Project management unit 1

Definition and Characteristics

of Project
Project is a great opportunity for organizations and individuals to achieve their business and
non-business objectives more efficiently through implementing change. Projects help us
make desired changes in an organized manner and with reduced probability of failure.

A Project is a temporary, unique and progressive attempt or endeavor made to produce

some kind of a tangible or intangible result (a unique product, service, benefit, competitive
advantage, etc.). It usually includes a series of interrelated tasks that are planned for
execution over a fixed period of time and within certain requirements and limitations such as
cost, quality, performance, others.

Projects differ from other types of work (e.g. process, task, procedure). Meanwhile, in the
broadest sense a project is defined as a specific, finite activity that produces an observable
and measurable result under certain preset requirements.

Projects differ from other types of work (e.g. process, task, procedure). Meanwhile, in the
broadest sense a project is defined as a specific, finite activity that produces an observable
and measurable result under certain preset requirements.

Characteristics of a Project

(a) Project has a owner, who, in the private sector, can be an individual or a company etc.,
in the public sector, a government undertaking or a joint sector organization, representing a
partnership between public and private sector.

(b) Project has a set objective to achieve within a distinct time, cost and technical
performance.

(c) Project is planned, managed and controlled by an assigned team the project team
planted within the owner’s organization to achieve the objectives as per specifications.

(d) Project, in general, is an outcome in response to environments economies and

opportunities. As an example, we find that considering the changing pattern of modern living
the domestic appliances small e.g. grinders, mixers etc., and large, e.g. refrigerators,
washing machines etc. are on ever-increasing demand. This generates responses to avail
opportunity to produce such appliances.
 (e) Project is an undertaking involving future activities for completion of the project within
estimates and involves complex budgeting procedure with a mission.

(f) Implementation of the project involves a co-ordination of works/supervisions by project

team/manager.

(g) Project involves activities to be carried out in future. As such, it has some inherent risk
and, in reality, the process of implementation may necessitate certain changes in the plan
subject to limitations and concurrence of the project owner.

(h) Project involves high-skilled forecasting with sound basis for such forecasting.

(i) Projects have a start and an end a characteristic of a life cycle. The organization of
project changes as it passes through this cycle the activities starting from—conception
stage, mounting up to the peak during implementation and, then, back to zero level on
completion and delivery of the project.

Types of Project
1. Construction Projects

The project produces an artifact. The value generated by the project is embedded in the
artifact. The artifacts may be a complex system with human and mechanical components.

Examples:

 Warship
 Jubilee line extension
 Millennium dome
 Customer call centre
 Method guidebook
 IT system

2. Research Projects

The project produces knowledge. The knowledge may be formally represented as models,
patterns or patents. Or the knowledge may be embedded in a working process or artifact.

Examples:

 Business modelling
 Developing a model of the UK economy
 Developing a new species of wheat
 Developing novel approaches to project management.
 Military intelligence/ codebreaking.
 The analysis, testing, QA or evaluation portions of a larger project.

3. Reengineering Projects

The project produces a desired change in some system or process.

Examples:

 Taking sterling into the Euro

 Renumbering the UK telephone system
 Implementing PRINCE project management practices into a large organization.
 Designing and installing an Intranet.

4. Procurement Projects

The project produces a business relationship contractually based with a selected supplier
for a defined product or service based on a fixed specification and/or a defined specification
process

Examples:

 Outsourcing a specific construction or research project

 Outsourcing a complete business function (such as IT).
 Imposing new rules and measures on a regulated industry.

5. Business Implementation Projects

The project produces an operationally effective process. The value generated by the project
is embedded in the process.

 Developing a new business process to repackage and exploit existing assets.

 Installing e-commerce

Some projects are difficult to classify under this scheme.

(i) National symbolic programmes

 Putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade

 Mitterand’s Grandes Projects
 New Labour

(ii) Large medical programmes

 Creating an artificial heart

 Mass inoculation programmes

(iii) Other hybrid or interdisciplinary projects

 Pilot projects
 Moving offices

Project Life Cycle

The project life cycle describes the stages a project goes through as it progresses from
start to finish. A well-defined life cycle brings order and structure to the project.

The Project Life Cycle refers to the four-step process that is followed by nearly all project
managers when moving through stages of project completion. This is the standard project
life cycle most people are familiar with. The Project Life Cycle provides a framework for
managing any type of project within a business. Leaders in project management have
conducted research to determine the best process by which to run projects. It has been
found that following a project life cycle is critical for any services organization.

The Project Life Cycle (Phases)

The project manager and project team have one shared goal: to carry out the work of the
project for the purpose of meeting the project’s objectives. Every project has a beginning, a
middle period during which activities move the project toward completion, and an ending
(either successful or unsuccessful). A standard project typically has the following four major
phases (each with its own agenda of tasks and issues): initiation, planning, implementation,
and closure. Taken together, these phases represent the path a project takes from the
beginning to its end and are generally referred to as the project “life cycle.”
 Initiation Phase

During the first of these phases, the initiation phase, the project objective or need is
identified; this can be a business problem or opportunity. An appropriate response to the
need is documented in a business case with recommended solution options. A feasibility
study is conducted to investigate whether each option addresses the project objective and a
final recommended solution is determined. Issues of feasibility (“can we do the project?”)
and justification (“should we do the project?”) are addressed.

Once the recommended solution is approved, a project is initiated to deliver the approved
solution and a project manager is appointed. The major deliverables and the participating
work groups are identified, and the project team begins to take shape. Approval is then
sought by the project manager to move onto the detailed planning phase.

2. Planning Phase

The next phase, the planning phase, is where the project solution is further developed in as
much detail as possible and the steps necessary to meet the project’s objective are
planned. In this step, the team identifies all of the work to be done. The project’s tasks and
resource requirements are identified, along with the strategy for producing them. This is
also referred to as “scope management.” A project plan is created outlining the activities,
tasks, dependencies, and timeframes. The project manager coordinates the preparation of
a project budget by providing cost estimates for the labor, equipment, and materials costs.
The budget is used to monitor and control cost expenditures during project implementation.

Once the project team has identified the work, prepared the schedule, and estimated the
costs, the three fundamental components of the planning process are complete. This is an
excellent time to identify and try to deal with anything that might pose a threat to the
successful completion of the project. This is called risk management. In risk management,
“high-threat” potential problems are identified along with the action that is to be taken on
each high-threat potential problem, either to reduce the probability that the problem will
occur or to reduce the impact on the project if it does occur. This is also a good time to
identify all project stakeholders and establish a communication plan describing the
information needed and the delivery method to be used to keep the stakeholders informed.

Finally, we will want to document a quality plan, providing quality targets, assurance, and
control measures, along with an acceptance plan, listing the criteria to be met to gain
customer acceptance. At this point, the project would have been planned in detail and is
ready to be executed.

3. Implementation (Execution) Phase

During the third phase, the implementation phase, the project plan is put into motion and the
work of the project is performed. It is important to maintain control and communicate as
needed during implementation. Progress is continuously monitored and appropriate
adjustments are made and recorded as variances from the original plan. In any project, a
project manager spends most of the time in this step. During project implementation, people
are carrying out the tasks, and progress information is being reported through regular team
meetings. The project manager uses this information to maintain control over the direction
of the project by comparing the progress reports with the project plan to measure the
performance of the project activities and take corrective action as needed. The first course
of action should always be to bring the project back on course (i.e., to return it to the original
plan). If that cannot happen, the team should record variations from the original plan and
record and publish modifications to the plan. Throughout this step, project sponsors and
other key stakeholders should be kept informed of the project’s status according to the
agreed-on frequency and format of communication. The plan should be updated and
published on a regular basis.

Status reports should always emphasize the anticipated end point in terms of cost,
schedule, and quality of deliverables. Each project deliverable produced should be reviewed
for quality and measured against the acceptance criteria. Once all of the deliverables have
been produced and the customer has accepted the final solution, the project is ready for
closure.

4. Closing Phase

During the final closure, or completion phase, the emphasis is on releasing the final
deliverables to the customer, handing over project documentation to the business,
terminating supplier contracts, releasing project resources, and communicating the closure
of the project to all stakeholders. The last remaining step is to conduct lessons-learned
studies to examine what went well and what didn’t. Through this type of analysis, the
wisdom of experience is transferred back to the project organization, which will help future
project teams.

Example: Project Phases on a Large Multinational Project

A U.S. construction company won a contract to design and build the first copper mine in
northern Argentina. There was no existing infrastructure for either the mining industry or
large construction projects in this part of South America.

During the initiation phase of the project, the project manager focused on defining and
finding a project leadership team with the knowledge, skills, and experience to manage a
large complex project in a remote area of the globe. The project team set up three offices.
One was in Chile, where large mining construction project infrastructure existed. The other
two were in Argentina. One was in Buenos Aries to establish relationships and Argentinian
expertise, and the second was in Catamarca—the largest town close to the mine site. With
offices in place, the project start-up team began developing procedures for getting work
done, acquiring the appropriate permits, and developing relationships with Chilean and
Argentine partners.

During the planning phase, the project team developed an integrated project schedule
that coordinated the activities of the design, procurement, and construction teams. The
project controls team also developed a detailed budget that enabled the project team to
track project expenditures against the expected expenses. The project design team built on
the conceptual design and developed detailed drawings for use by the procurement team.
The procurement team used the drawings to begin ordering equipment and materials for the
construction team; develop labor projections; refine the construction schedule; and set up
the construction site. Although planning is a never-ending process on a project, the planning
phase focused on developing sufficient details to allow various parts of the project team to
coordinate their work and allow the project management team to make priority decisions.

The implementation phase represents the work done to meet the requirements of the
scope of work and fulfill the charter. During the implementation phase, the project team
accomplished the work defined in the plan and made adjustments when the project factors
changed. Equipment and materials were delivered to the work site, labor was hired and
trained, a construction site was built, and all the construction activities, from the arrival of
the first dozer to the installation of the final light switch, were accomplished.

The closeout phase included turning over the newly constructed plant to the operations
team of the client. A punch list of a few remaining construction items was developed and
those items completed. The office in Catamarca was closed, the office in Buenos Aries
archived all the project documents, and the Chilean office was already working on the next
project. The accounting books were reconciled and closed, final reports written and
distributed, and the project manager started on a new project.
Concepts of Deliverables
The term deliverables is a project management term that’s traditionally used to describe the
quantifiable goods or services that must be provided upon the completion of a project.
Deliverables can be tangible or intangible in nature. For example, in a project focusing on
upgrading a firm’s technology, a deliverable may refer to the acquisition of a dozen new
computers.

On the other hand, for a software project, a deliverable might allude to the implementation
of a computer program aimed at improving a company’s accounts receivable computational
efficiency.

Deliverables:

In addition to computer equipment and software programs, a deliverable may refer to in-
person or online training programs, as well as design samples for products in the process of
being developed. In many cases, deliverables are accompanied by instruction manuals.

Documentation

Deliverables are usually contractually obligated requirements, detailed in agreements drawn

up between two related parties within a company, or between a client and an outside
consultant or developer. The documentation precisely articulates the description of a
deliverable, as well as the delivery timeline and payment terms.

Milestones

Many large projects include milestones, which are interim goals and targets that must be
achieved by stipulated points in time. A milestone may refer to a portion of the deliverable
due, or it may merely refer to a detailed progress report, describing the current status of a
project.

Film Deliverables

In film production, deliverables refer to the range of audio, visual, and paperwork files that
producers must furnish to distributors. Audio and visual materials generally include stereo
and Dolby 5.1 sound mixes, music and sound effects on separate files, as well as the full
movie in a specified format.

Paperwork deliverables include signed and executed licensing agreements for all music,
errors, and omissions reports, performance releases for all on-screen talent, a list of the
credit block that will appear in all artwork and advertising, as well as location, artwork, and
logo legal releases. Films deliverables also pertain to elements that are ancillary to the
 movies themselves. These items include the trailer, TV spots, publicity stills photographed
on set, and other legal work.

 The word “deliverables” is a project management term describing the quantifiable

goods or services that must be provided upon the completion of a project.
 Deliverables can be tangible in nature, such as the acquisition of a dozen new
computers, or they can be intangible, like the implementation of a computer program aimed
at improving a company’s accounts receivable computational efficiency.
 A deliverable may refer to in-person or online training programs, as well as design
samples for products in the process of being developed.
 In many cases, deliverables are accompanied by instruction manuals.
 In film production, deliverables refer to the range of audio, visual, and paperwork
files that producers must furnish to distributors

Scope of Work and Milestones

A scope of work (SOW) document is an agreement on the work you’re going to perform on
the project

The document includes

1. Deliverables

This is what your project delivers, of course. Whether it’s a product or a service, it’s the
reason you’re executing the project for your customer, stakeholder or sponsor. Whatever
that deliverable is, and it can be some sort of document or report, software, product, build
(or all of the above), you need to have each item clearly identified here.

2. Timeline

Think of a timeline as a road leading from the start of a project to its end. It’s a section of the
document that delineates the major phases across the schedule of the project’s duration. It
should also mark the points in the project when your deliverables are ready. As you can
guess, it’s essential to scoping out the overall plan of any project. This is best presented
visually, like a rolled-up Gantt chart plan, so the stakeholders can see the high level
timeline.

3. Milestones

Projects can be very long and complex, which is why they’re laid out over a timeline and
broken down into more manageable parts called tasks. Larger phases of the project are
marked by what is called a milestone. It’s a way to help you monitor the progress of the
project to make sure it’s adhering to your planned schedule. Define your key milestones in
the Scope of Work document, including project kickoffs, meetings, hand offs, etc.
4. Reports

You’ll be generating these throughout the project, delivered to either you team or customer,
stakeholder or sponsor. They’re a formal record of the progress of your project, but they’re
also a means of communication beyond whether the project’s on schedule or not.
Depending on how you customize them, there’s a wealth of data that can serve a number of
different audiences. Define how you’ll be reporting on the project and when the
stakeholders can be expecting them and from whom.

Scope of Work Example

To understand a scope of work, let’s create a hypothetical project, nothing too complex but
important none the less. A wedding is a project, and depending on the bridezilla (or
groomzilla), it could be bigger and more complicated than building a highway or an airport.
So, let’s just take one aspect of that larger project, the wedding invitations, and break this
down into a scope of work. I’ll outline the deliverables, timeline, milestones and reports in
this scope of work example.

Deliverables

 Invite List
 Addresses of Attendees
 Invites
 Addressed Envelopes
 Stamps
 Manage your projects online. Try it free for 30 days

Timeline

 1 Decided on invite list

 1 Have addresses collected of attendees
 March 1 Pick invitation style and have printed
 April 1 Address and mail invites
 May 1 Get final count of guests
 June 1 Wedding

Milestones

 Selection of guest and collection of addresses

 Mailing of invitations
 Final count of attendees

Reports

 Check on status of address collection

 Stay in touch with printer for progress on invitations
 Check RSVPs against invitation list

Tools and Techniques of

Project Management
Techniques in project management range from traditional to innovative ones. Which one
to choose for running a project, depends on project specifics, its complexity, teams
involved, and other factors. Most of them can be used in various fields, however, there are
techniques that are traditionally used in certain areas of activity, or are developed
specifically for certain fields. Below, we’ve listed the most popular techniques that are used
in project management.

Classic Technique

The simplest, traditional technique is sometimes the most appropriate for running projects. It
includes preparing a plan of upcoming work, estimating tasks to perform, allocating
resources, providing and getting feedback from the team, and monitoring quality and
deadlines.

Where to use: this technique is ideal for running projects performed by small teams, when
it’s not really necessary to implement a complex process.

Waterfall Technique

This technique is also considered traditional, but it takes the simple classic approach to the
new level. As its name suggests, the technique is based on the sequential performance of
tasks. The next step starts when the previous one is accomplished. To monitor progress
and performed steps, Gantt charts are often used, as they provide a clear visual
representation of phases and dependencies.

Where to use: this technique is traditionally used for complex projects where detailed
phasing is required and successful delivery depends on rigid work structuring.
Agile Project Management

Agile project management method is a set of principles based on the value-centered

approach. It prescribes dividing project work into short sprints, using adaptive planning and
continual improvement, and fostering teams’ self-organization and collaboration targeted to
producing maximum value. Agile frameworks include such techniques as Scrum, Kanban,
DSDM, FDD, etc.

Where to use: Agile is used in software development projects that involve frequent iterations
and are performed by small and highly collaborative teams.
Rational Unified Process

Rational Unified Process (RUP) is a framework designed for software development teams
and projects. It prescribes implementing an iterative development process, where feedback
from product users is taken into account for planning future development phases.

Where to use: RUP technique is applied in software development projects, where end user
satisfaction is the key requirement.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is one of widely used approaches in
various areas. It involves complex and detailed planning, and visual tracking of work results
on PERT charts. Its core part is the analysis of tasks performed within the project.
Originally, this technique was developed by the US Navy during the Cold War to increase
efficiency of work on new technologies.

Where to use: this technique suits best for large and long-term projects with non-routine
tasks and challenging requirements.

Critical Path Technique

Actually, this technique is an algorithm for scheduling and planning project works that is
often used in conjunction with the PERT method discussed above. This technique involves
detecting the longest path (sequence of tasks) from the beginning to the end of a project,
and defining the critical tasks. Critical are tasks that influence the deadlines of the entire
project, and require closer attention and thorough control.
Where to use: Critical Path technique is used for complex projects where delivery terms and
deadlines are critical, in such areas as construction, defense, software development, and
others.

Critical Chain Technique

Critical Chain is a more innovative technique that derives from PERT and Critical Path
methods. It is less focused on rigid task order and scheduling, and prescribes more
flexibility in resource allocation and more attention to how time is used. This technique
emphasizes prioritization, dependencies analysis, and optimization of time expenses.

Where to use: like the previous two techniques, it is used in complex projects. As it is
focused on time optimization and wise resource allocation, it suits best for projects where
resources are limited.

Extreme Project Management

Extreme project management technique (XPM) emphasizes elasticity in planning, open

approach, and reduction of formalism and deterministic management. Deriving
from extreme programming methods, it is focused on human factor in project management
rather than on formal methods and rigid phases.

Where to use: XPM is used for large, complex and uncertain projects where managing
uncertain and unpredictable factors is required.
Project Management Tools
When applying any of the techniques to the project you need to accomplish, you also need
to use specific tools for successfully implementing the technique. Here’s a list of software
tools that are used in project management on different work steps.

Organizing Workflow & Planning

This step is the core part of starting a project: it defines how the project will be performed,
and how the quality of its outcome will be ensured. Large companies often use such
comprehensive solutions as MS Project. For smaller teams, various alternatives are
available. They don’t provide all the rich functionality typical to complex and expensive
tools, but they have planning and roadmap features that are sufficient for visualizing future
project progress.

Communication

Being the key point in many techniques and methodologies, communication within a project
team needs to be properly organized. While using email for formal communication and
important messages, it’s also essential to have a corporate messenger – Slack and Skype
are the most popular ones. And, if your team members use different tools to communicate,
eliminate the pain of having multiple messengers by integrating them.

Scheduling

When allocating resources and planning for future, it’s crucial to know who on the team is
available for specific dates. Use scheduling software for that! Such tools
as actiPLANS provide a clear visual chart of absences for upcoming dates, and allow to see
all necessary details to team members’ leaves and time off.

Time management

Knowing where your team’s time goes not just helps managing current project risks. It also
provides valuable information for future planning and estimating. Time management tools,
such as actiTIME, help managers understand both individual time expenses and team’s
results for any period. Informative reports with time & cost summaries and notes to the
logged time provide insights into how time is used and what can be optimized.

Finance & Accounting

For any project manager and business owner, understanding financial outcome of the
projects is crucial for analysis and future planning. Most used accounting tools –
QuickBooks, Zoho, Freshbooks – help collect this information. For smaller project teams,
other accounting solutions can be reasonable. They require less investment, but also
provide insights on project profitability, teams’ performance, and estimation accuracy.

Characteristics of Project Team
On this type of team, there is usually a strong trust bond, people work cooperatively
together to reach the common project goals, and often the project is even more successful
than the project manager and customer could have imagined.

These types of teams generally have some key characteristics in common that help make
them the effective, high-performing teams that they are.

Clearly defined goals

Clearly defined goals are essential so that everyone understands the purpose and vision of
the team. It’s surprising to learn sometimes how many people do not know the reason they
are doing the tasks that make up their jobs, much less what their team is doing. Everyone
must be pulling in the same direction and be aware of the end goals. Clear goals help team
members understand where the team is going. Clear goals help a team know when it has
been successful by defining exactly what the team is doing and what it wants to accomplish.
This makes it easier for members to work together – and more likely to be successful.

Clear goals create ownership. Team members are more likely to “own” goals and work
toward them if they have been involved in establishing them as a team. In addition,
ownership is longer lasting if members perceive that other team members support the same
efforts. Clear goals foster team unity, whereas unclear goals foster confusion – or
sometimes individualism. If team members don’t agree on the meaning of the team goals,
they will work alone to accomplish their individual interpretations of the goals. They may
also protect their own goals, even at the expense of the team.
Clearly defined roles

If the team’s roles are clearly defined, all team members know what their jobs are, but
defining roles goes beyond that. It means that we recognize individuals’ talent and tap into
the expertise of each member – both job-related and innate skills each person brings to the
team, such as organization, creative, or team-building skills. Clearly defined roles help team
members understand why they are on a team. When the members experience conflict, it
may be related to their roles. Team members often can manage this conflict by identifying,
clarifying, and agreeing on their individual responsibilities so that they all gain a clear
understanding of how they will accomplish the team’s goals. Once team members are
comfortable with their primary roles on the team, they can identify the roles they play during
team meetings. There are two kinds of roles that are essential in team meetings.

Open and clear communication

The importance of open and clear communication cannot be stressed enough. This is
probably the most important characteristic for high-performance teams. Many different
problems that arise on projects can often be can be traced back to poor communication or
lack of communication skills, such as listening well or providing constructive feedback.
Enough books have been written about communication to fill a library. And I’ve personally
written several articles on this subject alone for this site over the past few months.

Excellent communication is the key to keeping a team informed, focused, and moving
forward. Team members must feel free to express their thoughts and opinions at any time.
Yet, even as they are expressing themselves, they must make certain they are doing so in a
clear and concise manner. Unfortunately, most of us are not very good listeners. Most of us
could improve our communication if we just started to listen better—to listen with an open
mind, to hear the entire message before forming conclusions, and to work toward a mutual
understanding with the speaker.

Effective decision making

Decision making is effective when the team is aware of and uses many methods to arrive at
decisions. A consensus is often touted as the best way to make decisions—and it is an
excellent method and probably not used often enough. But the team should also use
majority rule, expert decision, authority rule with discussion, and other methods. The team
members should discuss the method they want to use and should use tools to assist them,
such as force-field analysis, pair-wise ranking matrices, or some of the multi-voting
techniques.

Effective decision making is essential to a team’s progress; ideally, teams that are asked to
solve problems should also have the power and authority to implement solutions. They must
have a grasp of various decision-making methods, their advantages and disadvantages,
and when and how to use each. Teams that choose the right decision-making methods at
the right time will not only save time, but they will also most often make the best decisions. 
This completes the four basic foundation characteristics: clear goals, defined roles, open
and clear communication, and effective decision making.
Balanced participation

If communication is the most important team characteristic, participation is the second most
important. Without participation, you don’t have a team; you have a group of bodies.
Balanced participation ensures that everyone on the team is fully involved. It does not mean
that if you have five people each is speaking 20 percent of the time. Talking is not
necessarily a measure of participation. We all know people who talk a lot and say nothing. It
does mean that each individual is contributing when it’s appropriate. The more a team
involves all of its members in its activities, the more likely that team is to experience a high
level of commitment and synergy.

Leader’s behavior

A leader’s behavior comes as much from attitude as from anything. Leaders who are
effective in obtaining participation see their roles as being a coach and mentor, not the
expert in the situation. Leaders will get more participation from team members if they can
admit to needing help, not power. Leaders should also specify the kind of participation they
want right from the start.

Participants’ expectations

Participants must volunteer information willingly rather than force someone to drag it out of
them. They should encourage others’ participation as well by asking a question of others,
especially those who have been quiet for a while.

Participants can assist the leader by suggesting techniques that encourage everyone to
speak, for example, a round robin. To conduct a round robin, someone directs all members
to state their opinions or ideas about the topic under discussion. Members go around the
group, in order, and one person at a time says what’s on his or her mind. During this time,
no one else in the group can disagree, ask questions, or discuss how the idea might work or
not work, be good or not good.

Only after everyone has had an opportunity to hear others and to be heard him- or herself, a
discussion occurs. This discussion may focus on pros and cons, on clarifying, on similarities
and differences, or on trying to reach consensus.

Valued diversity

Valued diversity is at the heart of building a team. Thus, the box is at the center of the
model. It means, put simply, that team members are valued for the unique contributions that
they bring to the team.

Diversity goes far beyond gender and race. It also includes how people think, what
experience they bring, and their styles. The diversity of thinking, ideas, methods,
experiences, and opinions helps to create a high-performing team.
 Managed Conflict

Conflict is essential to a team’s creativity and productivity. Because most people dislike
conflict, they often assume that effective teams do not have it. In fact, both effective and
ineffective teams experience conflict. The difference is that effective teams manage it
constructively. In fact, effective teams see conflict as positive.

Managed conflict ensures that problems are not swept under the rug. It means that the
team has discussed members’ points of view about an issue and has come to see well-
managed conflict as a healthy way to bring out new ideas and to solve whatever seems to
be unsolvable. Here are some benefits of healthy conflict:

 Conflict forces a team to find productive ways to communicate differences, seek

common goals, and gain consensus;
 Conflict encourages a team to look at all points of view, then adopt the best ideas
from each;
 Conflict increases creativity by forcing the team to look beyond current assumptions
and parameters.

Positive team atmosphere

To be truly successful, a team must have a climate of trust and openness, that is, a positive
atmosphere. A positive atmosphere indicates that members of the team are committed and
involved. It means that people are comfortable enough with one another to be creative, take
risks, and make mistakes. It also means that you may hear plenty of laughter, and research
shows that people who are enjoying themselves are more productive than those who dislike
what they are doing.

Cooperative relationships

Directly related to having a positive atmosphere are cooperative relationships. Team

members know that they need one another’s skills, knowledge, and expertise to produce
something together that they could not do as well alone. There is a sense of belonging and
a willingness to make things work for the good of the whole team. The atmosphere is
informal, comfortable, and relaxed. Team members are allowed to be themselves. They are
involved and interested.

Cooperative relationships are the hallmark of top-performing teams. These top teams
demonstrate not only cooperative relationships between team members but also
cooperative working relationships elsewhere in the organization.

Participative Leadership

The participative leadership block is not at the top of the model because it is the most
important.
 It is at the top because it is the only block that can be removed without disturbing the rest.

Participative leadership means that leaders share the responsibility and the glory, are
supportive and fair, create a climate of trust and openness, and are good coaches and
teachers.

In general, it means that leaders are good role models and that the leadership shifts at
various times.

In the most productive teams, it is difficult to identify a leader during a casual observation.

In conclusion, a high-performing team can accomplish more together than all the individuals
can apart.

Characteristics of Project Leader
The terms project manager and project leader get used interchangeably all the time, and yet
there are a couple important differences that can be derived from the respective terms
themselves. Managers manage. Leaders lead. What this means in practice is that project
leaders are responsible for establishing direction, communicating their vision to
management and the workforce, and forging teams that are capable of delivering high-
performance. In contrast, project managers focus primarily on short-term goals and are
responsible for solving short-term problems.

The project manager implements the project and solves roadblocks as they emerge. Noting
that difference, it is easy to argue that project leaders have the most difficult job of all in
regard to the implementation of major change initiatives.

After all, project leaders liaise between management and the workforce, and are directly
responsible for ensuring the inspired execution of the agreed upon strategy. Here are the
five characteristics of highly effective project leaders. 

1. They are strong communicators

Project leaders need to be particularly strong communicators as they must eventually

provide feedback to the management and facilitate the continual improvement efforts of the
men and women working under them.

2. They are trustworthy

Whether project leaders come from inside or outside the organization, they must have the
continued support and trust of the board of directors and management. Without this,
micromanagement and inefficiencies are bound to occur over the course of a major
transformation.
3. They understand people

While the project leader doesn’t necessarily need to be a “people person”, he or she does
need to have a strong sense of where the aptitudes and abilities of the team members lie.
Putting together a team twith complimentary strengths and weaknesses helps to ensure the
eventual success of the chosen project.

4. They can see the overall Performance

Being able to take the long-term view is a critical characteristic of project leadership and
project leaders need to be able to see the whole as it is in order to make connections that
the individual team members cannot see due to their limited scope in the overall project.

5. They can see the all level of efforts

While taking the holistic view is critical for project leaders, they need to be able to
communicate on a detailed level about all aspects of the project to any level of seniority.
Possessing long-term vision will prove insufficient when it comes to managing people and
their individual roles within the larger project.

Project Organization
 

The project organization consists of a number of horizontal organizational units to complete

projects of a long duration.

Each project is vitally important to the organization. Therefore, a team of specialist from
different areas is created for each project.

The size of the project team varies from one project to another. The activities of a project
team are coordinated by the project manager who has the authority to obtain advice and
assistance of experts both inside and outside the organization.
 The core concept of project organization is to gather a team of specialists to work on and
complete a particular project. The project staff is separate and is independent of the
functional departments. Project organization is employed in aerospace, construction, aircraft
manufacture and professional areas like management consultancy etc.

Project organization is appropriate when the enterprise is undertaking tasks that have
definite goals that are frequent and unfamiliar to the present structure, that are complex
because of interdependence of tasks and that are crucial for the success of the firm. A
project team is a temporary set up. Once the project is complete, the team is dissolved and
the functional specialists are assigned some other projects.

Merits of Project Organization

1. It provides concentrated attention that a complex project demands.

2. It permits the timely completion of the project without disturbing the normal routine of
rest of the organization.
3. It provides a logical approach to any challenge in fulfilling a large project with definite
beginning, end and clearly defined result.

Demerits of Project Organization

1. There is an organizational uncertainly as a project manager has to deal with

professionals drawn from diverse fields.
2. Organizational uncertainties may lead to interdepartmental conflicts.
3. There is a considerable fear among personnel that the completion of the project may
result in loss of job. This feeling of insecurity may create considerable worry about career
progress.
 Importance of Project Management
 

1. Strategic Alignment

Project management is important because it ensures what is being delivered, is right, and
will deliver real value against the business opportunity.

Every client has strategic goals and the projects that we do for them advance those goals.
Project management is important because it ensures there’s rigor in architecting projects
properly so that they fit well within the broader context of our client’s strategic frameworks
Good project management ensures that the goals of projects closely align with the strategic
goals of the business.

In identifying a solid business case, and being methodical about calculating ROI, project
management is important because it can help to ensure the right thing is delivered, that’s
going to deliver real value.

Of course, as projects progress, it is possible that risks may emerge, that turn into issues or
even the business strategy may change. But a project manager will ensure that the project
is part of that realignment. Project management really matters here because projects that
veer off course, or which fail to adapt to the business needs may end up being expensive
and/or unnecessary.

2. Leadership

Project management is important because it brings leadership and direction to projects.

Without project management, a team can be like a ship without a rudder; moving but
without direction, control or purpose. Leadership allows and enables a team to do their best
work. Project management provides leadership and vision, motivation, removing
roadblocks, coaching and inspiring the team to do their best work.

Project managers serve the team but also ensure clear lines of accountability. With a
project manager in place there’s no confusion about who’s in charge and in control of
whatever’s going on in a project. Project managers enforce process and keep everyone on
the team in line too because ultimately they carry responsibility for whether the project fails
or succeeds.

3. Clear Focus & Objectives

Project management is important because it ensures there’s a proper plan for executing on
strategic goals.
 Where project management is left to the team to work out by themselves, you’ll find teams
work without proper briefs, projects lack focus, can have vague or nebulous objectives, and
leave the team not quite sure what they’re supposed to be doing, or why.

As project managers, we position ourselves to prevent such a situation and drive the timely
accomplishment of tasks, by breaking up a project into tasks for our teams. Oftentimes, the
foresight to take such an approach is what differentiates good project management from
bad. Breaking up into smaller chunks of work enables teams to remain focused on clear
objectives, gear their efforts towards achieving the ultimate goal through the completion of
smaller steps and to quickly identify risks, since risk management is important in project
management.

Often a project’s goals have to change in line with a materializing risk. Again, without
dedicated oversite and management, a project could swiftly falter but good project
management (and a good project manager) is what enables the team to focus, and when
necessary refocus, on their objectives.

4. Realistic Project Planning

Project management is important because it ensures proper expectations are set around
what can be delivered, by when, and for how much.

Without proper project management, budget estimates and project delivery timelines can be
set that are over-ambitious or lacking in analogous estimating insight from similar projects.
Ultimately this means without good project management, projects get delivered late, and
over budget.

Effective project managers should be able to negotiate reasonable and achievable

deadlines and milestones across stakeholders, teams, and management. Too often, the
urgency placed on delivery compromises the necessary steps, and ultimately, the quality of
the project’s outcome.

We all know that most tasks will take longer than initially anticipated; a good project
manager is able to analyze and balance the available resources, with the required timeline,
and develop a realistic schedule. Project management really matters when scheduling
because it brings objectivity to the planning.

A good project manager creates a clear process, with achievable deadlines, that enables
everyone within the project team to work within reasonable bounds, and not unreasonable
expectations.

5. Quality Control

Projects management is important because it ensures the quality of whatever is being

delivered, consistently hits the mark.
 Projects are also usually under enormous pressure to be completed. Without a dedicated
project manager, who has the support and buy-in of executive management, tasks are
underestimated, schedules tightened and processes rushed. The result is bad quality
output. Dedicated project management ensures that not only does a project have the time
and resources to deliver, but also that the output is quality tested at every stage.

Good project management demands gated phases where teams can assess the output for
quality, applicability, and ROI. Project management is of key importance to Quality
Assurance because it allows for a staggered and phased process, creating time for teams
to examine and test their outputs at every step along the way.

6. Risk Management

Project management is important because it ensures risks are properly managed and
mitigated against to avoid becoming issues.

Risk management is critical to project success. The temptation is just to sweep them under
the carpet, never talk about them to the client and hope for the best. But having a robust
process around the identification, management and mitigation of risk is what helps prevent
risks from becoming issues.

Good project management practice requires project managers to carefully analyze all
potential risks to the project, quantify them, develop a mitigation plan against them, and a
contingency plan should any of them materialize. Naturally, risks should be prioritized
according to the likelihood of them occurring, and appropriate responses are allocated per
risk. Good project management matters in this regard, because projects never go to plan,
and how we deal with change and adapt our plans is a key to delivering projects
successfully.

7. Orderly Process

Project management is important because it ensures the right people do the right things, at
the right time – it ensures proper project process is followed throughout the project lifecycle.

Surprisingly, many large and well-known companies have reactive planning processes. But
reactivity – as opposed to proactivity – can often cause projects to go into survival mode.
This is a when teams fracture, tasks duplicate, and planning becomes reactive creating
inefficiency and frustration in the team.

Proper planning and process can make a massive difference as the team knows who’s
doing what, when, and how. Proper process helps to clarify roles, streamline processes and
inputs, anticipate risks, and creates the checks and balances to ensure the project is
continually aligned with the overall strategy. Project management matters here because
without an orderly, easily understood process, companies risk project failure, attrition of
employee trust and resource wastage.
8. Continuous Oversight

Project management is important because it ensures a project’s progress is tracked and

reported properly.

Status reporting might sound boring and unnecessary – and if everything’s going to plan, it
can just feel like documentation for documentation’s sake. But continuous project oversight,
ensuring that a project is tracking properly against the original plan, is critical to ensuring
that a project stays on track.

When proper oversight and project reporting is in place it makes it easy to see when a
project is beginning to deviate from its intended course. The earlier you’re able to spot
project deviation, the easier it is to course correct.

Good project managers will regularly generate easily digestible progress or status reports
that enable stakeholders to track the project. Typically these status reports will provide
insights into the work that was completed and planned, the hours utilized and how they
track against those planned, how the project is tracking against milestones, risks,
assumptions, issues and dependencies and any outputs of the project as it proceeds.

This data is invaluable not only for tracking progress but helps clients gain the trust of other
stakeholders in their organization, giving them easy oversight of a project’s progress.

9. Subject Matter Expertise

Project management is important because someone needs to be able to understand if

everyone’s doing what they should.

With a few years experience under their belt, project managers will know a little about a lot
of aspects of delivering the projects they manage. They’ll know everything about the work
that their teams execute; the platforms and systems they use, and the possibilities and
limitations, and the kinds of issues that typically occur.

Having this kind of subject matter expertise means they can have intelligent and informed
conversations with clients, team, stakeholders, and suppliers. They’re well equipped to be
the hub of communication on a project, ensuring that as the project flows between different
teams and phases of work, nothing gets forgotten about or overlooked.

Without subject matter expertise through project management, you can find a project
becomes unbalanced – the creatives ignore the limitations of technology or the developers
forget the creative vision of the project. Project management keeps the team focussed on
the overarching vision and brings everyone together forcing the right compromises to make
the project a success.

10. Managing and Learning from Success and Failure

Project management is important because it learns from the successes and failures of the
past.

Project management can break bad habits and when you’re delivering projects, it’s
important to not make the same mistakes twice. Project managers use retrospectives or
post project reviews to consider what went well, what didn’t go so well and what should be
done differently for the next project.

This produces a valuable set of documentation that becomes a record of “do and don’t”
going forward, enabling the organization to learn from failures and success. Without this
learning, teams will often keep making the same mistakes, time and time again. These
retrospectives are great documents to use at a project kickoff meeting to remind the team
about failures such as underestimating projects, and successes such as the benefits of a
solid process or the importance of keeping time sheet reporting up to date!