How can i answer to this assignment for both 2 question?

Project Management – Assignment III

Study of Project Manager Problems

Questionnaires were completed by project managers during a nationwide series of project management seminars. Project mangers attending these seminars came from a variety of technology-oriented organizations. Responses to the survey instrument were both voluntary and confidential. The typical project manager was a 37-year-old male and was responsible for a small to moderate size project. More specifically, there were 189 men and 98 women in the sample (N = 287) and their ages ranged from 22 to 60 years of age ( = 37.4, S.D. 8.3). Fifty-six percent indicated that they were the formal manager of the project. The size of their immediate project group ranged from 2 to over 100 people (median = 8.9). Fifty-nine percent reported that they worked primarily on small projects (involving few people or functions, with a short time horizon) the others worked in large projects (involving many people or functions, with a long time horizon). Two open-ended questions were asked (their order was randomized). The first asked about the skills necessary to be a successful project manager. The second question investigated the most likely problems encountered in managing projects. Responses to these questions were content analyzed. Content analysis is a systematic approach to data analysis, resulting in both qualitative assessments and quantitative information. The question pertaining to the problems encountered in managing projects was as follows:

What factors or variables are most likely to cause you problems in managing a project?

A content analysis of the answers received follows. Inadequate resources was the issue most frequently mentioned as causing problems in managing a project. “No matter what the type of scope of your project,” wrote one engineering manager, “if insufficient resources are allocated to the project, you have to be a magician to be successful.” Not having the necessary budget or personnel for the project was a frequent complaint. However, the specific resource of time – and generally the lack thereof – was mentioned just about as often as the general inadequate resource lament.

That resources are inadequate is caused by many factors, not the least of which being that resources are generally limited and costly. Respondents pointed out that resource allocation problems were usually created by senior management’s failure to be clear about project objectives, which in turn, resulted in poor planning efforts. These two problems – lack of clear goals and effective planning – were specifically mentioned by more than 60 percent of the respondents. It is painfully obvious that vague goals and insufficient planning lead to mistakes in allocating the resources needed by project managers.

When project goals are not clear, it is difficult (if not impossible) to plan the project efficiently. The lack of planning contributes directly to unrealistic resource allocations and schedules. People assigned to the project are unlikely, therefore to commit energetically to the endeavor. The lack of commitment (and poor motivation) among project personnel was reported as emerging more from the problems already mentioned than from issues associated with the project’s technology or organizational structure.

The communication breakdowns (problems which occur during the life of a project) were often referred to as ‘inevitable.’ These breakdowns occur as a result of the ambiguity surrounding the project, but also result from difficulties in coordinating and integrating diverse perspective and personalities. The project manager’s challenge is to handle communication breakdowns as they arise rather than being able to predict (and control) communication problems before they happen.

How the problems confronting project managers were interrelated is exemplified by how frequently problems of communication and dealing with conflicts were linked by respondents. The linkage between these two issues was demonstrated in statements like: “My problem is being able to effectively communicate with people when we disagree over priorities.” “Conflicts between departments end up as major communication hassles.” Conflicts between departments were also linked to earlier problems of poor goal-setting and planning.

Managing changes (e.g., in goals, specifications, resources, etc.) contributed substantially to project management headaches. This was often mentioned as ‘Murphy’s Law,’ highlighting the context or environment in which project management occurs. Planning cannot accurately account for future possibilities (or better yet, unknowns).

Having to meet unrealistic deadlines was also mentioned by some respondents. From the statements made in this regards it appears that this aspect is closely related to technological factors or variables.

i) Using the information revealed by the respondents (project managers attending the seminars) in the case identify and explain the different problems faced by project managers.

ii) Based on the problems identified by you indicate the skills that you think project managers should have in order to avoid or mitigate the problems faced by them. (The skills must be specifically matched with problems). Also explain clearly why you a suggesting a certain skill to avoid or mitigate a problem concerned.

(15 marks)