Running head: Module 5: Happy Thanksgiving 1

Module 5: Happy Thanksgiving

Marissa Mallahan

November 15, 2020

OGL321 Fall B

Instructor Ben Pandya

 Module 5: Happy Thanksgiving 2

Happy Thanksgiving

The simulation experienced thus far within the course, offered a variety of challenges.

Each scenario required out-the-box thinking in addressing uncertainties to ensure the project's

success. A new week and a new scenario bring anxiety as to what challenge(s) would be in store.

Simulation D seemed straightforward and consistent throughout the simulation compared to the

previous three scenarios, not lacking difficulty. The scenario required a higher-level printer to be

completed in twelve weeks and at a target cost of $40,000. However, even a straightforward

project can have associated risks, and project managers must implement measures to address

these risks.

Family Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving, one of America's most cherished traditions, will look vastly different this

year. As families and friends near and far look to congregate in towns and cities large and small

around the country to feast on traditional meals, uncertainty on how to make it happen lingers in

the air. This year families nationwide seek creative ways to celebrate and stay healthy, making

planning more critical than ever. Anyone who has overseen planning or participated in preparing

a Thanksgiving dinner knows that it is a complex project and offers risks associated with a

professional project. Just with any project, a family Thanksgiving dinner requires a scope and

scheduled deadline.

The project management plan "is the key document that contains the overall planning,

monitoring, and implementing activities to be done in a project" (Developing the Project

Management Plan, 2017). Two critical components of the project plan are the scope and schedule

(Heldman, 2005). The project scope and schedule "undergo more fluctuations and change than

the budget does" (Heldman, 2005, p. 95).

 Module 5: Happy Thanksgiving 3

Project leadership involves implementing a solid change management plan to address

"changes scope and schedule risks may pose to the project" (Heldman, 2005, p.95).

Scope

The project's scope statement "documents all the project's work and used a baseline for

future project decisions" (Heldman, 2005, p.95). Components of the scope include the project

goals, deliverables, and requirements. In this week's scenario, the scope of the project was

assembling and directing a product design team to develop a new and innovative consumer

printer. The target printer in this week's scenario was multifunction. Thanksgiving dinner can be

a multifunction activity to pull off. Consider this as we prepare for the upcoming feast questions

that come to mind: how big of celebration do you want? How many guests? Do you want to

break out the good china or stay casual? For my household, these questions are already relatively

answered. Thanksgiving dinner is held at my parent's house. It includes typically extended

family, which can sum up to twenty people, adults and children included, and things are kept

casual, so no good china is taken out.

Goal

The goal of a project describes "the what" of the entire project" (Heldman, 2005, p.96).

The goal focuses on the accomplishments you want to achieve, should be realistic, measurable,

and have a time element. I know many of us would say the goal of Thanksgiving dinner is

surviving family members we are not entirely fond of. However, sorry to say that this is not a

defined goal. My family dinner's scope is to produce a dinner that is unique to our heritage and

culture.
 Module 5: Happy Thanksgiving 4

Deliverables

The deliverables of a project are the "outputs that must be produced to bring the project

to completion," and are usually tangible and can be measured (Heldman, 2005, p.96). Some of

the deliverables at my family Thanksgiving dinner are tamales, Menudo, baked turkey, ham,

mash potatoes, yam, and pumpkin pie, to name a few.

Requirements

The requirements are considered the specifications of the deliverable. Per Heldman

(2005), "they describe the characteristics of the deliverable and may include elements such as

dimension, ease of use, color, ingredients, and so on" (p.96). For example, the Menudo, a

traditional Mexican soup made from cow stomach, broth, and hominy. This dish can either be

spicy (red) or regular (white); for Thanksgiving, the "white" is prepared as it is easy to transform

the dish to "red" by adding certain spices.

There are risks to the scope of any project that project managers must manage to ensure

project success. A successful project dinner is no different, as this is one meal a year no one

wants to ruin.

Scope Risk

The risk associated with a project happens when a project scope "isn't well thought out,

isn't documented, and most especially isn't agreed to by the stakeholders" (Heldman, 2005, p.95).

The risk to the scope of a good Thanksgiving is arguable, such as in any project. Failure to get

full agreement from family members as to what dishes to prepare and, in most cases, how to

create them can lead to outright destruction and family feud sometimes. Disputes can erupt from

only having turkey and no meat choice like chicken/ham because not everyone eats turkey,

having the right kind of alcohol, and non-alcohol beverages for everyone. Secondly, failure to
 Module 5: Happy Thanksgiving 5

decide who is cooking what or responsible for certain items can confuse and duplicate dishes

(deliverables).

To eliminate these risks or uncertainties, the scope of the project should include detailed

deliverables and requirements. Project managers should strive to clearly define these

requirements to eliminate vague and ambiguous language, providing stakeholders with a plan

that outlines the "what, when, and how" (Heldman, 2005, p.102). The blog 'Developing the

Project Management Plan' recommends gathering a subsidiary plan to develop the project

management plan, and one subsidiary plan is the scope management plan. The project scope is

not just the only project aspect that project managers provide clarity to manage the risk. The

project schedule is another component of importance.

Schedule

The other important component of importance per Heldman (2005) to a project is

scheduled. Now, this is not to say that the project budget is not essential. The scenario had a

required deadline of twelve weeks for completion. Failure to complete the project within the

required timeline resulted in being penalized. Per Heldman (2005), "once project schedule dates

are published, stakeholders will hold you to it," and failing to meet these dates will kill the

credibility of a PM to stakeholders. The same goes for the scheduled dinner time for a

Thanksgiving dinner. We all know that Thanksgiving Day falls on the last Thursday in

November every year. However, the actual time we sit down as a family to eat is determined

much by the chefs, and once a dinner time is scheduled, family members hold that expectation of

eating at that given time.

Failure to have dinner completed by then in my family will result in multiple complaints

and dirty side-eye looks. One means of managing schedule risks in estimating accurate task
 Module 5: Happy Thanksgiving 6

completion times (Heldman, 2005). The critical path, the longest full path on a project, for a

Thanksgiving Dinner is baking the turkey.

People Factor

No two projects are the same, and since different tasks require different competencies,

"project teams are newly assembled for each project to meet the upcoming challenges" (Rogell,

n.d.). Having the right number and talent on any project is essential to its success. This week's

scenario, starting with a team of four members, and medium-skilled, yields the best result in my

attempts. An organization can have the most fantastic procedure, process, and equipment money

can buy, but not having talented staff will hamper any project. The best organizations standardize

and mature their project, program, and portfolio practices overtime to drive organization-wide

efficiencies. However, they do not stop there, as they seek to "deploy these tools with talented

staff and empower them to lead their projects" (Langley, 2013, p.3).

Thanksgiving is not just a time for feasting, it is also a time to pass on traditions. At my

family dinner, you will find my grandmother, aunts, sister, dad, brother, myself, and children

assisting with the meal preparations. The passing of the touch regarding the dishes we prepare

happens from one generation to the next.

Conclusion

There is no secret to creating the best Thanksgiving dinner, just your family secret.

However, there are risks associated with planning your meal that can wreck the meal and the

quality time you have planned. Two crucial components of project management planning are

scope and schedule, and both have risks associated. The literatures cited within the paper has

expanded my understanding that it is my responsibility to plan and control these risks as a PM.
 Module 5: Happy Thanksgiving 7

Through managing these risks, we all can have a Thanksgiving dinner that is joyful, full of love,

healthy, and, most of all, leaving us lying on the couch because we overate.
 Module 5: Happy Thanksgiving 8

References

Developing the Project Management Plan (2017). Project-Management.com. Retrieved from

https://project-management.com/developing-the-project-management-plan/

Heldman, K., & Heldman, K. (2005). Project manager's spotlight on risk management. ProQuest

eBook Central https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu

Langley, M. A. (2013) The High Cost of Low Performance. PMI’s Pulse of the Profession.

Retrieve from https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-

leadership/pulse/pulse-of-the-profession-2013.pdf?v=e5272fce-15ee-4826-a106-

24d1d2eb952f

Rogell, L. (n.d). Psychology for Project Managers. Pmstudent.com. Retrieved from

https://pmstudent.com/psychology-for-project-managers/