Project Management Student Blog: Case Study

Improved Essays
As the project manger for Scenario B, I took the role as the conflict manager. I was not able to focus and put my energy into the project itself. I spend all of my energy trying to balance out all the issues that kept coming to the surface. It was very difficult to mange the team, the risks and the project. Just like in the reading, it expresses that in most cases the project manager acts as the conflict manager. I was doing my best to follow the advice given to me. I was trying to manage the team so that my employee would manage the project. The conflict resolution section of the chapter talks about how ineffective this strategy might be, however I thought based on the corporate poaching of my team, it was a necessary move that I had to make. …show more content…
(Student, P., 2016) I understand that according to the chapter that each organization has lifers and drifters. I would not have assembled a team that I thought were drifters. I realize you may never be fully able to tell who is a lifer and a drifter, however it would have made all the difference to be able to have some say in assembling my team. The project management student blog express that it is not negative thinking to imagine worst-case scenario, it will just be view as me being strategic planner. (Student, P., 2016) Just like I learned in the military, the plan that you usually spend months or weeks planning for, never actually happens. It helps to have multiple back up plans because when you are in the middle of a stressful situation you are able to fall back another baseline which would allow you to by some time to make practical …show more content…
I still have not been able to find a clear-cut answer to, when is it necessary to go over budget? I like having budgets to work with, however there comes a point where it can hinder the team and the quality of the product. The Project Management Hut Blog provided some great insight about keeping the budget under control. Much of what they recommend are strategies in which I cannot control inside the simulation, however it is teaching me about what I need to pay attention to. I am learning that keeping the budget under control is crucial, although I cannot let the budget control the outcome of the project. If I were able to be face to face with the executives and team members, I believe I would have had more control of the budget. I need to be able to communicate with my team to find out if the timeline and the budget are realistic. Project managers are problem solvers and not always the experts in the particular field of the product. It is my duty as the project manager to be the advocate for the experts when I establish the plan with the executives. A team’s input is just as important as mine and if I have a clear picture of the constraints, I would be able to develop a effective plan. (Bruno, J., 2013) In addition, with a simulation program, I have no way to actively communicate with my team to monitor risk so that we can make active

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    The chapter displays why conflict arises and ways to deal with it or try to eliminate it. However, the chapter also expands on conflict and mentions ways to turn conflict into an asset which aligns with the videos principles. The textbook mentions how if we want to be good leaders it is important to be creative and adaptable when it comes to dealing with conflict. Also, the textbook mirrors the video in mentioning the importance of being aware of the conflict that is present and addressing it or coming up with a plan for it. Charles states that we need to name the difference as a conflict and address it.…

    • 993 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Unit 5 P4 Business

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Budgets are used within a business as a tool to allow to company to allocate financies to specific areas or project within the business. This process is building block tool that is used to compare planned cost against actual expenditure, this should provide a full description of what the planned outcome might be, this should include brought items, labour cost and any third party intervention that is required. By analising all this a company will be able to allocate all of resources to specific areas that are needed. this budget will also allow the company to compare estimates with actual results. When there is a major difference between the actual and the estimated projection costs they company will then have to take action and then explain…

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    International project management is when a project takes place in more than one foreign country (What is International, n.d.). There are particular skills and knowledge that is needed to be able to conduct business in different nations such as; knowing and understanding the local regulations, customs, and laws and having the ability to facilitate transactions involving multiple currencies (What is International, n.d.). International projects may operate in similar methods as domestic projects; they may also offer some opportunities when crafting a statement of work; they may require a special set of leadership skills for project managers; and they may impact a variety of aspect related to project management. Statement of Work…

    • 1655 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Looking from the strategic standpoint, the key is to make sure the right managers are in the right positions to drive goals and keep the budget where it needs to be, so organizations plan drives the budget, and at the end of the year employees can enjoy their gain-share from past…

    • 627 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The other advantage of the budgeting process is that it makes it easier for companies to compare profitability and the cost of different projects so as to ensure that profits are maximized (Shim, Siegel, & Shim, 2012). The cons related to law enforcement administration budgeting is that the estimates and forecasts are only as good as the data they use. Moreover, some budgets may lack flexibility reducing the creativity and innovation making it hard to acquire funds for newly generated ideas. Additionally, time and money are an added costs needed during the budgeting and accounting process hence increasing the total costs of projects (Hope & Robin, 2003).…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Senior Project Case Study

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This senior project is meant to help current and future student use the Sparks Closet to their advantage. We plan to help them be capable of doing this by cleaning and organizing the clothing and toiletries to make them easier to access. As well as give student more knowledge of this resource. We expect the result of our senior project to be, that more student in need will use this available source of clothing and toiletries to their need without struggling to find what they need. We want to make this an easy resource that kids in our school system can rely on.…

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Virtual Team Performance

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Wilmot & Hocker (2001) define conflict as a struggle between communicating parties due to the perception of incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from others while achieving goals. Conflict is an inevitable part of business; thus, teams must look for the right strategy to manage and resolve conflict and maintain positive working relationships among team members. Numerous research and studies have been dedicated to the study of conflict management styles (Hample and Dallinger, 1995 and Wilmot and Hocker, 2001) and their implication for relational outcomes. I assume many people in our class will describe the specific steps in resolving a conflict in a similar way; therefore, let me take an alternative way to address this issue.…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When the team addresses the relationship conflict, then they can divide those in conflict into subgroups that work on other phases of the objectives. We can deal with process conflict by using a coach or third party to promote a review of the current processes and the design of new ones. However, it can address task conflict by getting the employees to have a positive impact on the team. With this scenario, our team would be able to carry on moving towards attaining its goals while strongly addressing the conflict issue (Thompson,…

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For a given event to be successful, it would be hard to imagine that just “winging it” last minute with no preparation would be all that it takes. Charity events, weddings, deployments…big events require extensive planning several months in advance – sometimes even years. The saying goes the same with a comprehensive health fair. The implementation plan will include a timeline that will be helpful in ensuring that things are being done by the assigned person or group by a certain time.…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Conflicts arise from differences and when individuals come together in teams, their differences in terms of power, values, and attitudes contribute to the creation of conflicts. When negative conflicts occur there are five accepted methods for handling it; Direct, Bargaining, Enforcement, Retreat and De-emphasis approach (Nelson, 1995). Direct Approach; this can be considered as the best method of addressing conflict, it concentrates on confronting the issue head on, by looking at the issue objectively and facing them as they are. If criticism is used it must be constructive to the recipients. This approach uses the techniques of problem solving and normally leaves everyone with a sense of resolution, because issues are brought to the surface…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Case Studies Case 2 1. Profitability has decreased comparing to their anticipation. The status of the company in the market has transformed from dominance to 10 percent use of all three products. Differences in revenue caused the partners to re-allocate their salaries and dividends. 2.…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Manager Interview Essay

    • 1141 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Manager Interview Final Exam Being a manager is not easy, it takes a lot of responsibility, planning, effort, commitment, leadership skills, and communication skills. Interviewing a manager that has been working as a manager for more than at least three years helped me have an idea of what it feels like to be a manager. While interviewing Holly Riser, a full time manager at a retail store named Rue 21, I learned that being a manager is not just about leading your co-workers; there is a lot more to it. It is important for managers to be good communicators, but it is also important for them to be organized and prepared for any outcomes that could happen in the future.…

    • 1141 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the course, I learned different aspects of project management, and skills that can be used in the everyday life as long as involve interacting with other people. In this class I learned about how to be a better team member. This semester I was reminded of how important communication is and how people need to keep emphasizing it as one of the most important skills any person could possesses. The personality test was useful, I think it gave all of us a good way to start to see how everyone is different. It made it easier for each of us to better understand one another in how our unique personalities can be a challenge when working with others.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    However, when these conflicts arise it will be up to the individuals to manage and resolve the conflict. Successful organizations have learned how to minimize conflicts instead of allowing conflicts to impact their culture. Through communication, listening and collaboration conflicts can be resolved with a solution that everyone can live…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While conducting research of project management and one of the process groups – monitoring and controlling – there are 11 processes within that group that span all 12 knowledge areas (PMBOK, 2013). The PMBOK illustrates a great foundation for project managers to build a concrete framework for successful monitoring and controlling. That foundation includes inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs needed for success. A Project Manager may face challenges along the life cycle of a project but being able to effectively monitor and control activities with tools, mechanisms and knowledge can reduce those challenges and turn them into opportunities. This paper will outline the definition of monitoring and controlling, lessons learned and challenges a project manager may face with monitoring and controlling a project.…

    • 885 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays