3 experts have described difficult decisions they had to take in one project.
Now think about what was important for them in taking the decision the took. Would they act differently in a different context? Why?
(If you are part of an ongoing PM bootcamp cohort on DEXA, also copy your comment to your group)
Taking difficult decisions such as program termination is essential when they available options have been exhausted.
My concern is for the amount of time or resources that have gone down the drain in the course of the lifespan of the project.
Though decisions are for the good of the organization
They actually did what is best for the project
Looking at it critically. How the Project manager communicated appropriately to convince the client to bring augmentation of fund to move it to the new locations was superb. And also terminating the project early with reasonable options so as to not make the other team members feel bad was key. In the issue of language barrier. I think that should have been considered before picking up the project.
In my opinion, the three PMs took these factors into consideration before making such decisions; Risk Assessment, Budget, Project Success/Delivery and Time Management.
Along the line they also made sure to communicate to their team and more importantly the Stakeholders involved, the problem encountered and then collaborating ideas to make the final decisions.
I think they took best line of action as PMs In dealing with their various situations, whereby you had clients who already had history of bad record with the former Management Company, the best thing to do was to look for ways to bring them around by showing them the goals the project was going to achieve and it’s impact it would bring about and also making sure that they understood the project thoroughly to avoid issues along the duration of the project which could break trust.
In the three scenarios, the project manager aimed to get the job done, and the strategies they employed were ways to achieve that.
80% 0f the work of a project manager is to communicate in clear terms even when there is a language barrier, The PM also tries to ensure that the values of the project are not sacrificed along the way.
Being able to come to a term that will be a win-win for the stakeholders is a plus.
For Cathy, it was important to take the positive lessons away from the project that had to be terminated early. In the second scenario, what was paramount for her was the goals of the project and she helped to bring that back into the focus of the angry party so as to get their buy in.
What was important for Bill was validating the concern of an important stakeholder and ensuring that a solution that worked for all parties concerned was proffered.
For Emanuele, communicating effectively, coordinating and adding value despite the language barrier was of utmost importance.
I do not think that anyone of them would have acted differently as the solutions implemented appeared to have produced the best possible outcomes.
The Project Managers were able to communicate with the stakeholders to clarify what information is needed and also in line with the stakeholders needs and expectation
IAM that no.matterhiw hard the situation was the three expert wereabe to come up with a solution
I meant lam happy how the three expert handled the situation. No matter how hard it was
After consulting with important stakeholders, all three project managers settled on a course of action. One of the challenges she faced was learning to put aside her pride, explain to the other participants exactly what it was they were there to accomplish, and work together to find solutions to any problems that arose.
They used many of the tools at a project manager’s disposal to do all this and more.
They would have had to take different actions based on the specifics of the scenario. It’s the result of a number of causes and elements working together. However, the need of good communication and teamwork will never diminish.
No matter what may happen during the project, a project manager must find a way to resolve issues, having a healthy communication with stakeholders goes a long way.
As a project manager you have to always consider people that speaks other languages. Find a way to move along with them.
All three Project Manager ensure key stakehold were carried along and they came to a definite decision on how to proceed. For one, it was having to temper her ego, letting the stakeholders know why they were there and what goal they were gunning for and resolving all issues through conversation and collaboration.
In all of this, they deployed various skills a project manager needs to thrive and ensure the success of a project.
If this were to be different scenarios, they’d have had to act differently depending on the situation they have at hand. It’s a combination of different elements and factors. However, effective communication and collaboration remains a constant.