Project
Management, Team-working and Leadership Coursework
Part 1A i)
Leader
competencies
Manager
competencies
Project
Manager competencies
Empowering
other people
Organisation
& Task Management
Interpersonal
Skills
Emotional
stability
Promote
empowerment
Role
model/mentor & guidance
Decision
making
Effective
Delegation
Knowledge
and competency
Problem
solving and decision making
Managing
change
Excellent
interpersonal skills
Flexibility
Proficient
communication skills
Proficient
communication skills
Technical
Credibility
Building
effective teams
Takes
Risks and shows courage
Management & Leadership
Whist
Leaders and Managers have differences, the Project Manager must be able to combine aspects from
both.
Part 1A ii)
During
the project management team member recruitment stage, a philosophy to ensure
that a successful team is built is to follow the 9 Belbin method of assessment.
DR Meredith Belbin identified that in order for a team to be more successful;
each of the members must have different strengths and weaknesses and that there
were 9 roles. This does not mean that a team must consist of nine people but
instead each member must have different ‘preferred team roles’. Each member is
scored 1-9 on what behaviour they most represent. Scoring 1 would reflect a
behaviour that represents them the most, 9 being the least. In
order for the team to be successful each member must score at least 1-3 within
each of the categories. It has been found that if a team is built where there
are individuals that have the same ‘preferred team roles’, and then they may
clash leading to an overall failure for team. In order to find out what score
someone is, they are scored on what behavioural trait they have a tendency too
by using a Belbin score test. The
9 roles that Belbin identified are as follows:
o
Resource
Investigator
o
Team worker
o
Co-ordinator
o
Plant
o
Monitor
Evaluator
o
Specialist
o
Shaper
o
Implementer
o
Completer
Finisher
Another
system that ensures you have the correct people in the right positions and that
teams are aligned
is by adopting the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Based on Psychiatrist
Carl Jung’s theory,
the test was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs
Myers and is in form of
16 personality questions. The test was developed to ‘make the theory of
psychological types described
by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people’s lives’. The 16 personality types, which provide
information with core values, relationships etc are as follows:
o
The Inspector
o
The Counselor
oThe Mastermind
o
The Giver
o The Craftsman
o
The Provider
o
The Idealist
The Performer
o
The Champion
o
The Doer
o
The Supervisor
o
The Commander
o
The Thinker
o
The Nurturer
o
The Visionary
o
The Composer
Conclusion:
Of
the 2 tests, I consider the Belbin test to be more effective in use for Project
Management. The Myers- Briggs
test is more suited to personality types rather than preferred team roles like
the Belbin test. The Myers-Briggs
test has received much crisitms due to employers now requesting the test to be completed
prior to any offer; yet, this test can be cheated to change your label. The Myerrs test has also received
further critism when using it during the recruitment stage with CPP guidelines
stating, “it is not
ethical to use the MBTI instrument for hiring or for deciding job assignments.
There are ways it creates
injustices, it gives people an inaccurate understanding of themselves”.
Part 1A iii)
Business
Case
Project
A, Rail link connecting the main terminal of Aberdeen Airport to the centre of Aberdeen
Project
Manager: Liam Justice
Background:
The proposed formation of the project would be May
2018 with construction starting February 2019. This would give adequate time
for planning to ensure the project runs smoothly. February has been proven to
be the quietest month for Aberdeen airport therefore this would lead to the
least amount of disruption for passengers.
Current Business Overview:
For years passengers have been forced to drive
their own vehicles, use the bus service or pay for a taxi to get to and from
Aberdeen Airport. In order for Aberdeen airport to widen its customer reach; a
train line connecting the Airport to the City centre of Aberdeen is
required. As it stands the closest
rail station to Aberdeen Airport is the Dyce train station approximately 2
miles away. Currently, the only mode of public transport from Dyce train
station to Aberdeen airport is via taxi. With parking now costing up to £289
for a week, this is ruling out that option due to the finical cost associated.
By building a rail link connecting the main terminal of Aberdeen Airport to the
Dyce train station, this will connect the airport to the centre of Aberdeen. This
will provide cheaper transportation for passengers and therefore help attract
more passengers to use the airport. If a cheaper alternative cannot be found
the airport will continue to lose business to other airports in Scotland.
Overview
The
below is a highlighted map shopping new rail location.
Issues
With
Dyce station situated at Station Road, Dyce, Aberdeen AB21 7BA, proving a link
to Aberdeen main terminal
would require a 2-mile track to be laid over an area which is built up and
developed. This would
obviously impose difficulties and disruption; however, with two entries to the
Dyce Aberdeen airport
traffic may be controlled to help minimise disruption.
Risks
The main business risk associated with this project
would be financial loss due to closure of Dyce train station. To help minimise
closure time, construction and tie-ins shall be made during. This is typically
when schools are on holiday and is typically when the train station is at its
quietest.
Assumptions
The
following assumptions have been made –
·
Land price is UK average (£4000) per acre
·
No existing buried pipework or electric pylons
·
Landscape elevation will be even resulting in no bridges requirement
Constraints
o
Readily
available workforce
o
Technical
constraints
o
Legal
constrains – work law, regulations etc.
o
Environment
constraints – Noise, air and tree preservation
o
Social
constraints – Project agreed by local residents
Part 1B
Problem
and cause table
Problem
Cause
Bob
did not know in advance that the painters would not be able to work at the
agreed time.
Lack
of communication/lack of information. Bob did not check to confirm the
arrangement made.
Shelves
had been installed prior to painting activities beginning causing the
painters to take twice as long
Poor
communication. Bob could have delayed the installation or communicated that
everything but the shelves were to be installed to allow painters to proceed
normally
Stock
was moved to the new premises 2 weeks before Bob got there meaning they were
running out of stock to sell in the old shop
Due
to activities not starting until a month before Bob had to move, any
unforeseen problems that occurred would have a knock on affect to all the
other activities. Poor planning and late start
Laying
of carpets was proposed a week meaning Bob lost his deposit
Due
to painting activities being delayed, carpets couldn’t be laid on time. Poor
planning and late start
Part 1C
INSERT BELBIN
On
reflection our team managed to work well together and were able to delegate
tasks and resolve issues
quickly and efficiently. With the Project Manager creating an agenda prior to
the meeting being held,
it held ensure that there was a purpose to the meetings. During each meeting roles were delegated
to ensure clear objectives and work instructions were given. In-between meetings the team often
communicated via email and also formed a group whatsapp.
Of
the 5-team members, Alex added the most value to the team. On the Belbin score test, his preferred team
role was a shaper due to his ability to thrive on pressure. From the start he
was very reliable and efficient
and would most weeks volunteer himself to complete tasks. Alex would often volunteer to help
out with tasks if someone else in the group had work commitments tying them up.
Alex’s problem solving
was to be admired and would often be the first to take on difficult tasks such
as learning how to use
Microsoft Project then generating a Gantt chart.
On
the Belin score test, Sean Fisher’s team preferred role was specialist. He was
quieter in meetings and didn’t
have a lot of impute into the discussions being held. When Sean did interact in
the meeting often he
would send the conversation off topic. He did
however produce work to a high standard and was reliable in the sense
of; he made sure work was complete within the time frame arranged.
On
the Belbin score test, David Cribbes’s preferred role was Plant due to his
ability to generate idea and solve
difficult problems. He missed a
few meetings and generally didn’t input as much as others, but when
he did his input was effective. When tasked to complete a work scope, David did
not dwell and would
often complete his task first.
On
the Belbin score test, Paul Duncan’s preferred role was Shaper due to his drive
and courage to overcome
obstacles. He often acted a nature leader within the group and would often
direct the conversation
back when it had went off topic.
He was very thorough and liked all the tasks to be explained
with great detail to ensure that there was no misunderstanding. To ensure work was completed
to the highest possible level, Paul would often review it and add comments.
When
I reflect on my own performance I would say I brought a lot of benefit to the
team. I would often volunteer when we were delegating tasks, however, with work
commitments I sometimes struggled to meet the deadlines previously agreed. I
would let the team know that I would struggle to complete the tasks in the
required time frame and in most cases they would help out if required.
References
–
https://www.rssb.co.uk/library/groups-and-committees/2014-09-report-key-train-requirements.pdf
https://www.forbes.com/sites/elenabajic/2015/09/28/how-the-mbti-can-help-you-build-a-stronger-company/#1459ff6bd93c
http://www.belbin.com/about/belbin-for-students/
http://www.belbin.com/about/belbin-team-roles/
http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/home.htm?bhcp=1
https://www.ft.com/content/8790ef0a-d040-11e5-831d-09f7778e7377
