Question

1. What competencies were you able to develop in researching and writing the Comprehensive Project due in Unit 5?
2. How will these competencies and knowledge support your career advancement in management?
   In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board and comment on other postings.

Answer 1

1. Before we get into project management, we need to define what exactly a “project” is. Sure, you’ve probably been assigned countless “projects” in school or on the job, but what is the actual definition?

The Project Management Institute defines a “project” as “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.”

There are a few key things to notice in this definition:

a) The word “temporary” means projects must have a defined beginning and end. This means every project must include a timeline, scope and resources. The fact that it is temporary with a beginning and an end also means that it is not part of ongoing operations. This brings us to the second point...

b) The purpose of a project must be “to create a unique product, service, or result.” This means a project will be started in order to accomplish a specific goal that is typically outside the realm of the typical day-to-day business operation. This means, the project team might include people who don’t usually work together, and require resources that are typically outside the scope of day-to-day operations.

Regardless, every project must have the following components:

Goal: What are you trying to achieve?

Timeline: When are you trying to achieve it by?

Budget: How much will it cost to achieve?

Stakeholders: Who are the major players who have an interest in this project?

Project manager: Who is going to make sure everything that needs to be completed gets completed?

A project is not something routine. Day-to-day operations or maintenance is not considered a project because it does not have a definitive start and end.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project management is the practice of applying knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to complete a project according to specific requirements. It comes down to identifying the problem, creating a plan to solve the problem, and then executing on that plan until the problem has been solved. That may sound simple, but there is a lot that goes into it at every stage of the process.

The roots of project management can be traced as far back as the building of the Pyramids in Giza and the Great Wall of China. However, the modern development of project management began in the 19th century when railway companies purchased tons of raw material and employed thousands of people to work on the transcontinental railroad.

By the early 20th century, Frederick Taylor applied concepts of project management to the work day, developing strategies for working smarter and improving inefficiencies, rather than demanding laborers work harder and longer. Henry Gantt, an associate of Taylor’s, took those concepts and used bars and charts to graph when certain tasks, or a series of tasks were completed, creating a new way to visualize project management.

2. competencies and knowledge support your career advancement in management

Organizations put great emphasis on career advancement, since it is one way of ensuring employee satisfaction and promote employee retention and loyalty. Forbes’ Victor Lipman said that presenting employees with opportunities to advance their careers is one of the most powerful motivators for employees. After all, they have a clear path ahead – the career path has direction, and there is a tangible and visible goal at the end. They will know where they are headed, and what they should do in order to get there. Thus, they will feel more motivated to perform better and strive harder.

There are several factors at play when we speak of career advancement. First, there is the organization itself, specifically its culture and the setup of things, particularly the attitude of management about employees’ career advancement. It is a reality that some organizations do not really care much about the personal and professional growth of their employees. However, some companies may even invest in developing programs and activities primarily designed to arm their employees with the necessary skills and expertise needed for career advancement.

It can also be affected by external factors, or forces outside the organization. For instance, some employees may feel that other companies offer more and better opportunities for career advancement than their current employer. Economic issues within the industry may also affect the employees’ decisions, so they will always seek greener pastures outside the company.

Of course, the employees are also a huge factor, especially their attitude and their initiative in actively seeking ways to equip themselves for career advancement. While there are employees who are actively looking for opportunities to go up the ladder, some may not be so ardent and fall behind.

In the big picture, it is the employees who are ultimately responsible for their own growth – both personally and professionally. Some actively look for sponsorships to help them along. Others do not hesitate to learn new things and obtain new knowledge that they believe will come in handy in the future when they rise up the ranks.

Most of these employees that take the initiative to learn and pursue knowledge focus on acquiring management skills. After all, career advancement often means that they will soon become the managers and leaders, so they are expected to have the necessary skills to be qualified for it.