Introduction
Projects are critical aspects of any venture in the business or public institutions. The project manager is tasked with ensuring the tasks constituting the project are accomplished in timely manner and in sequential manner. Projects are broken down to interrelated tasks that must be completed by different teams. The project manager coordinates the various teams to work in harmony for the success of the venture. The manager must possess good communication and team building skills to perform the tasks effectively (Malinowski, 2011).
Good Communicator and its Relevance to my Projects
A project manager must possess good communication skills/should be a good communicator. Communication is critical in running and coordinating the various teams assigned different tasks that form the project. Each team has a part to play that can be distinct and forms a part of the venture, with the tasks correlated in such a manner that task A must precede B and C cannot commence before A is complete. In such cases, the project manager has to communicate the significance of the completion of A to the team members since it is the dragging phase of the project. For the effective completion of my projects, clear communication to the team members about the project goals, responsibilities, expectations, performance, and the feedback mechanism is critical. Good communication will ensure the team work harmoniously to achieve the purpose of the mission (Chini, 2006)
Team Building Skills and their Significance to my Projects
The scope of the projects requires combination of various teams of professionals, each performing distinct and critical tasks that form the larger mission. For the success of the undertaking, the various teams must know their responsibilities and the influence of their part to the success of the project. The project manager should be able to offer the uniting force that transforms the group members from being strangers to work as one entity with a common goal in the right aim. Team building skills are significance for the completion of my projects to ensure that all the various parties in the project are united and bound by the common project goal. Ensuring the workers in various departments is working as a single entity provide for the smooth flow of tasks and avoids conflicts that could delay the task (Timothy, 2015).
Problems that would occur if the two Characteristics are not Applied
Communication and team building skills are critical for the project manager for the success of the project. If these qualities lack, the various members in the team will be working independently and in a conflicting manner that would jeopardize the success of the venture. Lack of clear communication to the workers would have the teams that are not aware of their responsibilities, what is expected of them, or the purpose of the project. The teams would not know the significance of their individual tasks to one another and to the success of the project. The result would be lack of coordination and unity of purpose that would produce conflicts and the project would fail. If the manager does not provide the link that binds the different members and teams to work towards, the project would seize to be (Chini, 2006, p. 560).
Herb Kelleher, South West Airlines CEO
Herb Kellener is one of the leading CEOs in the airline industry. Herb is a good communicator and a skillful team leader with demonstrated team building skills. He has established the best communication channels in the Company including an interactive employee online platform where the workers raise issues and they are discussed without any form of discrimination. The employers are free with him and it is his tendency to visit and chat with the staff humorously regardless of their position on the pecking order. Kellener involves all the employees in the decision-making processes thus ensuring that every employer knows what the Company has resolved to perform and his personal and team`s responsibilities. In addition, he organizes company retreats and dinners where the workers socialize and develop social bonds that are above the job scope making them regard each other as family (Parthasarthy & Gopinath, 2011).
What I will do to develop those Traits
How I will apply those Traits to my Projects
I will apply good communication and team building skills in my projects by ensuring a proper communication channel between all the teams and the team members. I will involve all the team members in decision-making process so that every person will understand our goals and the responsibilities of everyone towards the attainment of the goals. I will employ team building skills such as enterprise resource planning method of operation so that the project runs as a process rather than tasks. That way, the teams will be working harmoniously with the common purpose of attainment of the venture`s goals.
References
Chini, T. F. (2006). Communication Skills for Effective Management. Asian Bus Manage, 5(4)
, 559-561. doi:10.1057/palgrave.abm.9200203
Malinowski, M. F. (2011). Essential project management skills. Proj Mgmt Jrnl, n/a-n/a
. doi:10.1002/pmj.20234
Parthasarthy, R., & Gopinath, C. (2011). The Competitive Environment of the US Domestic
Airline Industry in 2010. The CASE Journal, 8(1), 140-156. doi:10.1108/tcj-08-2011-b006
Timothy R. Barry. (2015). Top 10 Qualities of a Project Manager. Retrieved from
https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/top-10-qualities-project-manager.php
