The Reluctant Workers
stated that for a programme manager to be successful,
The Reluctant
Workers
Case Study
Abstract
Tim Aston, a rookie project manager who has only
been with the organisation for three months, is having
issues running his project. The case study is a
conversation between Tim and Phil Davies, the
project's director, about how the project is progressing.
Three of the ten successful programme management
abilities are examined, along with the necessary
adjustments to ensure the project's success. According
to my assessment of the case study, the three talents
that have been identified and studied are team
building, leadership, and management support.
Additionally, I have suggestions for the project
manager and the project management director that will
enhance the project environment, the project
manager's interaction with his personnel, and the
project manager and director relationship. Three
fundamental abilities directly related to mastery of
efficient programme management were at work in the
Reluctant Workers case study: team building,
organizational skill, and conflict resolution ability. I'll
go over these three fundamental abilities and analyse
how Tim Aston, a rookie project manager, used his
effectiveness abilities. Will also go over the project
manager's level of support from the company and how
much of it he actually received. It will be suggested
how to allocate resources and employees in order for
the project manager and senior execution to both
develop into effective leaders. 149–1094 in Kerzner
(2009).
Keywords: project manager, teamwork, Tim Aston
Introduction
A. Team Building
One of the many responsibilities of a project manager
is engaging with senior management. Other
responsibilities include managing the team, resolving
conflicts, scheduling, planning, and organizing. Tim
Aston, a young project manager who had just been
hired, was enthusiastic about his new work. Tim
aspired to be the best project manager ever engaged by
this business. 149–1094 in Kerzner (2009) Tim was
unable to motivate his staff after working there for a
while, so he decided to meet with the director of
project management to discuss this and other issues.
The director of project management has specifically
1
they must create an environment that is conducive to
teamwork. He needs to cultivate a setting with the
following physical qualities: Team members who are
dedicated to the programme, positive interpersonal
relationships and a sense of teamwork, the necessary
skills and resources, clearly defined goals and
programme objectives, engaged and supportive top
management, effective programme leadership, open
communication among team members and support
organisations, and a low level of harmful interpersonal
and intergroup conflict are all desirable characteristics.
149–1094 in Kerzner (2009).
B. Organizational skill
Tim needs to be a social builder, which means he
needs to know how the organisation runs and how to
collaborate with it. When the project manager is
attempting to combine workers from different
disciplines to establish an effective and efficient work
team, this type of competence is primarily required
during project formation and startup. 149–1094 in
Kerzner (2009).
C. Conflict Resolution skill
Compared to managing complicated tasks, dealing
with conflict is regarded as a crucial skill.
Understanding and handling conflict successfully is
extremely important for the project manager. It will be
easier for the project manager to work efficiently if
they are aware of the origin and solution to a conflict.
Tim saw that the accountant mentioned in the case
study would help the project move along more quickly
and on schedule, but the accountant's boss disagreed.
Tim clearly does not get along with the accountant's
employer for one reason or another, which is why he
asked for management support. 149–1094 in Kerzner
(2009).
Discussion
a) Tim Aston, a young project manager, in
his approach.
Tim Aston's interpersonal abilities with his project
team and functional manager are lacking significantly.
Due to his forgiving leadership, his functional boss is
not held responsible. As a result, they are
immobilizing the project. His functional manager
prioritizes his own daily responsibilities over the
project's success. 2012, pp. 3-6, Melanie Jackson,
Michael Clark Since Tim most likely did not
participate in the selection process, it appears that he
has not assumed leadership of the team and that no
formal team has been established to work on the
project's objectives.
The Reluctant Workers
Project management is ineffective without
organizational leadership skills, and the team is idling
without a clear goal. The lack of a roadmap for the
team meant that the members' commitment and
excitement were extremely low. Since Tim is a new
member of the team and every other team member is
absent, he has no chance to share any expertise he may
have with them. He needs to address whatever the
cause of the hesitant and carefree behaviour of the
employees in his company may be. 2012, pp. 3-6,
Melanie Jackson, Michael Clark.
Analysis
Tim will need to demonstrate his ability to mediate
disputes between the project team and the functional
manager. He'll likely discover that the majority of the
employees are simply seeking adventure and novel
concepts. Tim lacks self-confidence, so rather than
tackling the difficulties head-on, he seeks for higher
authority. This further undermines the team's faith in
him because he is unable to serve as a positive role
model for the group. Tim will be forced to start over.
To unite his team, he will need to lay a platform for
doing so. By implying that the project manager was
mistaken and the workers were correct, Phil also gave
off a very passive hostile impression. Not encouraging
from a managerial perspective. Tim reached out to Phil
with the intention of providing support and direction,
but all he got in return was a push-off informing him
that he was on his own. The second ability that was
required in this circumstance was leadership.
Leadership inspires the group to take on obstacles. To
understand his team, a leader must possess emotional
intelligence or empathy. You must persuade your team
to share your convictions in order to achieve a goal.
Leading by example is a component of leadership.
Leadership includes directing the team's performance,
offering assistance, and fostering the improvement of
the team's technical skills. Tim was not a strong leader,
which was evident.
The company's management provided Tim Aston with
meagre assistance. They have therefore denied Tim
Aston the support and leadership he needed to get his
team in shape by siding with the functional managers
instead. Tim Aston needed the strong, unwavering
backing of management as a new project manager in
order to take on the responsibilities of the subordinates
who viewed him as a meddlesome, to say nothing of
his youth. (Prime Writings, pp. 3–8, 2006) He is on his
own, without support, as the functional managers try
to thwart or interfere with the new project manager's
efforts. Tim was concerned and dissatisfied since the
project was not being completed in a timely and
efficient manner, as described in the case study. He
was mindful of the importance of time, and the team
2
members were preoccupied with their day-to-day
responsibilities, unconcerned with whether or not the
project would succeed. The management ought to
have convened a meeting or explained the significance
of the meetings Tim had previously planned or
organized to the functional manager and project team.
Tim Aston's proposed human relations course reveals
that management believes Tim to be the issue rather
than the other workers and assistance. The project
manager's authority and self-assurance may become
even more weakened as a result. (Prime Writings, pp.
3–8, 2006). It is inappropriate for the project manager
to hold off on making a choice that is ultimately his to
make. Aston was in charge of the project in this case
study. He was in charge of leading his group and
making sure everyone was present. He asked Davies
for assistance after failing at this endeavor. Aston did
not make an effort to coordinate the team's schedules
for the project. He could have adjusted the schedule
accordingly if he had been aware of the impending
conflicts in advance. In addition to simply interacting
with them during meetings, the project manager needs
social time with the team members. To understand
them and their requirements, this is vital. Tim Aston's
interpersonal abilities with his project team and
functional manager are quite lacking. His laissez faire
leadership style means that his functional managers
are not held to account. They are ultimately to blame
for his projects' failure. This is where his project
management performance suffered due to a lack of
team building abilities. There is no coherent team to
work on the project's goals because he has not assumed
leadership or authority over it. Without leadership, the
team and the project management are both
nonexistent.
Recommendation & Conclusion
The recommendation backs up the following
conclusions: the performance of a project manager's
critical competencies is most dependent on a
supportive environment. Without it, using these
abilities to achieve human motivation, resource
allocation, and other goals would be a move in the
wrong direction toward inefficiency. A team that lacks
cohesion in its resolve and tenacity cannot accomplish
its goals. (Prime Writings, pp. 3–8, 2006) The use of
time determines effectiveness. Reduced resource and
employee enthusiasm waste is a result of effective
time management. Concentration and advantages
deteriorate in the absence of time management skills.
Conflicts of temperament and thought are inevitable in
any setting, thus management must maintain a friendly
workplace environment and allocate resources
properly throughout project planning. The
organisation might be advised that the application of
The Reluctant Workers

the important skills of the project manager requires a

supportive environment more than anything else.
Without it, using these talents to motivate employees,
allocate resources, and accomplish other goals would
be a fruitless exercise. The project manager's and the
company's use of leadership techniques will have an
impact on the motivation and morale of employees,
which will have an impact on productivity.
Understanding the company's culture and value
system is important for project managers to consider.
As brought up in a number of class discussions,
spending the time to get to know the functional staff
can help to strengthen team cohesion and ensure that
the project is finished accurately, efficiently, and
effectively.
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