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.If it does, be willing to alter the schedulebefore it s finalized.Always remember that the manager will feel left out if you don t involvehim or her in your scheduling decisions.b.Keeping in touch while the project is underway.The communication task is not limited to theearly phases of your project.You will need to communicate regularly with all departmentmanagers whose employees either are part of your team or will provide information you need tocomplete the project.c.Working with the manager to anticipate problems.Think of the other department as a teammember, never as an adversary.You need their cooperation, and that s accomplished when youmake the effort to cooperate and respect their priorities. d.Remaining as flexible as possible.Other departments may be faced with unexpected demandsand scheduling problems for their work.And that fact may affect your ability to stay on schedule.Many projects are characterized by constant revision.You need to maintain a flexible schedulingattitude and to make concessions to other departments.e.Confronting the problems, not the people.When you must deal with outside departments, it smost likely that conflicts will arise.In this situation, you will need to meet and resolve thedifficulty.However, there is a great difference between confronting people which iscounterproductive and confronting problems which leads to solutions that satisfy both sides.3.Set goals and express them as part of your agenda.Look for action-oriented discussions andresolutions, and don t let your meetings end without solving the problems you express.Someguidelines:a.Express the goals of the project.The goals define and add context to every discussion.Theykeep everyone on the subject, and help you avoid becoming sidetracked with issues not directlyrelated to the project.b.Explain the level of team commitment you need.Even when a department manager is not ableto free up an employee, he or she can be made to understand the problems you face.That maylead to a compromise that solves the problem.Otherwise, you will be faced with an impasse inwhich each side maintains its point of view and no solution is possible.c.Specify deadlines for phases and final completion.In many companies, deadlines are nottaken seriously, perhaps because they are missed so often.However, in a project, every phasedeadline is critical, because the final deadline is directly affected.You will need to communicatecarefully and repeatedly the importance of deadlines.d.Identify critical phases.A critical phase is one that must be completed before anysubsequent work can proceed.In preparing a network diagram, these pivotal phases are quicklyidentified.You may be able to make up a delay in noncritical phases simply by speeding upwork; but if a critical phase is delayed, that delay may be carried through to the very end.e.Agree on priorities for the project.Make sure that every team member and every outsidedepartment or resource understand exactly what your project is meant to achieve.If there hasbeen no agreement as to definition, you may be in conflict through the entire time you work onthe project.CHAPTER 111.Leadership actions in a project are not the same as those you practice in your department.Remember that the project is an exception; it has a finite life, and it may involve people who do notreport to you.You will need to organize your project with these actions:a.Defining the goals and purpose of the project.It may take considerable effort to getmanagement to the point of definition.But this is critical to the project s success.b.Organizing a schedule.A complex project with many phases and outside resources has to bemapped out carefully.You should use the initial schedule to identify future conflicts and toresolve them before the schedule is finalized.c.Developing a team approach.When you draw your team together, you should encourage eachmember to take an active part in controlling and modifying the schedule, in meeting deadlines,and in staying within the budget.The project is an opportunity for teamwork that you may not beable to exercise in your department.d.Resolving conflicts.Problems will arise, either because of scheduling difficulties or becauseof personalities.As project manager, you need to anticipate these problems and resolve themwith diplomacy.e.Keeping the lines of communication open.You need to be constantly aware of the networkinvolved with your project.Team members, outside resources, other departments, and topmanagement are all involved.f.Meeting budgets and deadlines.The project is best judged by how well you meet the standardfor performance.And that is defined by the budget (financial investment) and by the schedule (time and effort and deadline).g.Training and supervising.You function not only in the role of controller and organizer butalso as a project supervisor.You need to ensure that each team member understands theassignment and knows how to proceed.In some cases, close supervision or training will be partof your job.2.You will succeed as a project manager when you master these skills:a.You understand and practice the team approach.You need to inspire your team to work as asingle unit, while also accepting responsibility for specific phases and tasks.b.You apply a standard that is different from the one used in managing your department.Theproject, because it s an exception and a temporary effort, cannot be run in the same way as adepartment.Thus, as leader, you need to examine your management standards and modify yourapproach.c.You can organize a multiple effort.Your project will involve several coordinated but separateactions.Your ability to organize, with the use of a well-planned schedule, will define yourleadership ability for the project.d.You are flexible.Projects tend to change because of emerging priorities, scheduling problems,and even changes in the project s goals.As project manager, you need to be prepared to rethinkthe job.e.You communicate well with everyone
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