Joshua D.

Moody Reflection Assignment (PMG 320) 30 Nov 2022

Throughout my time in Foundations of Project Management I have been exposed to

several topics and areas within the career field that I believe are principles and practices leading

to successful project management. At the most basic level, if we break project management

down as we would a work breakdown structure, there are what’s known as the ten knowledge

areas of project management. These subsections of project management are what I would

consider some principles and good practices of managing projects. The ten knowledge areas

include the management of a projects scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, communications,

risk, procurements, stakeholders, and integration. For the purposes of this reflection paper, we

will discuss the four that I believe are most important in the success of a project, which will

coincide with the influencing factors that set one up for project success. The influencing factors

include project and organizational structure, project management maturity, enterprise

environmental factors, and an organizations culture. The aforementioned factors and subsections

of project management are common core principles and practices when referencing the effective

managements of projects and some might argue that none are more important than scope

management.

Scope management is incredibly important as a project manager. The ability to

effectively manage the scope of project can be one of the most difficult challenges, when

considering the magnitude of certain projects. A common area of concern when we think about

scope management is a trap that often engulfs project teams referred to as scope creep. If a

project manager and their team fail to effectively manage the scope of a project, then inevitably

they will run into this issue. Scope creep is something that occurs when changes are made often

without a change request or change control board approval. This can become a project ending

virus as it often negatively impacts project schedule, resource allocation, and project budget, all
Joshua D. Moody Reflection Assignment (PMG 320) 30 Nov 2022

of which are significant elements that effect project execution. If we as project managers cannot

prevent or at least mitigate the effects of scope creep, we will likely see the demise of many

projects. Coincidentally, one of the largest contributors to a successful project that is often

affected by scope management is the management of a projects schedule.

Schedule management is such a multifaceted knowledge area within project management.

A decent project manager will consistently keep an up-to-date schedule with approved

milestones throughout an ever-changing projects life cycle. Schedule management is a key

practice of effectively managing projects as it involves understanding the project phases and

where your project currently stands. Is our project in the planning phase? Perhaps the build-up or

implementation phase? Certainly, a project manager would know if the project was in the close-

out phase, right? A good project manager remains current throughout all phases of the project.

Additionally, it is important to understand project lifecycles, for example predictive, iterative,

incremental, or adaptive life cycles as that helps the project team understand the overall project.

If the scope is difficult to define as we would often see in an adaptive project lifecycle, then we

would need to remain flexible and approach the project schedule with agility and a change driven

attitude. If the project life cycle is more iterative, then we would need to understand that the

schedule of the project will occur in phases. All of this must be heavily monitored as schedule

management is one of the most difficult aspects of a project. Not only does scope management

and schedule management go hand in hand and lead to either an effective project or the potential

death of a project, but procurement management finds its way in the discussion as a major

subsection in which project success relies heavily on.

The success of a project and many subsections therein rely on proper procurement

management. Whether it’s the schedule, the scope, resources, or other knowledge areas,
Joshua D. Moody Reflection Assignment (PMG 320) 30 Nov 2022

procurement plays a major role. A good project manager will understand the link between proper

procurement management and the overall success of a project. If the contracting department fails

to acquire the goods and services required for the project, it could negatively impact every other

aspect of the project. Consequences would include anything from missed milestones, requiring

the alteration of a project schedule to a scope adjustment or a change in the allocation of

resources which could affect another project within an organization. When a project manager

trusts in their procurement team and works closely with them to ensure both parties are on the

same page with delivery schedules, as well as material details, and material costs, it makes

project success that much more reachable. However, a common barrier to effective project

management derived from interdepartmental teams such as the project manager and the

procurement team or the project manager and the budget office is communication.

Communications Management plays a key role in effectively managing projects.

Communication is something can make or break not only a team, but an entire project. A worthy

project manager will always ensure proper lines of communication with their team, the multiple

departments involved in the project, and arguably most importantly the project sponsor. When all

interested parties are on the same page, it makes for easier teamwork, decision making, and

ultimately project success. The project manager being in a leadership position needs to

understand the different team dynamics depending on the project and how effective

communications management can aid from start to finish. Communication plays a major role in

the early stages of team formation, if we look at the five stages of development from forming to

adjourning, we need to ensure proper communication and adjust our leadership style to fit the

team stage. This would mean we as project managers need to use a directing style of leadership

during team formation and transition that to coaching when the team is storming and so on and
Joshua D. Moody Reflection Assignment (PMG 320) 30 Nov 2022

so forth. Additionally, a team charter is a great aid in effective communication because it focuses

on how a team will work together, communicate decisions, and provide guidelines for

appropriate behavior. Lastly, proper communication is required to implement the correct

technique, like collaborations, compromising, or accommodation to resolve the inevitable

conflicts that sprout within teams. Like any relationship or team effort, effective communication

can provide the foundation for a success and in this case, effective project management. To

effectively implement the above strategies and ensure proper communications, scope, schedule,

and procurement management, one must also understand the influencing factors of project

success as they ensure the effective overall management of a project.

The influencing factors allow for a more detailed understanding of project management

and create room for project managers to effectively implement the knowledge areas discussed

above. If a project manager understands and organizations culture profile for example, an

integrative or aggressive organization it will help with team formation, communication, and

decision making. A project manager must also understand the maturity level within the

organization. This includes an organizations capability, resources, and best practice models.

Furthermore, a good project manager will be able to differentiate environmental factors such as

cultural and social factors, or international and political factors effecting the successful

management of projects. The knowledge areas and influencing factors combined are just some of

the foundational principles and practices of effective project management, but these are the

principles that I have recognized the most throughout the process.

I have come to recognize the multiple layers in project management that I had not

thought about prior to this class. It reminds me of an onion in that, there are so many layers or

departments involved in the project management process. It’s easy to look at the overarching
Joshua D. Moody Reflection Assignment (PMG 320) 30 Nov 2022

organization and think of a team managing a project, however upon closer examination you find

so many cogs working together from start to finish. The budget office, human resource office,

engineering, procurement, sponsors and others that all must effectively work together to ensure

project success. I believe my strongest area within project management is all aspects involving

procurement as it is my current area of expertise. In contrast, I have so much more to learn in

many other areas of project management, most notably risk management and when we narrow

our focus further, I need to work on and understand the different documents within project

management such as project management plan and stakeholder management plan and all the

details therein. In conclusion, I’ve learned plenty over the last seven weeks, but the largest area

of growth for me seems rudimentary, but it’s the basic understanding of the foundations of

project management and the relationship between all of the parties involved; from the project

manager to the stakeholder to the resource advisors all under an ever-changing organization that

requires flexibility and adaptability to overcome the multitude of challenges any given project

manager faces throughout the lifecycle of a project.