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)
The three Project Managers must make decisions based on a variety of scenarios, budgets, deadlines, and risks; however, all must be made with the primary goal of resolving challenges in mind.
To prevent preventable issues from cropping up in the middle of project operations, it is critical for project managers to critically align with the procedures involved in project management from the outset. As a result, frequent, intensive team communication is required.
In all three contexts, our PMs are faced with stiff challenges. In the one case, a termination of contract was the chosen option after careful thoughts and discussions with all concerned team mates and stakeholders. This is essential as it preserved the professional name and the PM .With the second, a temporary halt is observed for a prompt exchange session with the concerned stakeholders and finally a bigger contract is born from the initial small contract. In the third case, the importance of mastering languages proper to team mates for better is very imperative for communication and so he harnesses efforts to attend to this.
As per whether they’ll react differently to these challenges, I suggest they might have reacted seemingly differently given that impromptu decisions to solve issues is proper to every PM.
In all, irrespective of the challenges they faced, EFFECTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE COMMUNICATION was
the used technique that brought about the good fruits.
Would they act differently under different circumstances? Yes is my answer.
A PM is expected to make decisions that are right and suitable for a particular project. Projects can be dynamic and being too rigid to a particular method of solving problems can be an issue instead of a skill for a Project manager.
the underlay of project management is having to make different decisions per time and most of them would be difficult.
Terminating a project, having to weigh options, deciding teams, technical decisions.
it is always best to have various options already written down to tackle whatever comes up along the way.
Making right decision is one of the essential skill of a Project Manager.As a PM, you need to always take tough decisions in the interest of your brand. In a construction company, it’s better to pull out of a project with a poor quality control than being involved in a collapse of a building project. Sometimes it is required to sack or transfer a skillful staff that usually poison other staffs, for the project to progress.
The Project Managers are faced with different scenarios, budgets, schedules and risks, which implies that decisions will be different but all still fall within solving issues which is the major focus.
It is important for Project Managers to critically from the on-set, align with the processes involved in project management to ensure that avoidable problems are not encountered in the middle of the project activities, hence the need to intensively communicate across the project team regularly.
I can say that for me, our state of mind is the basic thing.
The 3 PMs would have done the same if it were in a different context because in order to achieve their goals, they communicated with their stakeholders and collaborated. There was also compromise and and agreement for them to achieve success.
So they wouldn’t have done differently in a different context.
For me your state of mind is key, The 1st PM terminated the project because of a bigger one, and after considering the pros & cons carefully, terminating may be the best option for her to maintain her professional ethics and values, and it is well communicated. The decision the 3 of them took may be the very best because of what it entails to be a project manager our core value is key and integrity cannot be purchased.
As a Pm,you will be faced most times in taking tough decisions, especially in the termination of a project before stipulated time. In most of these case,as a P.M,you just restrategize,count all the lessons learned and moved on.Most especially,you should be able to communicate with the team.Proper and clear communication will help to proffer solution to the pending problem at hand.
From the discussion from the 3 PMs A PM should be able to develop skills that could help him/her make very tough decisions, especially when it has to do with ending a project that has been well invested in abruptly which taking into consideration the organisational values. Also he/she should be able to navigate around unforeseen issues in the project and be ready to provide solution at any instance.
Decision making is one of the hardest things to do as PM.