And finally, this paper will make recommendations o both the PM and the company’s senior executives that will be relative to the personal motivation of the staff, resource allocation, and organizational skill to aid in support of Tim becoming a more effect project manager. The three core skills that this paper will examine that were in play for the case study are; technical expertise, leadership, and management support. Time’s lack of experience performing as a PM exposed his technical expertise as being inadequate.
Tim was new to the company so he did not have any strong ties with any of the functional or line managers, which would result in his ability to cake fair and unbiased decisions over all levels of staff disciplines. However Tim, unlike many other project managers in other companies, was not required to spend twelve to eighteen months in a company apprentice program (Kernel, 2010, p. 148). The lack of mentors from senior management proved to be part of Time’s problem when it came to communicating and motivating his staff.
Tim came into the company with high hopes of being one of the best program managers ever, and soon learned that communication and the motivation of his staff was an obstacle that he had not fully expected. Getting the staff to vote the time needed, evening getting them to attend an afternoon team meeting turned out to be difficult. Time’s ability to be a strong leader was not only hindered by of his lack of experience, it was also attributed to his lack personal experience with his staff.
Having the ability to fit in all of the staffs individual demands, requirements, and limitations into the decisions making and aid to the resolution of conflicts within the group is a skill set that a PM has to demonstrate in order for the program to be a success (Kernel, 2010). Because Tim had no previous experience with the different personality and demands of his staff e was blind sided with the lack motivation and desire from his staff.
When many of his staff would walk out of the afternoon staff meeting in order to fulfill personal social responsibilities and outside interest, Tim changed the time of day for the staff meeting from late afternoons to early mornings. By doing this Tim showed that he was aware of the conflict between what he wanted and what the staff needed, and made an attempt to work with his staffers demanding they stay late for the meeting. If he had made the decision to demand that the staff stay for the late afternoon meetings, it could have resulted in resentment room this staff.
Tim was younger than the average member of his team and was new to the company. He knew that there probably was some resentment from the staff that the senior management had chosen him to be the project manager over one of them. By not demanding the staff meet late in the afternoons he was trying to open up the lines of communication between the staff and himself by giving them the impression he also was concerned with their need to fulfill their personal responsibilities and outside interest. By opening up the communication between the staff and Tim, Tim assumed that part of his problems would not exist.
Tim knew that the poor communication needed to change for the program to be successful. Even though, Tim had recognized the poor communication and his lack of technical expertise, and had made attempts to change the way he was doing things in order to fix the problems he still felt as though his type of leadership was ineffective and just could not motivate his people. Tim went to Phil Davies, the director of project management for advice. The conversation between Phil and Tim was not much help to Tim at all.
Phil told him that the average staff member he worked with had twenty years with the company ND most were set in their ways, and some of his staff might hold resentment towards Tim because he was new the company and younger in years. This conversation offered nothing constructive that Tim could use to change the problems he was experiencing with his staff. Tim requested that another employee in the accounting department that had an excellent head on his shoulders, and would be a great help to him with the project management roles.
However, that employees current supervisor did not seem interested letting the good employee go for the good of the company, but rather keep the employee UT to satisfy the need of his own personal departmental needs. Phil, as the director of project management, could have made it possible for the reallocation of resources and allowed the accounting personnel to be available to work with Tim on the project management task. However, he chose to not to.
Instead he only expand on his previous comment about the experience levels of his staff and suggests that Tim come with some new ways to motive his mature staff into wanting the program to be a success. But, ultimately not really offering any advice or direction that Tim could use that might motivate the staff and open up miscommunication between them. Some recommendations that might have helped Tim to become a great project manager and result in a successful program would have been that the senior management should have offered Tim a twelve to eighteen month apprentice program.
In this time frame Tim would have the opportunity to get to know the staff and their individual needs. In addition, the staff would have had a chance to get to know Tim on a professional and personal level rather than just throwing in the new guy. Also, senior management should have recognized the lack of experience in their young project manager and make t possible to allocate the necessary resources and guidance needed for Time’s experience level and the program to move forward.
By providing management support building skills, Tim would have advanced in his current skill and the staff would have been aware of the fact that the senior management was backing Tim and possible been more interested in what Tim was trying to accomplish. And finally, Tim needs to further develop his leadership, communication, and organizational skills in order to be a more effective project manager. Based on this case study, perhaps Tim should look for his much needed experience with another company a company that will take the time need to interact with Tim and his daily task.
Offering advice and guidance on how to handle situations in order to move forward. Until Tim can communicate in a way that motives his staff to accomplish the needed task, as well, as be able to communicate his needs for direction from his senior management when required, Tim should consider stepping down as project manager and maybe assist another project manager as a student in a apprentice program.
