COURSE 1 - Foundations of Project Management

Project management responsibilities: Budgeting and Controlling costs, and other factors

- Monitor and manage the budget - Track issues and risks - Manage quality - Remove unforeseen barriers Now, by barriers, we mean things that can get in the way of project progress. For example, if your teammates lack the resources needed to complete a task, you might identify that issue, or barrier upfront, escalate the issue to a stakeholder, and work to secure the resource so your team can move forward.

Project management responsibilities: Planning and Organizing

- Making use of productivity tools and creating processes. During the planning and execution of a project, you might need to use certain tools and develop processes to improve information sharing across the team - Create plans, schedules, and other forms of documentation to track project completion

Influencing without authority

A project managers ability to guide teammates to complete their assigned work without acting as their direct managers.

Project management responsibilities: Managing tasks

A project task is an activity that needs to be accomplished within a set period of time by you, your team or your stakeholders. Keeping track of tasks is a great way to help manage the team's workload and ensure that things are getting done. Keeping track of tasks is also a great tool for demonstrating progress to people outside the immediate team, like your stakeholders.

As a project manager impacting an organization, you want to break down barriers to help your team succeed. Which of the following would a project manager do to break down barriers?

Advocate for additional resources for your team.

Suppose that as a project manager, you assign tasks to the team members who can best complete them. What project management value does this represent?

Delegation

How project managers impact organizations: Fostering relations and communication

Maintaining customer satisfaction and building a great team are two ways that you, as a project manager, can add value to a project. Both of these skills are built on the foundation of relationships and communication. The project managers who add the most value are the ones who take the time to build relationships, communicate, and treat others with consideration and respect. Project managers can set the tone for a project and build relationships within their teams and with stakeholders. Taking the time to check in daily with your team, see how they're doing, and ask if there is anything they need help with can go a long way towards making them feel valued and heard.

Key interpersonal skills for good leadership: Negotiation

Negotiation might include working with a teammate to compromise on a new deadline when they tell you that they won't be able to complete their work on time. Now, trust me, I know this can be frustrating, but you'll need to use your negotiation skills often with your teammates and stakeholders to balance their needs and what is best for the project.

Project Manager's Daily Responsibilities: Example of managing tasks

Once the project is underway, the project manager helps manage tasks for the team members and communicates key milestones to the larger team or customers. This helps keep team members, and customers updated on how the project is progressing.

Project Manager

Shepherd projects from start to finish and serve as guides for their team, using their impeccable organizational and interpersonal skills every step of the way.

You have recently been hired as a project manager leading a team of technical writers in completing a set of user manuals for a new product launch. Which of the following abilities are you expected to demonstrate?

Task Management

Networking

is when you meet other people in a professional setting with the goal of learning, sharing knowledge, and creating new business connections. This plays a big role in job hunting, so it is a great tool to start learning and perfecting.

Project management responsibilities

- Planning and organizing - Managing tasks - Budgeting and controlling costs and other factors

Project Management

- The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the project requirements and achieve the desired outcome. - Valuable to businesses because it helps ensure that a project delivers the expected outcomes.

Program

is a collection of projects.

Buzzwords

words or phrases that are popular for a period of time or in a particular industry. In today's job market, buzzwords like data-driven, team player, and self-starter are common. You may see terms like these show up throughout your searches. Similarly, many job descriptions list the specific skills they require candidates to have. These skills can become some of the terms that you use in your job search. Examples of these skills include: Coordination, or getting people and teams to work together. You may see responsibilities in job descriptions such as "coordination of efforts to achieve project deliverable" or "coordinate internal resources to ensure successful project completion." Being a project manager is essentially managing the coordination of resources to achieve your end goal. Coordination is one of the top skills a project manager should have, so searching for this term can lead you to appropriate positions. Organization, or the ability to stay focused on different tasks. You may come across phrases like "solid organizational skills, including attention to detail and multitasking skills" or something as simple as "highly organized." Organization is key to being a great project manager. We will discuss many ways to sharpen this skill in the upcoming lessons. Leadership, or being able to lead a group of people. You may see phrases like "strong leadership qualities" or "ability to lead" in job descriptions. A project manager needs to display leadership in a number of ways, including effective planning, efficient task coordination, inspiring team members, and key decision-making. You are working on many of the skills needed to become a great leader in this program!

Which of the following are examples of how a project manager empowers their team? Select all that apply. - Allows team members to make some decisions for the project - Uses team members' input in project planning and execution - Asks team members to get approval before communicating directly with stakeholders - Delegates project responsibilities

- Allows team members to make some decisions for the project - Uses team members' input in project planning and execution - Delegates project responsibilities

Which of the following activities are part of the "execute and complete tasks" project phase? Select all that apply. - Communicate with the project team - Confirm the acceptance of project outcomes - Make adjustments to the project - Manage project progress

- Communicate with the project team Project managers should err on the side of overcommunication when sharing information with the team through meetings, emails, memos, and more. In this phase, project managers also manage project progress and make adjustments to the project as necessary. - Make adjustments to the project Project managers make adjustments to the project as necessary. This can include updating the schedule, budget, and allocation of resources. In this phase, project managers also manage progress and communicate with the team and stakeholders. - Manage project progress To manage project progress, project managers oversee the team's efforts and make sure everyone understands what's expected of them and how and when to complete key tasks. In this phase, project managers also make needed adjustments and communicate with the team and stakeholders.

The Project Life Cycle: Make a plan

- Create a detailed project plan. What are the major milestones? What tasks or deliverables make up each milestone? - Build out the schedule so you can properly manage the resources, budget, materials, and timeline. Here, you will create an itemized budget.

What does a project manager do in the project initiation phase of the project life cycle? Select all that apply. - Define project goals - Determine resources, people, and project details - Close the project - Get project approval

- Define project goals During the project initiation phase, project managers define project goals to clarify the details of a project. They also need to determine resources, people, and project details and get project approval from decision makers at the company. - Determine resources, people, and project details During initiation, project managers organize all of the information they have available to them about a project. This includes defining project goals; determining resources, people, and project details; and getting project approval. - Get project approval Project managers need to get project approval by sharing a project proposal with decision makers at the company. They also need to define project goals and determine resources, people, and project details. This all happens in the project initiation phase.

What are three benefits of closing a project? Select all that apply - Remove any obstacles that come up - Evaluate what worked and what didn't work - Celebrate the team's success - Share the team's accomplishments with people outside the team

- Evaluate what worked and what didn't work Closing a project allows the project manager to make note of what worked and what didn't so they can plan better for the next project. - Celebrate the team's success Closing the project gives the team an opportunity to celebrate and be acknowledged for all of their hard work. - Share the team's accomplishments with people outside the team When closing a project, the project manager lets everyone who had an interest in the project's goal know what was achieved.

The Project Life Cycle: Close the project

- Identify that your team has completed all of the requested outcomes. - Release your team so they can support other projects within the company. - Take time with your team to celebrate your successes! - Pass off all remaining deliverables and get stakeholder approval. - Document the lessons you and your team learned during the project. - Reflect on ways to improve in the future.

What are some potential consequences of rushing through the initiation phase of a project? Select all that apply. - Impact to the timeline - Impact to previous projects - Impact to the budget - Impact to quality

- Impact to the timeline Failing to gather information from project team members to define what needs to be done at the start of the project can result in impact to the project's timeline at a later stage. - Impact to the budget If a project manager does not take the time to define the project's goals and gain a clear understanding of what the stakeholders are asking for during the initiation phase, they risk impacting the project's budget. - Impact to quality During the initiation phase, it's important for the project manager to clearly define the project's goals and gather information from team members about what will be involved in accomplishing those goals. Otherwise, they risk impacting the project's quality.

What are the main phases of the project life cycle? Select all that apply. - Initiate the project - Make a plan - Define project roles - Execute and complete tasks - Close the project

- Initiate the project In the initiation phase, a project manager defines project goals and deliverables, identifies the budget, resources, and people they need, and confirms any other details that can impact the successful completion of the project. - Make a plan In the planning phase, the project manager makes a plan for how to achieve the project goals. The plan should include a budget, a breakdown of all the project tasks, ways to communicate team roles and responsibilities, a schedule, and what to do in case their project encounters problems. - Execute and complete tasks In the execution phase, the project team completes project tasks while the project manager monitors progress and keeps the team motivated. The project manager also removes any obstacles that come up in order to execute the tasks well and on time. - Close the project In the closing phase, the team celebrates all of their hard work and evaluates how the project went. It is also an opportunity to let everyone who had interest in the project's goal know what the team accomplished.

Introductory-level project management roles

- Junior Project Manager: Performs all aspects of being a project manager alongside a more experienced professional. - Project Administrator: Assists the rest of the project team with administrative tasks. - Project/Program Assistant: Supports team members working on a project and offers administrative support. May perform research or create training documents along with other jobs as assigned by program leaders. - Project/Program Coordinator: Participates in hands-on project work and administrative tasks. Works under a project manager to make sure projects are completed on time and within budget. - Project Support Specialist: Works alongside a project manager and team members to oversee assigned projects. May also be responsible for training and developing employees to perform designated tasks.

The Project Life Cycle: Execute and complete tasks

- Monitor your project team as they complete project tasks. - Break down any barriers that would slow or stop the team from completing tasks. - Help keep the team aware of schedule and deliverable expectations. - Address weaknesses in your process or examine places where your team may need additional training to meet the project's goals. - Adapt to changes in the project as they arise.

Project managers usually follow a process that involves

- Planning and organizing - Managing Tasks - Budgeting - Controlling costs and other factors

Traditional project management roles

- Project Manager: Responsible for the initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing of a project. Includes industry-specific titles like IT project manager, construction project manager, or engineering project manager, which utilize skills that are transferable among industries. - Project Analyst: Moves a project along by sharing information, providing support through data analysis, and contributing to strategy and performance. - Project Leader/Director: Drives core decision-making and sets the direction for the project. Usually knowledgeable about the product or deliverable. - Project Controller: Primarily responsible for project planning. You are likely to see this job title in industries like engineering and construction. - Technical Project Manager: Conducts project planning and management for identified goals within a company. Ensures that projects are completed to the requirements within a defined time frame and budget. - Project Management Office (PMO) Analyst: Manages the progress of complex projects to ensure timely execution and completion.

Agile Roles

- Scrum Master: Coordinates and guides the Scrum team. Knowledgeable in Agile framework and Scrum and is able to teach others about the Scrum values and principles. May also be listed as a Technical Program Manager or Technical Project Manager. - Product Owner: Drives the direction of product development and progress.

Project

- is a unique endeavor, and usually indicates a set of unique deliverables. - A temporary pursuit; it has a defined beginning and end. - is a series of tasks that need to be completed to reach a desired outcome.

Skills for successful project management: Handling ambiguity (Flexibility)

Ambiguity can be a big challenge in managing projects. Project managers often face ambiguity in goals, requirements, schedules, vision, or other areas related to the project. Your team will look to you to lead during times of ambiguity and change, and flexibility is especially important during these instances. Here are some different ways to help your team deal with ambiguity: Keep calm. In uncertain times, handling ambiguity with grace and poise will help inspire the members of your team to do the same. Express empathy. As a project manager, it is important to try to understand what your team is thinking and feeling, especially during times of ambiguity. Let your team members know that you care about the challenges they are facing and are there to support them. Communicate what you know clearly. Define the aspects of the project that are confirmed and will not change. This helps your team get a better sense of what to expect, regardless of any aspects of the project that are still unknown or changing. Make decisions and stick to them. Try not to second-guess your decisions in front of your team since this can lead to greater uncertainty. If you need to change course, clearly explain why you have chosen to do so to your team. Trust the expertise of your team. Increase clarity by having everyone on your team discuss what they already know or believe to be true about components of your project, such as what is involved in specific tasks or resources needed, based on their areas of expertise. Then, discuss what you still don't know and brainstorm ways to gather more information.

Project Manager's Daily Responsibilities: Example of Planning and Organizing

An example of that might be gathering requirements from teammates or customers. This means figuring out what exactly your project's trying to accomplish. You might have a kickoff meeting or send a survey. From here you may also work on creating project plans. Creating project plans is a key part of project management. It helps set the tone of the project, keeps everyone on pace and aligned, and helps move tasks along.

Project management responsibilities: Communicating status and concerns

As a project manager, communication is everything. With effective communication, you can work together with your team to find solutions to challenges. The project manager sets the tone for the project. Maintaining an open door policy and building trust within your team and among stakeholders—all while staying positive—will help the success of the project.

Skills for successful project management: Flexibility

As a project manager, knowing how to be flexible when changes are needed is key. Plans definitively will change, even with careful upfront planning. For example, maybe the goals of your company change, or maybe a member of your team unexpectedly takes a new position at another company. A good project manager knows that unpredictable moments like these are almost always guaranteed. A quote we love here at Google is, "The only constant is change," and that's true. By staying cool under pressure, you'll be able to adjust while helping your team stay calm, too.

Project management responsibilities: Teaching and mentoring

As a project manager, you can serve as a mentor to your team. When you take the time to fully explain the expectations, you eliminate rework, confusion, and frustration. Mentoring and. teaching others the lessons that you, as a project manager, have learned allows your team to make better choices and build on your experience. Mentoring also involves supporting each individual on your team in meeting expectations and helping them to exceed their own sense of personal potential.

Skills for successful project management: Communicating and escalating

As a project manager, you'll use your communication skills in just about everything you do. This might look like documenting plans, sending emails about the status of the project, or holding a meeting to escalate risks or issues to stakeholders. Project management requires clearly communicating project goals and expectations, team member roles and responsibilities, and constructive feedback. Knowing how to effectively communicate and when to escalate issues to management is key to keeping you, your team, and your organization on the path to success. When escalation is required, try to approach management with both the problem and the potential solution or suggestions. This will show that you're taking initiative as a project manager.

Skills for successful project management: Strong Organizational Skills

As you learned earlier, the role of a project manager requires using a lot of different processes to keep the project on track. Having strong organizational skills means having the ability to organize these processes and the core elements of a project to ensure nothing gets lost or overlooked, which trust me, can and does happen. To prevent this, you might decide to track daily tasks in a spreadsheet or send frequent status updates or reminders. There are many ways to stay organized and hone your organizational skills, and we'll talk more about them throughout the program. If you demonstrate that it is important for you, as a leader, to stay organized through efficient tracking and communications, your team will follow suit. One way to do this is by utilizing the abundance of organizational tools available, such as: - Planning and scheduling software (templates, workflows, calendars) - Collaboration tools (email, collaboration software, dashboards) - Documentation (files, plans, spreadsheets) - Quality assurance tools (evaluations, productivity trackers, reports)

Imagine that a project manager has just begun working on a project for a trucking logistics company. The customer wants to see a proposal as soon as possible, but it is taking the project manager longer than expected because he needs more input from stakeholders and the project team. What should the project manager do to turn the project into a success?

Ask the customer for more time to consult with stakeholders and the project team to deliver an accurate cost and timeline proposal. Taking the necessary time to get input from all stakeholders and the project team is a key part of formulating an accurate proposal.

_____ is how a project manager oversees the financial components of a project and mitigates project issues and risks as they come up.

Budgeting and controlling costs Project managers are in charge of overseeing the resources a team needs to complete a project and how much it will cost.

Skills for successful project management: Flexible Planning (Flexibility)

Change is inevitable, and the more flexible you are as a project manager, the more successful you will be throughout your career. These flexible planning strategies can help you manage your project during times of unpredictability: Assess external constraints. When planning your project, take external events into account, such as national holidays and team member vacations and sick leave. Leaving extra time in the schedule for these inevitable events up front can help minimize the impact to your project. Plan for risks and challenges. If you consider the risks that may occur, you may be able to find solutions for them in advance. For example, what if someone on your team gets sick or decides to quit? Are you able to replace them within the company? If not, can you hire an independent contractor? Come up with a list of people who may be able to join your team if one of your team members becomes unavailable. You can also assess risks by looking at historical data. Review your past projects and examine the challenges you faced. Then evaluate if similar challenges could occur in this project and prepare accordingly. We will discuss risk management at length later in this program. Calculate "float" in your schedule. Float, or slack, refers to the amount of time you can wait to begin a task before it impacts the project schedule and threatens the project outcome. Identifying float in your schedule can help with resource management, scheduling, and keeping your project on track. You will learn more about calculating float in a later course, when we discuss creating a critical path for your project tasks.

The Project Life Cycle: Initiate the project

During initiation, you'll organize all of the information you have available to you about your project. This way, when you're ready to continue on, you'll be prepared for the next phase when you can create your plan. Defining project goals makes the details of your project clear so that you and your team can successfully complete the project. For example, if the project goal is to manage a political campaign, then some deliverables, which are specific tasks or outcomes, might be to raise $5,000 or get 500 signatures in support of your candidate's cause. With this in mind, you'll need to do some research to come up with ideas that will help you meet your goals. You'll also need to find out what resources are available. Resources can include people, equipment, software programs, vendors, physical space or locations, and more. Anything you need to actually complete the project is considered a resource. Now as a project manager, you'll record all of these details in your project proposal and then get them approved by a decision maker or group of decision makers at your company so that you can move ahead with your project plans. Now in some cases, you may be the decision maker so be sure to consider the same set of factors when initiating your project before moving to the next stage.

Using tools such as a digital calendar and a spreadsheet to track team tasks is evidence of what project management skill?

Effective organizational skills As a project manager, you will use several processes, such as tracking daily tasks and sending frequent status updates to complete your project.

To be an effective project manager, what important actions/steps should you take?

Ensure team members understand the team's objectives and their individual tasks

As a project manager, you establish "escalation paths." These allow you to quickly communicate task hindrances, also called roadblocks, to the right people. When escalating a roadblock, you document it and make sure everyone that needs to know is aware of the challenge. What project management responsibility does this represent?

Ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible.

Which skill should a project manager use when dealing with change and ambiguity?

Flexibility When dealing with change and ambiguity, a project manager needs to be flexible. This skill allows them to adapt and overcome challenges.

Question 7 As a project manager at a small construction firm, your responsibilities include planning and organizing the start of new builds. Which of the following activities does planning and organizing involve?

Gathering project requirements and creating a project plan

What is the project manager responsible for on a team?

Guides the team and makes sure they have the support that they need Project managers are responsible for guiding the team. To do that well, they need to ensure that the team has the support they need to complete the project.

You're a project manager on a team that is improving a product. When inspecting the project, you discover a defect. What action can you take that will simultaneously communicate and escalate the newly-found problem?

Have a meeting with stakeholders to make them aware of the product problem.

How project managers impact organizations: Focusing on the Customer

In project management, the word "customer" refers to a person or an organization that defines the requirements of the project and sets important guidelines, such as budget and deadlines. In projects, customers can be internal or external. Internal customers are stakeholders within your organization, such as management, project team members, resource managers, and other organizational departments. External customers are customers outside of your organization, such as clients, contractors, suppliers, and consumers. To successfully deliver a project, it has to meet the customer's standards. To meet the customer's standards, you have to make sure you clearly understand their expectations. The customer is at the center of a successful project. Project managers can add a lot of value to the project by building relationships with customers and taking the time to make sure the customer is heard and satisfied with the result.

Key interpersonal skills for good leadership: Communication

In the context of leading a team, communication can include checking in with teammates to understand how they're progressing on a task and providing clear feedback on the quality of a teammate's work.

The Project Life Cycle: Initiate the project

In this phase, ask questions to help set the foundation for the project, such as: - Who are the stakeholders? - What are the client's or customer's goals? - What is the purpose and mission of the project? - What are the measurable objectives for the team? - What is the project trying to improve? - When does this project need to be completed? - What skills and resources will the project require? - What will the project cost? What are the benefits?

The Project Life Cycle: Make a plan

In this phase, you'll create a budget and set the project schedule.You'll establish the project team and determine each person's roles and responsibilities. Let's pause for a second. You may be thinking, "Why can't we just get started?", but that's the thing with project management, deliberate planning is critical to a project's success. A crucial part of project management is planning for risk and change. An experienced project manager knows that plans always change. This ability to adapt is all about thinking and planning ahead. Scheduling delays, budget changes, technology and software requirements, legal issues, quality control, and access to resources are just some of the more common types of risks and changes that a project manager needs to consider. So, it's important to keep in mind that planning is key to reducing those risks. But don't worry, if the idea of risks seems a little overwhelming right now, in later courses, we'll teach you all about understanding risks. Just know that it's really important not to skip this step and to always make a plan. Again, the success of your project depends on it. Once you have a plan, you'll communicate all of this information to your team. That way, each member will know which tasks they'll own and what to do if they have questions or if they run into problems. You'll also communicate your plan with others who have an interest in the project success, so that they are aware of your plans and your progress as the project continues to move forward.

Identify the correct order of the project life cycle.

Initiate the project, make a plan, execute and complete tasks, close the project That's correct! Most project life cycles have four major phases, with each building on the one before it.

Managing cross-functional teams: Get team members with the right skills

Making sure you have team members with the correct skill sets for each of the project functions is critical. If you are building an airplane and you've got five engineers but no mechanics, you are missing a key element of your cross-functional team. As the project manager, you must help ensure that your team has the right people with the right skill sets needed for the project to succeed. Later in this program, we will discuss some tools you can use to help you identify the skill sets needed to accomplish your project tasks.

Program managers

Manage a group of projects that are related or similar to one another and handle the coordination of these projects. They facilitate effective communication between individual project managers and provide support where necessary. They also help create and manage long-term goals for their organization.

As a project manager for a renewable energy product, you regularly communicate key milestones to the larger team and your customers. Which project management responsibility is this an example of?

Managing tasks

_____ is how a project manager keeps track of the team's workload, ensures that things are getting done within a set period of time, and demonstrates progress to people outside the immediate team, like stakeholders.

Managing tasks By managing tasks, project managers will ensure the activities to complete the project are getting done by team members.

Project Manager's Daily Responsibilities: Example of budgeting and controlling costs and other factors.

Managing the budget and controlling costs is a common responsibility that project managers have to understand to keep the project on track and within budget.

What is the project manager's primary job in phase three (execute and complete tasks) of the project life cycle?

Monitor the project team as they complete tasks and break down any barriers The project manager's primary job is to oversee the team's efforts and make sure everyone understands what's expected of them, what tasks need to be done, and how and when to complete those tasks.

Operational management roles

Operational management roles allow you to work alongside peers and management from various business segments, giving you an appreciation for what each segment does on a daily basis. Key elements of project management include making sure a project is on budget and on schedule. This course, and your experience as a project manager, will give you the tools to be able to apply those skills to running a business. Some operational management positions include: Operations Analyst: Manages and coordinates research, investigates workflows, creates business procedures, and recommends changes to improve the project and company. Operations Manager: Oversees strategic decision-making and rolls out plans of action based on financial, schedule, and resource reporting. Chief Operating Officer: Responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of a business.

Stakeholders

People who are interested in and affected by the project's completion and success.

Which of the following flexible planning strategies can help a project manager during times of unpredictability? Select all that apply. - Assess external constraints. - Plan for risks and challenges. - Calculate float in the schedule. - Rely on the knowledge of key stakeholders rather than trusting the expertise of team members.

Plan for risks and challenges. When project managers consider the risks that may occur, they may be able to find solutions for them in advance. Project managers should review past projects and examine the challenges they faced. Then they should evaluate if similar challenges could occur in this project and prepare accordingly. Calculate float in the schedule. Project managers should determine the amount of float certain tasks have to help them figure out where they can change the order of tasks or juggle resources if needed.

As a project manager, you create plans, timelines, schedules, and other forms of documentation to track project completion. Which project management responsibility does this represent?

Planning and organizing

_____ is how a project manager makes use of productivity tools and creates processes. The project manager may need to use certain tools and processes to do tasks like create a schedule and share information.

Planning and organizing As a project manager, you will be in charge of how your team shares information and communicates progress.

Which day-to-day responsibility of a project manager includes maintaining timelines and schedules to track project completion?

Planning and organizing As a project manager, you will use timelines and schedules to ensure your team completes the project on time.

As a project manager on a construction project, you learn that labor negotiations at one of your supplier's factories could temporarily interrupt future delivery of materials to your project. To minimize the impact of this circumstance, you order extra materials now, to carry your project through any future interruptions. Which flexible planning strategy did you use to deal with this situation?

Planning for risks and challenges

Prioritization

Project managers add value to their teams and organizations through effective prioritization of tasks required to complete a project. They're experts at helping team members identify and break down large tasks into smaller steps. There'll be times when a project manager may not know which task to prioritize. To determine which ones are the most critical to the success of the project, they'll connect with their teams and with stakeholders to gather information and make a plan.

Communication

Project managers deliver value through effective communication, both with their team and with key stakeholders. This refers to being transparent, which means being up front with plans and ideas and making information readily available. Project managers keep in regular contact with their team about the progress of the work and help identify areas where a teammate may need support.

Delegation

Project managers use delegation to add value to their teams and organizations by matching tasks to individuals who can best complete the work.

Key interpersonal skills for good leadership: Conflict Mediation

Project plans can change and issues will arise. This can sometimes lead to tension and conflict within the team. Conflict mediation is a great skill to practice and develop to ensure the project does not suffer as a result. This might involve setting up a meeting with two teammates who are struggling to agree upon the best way to handle a shared task.

Myth: You have to know every single detail about the project at all times.

Reality: Details matter in project execution, but as a project manager, you must also focus on the big picture and strategy for the project. What is the end goal? Do you and your team have a clear direction? If the whole team understands their objectives and has what they need to be successful in their tasks, they can work on the individual details and provide you space to supervise the overall project goals. Open lines of communication will help ensure that your team members share any possible risks to the budget or schedule with you. Scenario: Yui is a project manager working for a clothing company. The company is developing a new line of winter sleepwear that is set to launch in late October. Yui meets with the key stakeholders to determine their goals and timeline for the project. She recruits employees from the merchandising, exports, marketing, materials, production, and quality control departments to be a part of the project team. Yui meets with her team at the start of the project to clarify the objectives for the product line and checks in with them regularly to remove any barriers and find out where they need additional support. When a team member from the materials department informs Yui that the fabric they were planning on using for a particular style of pajamas has increased in price, Yui works with the team member to find a new supplier so that the overall project budget is not impacted. The bottom line: Your role as a project manager is to communicate with your stakeholders, clarify objectives, and set expectations. Trust your team to handle the details of each project task and communicate with you when there's an issue. Through your direct communication and strategic approach to problem-solving, you can provide solutions and help remove barriers for your team. This is where you add value!

Myth: Only people with a lot of experience within an organization can manage projects successfully.

Reality: It is a common misconception that anyone who has significant experience and success in an organization can manage projects there. In order to successfully manage projects in any organization, you must acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, tools, and techniques and be able to apply them. You don't necessarily need to have worked in previous roles at that organization. In taking this certification, you are learning and practicing how to be an effective project manager before taking on a position. Scenario: Sofia is a supervisor at a large customer service call center. She has been recognized by leadership as a top performer. To reward her, management has offered her the role of project manager for the implementation of a new call center software program. It will be her job to oversee the installation, training, and implementation of the new process. Sofia tries to manage the project, but she has no idea how to create a project plan, manage the various members of her team, identify risks, or handle any of the other major project management tasks. She lets her manager know that she does not have the appropriate training to manage the project but that she would like to build those skills. Sofia's manager enrolls her in a project management training course so that she will have the necessary skills to manage projects in the future. The bottom line: To be a successful project manager at any organization—regardless of whether you have worked there previously—it is essential to master the skills, tools, and techniques of project management.

Myth: You have to be an expert in the field and have a lot of technical knowledge about the project.

Reality: There are benefits to the project manager not having a lot of technical knowledge about a project. Rather than getting caught up in the technical details when communicating with management and stakeholders, the project manager can look at all of the different pieces that the cross-functional team is working on and assess how they each contribute to the success of the project. As a project manager, you bring on the right team members—with their differing areas of expertise—and trust them to be able to focus on the technical aspects of the project. Your job is to handle the communication, documentation, and organization necessary to get the project successfully to the finish line. Scenario: Jamar just landed his first project management job with a construction company. He's been tasked with managing the construction of a new elementary school in his city. He isn't expected to know how to do all of the technical skills, like engineering, construction, plumbing, and electrical; he hires the right people for the job. He communicates the needs, timelines, and expectations of the project to his team members and stakeholders and helps break down any barriers to completing the project on time. Jamar helps the engineers and construction workers communicate with one another to ensure that they are all on the same page regarding the requirements. He makes sure that the materials are in place as needed for the plumbers and electricians. The bottom line: Project managers hire the experts and help put all the pieces of the project together. Project managers don't need to be experts in every field.

What is an example of measuring progress for a cross-functional team?

Recording milestones and documenting when tasks are completed

Project management responsibilities: Building relationships

Relationships are everything! Getting to know your team members lets them know that you care about them as people, not just as employees. Taking the time to build relationships with your customers, clients, vendors, and other stakeholders is equally important. Dedicate time to check in with people. Pay attention to the insights they offer you about their work style since their actions can inform how to most effectively interact with them. Ask about their lives beyond the project, and then follow up on those discussions later on to show your interest. When you foster these relationships, you are all more invested in the success of your project.

Portfolio managers

Responsible for managing a group of related programs within the same organization. They coordinate various programs in order to ensure they are on track and that the organization is meeting its strategic initiatives. Portfolio managers look at all projects and programs within the organization and prioritize work as necessary.

Managing cross-functional teams: Measure progress

Showing your team how much they have accomplished helps keep them motivated. Take the time to measure and communicate the project's progress across the cross-functional team. This helps everyone see the full picture and recognize their impact on the project. You can measure progress in many ways, including meeting key milestones, completing project tasks, and meeting project goals on time and within budget. Regularly communicate with your team members to check on their progress. Ask them if they anticipate being finished on time. If not, ask how you can help them succeed. Keep track of the team's progress throughout the project by documenting when tasks and goals are completed, and let your team members know if the project is on track or not. Make sure you communicate successes, delays, or issues, to the team so they know how the project is progressing. Keeping everyone informed is essential to the project's success.

How project managers impact organizations: Breaking down the barriers

Sometimes, when you ask why something is being done a certain way, the response you get is, "Because we've always done it this way." A project manager adds value to a project when they break down barriers, allow their team to innovate new ways to do things, and empower them to share ideas. As a project manager, you have to model ingenuity and collaboration, and encourage your team to do the same. How can you break down barriers on a project? You can provide support for your team as they try new approaches to find solutions, and you can advocate for additional resources for your team. If your team is having a hard time getting an answer from another organization, you can reach out to the organization yourself in order to keep the team on track and on schedule.

Managing cross-functional teams: Recognize efforts

Sometimes, when you work with cross-functional teams, there are certain skills that get recognized more than others. A mechanic could get accolades for coming up with the solution to a problem within the project, while the finance member who sourced the funding might be forgotten. As a project manager, it is your job to make sure that each member of your cross-functional team recognizes the value of their efforts each step of the way. You have learned the importance of building relationships with stakeholders, and building relationships with your cross-functional team members is just as important. Learning what makes your team members feel supported, giving and taking feedback, and being mindful of each individual's background, personal identifiers, and work style can help mediate some of the differences among team members.

Project management responsibilities: Controlling change

The American novelist Louis L'Amour wrote, "The only thing that never changes is that everything changes." This applies to projects as well. Projects change as you continue to understand the expectations and the needs of your stakeholders. As a project manager, you need to remain flexible and adjust to the stakeholders' needs. However, it is also important to protect your team from constant change and rework. A good way to do this is by documenting the initial expectations of the project and clearly identifying the changes being requested. It is also helpful to understand the budget and schedule impact of the changes and make sure that the stakeholders understand those impacts. As the project manager, you are responsible for protecting your team.

Skills for successful project management: Enabling decision-making

The ability to enable decision-making on the team, or gathering decisions from the appropriate leader, is crucial to keep projects on task and achieve their goals. Lots of the day-to-day decisions within a project will likely fall to you and your teammates to discuss and agree on. You'll ensure that projects stay on schedule by gathering information from teammates and using those insights to help the team make informed decisions. You'll also make sure that those decisions are communicated to the necessary coworkers, whether that's the immediate team or company leaders. For example, you might provide relevant data or feedback to help your teammates make an informed decision between choice A and choice B. You can help team members feel empowered from the start of your project by making the decision-making process collaborative. For example, state the goals of specific deliverables and elicit input from your team on how to achieve those goals. You may have an idea of how you would like certain tasks to be accomplished, but your team members may have more creative or efficient approaches. Empowering your team to express their opinions and make their own decisions allows you to focus on the overarching management tasks and prioritize them in order of importance. Additionally, when you allow team members to have a voice in decisions, it helps foster an environment of responsibility, accountability, and team closeness.

Project management is _____.

The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements

How project managers impact organizations: Building a great team

The team is a project's biggest asset. A successful project manager knows that and takes the time to understand each person's motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. Project managers add value to the project by identifying the right team for the project and enabling the team to be successful and make decisions. When you work to build a great team, you have to consider the skills needed for the project, as well as the resources available. Understanding the customer's requirements helps shape the skills needed for your team. If you are working on a project that requires people with medical expertise and you hire people who do not have a medical background, no matter how hard that team works, they will not have the right skill set to complete the project. As project manager, you should bring on people with the right skills and ensure the team knows that each individual is valued, trusted, and appreciated. You can demonstrate how you feel about the team's value by allowing them to have input and ask questions, and by addressing their needs as soon as possible.

How do project managers use prioritization to add value to their team?

They determine which tasks are the most critical to the success of the project. After identifying tasks and breaking them down into smaller steps, project managers prioritize these tasks by speaking with their teams and with stakeholders to gather information and make a plan.

How do project managers use delegation to add value to their team?

They match tasks to those who can best complete the work Project managers match tasks based upon the skills and strengths of their team members.

Which of the following is true of project managers' experience? Select all that apply. - They need to have a lot of technical knowledge about the project - They need to know every single detail about the project at all times - They need to be familiar with project management tools - They need to have a lot of experience within the organization running the project - They need to be an expert in the project's field - They need to know how to manage a budget

They need to be familiar with project management tools While it's possible to learn how to use project management tools (such as a spreadsheet or digital calendar) during a project, it's helpful for project managers to understand the tools prior to starting a project. They need to know how to manage a budget If budget management is part of operating a project, it's helpful to have this experience prior to starting. Remember, operating a personal budget is experience!

Key interpersonal skills for good leadership: Understanding Motivation

This means getting to know your teammates and figuring out what pushes them to do their best work. Understanding motivations might also include learning how your teammates prefer to receive feedback, and how they like to receive recognition for doing a great job. You would use that individualized information to motivate and encourage each person on your team.

Which interpersonal skill helps a project manager get to know their teammates and figure out what pushes them to do their best work?

Understanding motivations Successful project managers should get to know their teammates. This is important for learning how team members work best, how they prefer to receive feedback, and even how to share praise.

Project management responsibilities: Empowering your team

We all enjoy being heard and appreciated in our careers. Giving your team the ability to work directly with the stakeholders and their teams lets them know that you trust and believe in their skills! One of the best things about empowering your team is getting fresh ideas and passionate employees willing to help find solutions to problems. Another way you can empower your team is by delegating responsibilities to them, allowing them to make some decisions for the project, and using their input in the planning and execution of the project. Effective mentoring often leads to more empowered teams.

Managing cross-functional teams: Clarify goals

When working with cross-functional teams, it is important to ensure that each member of the team understands their role, how they support each other, and the common goals of the project. It is vital to set clear goals for the team and make sure that the team understands those goals. Be direct and concise, avoiding extraneous details and explanations. When communicating task or project goals, make sure you define key items, such as budget, deadlines, quality requirements, or important resources. Ensure your team members understand task and project goals by encouraging them to ask questions and clarify information. It will be up to you to continuously check in with your team to make sure they're all moving towards their goals, staying on track, and completing quality work. Cross-functional teams may work in different departments, be in different physical locations, and have different leadership, but all team members work together with the project manager to support the current project. Your project may be competing against other priorities, so communicating clearly and often with your team—and vice versa—helps you identify any potential issues or concerns before they arise.

How project managers impact organizations: Managing the project

When you build teams, each person is generally assigned specific project tasks. Once each task is done, the person responsible for that task hands that part of the project over to the next person. Your team members don't always see the whole picture and how they impact others in a project. A successful project manager sees the impacts of each process within the project and communicates those impacts to the team. This ensures that everyone working on the project understands their task goal as well as the big picture goal for the finished product. For example, if a graphic designer working on marketing materials for your project doesn't understand the customer's overall goal to appeal to educators, they may not be able to fully capture the vision for the campaign. Helping this team member understand the big picture allows them to tailor their tasks to meet the needs of the project's end goal. Managing a project can be busy, but if you take the time to build relationships and maintain open lines of communication, you will increase the chances of the project's success as well as the customer's and your team members' satisfaction.

Project manager also needs to make sure that the project outcome is bringing value to the company

Whether that's creating a new service for customers or modifying an old service so it's more tailored to the customer's needs. No matter what the task is, a successful project will always add value. And it's the project manager's job to make sure that project is both valuable and successful.

The Project Life Cycle: Execute and complete tasks

Your primary job as the project manager is to manage the progress of the project as a whole. This means you'll oversee your team's efforts and make sure everyone understands what's expected of them, what tasks need to be done, and how and when to complete those tasks. It's also your job to help remove any obstacles and to alert the right people if it looks like there might be a delay to the project. This means you'll need to communicate with your team, and anyone else involved in your project through meetings, written communications like memos, emails or internal chat tools, and other working documents like task reports. Quick pro tip, if in doubt, err on the side of overcommunication. As your project progresses you'll make adjustments to the schedule, budget, and allocation of resources, clearly communicating updates all along the way.

Interpersonal skills

are the behaviors you use to interact with others, such as communication, active listening, and leadership.

Fill in the blank: In project management, a _____ is a person or an organization that defines the project requirements. They also may set important guidelines, such as the budget and deadlines.

customer

A cross-functional project team is a team that has _____.

diverse skill sets and works toward a common goal It's helpful if your team has members with different skills and experiences. This diversity will make your team more likely to overcome multiple challenges.

Cross-functional Teams

includes team members who have different backgrounds, types of expertise, and job functions. Even though these team members have different skill sets, occupy different roles, and may even work in different departments, they are all working towards a common goal: the successful completion of your project.

A project manager's ability to guide teammates to complete their assigned work without acting as their direct managers is called _____.

influencing without authority

Portfolio

is a collection of projects and programs across an entire organization.

Main phases of a project life cycle

is the path for your project from start to finish. Each project phase builds toward the subsequent phase and helps to create a structure for the project. - Initiate the project - Make a plan - Execute & complete tasks - Complete the project