OGL 320: Foundations of Project Management

Module 6 Reflection Worksheet

Use your own words; however, when you quote or paraphrase, remember to cite per APA
Standards using information in the APA Tools and Template Area.

Be sure to proofread your work for spelling or grammatical errors because repeated errors will
result in earning fewer points.

A paragraph is 4-5 sentences.

Section 1: Quality Control

After you have watched the video of Jimmy Wales on the Birth of Wikipedia answer the
following questions:

1) What are your impressions of Wikipedia’s quality control process?

Considering its chaotic organizational structure due to its radical encyclopedia, Wikipedia
has a thought-through quality control process that relies on social policies and software. Even
though anyone can edit or write an article, there have been quality tests performed, and the
results show that the content on Wikipedia excelled compared to competing organizations. The
most important aspect managing quality control for Wikipedia is their firm neutral point of view
policy, which is based on the social concept of cooperation and talking about truth and
objectivity. Wikipedia empowers a diverse community to come together and get work done, so,
anytime there is a controversial issue, they report reputable information and do not take a stance
on it. To ensure entries are not a war of editing between different parties or that there is no
vandalism, they use real-time peer reviews and IRC channels which allows for changes on the
site to be immediately viewed, monitored, and watchlists can be utilized.

2) Do you think this is a reasonable approach? If so, why? If not, identify two specific
weaknesses?
Wikipedia is freely licensed, written and managed by volunteers, and funded by donations.
They are a global, non-profit that utilizes a new method of organization to reach their goal of
getting a free encyclopedia to everyone on the planet, and they have proven to be successful by
being a top 50 website. Compared to The New York Times that is a corporation with 100
employees, Wikipedia has one employee, and Wikipedia is still more popular. It costs only
$5000 a month to run Wikipedia, making it extremely cost-effective, and they have over 2
million articles available. Considering the organizational structure has no one in charge,
Wikipedia as a reasonable approach to their quality control process that helps them maintain a
competitive advantage.
Section 2: Reflection

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Look back at the previous modules, as well as this module’s content, before starting this section
of the worksheet in order to incorporate some specific examples from the course to illustrate you
points. Now that we have addressed project management from beginning to end, you are better
able to take an even more refined view of the process.

1) Identify and explain at least THREE (3) of what you feel are the principles and practices of
effectively managing projects.

Having the right project team in place and keeping it going is one practice of effectively
managing projects. The right people to have on board are those that have the skills needed for
the project, and each person’s skills should be assessed based on the Work Breakdown
Structure’s necessary tasks and activities (Stibel, 2013, p. 13). To reach goals, the team needs
to remain excited about the project, stay focused on the task, collaborate, and meet quality
standards. Another crucial component of a team working together successfully is mutual
accountability because it enables the team to reach levels of performance that are greater than
anything one person can achieve (Stibel, 2013, p. 107). Once what needs to be accomplished
is clearly understood, team members need to be engaged right away so that they can feel a
sense of ownership.

Another practice of effectively managing projects is to avoid scope creep. Stakeholders

will ask for changes outside of the project’s scope, and it is the job of the project manager to
not succumb to pressure and communicate how those changes would affect time, cost, and
quality (Stibel, 2013, p. 22). After milestones are agreed on, people tend to see more that can
be achieved and they bring up additional ideas. To avoid scope creep, those additional ideas
can be put into a “scope creep parking lot” list. This way these ideas will not derail the plan
in place, and they can be used to create follow-on proposals for stakeholders during closeout
(Stibel, 2013, pp. 155-156).

Being able to zero in on critical tasks and map them out in a logical sequence is also an
effective practice. In order to begin the planning of the project, the fundamentals need to be
addressed such as determining the problem to solve, identifying the stakeholders, and
defining project objectives (Stibel, 2012, pp. 4-6). Defining project objectives is one of the
hardest planning tasks because success is measured by them, and they need to be specific,
measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and time-limited. A Work Breakdown Structure will
help project managers create a framework of tasks which are used to create the sequence they
should follow. Depending on the complexity of the project, tools like the Critical Path
Method, Performance Evaluation and Review Technique chart, and Gantt chart can assist
managers in sequencing tasks and mapping out their chronological order with durations for
each task (Stibel, 2013, p. 14).

2) What areas of project management do you feel you excel (or at the very least have a strong
understanding)?

One area I feel I have a strength in is always keeping stakeholders in the loop throughout
the project. There needs to be a plan for communicating with stakeholders, including
determining the information each stakeholder needs and how it should be delivered because

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 stakeholders are heavily involved with the project. To clarify project objectives, dialogue
between both the project team and stakeholders is necessary to receive feedback and ensure
the work is satisfactory before it is too late (Harvard Business School Press, 2004, location:
254). Even though project managers need to know which variables are important to
stakeholders from the beginning, stakeholders like to make changes and they need to be kept
informed of project progress and schedule modifications (Stibel, 2013, p. 9, 16). I like to
keep stakeholders informed by doing things like having them look at the project charter to
understand their expectations, giving them regular status reports, holding meetings to discuss
performance and findings, and have brainstorming sessions to define the scope with the
stakeholders invited to join.

An area I have a strong understanding in is capturing and utilizing lessons learned from
projects. Lessons learned should be a part of the closedown operations where you identify
what went right and wrong, successes, mistakes, unjustified assumptions, and things that
could have been executed better (HBS Press, 2004, location: 2002). Reflection of lessons
learned encourages continuous improvement, and they should be documented and turned into
action items so that they can be incorporated in future projects. The creation of this
document, available to everyone, can be created during lessons-learned, or postmortem,
sessions where insights are shared about how to improve managing the next project (Stibel,
2013, p. 156). A lessons-learned session is a four-step process where the business case,
project plan, project management methodology, and individuals’ performance is evaluated.

3) What areas do you feel you still have additional room for growth?

One area I have additional room for growth in is getting disruptive team members to
cooperate. I need to utilize the correct change tools at the right time and that means I need to
gauge how strongly my team agrees on goals and the path to achieve them (Stibel, 2013, p.
140). Power tools and management tools are at my disposal, but I also need to learn to
effectively manage the people on my team and deal with the people problems that occur. To
resolve various people problems, the possible causes, the potential impact, and the
recommended actions need to be considered. If people problems and resistance to change are
not dealt with, it is unlikely goals will be reached.

Another area I can grow in is celebrating my team and our accomplishments. I need to
begin doing this formally when a project begins with launch meetings and outside of work
activities, but it is even more necessary in closing down a project and reflecting on the
journey (HBS Press, 2004, location: 2029-2034). If the project is successful, I should be
inviting everyone who helped during the journey to celebrate our impact. If the project failed,
the effort and goals achieved throughout the project should be celebrated. This is an
important time to thank everyone who was involved and participated in the project.

4) Retake the Mind Tools Quiz from Module 1.

a. Revisit the Module 1 Mindtools Table
b. Copy and paste it below

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 c. Complete the final two columns of the table
i. Inserting your new scores
ii. Reflecting why your scores are different or the same
(Insert your completed table below.)
Aspect Initial Initial Reflection
Score
(Module 1)
(out of 10)
Project 5 I was surprised to see my
Integration score for project integration,
but it does make sense
because I have never created
an official Project Initiation
Document. At the beginning of
a project, I do my best to
develop the project’s goals and
figure out the best method for
accomplishing them. I have
never heard of this type of
critical document, but it is
necessary to understand the
phases and processes of the
project. This is a part of
planning cycle.
We learned that planning is
the phase during project
management where problems,
people involved, and what will
be done are identified (Stibel,
2013, p. 4). There are many
tasks involved in mapping out
a project including defining
project objectives while
thinking SMART, which is
something the Project
Initiation Document
addresses.
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Final Comparison Reflection
Score
(Module 6)
(Module 6)
6 I am not surprised to see my
score for project integration
increase since the beginning of
the course. I have a much better
understanding of what is
required at the beginning of
projects. I know how to develop
a solid understanding of the
project’s goals and how to piece
together various elements of the
project together for a successful
outcome. After completing this
course, I can prepare initiation
documents which cover the
project tasks and outcomes.
This helps everyone involved
understand the project goals by
preparing the team for the
future. I am also now fully aware
of the different phases of project
management and the processes
involved with each one.
 Scope 10 To avoid missing deadlines by
Management taking on too much throughout
the project, I try to define the
scope clearly before the
project begins. This is controls
“scope creep”. This score was
one I expected to be higher.
Determining the scope,
resources, and major tasks is
another major component of
project management. Many
projects fail because they take
on too much without
understanding the amount of
time and money needed or
work has been overlooked
(Stibel, 2013, p. 7).
10 My score remained the same for
this category of project
management. Even though I had
started to learn about scope
creep in the beginning of this
course, I had still been falling
victim to the issue. Now, I have
the tools I need to define the
scope, manage it closely based
on that definition, and
communicate to stakeholders
the reasoning behind why
certain changes cannot be made.
Having the ability to better
control scope creep allows me to
prevent continuously expanding
the project and makes it easier
for me to hit my deadlines.

There is a tool, called the Work

Breakdown Structure (WBS),
that breaks down complex
activities into manageable
subdivisions to help in the
process of determining all of
this (Stibel, 2013, p. 8). This
does not mean scheduling
activities sequentially rather it
means forming the framework
to better understand budget,
time, and staff constraints.
Scope creep is specifically
discussed in the
implementation phase of
project management when
managing problems. Scope
creep can easily threaten the
entire project. If stakeholders
want changes, then it is the job
of the project manager to
communicate how that change

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 will affect cost, time, and
quality (Stibel, 2013, p. 22).
Schedule 12/ 20 I believe I scored lower on this
Management (according category because I did not
to state that I “go with the flow”
website) when it comes to unknown
time estimates. I prefer having
everything clearly defined for
the sequence of activities, but
flexibility and setting aside
time to allow for the
unexpected is something I
need to work on. The time
needed for a project to be
completed can easily change.
Occasionally during projects,
people learn to plan their work
too well, and it’s difficult to
plan everything in advance
because the future is
unpredictable (Harvard
Business School Press, 2004,
Location: 97).
Plans need to have the
flexibility to accommodate any
surprises. As HBS Press (2004)
indicates, making a schedule
too rigid can unintentionally
create dysfunctional behavior
due to problems being
ignored. Project managers
need to be able to learn and
adjust when necessary.
Cost 10 This score did not shock me
Management because my team is very
focused on cost management.
Estimating, budgeting, and
controlling are some of the
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12/20 My score did not change for
schedule management which
took me by surprise. I have
learned a lot more about
effectively conducting schedule
management. Some of the tools I
have learned to utilize include
breaking down work packages
into more specific pieces
through a Work Breakdown
Structure. This helps me keep
track and plan who does what.
To keep track of activities during
the project, other tools I can
utilize include Gantt Charts and a
Critical Path Analysis.
These two tools will assist me in
gaining the maximum amount of
efficiency out of my schedule.
Even though I have a more in-
depth understanding of schedule
management and have received
some practice, it is still only the
first few weeks of me hearing
about these tools. I will be
implementing them more often
to continue improving in this
area and my skills should
increase. Despite uncertainty,
defining sequence of activities,
estimating the time needed for
each, and accounting for
contingencies are now skills I
possess that I had not
previously.
10 This category also remained the
same. Even though I believe this
was a strength of mine
previously, it was enhanced
throughout this course. I am
 first concepts I learned related
to project management. These
were prioritized because
impact on cost was highly
considered. Having an
understanding about what
drives costs and maintaining a
system for monitoring
financial performance are
integral to project success.
Once people begin to deviate
from integral components of
the plan, like delivering on
budget, relationships are
impacted negatively (HBS
Press, 2004, Location: 103).
Quality 11 This was an interesting
Management component to read about to
find some insight about myself.
Projects need to be delivered
on time, on budget, but quality
also needs to be ensured.
Project benefits need to be
reassessed to keep quality
prioritized and stay on track.
Project outcomes need to be
consistent with needs. Quality
plays an important role in
many aspects of project
management.
When defining project
objectives, figuring out what
quality standards are, how to
measure them, and how to
satisfy them are the factors to
keep in mind (Stibel, 2013, p.
7). When preparing for trade-
offs, time, cost, and quality are
the variables that dictate how
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much more aware of the
importance of systematic
estimating, budgeting, and
controlling. Every project
decision impacts costs, so I need
to be able to continue to develop
an understanding of the drivers
behind costs and how to monitor
financial performance.
11 Rather than only focusing on
technicalities, I learned that you
need to prioritize the quality of
the project. The quality needs to
adhere to standards agreed upon
with stakeholders and the
sponsor, and this will help keep
the project on track. The culture
should emphasize quality
improvement, training should
surround this concept, and
quality needs to be monitored
and inspected regularly. A
quality control process is one
way to do this. I am better able
to define quality, stick to
requirements, and improve
quality control processes. I still
have not had an opportunity to
implement a quality control
process myself, but I am sure I
will master the process with
practice.
 much can be achieved (Stibel,
2013, p. 9). The key to success
is establishing a level of quality
that meets the needs of the
stakeholders.
People 8 Out of all the categories, I
Management expected to get the highest
score in this one. My
leadership philosophy so far
has been guided by taking
those around me into account
and developing interpersonal
skills. The people on teams
have a big effect on the
outcomes of projects. There
needs to be a balance between
interpersonal, political, and
technical skills. Team Charters
are a tool, which I have used
before, for people
management that outlines
performance expectations.
Good task allocation and team
management skills are
integral. Team-based work
requires a charter that
addresses what it will do, the
time frame needed, the
resources, and the expected
deliverable (HBS Press, 2004,
Location: 119-124). The team
can rely on the charter to
make adjustments or changes
throughout the project. It
serves as an anchor for the
team.
Communication 6 This score was lower than I
expected it to be since this is a
skill I have been working on,
but there is always room for
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8 After completing this course, I
am better able to manage people
problems and create an effective
team. Technical skill is not the
only thing I rely on when
selecting people for my teams
because interpersonal and
political skills are just as
important. I have more
experience than ever in
developing team charters and
being able to outline
expectations for performance,
which are things I was not very
familiar with. Delegation and
well-informed task allocation
were not things I felt
comfortable with, but I am now
able to implement better
methods of doing so by trusting
others. My job is to keep the
project team on track and
working productively through
different team development
stages.
6 Despite the consistency in
scoring, I believe my
communication abilities have
improve since taking this course.
 improvement. Effective I have a better understanding of
communication involves how to keep stakeholders
talking to others at the right informed and how to approach it
time and in the right way. correctly. A tool that taught to
Stakeholder management is me to continue to improve my
vital to communication communication abilities are
management. They need to be project dashboards. A project
analyzed, kept informed, and dashboard summarizes
identify those who do not need objectives and shows the
such extensive stakeholders how the project
communication. Knowing will achieve them as the plan is
these things saves you time currently managed (HBS Press,
and helps you maintain good 2004, location: 1469). Another
relationships as a project method to make my
manager. communication more effective is
to use milestones reporting for
longer projects that need status
It is critical for the PM to have reporting.
the support of those they work
for. According to Stibel (2013),
communication means
determining the information
each stakeholder needs and
the best way to deliver that
information. Understanding
your stakeholders helps you
know which variables of the
project are most important to
each one, which will help you
make better decisions
throughout the project.
Stakeholders also usually want
regular updates, so a PM’s
responsibility is to figure out
how much information they
want and how they want it
delivered to them (Stibel,
2013, p. 19).

Some people shy away from

telling stakeholders problems
that arise, but everything

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 should be communicated to
them, so nothing turns into a
crisis. Informed stakeholders
are the best resources.
Risk 6 I am aware that my risk
Management management is something I
need to improve on. PMs need
to know what risks are
significant to their plan,
monitor, and control them.
There are various tools that
can be used to do so.
Contingency plans are an
option for dealing with risks.
Project management identifies
risks, takes necessary action to
minimize risk as much as
possible, and develops these
plans to deal with risk (HBS
Press, 2004, Location: 141).
Small steps followed with
evaluation and change, early
value delivery, fast cycles, and
rapid learning is a project
management approach for
risks that are difficult to
anticipate (HBS Press, 2004,
Location: 146). The future
inevitably has surprises, so
risk management is
unavoidable.
Project 8 I had no idea what type of
Procurement score I would have in this
category because I believe I
need to work on this. It was
surprising to see that I got a
higher score in this category
than others I was confident in.
Suppliers have a huge impact
on costs, delivery times, and
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7 I am much more comfortable
with risk and have accepted that
uncertainty and problems are
inevitable during projects. My
job is to create a risk
management plan and try to be
as prepared as possible for
potential problems that arise.
Formulating a plan will prevent
crisis management responses
during the project. I had not
created a risk analysis or
contingency plans formally prior
to this course. I especially did
not have an understanding that
different parties can be
responsible for different risk
responses. There can be some
organization among the chaos.
10 Suppliers, and selecting the right
ones, has a big impact on
resources and the success of a
project. I can develop a
procurement management plan
now, and keep suppliers
informed by effectively
communicating with them.
Developing a relationship and
 delivery to project
specification.
General Project 10 It was nice to see that I
Management received a high score for
Skills general project management
skills since I do not consider
myself to have a lot of
experience. Negotiation and
integrative negotiation are
necessary skills for dealing
with suppliers and obtaining
resources when needed.
Conflict resolution is another
skill needed for project
management. Negotiations and
teams come with their own
conflicts, so problem-solving
will help in navigating these
issues.
References
Harvard Business School Press. (2004). Managing projects large and small: The fundamental
skills for delivering on budget and on time. Harvard Business Review Press.
Stibel, J. (2013). HBR guide to project management. Harvard Business Review Press.
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networking will help my skills in
this area as a project manager.
As the project manager, I need to
coordinate with these vendors
and ensure standards are being
met.
10 My conflict resolution and
negotiation skills have
drastically improved. In general,
I have learned the fundamental
principles and practices needed
to be a more effective project
manager. I did not fully grasp
how many different components
go into project management,
such as understanding the
phases and their aspects or how
to truly build commitment
within the team and maintain it.
There is a lot more involved with
being an effective project
manager than I thought and now
I have the foundation to improve
my own abilities.