As a project manager in a manufacturing organization, what will be your role in project management?

Introduction

Every organization requires good leadership in order to carry out all their projects successfully. This
requires the organization to appoint efficient project managers to carry out various tasks, and of course
to guide and lead the project management team and get them to a point where they have effectively
completed any given project at hand, taking into account a whole load of factors.

In order to understand how project management can run smoothly, it is important to first identify the
role ant the tasks carried out by the project manager. So who is a project manager and why is he/she so
important?
The Role of a Project Manager

The role of a project manager basically involves handling all aspects of the project.

This includes not just the logistics but also the planning, brainstorming and seeing to the overall
completion of the project while also preventing glitches and ensuring that the project management
team works well together.
The Goals of a Project Manager

Following should be the the main goals for a project manager but they are not limited to the listed one
because it very much depends on the situation.
(1) Deadlines:

A project manager must always be able to carry out his role in a very effective manner.

This means that in most cases he/she would have to run against time with the clock ticking away. All
projects would have deadlines, so it is the duty of a project manager to complete the project by this
given date.

It should be noted that although the project manager and his team may draw up a schedule at the
outset that may seem perfect, as time goes on you will find that the requirements may change, and the
projects may require new strategies to be implemented and more planning to be carried out.

Time therefore could be a big obstacle for a project manager achieving his/her goal. As the project
manager you should never lose sight of the deadline, your role would be to keep pushing your team to
finish the work and deliver on time.

Remember that your clients' satisfaction is your number one priority.

(2) Client Satisfaction:

Satisfaction of the client however does not mean that you rush to finish the work on time without
ensuring that standards are met.

The reputation of your organization would depend on the quality of the delivery of your projects. This is
another factor you should not lose sight of throughout the project.
Your role would also be to keep reminding the team members that quality is key.
(3) No Budget Overrun:

No project can be started off without the preparation of the budget. Although this is just a forecast of
the costs that would be incurred, it is essential that this budget is prepared after careful research and
comparing prices to get the best.

You would need to consider ways of cutting costs while also ensuring that you meet the needs of the
client as well as meeting the standards expected of your organization.

This budget must include all costs, with regard equipment, labor and everything else. You then need to
try and always stick to the budget, although it's always best to leave some allowance for a few 100
dollars for any additional expenses that may arise.
(4) Requirements Coverage:

Another goal of a project manager involves meeting all requirements of the client. You would need to
therefore have all specifications at hand, and go through them every once in a while to ensure that you
are on track.

If there is confusion as to any requirements, it would be best for you to get them cleared at the very
beginning.
(5) Team Management:

While you would have to ensure that all aspects of the project are maintained, you are also responsible
as project manager for the happiness of your team.

You need to keep in mind that it is the incentives and encouragement provided to them that will make
them work harder and want to complete the work on time, thereby helping you reach your goals.

If the team members are unhappy with the way things are being carried out, productivity will also in
turn decrease, pulling you further away from achieving your goals. It is essential therefore to always
maintain a warm friendly relationship with them.

The communication within the team should be very effective. They should be willing to voice out their
opinions, while you listen to their suggestions and consider including them in the project.

This is after all a team effort. Your goals with regard to the project are also their goals.
Conclusion: The role of a project manager is therefore no easy task. It involves taking up a lot of
responsibility as each of the goals of the project must be met without making too many sacrifices.

If these goals are outlined to the project management team at the very beginning, there in no way for
the delivery of the goals to be delayed in any way as everyone will always be aware of what they need to
achieve and by when.
Discuss the phases of project life cycle
The Project Life Cycle refers to a logical sequence of activities to accomplish the project’s goals or
objectives. Regardless of scope or complexity, any project goes through a series of stages during its life.
There is first an Initiation or Birth phase, in which the outputs and critical success factors are defined,
followed by a Planning phase, characterized by breaking down the project into smaller parts/tasks, an
Execution phase, in which the project plan is executed, and lastly a Closure or Exit phase, that marks the
completion of the project. Project activities must be grouped into phases because by doing so, the
project manager and the core team can efficiently plan and organize resources for each activity, and also
objectively measure achievement of goals and justify their decisions to move ahead, correct, or
terminate. It is of great importance to organize project phases into industry-specific project cycles. Why?
Not only because each industry sector involves specific requirements, tasks, and procedures when it
comes to projects, but also because different industry sectors have different needs for life cycle
management methodology. And paying close attention to such details is the difference between doing
things well and excelling as project managers.

Diverse project management tools and methodologies prevail in the different project cycle phases. Let’s
take a closer look at what’s important in each one of these stages:

1) Initiation

In this first stage, the scope of the project is defined along with the approach to be taken to deliver the
desired outputs. The project manager is appointed and in turn, he selects the team members based on
their skills and experience. The most common tools or methodologies used in the initiation stage are
Project Charter, Business Plan, Project Framework (or Overview), Business Case Justification, and
Milestones Reviews.

2) Planning

The second phase should include a detailed identification and assignment of each task until the end of
the project. It should also include a risk analysis and a definition of a criteria for the successful
completion of each deliverable. The governance process is defined, stake holders identified and
reporting frequency and channels agreed. The most common tools or methodologies used in the
planning stage are Business Plan and Milestones Reviews.

3) Execution and controlling

The most important issue in this phase is to ensure project activities are properly executed and
controlled. During the execution phase, the planned solution is implemented to solve the problem
specified in the project's requirements. In product and system development, a design resulting in a
specific set of product requirements is created. This convergence is measured by prototypes, testing,
and reviews. As the execution phase progresses, groups across the organization become more deeply
involved in planning for the final testing, production, and support. The most common tools or
methodologies used in the execution phase are an update of Risk Analysis and Score Cards, in addition
to Business Plan and Milestones Reviews.

4) Closure
In this last stage, the project manager must ensure that the project is brought to its proper completion.
The closure phase is characterized by a written formal project review report containing the following
components: a formal acceptance of the final product by the client, Weighted Critical Measurements
(matching the initial requirements specified by the client with the final delivered product), rewarding
the team, a list of lessons learned, releasing project resources, and a formal project closure notification
to higher management. No special tool or methodology is needed during the closure phase.
Critically discuss the conflict resolution modes
When you understand how you handle conflict, you can begin to understand when your approach is
effective and when it is not. Then you can learn to adapt your behavior and draw from different conflict
resolutions styles as-needed. There are five conflict handling modes and one of these is your preferred
mode. These five modes come from the TKI or Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument.

What is the TKI? The TKI is a questionnaire designed to measure how you tend to handle inter-personal
conflict. This is expressed using five modes (which we will cover next) and two dimensions:

Assertiveness – This is the degree to which you try to satisfy your own concerns when faced with a
conflict.

Cooperativeness – This is the degree to which you try to satisfy the other person’s concerns when faced
with a conflict.

The TKI was developed in the early 70’s by Kenneth W Thomas and Ralph H Kilmann. It was originally
developed as a research tool and has grown into a wonderful training tool. Now let’s take a look at the
five conflict resolution modes:

Competing – This mode is considered to be very assertive and very uncooperative. Sometimes the term
power-oriented is associated with this mode. This can be an individual who pursues their beliefs at
another person’s expense, using whatever power is appropriate to win his or her position. Although
there might be some negative connotations to the way this mode is described, there are absolutely
times when it is the best and most effective way to resolve a conflict.

Accommodating – The exact opposite of competing, accommodating is unassertive and highly

cooperative. You might neglect your own concerns to satisfy the concerns of another person. This could
be self-sacrificing, but it can also represent selfless generosity or charity or obeying orders when you
would prefer not to.

Avoiding – This is unassertive and uncooperative. You are not pursuing your concerns, you are not
pursuing the concerns of the other person, and you are not addressing the conflict. You might be doing
this for diplomatic reasons, or to wait until a better time or maybe you are withdrawing from a
threatening situation.
Collaborating – This is assertive and cooperative and it is the opposite of avoiding. You attempt to work
with the other person to find a solution that satisfies both your concerns. Together you dig into the issue
and identify both of your underlying concerns. You might work to understand each other’s needs and
perspectives so that together you can find creative solutions.

Compromising – The middle ground in terms of assertiveness and cooperativeness. Find a mutual
solution that partially satisfies both of you. You give up more than you would when you are in
competitive mode, but less than you would if you were accommodating. You address the issue more
directly than avoiding but you don’t give it as much attention and analysis as you do with collaborating.
This could be splitting the difference, both of you giving ground etc.

Did any of the above resonate with you? You will find you have a preferred style but who you are
dealing with will impact your style too – you might use a different style in different relationships.
Remember, there is a reason and a situation for each one of the modes, but your strength will come
from understanding your natural inclinations and then from learning how to employ other modes when
the time is right.
Differentiate between the following: GERT and PERT, PERT and CPM
The Critical Path Method, abbreviated CPM, is a mathematically based algorithm for scheduling a set of
project activities. It is a very important tool for effective project management. It was developed in the
1950's in a joint venture between DuPont Corporation and Remington Rand Corporation for managing
plant maintenance projects. Today, it is commonly used with all forms of projects, including
construction, software development, research projects, product development, engineering, and plant
maintenance, among others. Any project with interdependent activities can apply this method of
scheduling.

The essential technique for using CPM is to construct a model of the project that includes the following:

A list of all activities required to complete the project (also known as Work breakdown structure),
The time (duration) that each activity will take to completion, and
The dependencies between the activities.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_pa…

The Program Evaluation and Review Technique commonly abbreviated PERT is a model for project
management invented by Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. under contract to the United States Department of
Defense's US Navy Special Projects Office in 1958 as part of the Polaris mobile submarine-launched
ballistic missile project. This project was a direct response to the Sputnik crisis.

PERT is basically a method to analyze the tasks involved in completing a given project, especially the
time needed to complete each task, and identifying the minimum time needed to complete the total
project.

It was developed in the ‘50’s, primarily to simplify the planning and scheduling of large and complex
projects.

It was able to incorporate uncertainty in the sense that it was possible to schedule a project not knowing
precisely the details and durations of all the activities.
More of an event-oriented technique rather than start- and completion-oriented.
This technique is used more in R&D-type projects where Cost is not a major factor but Time is.
This project model was the first of its kind, a revival for scientific management, founded in Fordism and
Taylorism. Though every company now has its own "project model" of some kind, they all resemble
PERT in some respect. Only DuPont corporation's critical path method was invented at roughly the same
time as PERT.
The most famous part of PERT is the "PERT Networks", charts of timelines that interconnect. PERT is
intended for very large-scale, one-time, complex, non-routine projects.
Explain the types of estimates and discuss the estimating pitfalls.
Types of EstimatesA mover's estimate can take three forms - binding and non-binding.

Binding not-to-exceed estimates are the most commonly chose by customers, because even if the total
weight of goods exceeds the written estimate, the customer is only required to pay the amount on the
written estimate. In the event that the total weight is actually less than was estimated, the customer will
pay less than the estimated amount. Therefore, your total cost can only stay the same or get lower and
there is no circumstance in which it can increase.

Binding estimates give you a guaranteed price that will not exceed the quoted amount. This means you
agree on the exact price included in the estimate. However, watch out for movers who could
overestimate the weight of your goods; therefore, locking you into a higher price. In the same respect,
the mover runs the risk of the customer sneaking in additional items that were not included at the time
of the estimate. Beware: If you try to include additional items on the day of delivery, the driver has the
right to challenge the estimate if he thinks it is too low.

Binding estimates are good options for people who:

1. Want to guarantee their budget and avoid unforeseen charges.

2. Do not move often or are not familiar with the moving process.

Non-binding estimates mean your final price will be based on the actual amount of hours and materials
used for the move, meaning the final bill can be higher or lower than the estimate. However, the mover
cannot collect more than 10 percent over the original estimate, and they are required to give you at
least 30 days to pay for any amount over the estimate. This may be more beneficial if you are:

1. Not sure ahead of time the exact items you will be moving.

2. Moving specialty items that may require special care or could take longer than expected.

Decide early on what type of estimate is best for you and stick with it. Changing your mind after an
estimate has been signed or trying to back out on what you initially agreed on can delay your move or
end up costing you a lot more than you planned.
Conflict resolution
Unfortunately, this is not how the people and organizations do it in reality. Instead, certain conditions
and workplace issues are encountered. Due to some work discrepancies, political conflict among
managers is prevalent and abuse of power occurs. There is lack of open communication, low level of
trust and respect, and lack of mutual support. Resentment and hostility among individuals is
widespread.
Existing organizational conflicts cause problems for project managers who are taking great efforts to
generate participation and teamwork from individuals and groups in a project organization. Unless
conflicts can be resolved and dealt with accordingly, these attempts of promoting teamwork in a project
will be hard to achieve.

Potential Sources of Conflict

There have been many researches about conflict in project management. Taking one of these studies,
let us identify the potential sources of conflict from Thamhain and Wilemon.

The top-ranking source of conflict is schedules. Scheduling is probably one of the toughest obligations of
most project managers. We might think that it is easy to establish a schedule for the many
appointments, tasks, and other work, but it is actually the other way around. Next in the list is project
priorities. Because managers need to attend to the projects of the organization, sometimes conflict
arises when not all projects are given attention and importance.

Third on the list is manpower resources. Lack of individuals to work on a certain project may cause
pressure. When people start to feel the intensity of pressure, they also start cramming and become less
motivated to work on it. Technical conflict and administrative procedures are part of the list, too. Finally,
cost objectives and personality conflicts complete the list of sources of conflict for this particular study.

These sources of conflict are not the real content of the situation but the underlying cause of such
disagreement. All organizations experience some form of disagreement over these identified sources.
These disagreements become heated arguments and thus become a conflict. But not all disagreements
are necessarily conflicts. It can be prevented from turning into a conflict if the organization works
together.

People Factor in Organizational Conflicts

A project organization either creates teamwork or conflict depending on the kind if people involved in a
project. Even if the organizational structure is solid and develops teamwork, individual differences can
still trigger conflict. In project management, people problems can be classified into three main aspects
which are individual and group interests, personality problems, and “problem people”.

People have their personal motivations and interests even when working with a team. When these
interests differ or do not arrive at a common ground, conflicts arise. Groups who have incompatible
objectives for the organization cause conflict. Such incompatibility may be caused by differences in
culture.
Differences in personality is a common source of conflict. Individuals employ emotions especially in
conflicts. Positive emotions promote teamwork; however, negative emotions encourage conflict. The
“problem people” are examples of those who have difficult personalities and their behavior may worsen
a situation if not managed properly. Even in management, there are managers who are also problem
people. Apart from lack of interpersonal skills, they possess ruthlessness and lack of principles,
insecurity, and poor management style.

Poor Interpersonal Skills

Project managers who lack good interpersonal skills or people skills are inefficient in dealing with the
organization and issues within. Such incompetence may cause the relationships of managers with their
people to be weak and resentful. If this is the situation, conflicts are more likely to generate.

Managers who lack the ability to relate to the people also lack sensitivity and tact in dealing with them.
They are also characterized by the poor choice of words, inability to deal with pressure, poor listening
skill, and inappropriate expression of facial and body gestures or body language.
Effective Management

Guest articles > Effective Management

by: Margaret Francis, MSW, M.Phil,PGDCIM

Developing effective management skills to deal with specific challenges and problems of each
organization is the urgent needs of many businesses and organizations in the global competitive
environment, rapid changing of technology and environment. The new tendency of training and
development of successful organizations over the world today is developing effective skills in dealing
with specific challenge of their own organization to reach their own mission and objectives in the new
organization that characterized by networked, flat, flexible, diverse, global organization.

“Effective Management Skills” to help people and organization improving their own effectiveness and
efficiency.Globalisation and rapidly developing technology shows we are in a period of intense
competition. Proper management is vital in these complex environments. The quality of manager and
effective management styles can determine the culture of the organisation, the productivity of its staff,
and, ultimately, success or failure. A manager should have the ability to direct, supervise, encourage,
inspire, and co-ordinate, and in doing so facilitate action and guide change. Managers develop their
own leadership qualities and those of others. Management utilises planning, organisational and
communications skills. These skills are important in leadership also, but even more so are qualities such
as integrity, honesty, courage, commitment, sincerity, passion, determination, compassion and
sensitivity.

An effective manager should have the following skills.

Creative Problem Solving Skills: (1) Describing and analyzing a problem, (2) Identifying causes of a
problem, (3) Developing creative options and choosing the best course of action, and (4) Implementing
and evaluating effective and efficiency of the decision.

Communication Skills: (1) Listening skills, (2) Presentation skills, (3) Feedback Skills, (4) Report writing
skills.

Conflict Management Skills: (1) Identifying sources of conflict – functional and dysfunctional conflicts, (2)
Understanding personal style of conflict resolution, (3) Choosing the best strategy for dealing with a
conflict, and (4) Developing skills in promoting constructive conflicts in organization and teams.

Negotiation Skills: (1) Distinguishing distributive and integrative negotiations, position and principle
negotiation, (2) Identifying common mistakes in negotiation and ways to avoid them, (3) Developing
rational thinking in negotiation, and (4) Developing effective skills in negotiation that benefits all parties
involved.

Self-Awareness and Improvement: (1) Understanding the concept of self-management, (2) Evaluate the
effectiveness of self-management, (3) Developing creative and holistic thinking, (4) Understanding the
importance of emotions in works as well in self-development, (5) Understand of self-motivation, and (6)
Effectively managing self-learning and change.

There are certain other qualities required for a good manager to manage his staff.
Planner

A Manager has to take a long-term view; while a team member will be working towards known and
established goals, the manager must look further ahead so that these goals are selected wisely. By
thinking about the eventual consequences of different plans, the manager selects the optimal plan for
the team and implements it. The manager ensures that work is not repeated nor problems tackled too
late, and that the necessary resources are allocated and arranged.
Provider

The Manager has access to information, which the team needs. The role of a manager is important
because authority, which the manager holds uniquely within the team and the manager, must exercise
the power for the benefit of the team for the effective productivity.
Protector

In any company, there are problems, which can deflect the work force. The manager should be there to
guard against these and to protect the team. If a new project emerges which not given an impossible
deadline. If someone in your team brings forward a good plan, you must ensure that it receives a fair
hearing and that your team knows and understands the outcome. If someone is in your team has a
problem at work, you have to deal with it.
Inspires a Shared Vision

An effective manager is often described as having a vision of where to go and the ability to articulate it.
Qualities of a Manager
Good Communicator

The ability to communicate with people is the most important skill by managers and team members. The
Manager is also the team's link to the larger organisation. He must have the ability to effectively
negotiate and use persuasion when necessary to ensure the success of the team and project. Through
effective communication, manager support individual and team achievements by creating guidelines for
accomplishing tasks and for the career advancement of team members.
Enthusiasm

If Managers are negative - they bring staffs down. Manager with enthusiasm, with a bounce in their
step, with a can-do attitude. Many people tend to follow people with a can-do attitude. Enthusiastic
Managers are committed to their goals and express this commitment through optimism.
Competence

Managers will be chosen based on their ability to successfully lead others rather than on technical
expertise, as in the past. Having a winning track record is the surest way to be considered competent.
Expertise in management skills is another dimension in competence. The ability to challenge, inspire,
enable, model and encourage must be demonstrated if managers are to be seen as capable and
competent.
Ability to Delegate Tasks

Trust is an essential element in the relationship of manager and his or her team. You demonstrate your
trust in others through your actions - how much you check and control their work, how much you
delegate and how much you allow people to participate.
Cool Under Pressure

In a perfect world, projects would be delivered on time, under budget and with no major problems or
obstacles to overcome. A leader with a hardy attitude will take these problems in stride. When leaders
encounter a stressful event, they consider it interesting, they feel they can influence the outcome and
they see it as an opportunity.
Team-Building Skills

A team builder can best be defined as a strong person who provides the substance that holds the team
together in common purpose toward the right objective. In order for a team to progress from a group of
strangers to a single cohesive unit, the leader must understand the process and dynamics required for
this transformation. He or she must also know the appropriate leadership style to use during each stage
of team development. The leader must also have an understanding of the different team players styles
and how to capitalise on each at the proper time, for the problem at hand.
Communicate the big picture

If you want your employees to work hard and be committed to your business, you have to keep them in
the loop. Open communication helps foster loyalty and gives employees a sense of pride. It helps them
understand how their work contributes to the company's success.
Delegate work and responsibilities
Some employees, share their workload with them and assign the work according to people's strengths
and weaknesses, and let employees develop their own good work habits and abilities.
Help employees set goals

Setting deadlines and goals helps keep employees focused, busy and motivates them to do their work.
Talk to each of your employees about the company's goals, and work with them to set individual goals
directly linked to your business's mission. Make sure employees understand their professional growth
path in the company.
Recognize problems

It is impossible to know about personality conflicts, lagging productivity or other problems in the office if
you have your head in the sand. If you notice a change in an employee's work habits or attitude, try to
get to the root of the problem before it starts affecting the rest of your staff.
Effective dealing of Problems

The first step in dealing with a problem employee is to identify the trouble. Many times, a simple,
honest talk with an employee will dissolve issues such as occasional tardiness or minor attitude
problems. Coaching requires a manager to work one-on-one with problem employees or to assign
another employee to work with the employee to overcome their shortcomings. The mentor should
provide the employee with feedback and solutions for improving their performance. Coaching requires
patience and a substantial time investment, but it can help modify an employee's behavior.
Poor performance

Poor performance is not always due to a lack of skills; the employee may simply be disorganized or
sloppy. These habits can usually be corrected with proper guidance. If performance difficulties relate to
a lack of skills, consider coaching or additional training.
Job incompatibility

In some cases an employee becomes a problem because their skills aren't compatible with their
assigned tasks or regular duties. In this case, offering the employee additional training or assigning them
a different set of tasks is usually the most appropriate course of action.
Sloppy work

When you notice that, an employee has made some errors, point out the mistakes to the employee and
monitors their work more closely. If the problem persists, speak with the employee and detail the most
serious examples of problems with their work. Remember to remain positive and focus on how
important the employee's contribution is to the company.
Create an effective message

Consider the specific informational needs of executives, middle managers, supervisors and employees,
and tailor your message to fit each audience. An effective message should also explain how your
employees´ day-to-day duties directly affect the company's performance and should touch on the values
and pride of the employees. A direct, face-to-face interaction can help reinforce positive attitudes
inspire employees and help them adapt to the change.
Listen to your employees
Employee feedback is critical in managing change. Holding focus groups with employees is a great way
to gauge reaction and monitor the progress of change. You also can encourage employees to provide
feedback through email or the company intranet. Communication is the cornerstone to successful
change management. Talking to your employees is not a one-time event, and you need to reinforce your
message by communicating early and often.

To be an effective manager you must know yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses, and those of
the people around you. You must know your objectives and have a plan of how to achieve them. You
must build a team of people that share your commitment to achieve those objectives, and you must
help each team member to achieve their best which will be able to attain a common goal.