POM ASSIGNMENT

Q1. What are effective team management strategies? Explain the attributes of
a project team.
Ans1. The effective team management strategies are as follows-
1) Maintain good communication
Employees want to be kept in the loop about ongoing projects, goals, and
deadlines, so it’s essential that you communicate well with them and inform
them about goings-on within the organization. It’s also essential to encourage
feedback and facilitate healthy discussion on issues.
2) Build positive working relationships
It’s important to get to know members of the team individually, not only on a
professional level but on a more personal level too. When effort are put in to
get to know more about what colleagues are doing and what they are
interested in, it will build a much better rapport among the team.
3) Manage conflict
When there is conflict in the workplace, it should not be ignored. Turning a
blind eye could lead to a negative atmosphere, which could have implications
for staff productivity, and communication among the team may suffer. When an
issue arises, it’s crucial that it is addressed straight away before it builds.

4) Set an achievable target

Every team member should be clear about the objective for which they are
putting in their efforts. They should be clear-headed and know what are the
short-term and long-term goals they have to achieve.

5) Provide valuable feedback

It is one of the important ways to motivate and help your employees

to develop personally as well as professionally. Sincere praise boosts their
morale and helps them to work more dedicatedly. Any negative feedback helps
them to understand the areas where they are lacking and the scope for
improvement.
Attributes of project team are as follows-

1. Clear Goals
Goals should be well-defined and measurable so that everyone in the team is
on the same page and understands the direction in which the project is going.
Even if just one person is unsure, it can have a domino effect on the rest of the
team and risk de-railing the whole project.

2. Well-defined roles

Having set roles and responsibilities helps define how the team will work
together, set expectations and assign tasks to the appropriate people. Not only
this, but taking on certain roles and responsibilities can make people feel more
valued.

3. Open communication

Communication is a fundamental element in any team, especially project

teams. Open and clear communication helps in avoiding the original message
from getting distorted along the communication channel and the final recipient
ends up with a completely different message.

4. Leadership

Whilst cooperative working is encouraged, it’s important to have effective

leadership and management as well. This is especially important in the event
of a conflict, which can cause a ripple effect throughout the team and
negatively impact the project’s progress too.

5. Positive atmosphere

Morale and well-being are crucial to building a successful project team. Team
members that are disengaged and negative can create a sour environment that
disrupts communication and harmonious working. In any team, there will
inevitably be varying personalities, but a positive atmosphere can help
neutralize any risk of conflict or negativity.
Q2. Why time management is important for reducing wastage? Explain time
management strategies.
Time management is the skill of planning tasks based on time availability.
These skills can help prioritize items in their daily schedule that allows people
to finish them on time. It is important in reducing wastage as-
1. Increases productivity
Once time management is mastered, less time will be required to finish tasks or
projects thereby increasing productivity. By following a calendar, tracking
deadlines in management software or keeping a to-do list of impending
deadlines, you can better plan your work around those deadlines
2. Improved focus
Learning to manage time effectively can improve focus. Dedicating a specific
amount of time to a project or task prevents juggling too many responsibilities
at one time since every task has its own time slot. Time management also
allows you to schedule daily tasks in an environment where you can be
productive and stay focused
3. Streamlined decision-making
Managing your time and making decisions about your schedule can build
decision-making skills in other aspects of your life. Time management allows
certain decisions to be made simply and quickly because you've planned for
them ahead of time. Th
4. Reaching goals faster
A large part of time management is making goals for yourself. When you
develop a pattern of setting small goals and then reaching them, you can
reduce the time it takes to reach such goals.
5.Improved quality of work
As time management becomes a habit, you can spend more time improving
your quality of work because you have allotted time for each task. This can also
give you time to consider all aspects of a task and make sure you complete
them correctly. Doing it right the first time to prevents you from redoing a task
or project.
Some time management strategies are as follows-

1.    Make a schedule
First, a schedule needs to be made for day, week, or even the whole month.
Once you know what types of tasks you are going to complete today and how
many tasks you are going to work on it will become easier for you to prepare
yourself for those tasks.

2.    Prioritize your tasks

You don’t have to complete every task in a single day. You can simply prioritize
them according to their importance. If you are meant to do a few things on the
weekdays then you need to do it even after your job hours.
If something doesn’t hold much importance and you know that you can
complete that task on the weekend then just leave it for the weekend. You
don’t have to get stressed about dealing with everything at the same time. Just
prioritize your tasks and it will help you to complete them on time.

 3. Split large projects into small chunks

Split large projects into small chunks. Those small chunks will help to
concentrate better. The chunks will help people focus on a certain task at a
time. Once the task is completed, another one can be started. It will help in
completing the job on time with no errors.
4. Cut out distractions:

You get a lot more done when you aren’t being pulled in a dozen directions.
Silence your phone and/or put it somewhere it won’t bother you. Switch off
your email notifications. Close your office door if you have one. Put on white
noise or noise-cancelling headphones. The more you can focus on the task at
hand, the sooner you’ll complete it.

5. Conduct a time audit.

Start by assessing where you actually spend your time. Create a visual map of
approximate hours you spend on work, school, housework and chores,
commuting, social media, and leisure activities. Then, you can drill in on school
or work, dividing your previous week into days, then hours. Set goals based on
this outcome.
Q3. Explain the communication process. Why communication is important for
reducing wastage, productivity improvement and conflict resolution.

Communication is a two-way process wherein the message in the form of

ideas, thoughts, feelings, opinions is transmitted between two or more persons
with the intent of creating a shared understanding. The communication
process is made up of four key components. Those components include

 encoding
 medium of transmission
 decoding
 Feedback

There are also two other factors in the process, and those two factors are
present in the form of the sender and the receiver. The communication
process begins with the sender and ends with the receiver. Communication
is important because-

1. It Helps Your Team Set Clear Expectations

The clear indications of handled responsibilities make the person accountable.

The person understands the expectations and has to respond with the
proceedings according to them. Authorities can make fair decisions based on
the assigned and completed responsibilities. 

2. It Streamlines Project Planning

The communication plan will be accountable for proper completion, update of

status and requirements, and progress of the project. Furthermore, the specific
information on time will leave no room for unnecessary follow-ups and
meetings, which ends up a waste of time (practically seen in most
organizations). 

3. More transparency and empowerment

When communication is effective and open, employees will more likely feel

empowered and see management as trustworthy and transparent. Through
empowerment and transparency, productivity is improved because employees
will feel more committed and engaged to the work they do and the company
they work for.

4. Less friction and misunderstanding

When the workplace is more open and transparent, and when communication
runs smoothly within the organization, there will be less friction and
misunderstanding amongst members of the workforce. While friction and
misunderstandings may not be avoided from time to time, their intensity and
duration can be prevented.

5. Promotes a healthy company culture

Healthy and productive work environments are founded on effective and

positive communication. When leaders, managers and staff members have
good and healthy working relationships, they are more likely to be engaged in
the work they do, and this commitment pushes them to be more productive at
work.

6. Increased accountability

When communication is effective and open within an organization, staff

members are more likely to keep each other accountable. Effective
communication allows employees to get clear and definite instructions, which
then enables them to act according to what is expected of them. Improvement
in accountability then increases productivity in the workplace. If there is no
accountability within an organization, no one will feel compelled to improve.

Q4. What are the effective communication strategies for a project manager?

Some effective communication strategies are as follows-

1.Show appreciation
As a project manager, take the time to recognize key contributions, ideas and
other ways various team members have strengthened the project.
Communicating these successes is a great way to motivate the employees and
allow co-workers to realize their efforts.
2. Keep it interactive
Allow team members to speak freely with one another, and encourage
everyone to speak up.
More junior-level employees need to feel free to ask clarifying questions.
Different departments need to ask questions when they don’t understand
something. If everyone interacts freely, projects will move forward successfully
and no one will feel they can’t voice an opinion.
3. Spend time training
Getting your team familiar with the idea of different communication styles can
help everyone work together better. This could be some exercises in
collaboration or a few team-building courses. Working through conflict
resolution and crisis management may seem excessive, but the more team is
trained to work together in stressful situations, the better they will
communicate through it.
4. Stay focused on objectives
Project management objectives should be laid out from the start of a project.
However, sometimes these get lost throughout the life of a project.
That’s why it’s important to stay focused. Remind your team what you’re
working toward and why, so that it’s easy to see the impact of their work.

5.Hold regular meetings

Having regular meetings with team members increases a shared understanding

for objectives and deadlines. The meetings can also be a platform for project
members to share any ideas or concerns they have, which in turn will help
them feel supported and valued.

Q5. Discuss sources or reason of conflict and explain conflict management

strategies.
Conflicts are struggles that can arise during an active disagreement of opinions
or interests, so it’s important to understand how to navigate and resolve
them. Sources of conflicts are as follows-

1. Lack of role clarification

Conflict can emerge when it is unclear who is responsible for what task or what
part of a project. Clear job descriptions and expectations can reduce this
contributor to conflict.

2. Poor processes
Often poorly constructed processes and procedures can create conflict. To
avoid this pitfall, it is helpful to regularly review your procedures and policies
to ensure they support teamwork and collaboration.

3. Communication problems
This is a common contributor to conflict and can occur among all levels of staff.
Keeping communication channels open and having a culture where questions
are welcomed will go a long way in mitigating this contributor to conflict.

4. Lack of performance standards

When performance and quality standards are not clear, individuals quickly sort
out their own personal expectations around work quantity and quality. This
can put them at odds with others whose standards are different. Leadership
and management should be fair, clear, and consistent in articulating
performance standards.

5. Lack of resources
If employees have to compete for resources, whether it’s managerial support,
tools, equipment, or financial resources, the stage is set for competition and
conflict. Asking employees what’s needed and then providing it (if possible)
will build a spirit of collaboration rather than competition.

Conflict management strategies

Different people use different methods to resolve conflict, depending on their
personalities and preferences. The five most common strategies, known as the
(Kenneth) Thomas-(Ralph) Kilmann model, used to resolve conflicts in the
workplace include

1. Avoiding

This method involves simply ignoring that there may be a conflict. People tend
to avoid conflict when they don’t want to engage in it. Avoiding allows them to
ignore that there is a problem.There are situations when avoiding conflict can
be an appropriate response, such as when there is no clear solution or a
frustrated party needs time to calm down before confrontation.

2. Competing

Competing is an uncooperative, overly assertive method used by people who

insist on winning the dispute at all costs. It’s known as a win-lose strategy. This
method is not often identified as bringing satisfactory resolutions, as it doesn’t
allow for collaborative problem-solving.

3. Accommodating

This strategy, also known as smoothing, involves one party acquiescing, giving
the opposing party exactly what it needs to resolve the problem. This method
allows you to resolve a problem in the short-term while working toward a long-
term solution.

4. Collaborating

Like the compromising method, collaboration involves working with the other
party to find a mutually agreeable solution to a problem. It’s known as a win-
win strategy. For example, a salesperson and client may work together to
negotiate contract terms until both parties find it agreeable.

5. Compromising

This strategy, also known as reconciling, seeks a mutual agreement to settle a

dispute. It’s known as a lose-lose strategy since both parties willingly forfeit
some of their needs in the interest of reaching an agreement. This can be a
quick way to resolve a conflict without it becoming a bigger issue.

Q6. Write a short note on periodic progress review.

A periodic report is a document that companies create to provide regular
updates about a company’s business operations, projects, department, client
work, etc. It serves to provide the audience with the necessary details to get an
understanding of the current status of an ongoing project or company.

A periodic report is sent at regular intervals or periods, such as daily, weekly,

monthly, and so on. Sometimes, it’s even referred to as a recurring report. A
progress report can include one or all of the following:

 Amount of completed work

 Current work in progress

 Problems or challenges that have occurred during project execution

 Pending work

 Overall project progress status

The main function of a progress report is persuasive, aiming to reassure clients

and supervisors that you are making progress, that the project is going
smoothly, and that the project will be completed by the expected date, or to
give reasons why any of those might not be the case.

Periodic progress reports are common on projects that last several months or
more. Whoever is paying for this project wants to know whether tasks are
being completed on schedule and on budget. If the project is not on schedule
or on budget, they will want to know why and what additional costs and time
will be needed. Also, if a technical writer is working on a contract basis, they
will be expected to provide a weekly report.

Progress reports answer the following questions for the reader:

 How much of the work is complete?

 What part of the work is currently in progress?
 What work remains to be done?
 When and how will the remaining work be completed?
 What changes, problems, or unexpected issues, if any, have arisen?
 How is the project going in general

Q7. What is Gantt chart. Discuss its advantages for controlling the project.
A Gantt chart is a visual representation of the project tasks and activities
scheduled over time. It supports in planning projects and helps in
visualizing progress in real-time.

Typically, a Gantt chart consists of a list of tasks on the left and horizontal
progress bars on the right. The colorful progress bars display a task’s start
and end dates and indicate the percentage of work completed within a
task.

Advantages of Using the Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is a powerful tool with significant advantages for managing

projects like a pro. Few advantages of the Gantt chart in project management
are as follows-

1. Interactive Data Visualization

A Gantt chart offers the easiest way to create and visualize project schedules,
bringing transparency into everyday workflows. Its bar charts allow
measuring in a quick overview. By representing the entire project schedule, the
visual tool helps identify task relationships and Gantt chart dependencies at a
glance.

2. Efficient Time Management

Time and effort can be saved simultaneously with a crystal clear Gantt chart
timeline that helps in tracking tasks, milestones, and deadlines accurately. This
way, a perspective can be gained on how the project is progressing. Also,
insights are given into whether there is a need to intervene in the set workflow
to adjust the task deadlines for the best possible project outcome.

3. Effective Resource Allocation

With Gantt charts, resource allocation can be optimized so that the right
resources are allocated to the right task throughout the life cycle of a project.
It also helps avoid resource overload, ensuring the best utilization of resources
according to their unique capacity.

4. Enhanced Team Productivity

Building a Gantt chart on a centralized platform helps improve team
communication and collaboration. Work is transparent, and workflows are in
perfect sync with each other. With this, team members enjoy seamless
interaction for project tasks and activities, enabling enhanced team
productivity and superior project results

5. Helps Manage Multiple Projects Simultaneously

It distinctly stores data of all your projects on the Gantt chart timeline, and you
can access this data from anywhere and anytime.

6. Helps Set Realistic Deadlines & Project Expectations

With its accurate data visualization, a Gantt chart allows for setting clear
deadlines that help in achieving work on time. Also, this helps to monitor
project progress. This further ensures that you reach the project finish line
within the set timeframe without compromising the project quality.

7. Aids Faster & Better Decision-Making

The Gantt charts provide an easy overview of all project data, making decision-
making informed and accurate. Thus, the tool is a respite for project managers
and stakeholders alike. This allows you to analyse and plan future projects with
a clear understanding of how existing projects are progressing.