Mastering Project Management

 A project will succeed based on the leadership style. The style adopted by a project manager can define the ways of team work, productivity and ultimately the achievement of a project. Various leadership approaches are suitable in different project situations and team cultures, and an experienced project manager might have to change his or her approach depending on what the project requires and the composition of the team, and the organizational structure. The following are some of the leadership styles that are witnessed in project management: 1)Autocratic Leadership Characteristics: The leader is an individual decision maker and does not involve team members to contribute towards decisions. Emphasis is laid on efficiency, direction and control. Communication is generally downward and there is little room to collaborate or to give feedback. When to Use: During stressful periods and situations that have to be made under tight deadlines. In cases where the teams involved are demand...

 Powerful leader and team building is a key to project success. In this chapter, the author analyzes the steps to create a unified working group, identify the types of leadership and models of communication to better collaborate and overcome the conflicts that might occur in the course of work.                                                                               Building a Project Team The development of a workable project team is a vital process in the success of a project. Appropriate combination of abilities, personal forces, and positions may be the ideal way of ensuring all the targets are met, time limits are respectable, and the quality of results amazing. Here is a sequential or step by step approach to forming and or managing a project team: 1. Specify Goals and Scope of t...

 Risk Management Planning Risk Management Planning is the activity of identifying, examining, and treating proscribed risks that can affect the successful delivery of a project. It is a mandatory component of project management which assists project managers plan pro-actively on how to deal with uncertainties by coming up with mitigation strategies to avoid or reduce to zero the effect of the uncertainties. Through the implementation of an effective risk management strategy, teams will be in better positions to mitigate the chances of unpleasant surprises, minimize major                                                                             Some of the main elements of risk management planning are highlighted. 1. Risk Identification The initial step will be to identify the possible risks th...

 Resource Allocation describes the act of allocating available resources (e.g., personnel, equipments, budget and materials) to tasks and activities within a project. Implementation of proper resource allocation will comply with making the correct resources accessible at the correct time on a budget at the right amount and on the talked about objective of the project. It is essential to the project success because, with a lack of good resource management, delays and cost overrun may occur, not to mention the poor quality of the delivered project. Key Components of Resource Allocation 1. Kind of Resources o Human Resources (Team Members): Team Members who are employees or contract staff with certain skills that are required to complete project activities. o Material Resources: The physical materials, supplies or equipments needed to do the project work (ex. construction materials, office equipments, software). o Budget: The funds that will be used to finance the entire project cost ...

A Gantt Chart refers to a visual resource management tool used in project management that shows the tasks of a project and how long it takes, its dependencies and due dates as a horizontal timeline. It assists in: • Monitor project progress: You can view the projects showing the tasks that are on the target, ahead of target and behind. • Plan resources: Gantt chart enables you to assign the team members their duties and make sure that there is a balance in the workload. • Manage dependencies: It displays graphically, the dependencies among tasks.                                                                                      Part of a Gantt Chart: 1. Tasks/Activities : The vertical axis contains them. 2. Timeline : This is indicated on the horizontal axis (can be days, w...

 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): This is a top-down division into pieces of a managing project. It would represent the project in the smallest, manageable units or activities. The WBS purpose is to aggregate the project scope to work packages that are manageable, which can be simpler to plan, implement, track and manage, by the use of each individual work package. One of the most important tools in the field of project management is the WBS which contributes to the clarity of the work that has to be done to complete the project successfully, as well as offers a well-thought-out system of project administration of work and timescales and resources.                                                                                Principles of WBS 1. Hierarchy : WBS is usually depicted in a...

  Project Charter is one of the important documents that legitimizes the beginning of a project, determines the scope of a project, its goals, stakeholders, and the entire project direction. It serves as the contract and a road map of the project so that every person on any side of the project generates an idea of the purpose, goals, and responsibilities of the project.                                                                        Important concerns of a Project Charter An effective set of parameters organized in a Project Charter would generally consist of the following two sections: 1. Title of the Project and Description of the Project • Project Title: A title of the project clearly and briefly. • Project Description: Description of the greater project with its purpose and short description of...

 The stakeholder Analysis is the identification and analysis of the parties who have an interest or influence in a project or an initiative. This analysis allows project managers and teams to learn about the expectations of the stakeholders, how they can communicate with the stakeholders and how they can deal with any of the risks and conflicts that might emerge.                                                                                 Stakeholder analysis is usually entailed with the: 1. Identifying Stakeholders 2. Analyzing Stakeholders 3. Prioritizing Stakeholders 4. Stakeholder Engagement Strategies Development The following are the details of each step: 1. Identifying Stakeholders The initial process is to list and determine every potential stakeholder who is affected or aff...

 The essence of any successful project is to define clear and measurable goals. In this chapter, the methods of drawing up SMART goals, stakeholder analysis, and detailed project charter that is consistent with the project vision and stakeholder requirement will be discussed.                                                                                 SMART Goals SMART Goals and Objectives Acronym SMART goals and objectives is a goal setting framework that specifies and lays out a clear, easy, and quantifiable goal. SMART is an acronym that means: • Specific • Measurable • Achievable • Relevant • Time-bound Using this format you will be able to develop goals that are focused and offer the clarity of what has to be achieved and how success will be established. Each of the components ...