide meta cognitive training to promote efficiency in distributed teams. 1
0. Hold initial FTF meetings to promote shared mental models and the formation o
f interpersonal relationship. 11.Use scenario based training to help distributed
teams develop team processes vital for success. 12. Provide tools to help team
members adapt to changing circumstances 13. Select team tasks that are appropria
te for virtual teamwork. 14. Provide team building and collaboration training. 1
5. Crate project deadlines that agree with the team development model. 16. Share
critical information among team members. 17. Allow personal communication and i
nformal social time, if only virtually, to foster improve interpersonal relation
s.