Organizational Change and Personal Leadership Development Plan
Practices that Project Managers Apply in Leadership and Management Roles
All managers at some point in time may be asked to lead a certain project. Projects come in different sizes; some may be minor projects while others are major projects. The more complex a project is, the more the number of details to be monitored are. However, a key point to note is that there is a similarity in the fundamentals of managing projects and being successful at it. According to Ofori (2013), project management plays a role in project success. However, this role is affected by a number of factors which lie outside the control of the manager. According to Didraga (2013), the success or failure of a project depends on whether a realistic goal is set, competition, profitability, client satisfaction, third parties, market availability, process of implementation, and the value of the project.
Initiation
It is the duty of the project manager to initiate a project. Therefore they must be able to identify an opportunity whereby a new project may be started. If the manager does not identify the situation or opportunity, then the project will not even take place (Spalek, 2013). They should initiate the project only after ensuring that it is the best thing to do.
Planning
The management should be the person responsible for guiding the plan of how the project will be executed. Therefore, the project manager needs to guide other employees in carrying out research which will guide them in their plan for the project (Ofori, 2013). An effective plan is composed of activities such as the time frame for guiding the project, the total amount of cash required for the project to complete, the challenges expected and how to address them incase they occur and many other factors.
Execution
The project manager should be more than willing to execute the plan only after they realize that it is worth bringing success. Before the project manager gives the go ahead word for the execution, all possible options which may yield better results must have been analyzed. This is a sure of avoiding risks of losing a lot of capital which may have been used for the project (Soule, 1998). It is the duty of the project manager to halt the execution of a project in case they realize that something could possibly go wrong in future.
Monitoring
The duty of the project manager also includes monitoring the process of the project closely. At times, some specific backup mechanisms may have been set in case a project goes wrong, but it may also fail the entire system (Soule, 1998). Therefore, the manager should be always present, monitoring the ongoing activities and analyzing their effects on the project as a whole. This will enable the project manager to realize on time, in case the project is headed downhill. By noting such changes on time, the project manager may be able to save the project by changing the routes.
Controlling
The project manager should be able to control a project in the rightful manner so that it becomes successful. If the project is not controlled, many factors may go astray. The project manager may set up some rules to help control the process which is being carried out to ensure a completion of the project (Didraga, 2013). The employees must be controlled so as to ensure that the plan for the project goes as expected.
Evaluation of Judy Stokley’s level of as AMRAAM program director
Judy Stokley admitted that she faced challenges when she took over the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM), as program director (Laufer, Ward & Cockburn, n.d). The mandated drawdown plan had not been met, each and every employee knew about the drawdown of the workforce and this stirred unrest since some of the employees had been with the program for 20 years and were also hoping to be there when it retired. The director before Judy Stokley was unable to let people go no matter what the situation was. As a matter of fact, he stated that he would rather retire than do just that (Laufer, Ward & Cockburn, n.d). Judy’s level of success can be described as the highest level attained since she achieved her objectives while earning the trust of all employees. She was not rude to anyone but rather gave them a chance to discuss and express themselves so as to make things easier for both parties (Laufer, Ward & Cockburn, n.d).
Laying off such a big number of employees may become overwhelming especially when it is clear that they are blaming you for their pain. Such issues are what may lead an individual to give up on their position since it is very normal that most fear for their lives. Judy feared that an employee may take the grief to an extreme level and show up with a gun and start a killing spree (Laufer, Ward & Cockburn, n.d). Despite the fact that Judy Stokley felt so uncomfortable doing the expected, she could not let her personal self get in the way of her professional self. So she implemented a few strategies to enable her deal with achieving her goal while still earning the trust of employees. The first strategy which helped Judy Stockley’s project to become successful is when she started holding monthly meetings which enabled employees to anonymously express themselves and also suggest new ideas for the organization (Vidal-Salazar, Cordón-Pozo & Ferrón-Vilchez, 2012). This strategy diffused the tension among the employees as it enabled them to express their frustrations. Cards were given to all employees and after filling them in with their thoughts, they were placed in a box which was later on opened. The most constructive ideas were implemented, and on the next meeting a report was given (Laufer, Ward & Cockburn, n.d). While this process helped to control the tension, it also enabled the program to move on peacefully. By the end of the fiscal year, the number of employees had been reduced from 200 to 68.
Secondly, Judy Stokley knew it so well that although downsizing was essential, it was still not going to be the clear road to the company success. She knew that downsizing on its own would be insufficient (Vidal-Salazar, Cordón-Pozo & Ferrón-Vilchez, 2012). Judy knew that her plan for the success of the organization would not be reached if a radical change in the culture of the organization was not present. This is why she took it upon herself to bring change to the project culture (Laufer, Ward & Cockburn, n.d). There were conflicts between the governments and the contractors and Judy thought of creating a relationship of trust and mutual support. The government was blaming the contractors of benefiting inappropriately from them. Although Judy knew that the task would be complicated, she still carried it out. Judy held a meeting between Hughes and Raytheon, the two contractors involved. She addressed the issues facing the partnership between the government and the contractors. Since the issue surfaced on grounds that the contractor was at fault, she suggested that the contractors had to submit an engineering change proposal for the government to approve before any steps were taken (Laufer, Ward & Cockburn, n.d).
Third, Judy Stokley also enhanced the relationship between the government, contractors and the enablers. The enablers were not experts in any field, but they dealt with everyone from contractors, finance staff, business representation, program managers and also engineers. They are the people who know how to hook up two people when one of them needs a solution to a current problem (Laufer, Ward & Cockburn, n.d). The first step Judy took was to earn the trust of the contractor. After a few months she was able to establish a relationship between these three so as to benefit the program.
Learning and Behavior Modification Strategies used in order to address AMRAAM’s Organizational Problems
There are certain learning and behavior modification strategies that Judy Stokley used to address the problems faced by the organization. Judy used positive reinforcement to ensure that the plan for downsizing was pushing through as planned. This strategy is recorded when she started holding monthly meetings for the employees whereby they were given a chance to express their feelings and thoughts (Perez, Carlson, Ziviani & Cuskelly, 2012). Second, Judy used negative reinforcement when she implemented a system of process which calmed down the conflicts between the government and the contractors (Pade-Khene, Mallinson, & Sewry, 2011). Lastly, she used positive punishment when she established a relationship between the government, the enablers and the contractors through a constancy of purpose (Perez, Carlson, Ziviani & Cuskelly, 2012).
Actions that Judy took to change the Project Team Culture and Create a Relationship between the Government and Contractors
The first action Judy took to change the culture and create a relationship of trust, mutual support and team work was to push both parties to act with respect towards one another (Pade-Khene, Mallinson & Sewry, 2011). She established this by coming up with a rule that the contractors must get the approval of the government before taking on a project. Second, she changed the mindset of the contractors which enabled them to achieve a good relationship, rather close one with their products; the missiles. Third, she established a partnership between the two groups so that they could both see the situation as a win-win for them all.
Personal Leadership Development Plan
Whenever there is a conflict between two or more parties, as the project manager I should analyze the situation at hand before taking any steps. After the cause for the problems is identifies, I must come up with a just solution which will not magnify the conflict but rather calm down all the parties. I should promote team work within the organization and also among the partners of the organization. Meetings should be held each month whereby all the members of both parties come together and express themselves so as to enable the management to address the issues underneath.
Conclusion
The practices for successful project managers is a must have if one wishes to see a project to its end successfully. Just as Judy did in her situation, it is a must for all others to follow suit so as to achieve the same level of success as she did.
References
Didraga, O. (2013). The Role and the Effects of Risk Management in IT Projects Success. Informatica Economica, 17(1), 86-98. doi:10.12948/issn14531305/17.1.2013.08
Laufer, A., Ward, D., & Cockburn, A.(n.d) A Successful Downsizing: Developing a Culture of Trust and Responsibility.1-14.
Ofori, D. F. (2013). Project Management Practices and Critical Success Factors-A Developing Country Perspective. International Journal Of Business & Management, 8(21), 14-31. doi:10.5539/ijbm.v8n21p14
Pade-Khene, C. C., Mallinson, B. B., & Sewry, D. D. (2011). Sustainable rural ICT project management practice for developing countries: investigating the Dwesa and RUMEP projects. Information Technology For Development, 17(3), 187-212. doi:10.1080/02681102.2011.568222
Perez, M., Carlson, G., Ziviani, J., & Cuskelly, M. (2012). Contribution of occupational therapists in positive behaviour support. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 59(6), 428-436. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1630.2012.01036.x
Soule, E. (1998). Trust And Managerial Responsibility. Business Ethics Quarterly, 8(2), 249-272.
Spalek, S. (2013). Improving Industrial Engineering Performance through a Successful Project Management Office. Engineering Economics, 24(2), 88-98. doi:10.5755/j01.ee.24.2.3087
Vidal-Salazar, M., Cordón-Pozo, E., & Ferrón-Vilchez, V. (2012). Human resource management and developing proactive environmental strategies: The influence of environmental training and organizational learning. Human Resource Management, 51(6), 905-934. doi:10.1002/hrm.21507
