Estimating Costs and Allocating Resources

           

While reflecting on past budget experiences and working with the case study project, one of the most beneficial tools is obtaining a general outline of tips. Sometimes, plenty of resources can become overwhelming due to the level of reading and lack of time. Once a project idea is create, becoming organized from the start makes a big difference, whether it is a personal project such as a birthday party or a professional project such has training employees of new software.

          

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-manage-a-project-budget.html

           When it comes to budgeting money, it is important to keep in mind that unexpected changes can occur sporadically.   Therefore, I searched for a site that would best summarize the key points to consider when working with a budget. The site hosted by Buzzle.com provides the most important parts to keep in mind when budgeting. It highlights the importance of resource allocation, use of management software, proof of expenses, and communication of contingencies. Budgeting money can bring many questions from the stakeholders or upper management, therefore the urgency to talk about time consuming tasks and their effect on the outcome of the project is essential in encouraging others to understand the reasons for the way a budget is used (Laureate Inc., 2009).

http://www.brighthubpm.com/project-planning/2979-work-breakdown-structure-pitfalls-to-avoid/

           Budgeting and project schedule coincide to accomplish a successful project. The longer a task may occupy can lead to more costs in a project. Therefore, I found a resource that guides you when working with the Work Breakdown Schedule. The site hosted by Bright Hub PM is great because it provides a variety of articles that address different components of managing a project. One particular article I found useful focuses on avoiding pitfalls when constructing the WBS. It provides detailed examples of items that make an impact on the progress of the project such as developing a dictionary of terminology used in the schedule to assist team members. The use of group member input into the WBS and to avoid overload of tasks on team members. When developing a Work Breakdown Schedule, it is essential to have the right people, right tasks, and right time to ensure success (Laureate, Inc., 2009).

Resources

Laureate Education Inc. (2009) (Producer) Creating a Resource Allocation Plan [video] [transcript]. Dr. Stolovitch.

Laureate Education Inc. (2009) (Producer) Practioner Voices Resource Challenges  [video] [transcript]. Troy Achong.               

Communicating Effectively

          While viewing the different forms of communication, it seemed as if the messaged was conveyed in a formal manner and gradually changed to informal. The tonality seemed friendly and approachable for the email and face to face message, however the phone messaged seemed to stress more of an urgency with the missing report due to a stress and intonation in words such as “really”, “my report,” and “my deadline.”  The face to face meeting appeared to be pleasant; however this can cause a problem. It really depends on the other person’s personality, if it is similar to Dan’s personality in the case study 20, it may be easier to resist the request or consider the person a push over.

          Some factors I took into consideration when reviewing the message reflect the attitude of the speaker, purpose of message, and the clarity of the message. It is important to convey precise information in a message so that the recipient is fully aware of deadlines, tasks, and responsibilities (Laureate, 2009). With these forms of communication, I would have included the date in which I need the report in order to meet my project deadline. In efforts to move forward with the task, it would also be helpful to communicate the benefits of completing the tasks in timely manner. This would reflect a tone in which team work and support is present between the messenger and recipient.

          The form of communication that conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message would have to be the email. The email demonstrated the formal way of communicating with team members about a project .This form of communication serves as documentation for further conversations between the recipient and messenger (Laureate, 2009). It makes it more convenient to reference previous conversations to address any new needs for the tasks. It is recommended to avoid informal conversations or discussions with people involved in a topic and should be address in writing to establish accordance among the members involved (Portny, 2008).  In addition it provides a user friendly approach to communication.

          When communicating effectively with a project team member there are a few things to keep in mind. First, understanding the member’s style of communication helps to ensure that communication will be transferred effectively (Laureate, 2009). Next, sensing the personality and approach ability of the members helps to confirm that all members will obtain the same understanding of tasks, data, and responsibilities (Laureate, 2009). Lastly, illustrating the benefits through communication can promote effective team work and communication among the team.

References

Laureate Education Inc. (2009) (Producer). Project Management Concerns: Communication Strategies and Organizational Culture [video] [transcript]. Dr. Stolovitch

Laureate Education Inc. (2009) (Producer Practitioner Voices: Strategies for Working with Stakeholders [video] [transcript]. Troy Achong

Portny, E., Mantel,J., Meredith, R., Shafer, M., Sutton M., & Kramer, E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Learning from a Project “ Post-mortem"

            The project that I decided to reflect on is a personal experience of planning a wedding. My fiancé at the time and I had gotten engaged in August of 2011. The project of planning a wedding was very frustrating and difficult due to many variables. Looking at this project from a Project Managers prospective, it relates to many of the components used in a general business project.

            Instead of hiring a wedding planner, my fiancé and I decided to take upon all of the responsibilities. Just as defining the scope and sequence in any project, this was an area that lacked in my project. A general outline was developed to highlight the budget, timeline, and list of vendors or supporters of the wedding. One major conflict with the scope of the project was due to the fact that my team member and I did not address the project until six months after the initialized engagement. With only six months to plan to work on the wedding, it was faced with many barriers and changes to the initial plan. One of the changes in the initial plan was the set budget. As a project manager communication is a key target when speaking with the stakeholders about changes to the project (Laureate, 2009). Reflecting the initial approval document supports whether changes can be made or eliminated. Due to the fact the as partners in this planning process, we did not stick firmly with our initial decisions, thus far causing an increase in budget.

            Another existing conflict was the defined roles and responsibilities held by the team members. My partner and I often expressed different views in decision making. One failure to this was not reviewing the scope and sequence to assist in our project, it was a long and consistent clash of ideas. When team members find themselves disagreeing on components of a project, it is the Project Manages role to intervene, review individual roles, responsibilities, timeline and budget (Laureate, 2009).

            Although the budget and decision making process was a persistent barrier in the project, there were some successes present. The outside people involved which included family members and vendors were very supportive in assisting with the timeline of the project. Finalizations with major parts of the wedding, which included food, photography, florist, and ceremony, were complete in a timely manner for the deadline.

            The overall success of the wedding was positive. I enjoyed the decisions that were made in the end and it was a fulfilling event. One of major components of this project that I would change would have been the planning process and timeline. Instead of wasting valuable time once the project was initiated, I would have started sooner and outline the work break down specifically. This would have avoided so many conflicts with decision making, the budget would have been maintained, and my team member and I would of focused on our specific roles in the project. It is important to keep in mind that with a specific scope commits to a limited sequences with direct control over a project (Laureate, 2009)

 

Resources

Laureate Education Inc. (2009) (Producer). Project Management Concerns'Scope Creep’ [video] [transcript]. Dr. Stolovitch

Laureate Education Inc. (2009) (Producer). Defining the Scope of an ID Project [video] [transcript]. Dr. Stolovitch