Question
Read the following scenario and answer the corresponding questions upon your completion.
You recently earned your Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and you are excited to share the
news with your manager. After a short discussion, the manager looks at you and says, “Shawn, let’s not waste any
time. I have a big project that just hit my desk. We are going to automate the medical records processes for an
established hospital in Omaha. Congrats! You’re in charge!”
When you walked in to see your manager, you were excited. Now, you are scared! Although you just passed the
PMP exam, you are unsure that you can lead such a big project. On the way back to your desk, the light bulb goes
off, and you start thinking about how leaders surround themselves with top-notch team members.
Provide your response to the following questions:
- What advice do you give Shawn regarding forming the project team?
- How should Shawn handle the situation where some team members possess far more experience managing
these types of projects?
- What are some ground rules that Shawn should consider?
- What might happen to Shawn’s career if he is honest with his manager and tells her that he lacks the experience
needed for this project?
- Once the project is complete, what are some items that Shawn should include in the lessons learned?
Sample paper
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
Shawn should be keen on the choice of team members to participate in the project since they will determine the success of the project. In forming the project team, Shawn should pick team members basing on their skills, experiences or abilities in relation to the particular project. Shawn should look for the team members who are most qualified for the particular project. After choosing the team members, Shawn should establish rules and objectives the team should meet. In a situation where some team members possess far more experience, Shawn can tap their experiences to ensure the success of the project. Shawn should carefully weight their opinions relating to the project. However, Shawn should have the final say or direction of work. As such, Shawn should let the team members know that he is in charge of the project and the final decision rests with him.
Shawn should consider a number of ground rules. First, team members ought to know that Shawn is in charge of the project and as such, any important communication related to the project should be directed to him. In line with this, Shawn should clearly identify the reporting lines or hierarchies. Shawn should outline the expectations from each of the team members. All the team members should attend meetings or conference calls without failure, and notify the team leader if unable to attend. Lastly, team members should notify the project manager of any issue that arises, be it conflict or missing dependencies and tasks. Shawn can tell the manager that he lacks the experience needed for the project. However, he should assure the manager that he is duly qualified and has the right team to do the job. Once the project is complete, Shawn should include details on project accomplishments, failures, budget overview, and time management.
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