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Snowdenl Finalpaper
Snowdenl Finalpaper
The process of project management is complex. There are many moving parts which
without proper organization can easily fall into chaos. Fortunately, there are best practices,
management techniques, and planning strategies that can help maintain organization during
project management. To me, the principle practices of effective project management are
developing effective planning techniques, building a strong team by selecting the right members,
building and utilizing risk management plans, and maintaining good communication throughout
the project. With these key elements in play, a project can move forward efficiently and
Before more organizational methods can take place for a project, a reliable and
appropriate team must be assembled. The “HBR Guide to Project Management” emphasizes the
importance of selecting the right members for your team as they are the “true engine of [your
projects] work” (2012, p. 34). The book recommends considering areas of proficiency in your
team members such as the appropriate technical skills, problem-solving skills, interpersonal
skills, and organizational skills (HBR Guide to Project Management, 2012, p. 34). When team
members have the necessary skills and competencies, the tasks can be completed more
proficiently. In addition to having the right skills, it’s also helpful to have a team that is aligned
with objective and supports the team’s goals (HBR Guide to PM, 2012, p. 37). Devon Dean also
suggests selecting team members that are not too arrogant, work well with others, and will
contribute to the cohesiveness of the team (Youtube video). After selecting the appropriate team
members, a project manager can begin the more detailed planning aspects of a project.
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While it’s necessary to know the tasks that will be required for a project before selecting
a well-matched team, tasks cannot be assigned until the team is selected. Therefore, the next
important principle of project management is using effective planning techniques. Some best
practices for effective and organized planning include creating a project charter, a work
breakdown structure (WBS), and creating a draft schedule. With these tools the process of the
project can be outlined and milestones/deadlines can be determined. These planning techniques
provide parameters in which the project should be completed. With the project charter outlining
the “nature and scope of the work and the management’s expectations for results” (HBR Guide
to PM, 2012, p. 41), the work breakdown structure helps managers “develop estimates, assign
personnel, track progress, and reveal the scope of a project” by subdiving larger tasks into
smaller ones (Managing Projects Large and Small, 2004, p. 71). With these planning techniques,
a project manager can outline and create visuals of the projects objectives after which the
scheduling can take place. Such techniques as defining the critical path or creating a Gantt Chart
can be useful in scheduling. Using the critical path method will help “identify which tasks are
critical…so you can allocate resources efficiently” (Managing Projects Large and Small, 2004, p.
79), and using a Gantt Chart will help show when project tasks should begin and end. Using
planning techniques that help clarify objectives, timelines, and scope will help keep a project
organized and will reduce the element of surprise. However, because unexpected elements may
occur, another crucial principle to project management is utilizing risk management tools.
A few of the risks that a project manager might deal with during a project include
financial resource risk, human resource risk, supply risk, and quality risk (Managing Projects
Large and Small, 2004, pp. 102-103). A way to mitigate these risks is to develop a risk
management plan. A risk management plan “identifies key risks and develops plans to prevent
EFFECTIVE PRACTICES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT 4
them and/or mitigate their adverse effects” (Managing Projects Large and Small, 2004, p. 103). It
is important to identify and prioritize project risk by collecting ideas widely, and identifying
risks both internally and externally” (Managing Projects Large and Small, 2004, p. 104). While
risk management plans are often created at the start of a project, risk mitigation is an ongoing
tool that must be utilized throughout the project. While planning and preparing for risk are
essential, in order to minimize the impact of a risk, it’s imperative to take action as well as
develop contingency plans. Sometimes this may mean adjusting the scope of the project. The
more quickly and efficiently a team can deal with a risk, the less likely a project is to be derailed
by something unexpected. Additionally, the more cohesive and communicative a team is, the
more effectively they will work together to solve problems, and the more effectively they will
One of the final project management principles (among the many, many, principles that
communication. It has been mentioned several times throughout the semester that it’s likely for
teams to be assembled from different branches of a company. For this reason, communication
between the branches, and even between the team members, is vital to the success of the project.
The team at project management dot com suggests that having brief meetings to at the start of the
day to touch base with everyone on the project is a good practice. Devon Dean even mentions
making rounds around the office to touch base with people. Keeping clear lines of
communication open, especially since projects can have a lot of moving parts, is essential to the
success of a project.
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With these four key principles, selecting the right team members, utilizing planning
techniques, creating risk management plans, and using effective and clear communication,
Before beginning this course in project management, I was oblivious to how many
aspects of a project a manager has to keep track of. There were several practices that I feel are
fundamental to staying organized which I can see myself implementing into current field of
One of my favorite “best practices” from the material in this course was the work
breakdown structure. I really connected with the organization of this planning tool. I liked the
idea of being able to break larger tasks into smaller ones and even assign timelines to them. To
me, this breaks up the “big picture” items into smaller manageable items and provides a specific
deadline for their completion. Often at home I will make a list of the things I need to accomplish
in a day and assign a timeline to them; usually down to the half hour. Because I utilize a
technique similar to the WBS already in my daily life, I can foresee it being something that is
Another item that piqued my interest in terms of project planning was using the project
premortem. I appreciated the perspective that a premortem can offer before a project is even off
the ground. To me, it is a unique way to problem solve, as well as mitigate issues that might not
have been predicted during the planning the phase. I appreciated the value and insight that a
premortem offered by extending the “our-project-has-failed” scenario to the entire team. To me,
this seems like an excellent opportunity for members on different parts of the team to problem
EFFECTIVE PRACTICES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT 6
solve together and even gain insight to other areas or branches of the project. My hope is that
In addition to these specific tools, I found some more general information about project
management to be valuable and insightful. For example, learning some of the project
management jargon from Jennifer Witt in the beginning of the semester was helpful for me to
understand some of the concepts throughout the semester. Devon Dean talking about how to
build a powerful and effective team was also insightful for me. When he spoke about choosing
team member with the minimum skill but the maximum potential, I found it to be an interesting
concept. He mentioned that choosing people with excellent skills in their field can sometimes
lead to conflict on a team as they can have arrogant and stubborn personalities. One thing he
mentioned in that video that stood out to me particularly was that good team members do not try
to out-do one another. I currently work on a management team where each member strives to be
better than the other. From that comment from Devon Dean alone I realized that I have a
different concept of teamwork than my current team members. It also made me realize the
importance of choosing members of a team that work together, support one another, and respect
the effort of each member. This will be something that sticks with me throughout my current and
future careers.
In general, I feel like I would not be ready to jump into a project management profession.
While I have gained so much new knowledge from this course, I feel that I would not quite
understand the complexity of managing large projects. One of my classmates wrote about
managing an employee luncheon, and that is something I feel I could handle at this point.
However, I feel larger projects still have many technical aspects that I would not understand how
to navigate. For example, one area I feel I would still need training or education in would be risk
EFFECTIVE PRACTICES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT 7
management. While I understand how to build a risk management plan and the importance of it, I
would not know what kind of risks to look for in a project. I would have to rely heavily on my
team. Also, I would not know how to deal with management teams that refused to mediate or be
involved with a project. We read the case studies of Ducor and Corwin and it brought to life for
me the struggle of working on a team with poor communication. While I feel I could be aware
and also develop effective communication skills, I would not know how to navigate a situation
solving. Another aspect of project management that I have very little experience with is resource
budgeting and allocation. In the Corwin case study the project manager ordered all of the
supplies ahead of the project. In hindsight, this was a poor decision, but I can’t say for sure I
would not make the same mistake. I would not know or understand the appropriate practices for
While I feel I still have a lot to learn about project management, I do feel confident that I
could organize and plan the outline of a project with confidence. Currently, planning and
management weaknesses.
Overall, the material in this course has outlined the basic framework of project
management and given me a glimpse into the effort, knowledge and skills needed to manage a
project successfully. While it seems like a daunting profession, it also seems like a rewarding
challenge that could offer learning experiences, unique team building opportunities and bother
References
HBR guide to project management. (2012). Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.
Harvard business essentials: managing projects large and small. (2004). Boston: Harvard Business
School Press.