CHapter 17:
Project Management

Answers to Discussion and Review Questions

1. To effectively manage a project, a project manager must employ a certain set of skills. For projects that involve fairly well-defined work, the project manager must be able to a. motivate his or her team. b. direct team members in specific work areas of the project. c. solve specific project related problems. d. resolve issues and problems between co-workers. e. communicate certain problems to upper management. f. expedite work when necessary. g. coordinate work among the team members and among the appropriate outside contractors. h. make the necessary project trade-off decisions involving cost, time, quality and resources. However, if the work is not well defined, there is usually more uncertainty involved. In projects involving a higher degree of uncertainty, in addition to being able to perform the functions listed above, the project leader must also demonstrate strong leadership skills. The more ill-defined the work, the higher the need for leadership skills. Leadership skills are less tangible than the skills listed above and may include the following: a. ability to deal with change. b. deciding what type of changes are needed and when to make the change or changes. c. working with the project team to make the necessary change or changes. d. the ability to handle undesirable or unexpected consequences of making the change. e. ability to manage people with varying background and skills who may also be reporting to other managers in their respective functional areas. f. ability to persuade and cooperate with others to fulfill project goals since the project manager may not have the formal authority to accomplish some of the goals of the project. 2. Project