Case Study Analysis: A Day in the Life
Rachel’s Schedule Efficacy
Being a project manager means addressing a range of issues related to planning, communication, and problem solving, which Rachel’s case is a graphic example of. A single look at Rachel’s schedule will show that she plans her day in a very reasonable manner, making sure that she has enough time to handle the emerging issues. For instance, the fact that she comes to work early to get ready for the day displays that she intends to use the time that she has in an adequate and reasonable manner (Clay & Larson, 2014).
In addition, the way, in which she avoids numerous distractions and uses the existing opportunities to her advantage, is quite impressive. For instance, after being distracted by one of the staff members, Rachel makes up for the time lost in the conversation by reducing her report to her boss to a total of thirty minutes.
Art and Science of Project Management
The issues that Rachel has at work point clearly to the fact that being a project manager means not only planning the oncoming projects adequately but also creating a proper communication pattern and designing a good conflict management strategy. Particularly, Rachel’s experience shows that a project manager must be persistent and able to cut the number of unrelated conversations to a minimum without causing workplace conflicts. In other words, the art of project management is primarily the art of communication. In addition, the ability to plan the working day carefully should be deemed as an essential quality of a project manager as well.
Project Examples
Type 1: Must-Do
The projects that are defined as “must-do” imply the necessity to complete them as soon as possible. Therefore, the specified type of projects can be considered urgent. As a rule, the must-do projects include the goals that define the company’s further course of actions and often turn out to be crucial to the overall wellbeing of the organization. However, the projects that fall under the category of must-dos traditionally have a temporary effect on the project. The location of a logistics strategy, which will help improve the quality of the firm’s performance and increase the rates of customer satisfaction, can be viewed as a must-do (Laufer, 2012).
Type 2: Operational
Seeing that must-dos are usually viewed as the urgent projects, the operational ones might be considered the second most important steps to be taken. However, the give assumption is often erroneous. While operational projects are a part and parcel of the projects taxonomy, they tend to be focused on the actual performance rather than the result or the objectives that need to be accomplished to attain the required outcomes. The design of a brand product based on the needs of the target customers and the unique characteristics of the organization can be considered as an example of an operational project, as it cannot be deemed as urgent yet is an important part of the firm’s operation (Muller, 2012).
Type 3: Strategic
Last but definitely not least, the specified type of projects presupposes careful planning as the key means of reaching the required outcome. Strategic planning is crucial for developing complex approaches that may presumably take a considerable amount of time and effort, affecting the company in a very direct manner. The change in the leadership strategy, which will help a company advance in the environment of the global economy, is an example of strategic planning.
Reference List
Clay, C. F., & Larson, E. (2014). Project management: The managerial process. London, UK: McGraw Hill.
Laufer, A. (2012). Mastering the leadership role in project management: Practices that deliver remarkable results. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Press.
Muller, R. (2012). Project governance. Burlington, VT: Gower Publishing, Ltd.