Introduction
Project management has become a popular and required profession presently. Preparing the project managers consists of different stages, and each is combined with practical tasks to manage different issues and situations. Learning to be a project manager includes performing simulation, where an applicant can work as a project manager and face various challenges. In this case, essential insights and skills can be earned, and students can get practical knowledge and skills for working on the project and in a team.
The simulation emphasized that the project manager should be able to organize the teamwork properly, be aware of each stage of the project, manage conflicts, and clearly understand each part’s preferences and rules. The simulation in the course provided such an opportunity and allowed me to gain valuable insights and practical skills in solving different issues and problematic situations during the process. Project management ensures the development of the company’s resources and expands its cooperation with other organizations.
The Background of the Topic
This paper will allow readers to understand the main lessons and insights gained during the simulation and introduce the main strategies to use while working on similar projects. The paper will be divided into different parts, including information about four main lessons learned while performing simulations in project management. Firstly, the decisions made during the simulation and their impact on the overall results will be analyzed. Secondly, the insight and lessons learned during the simulation will be described. In this case, failures and successes will be analyzed to consider this experience while working on future projects.
In addition, the actions to solve these situations will be analyzed. Thirdly, the role and influence of the learning-curve theory will be researched so that the connection between simulation, the learning process, and its impact on the success of further projects will be researched. Lastly, based on the simulation and gained experience, the three main strategies to implement on further similar projects would be defined. In this case, the most suitable techniques would be found, and their role in the success of similar projects would be researched.
Decisions that Were Made During the Simulation
One of the first decisions made during the simulation was the non-acceptance of our partners’ localization contracts, significantly influencing the tone of communication and cooperation between companies. Our partners insisted on accepting their localization contracts, which made the decision-making process even harder. However, the project manager should be able to critically analyze the situation and different factors to make appropriate decisions. Localization contracts are time and materials contracts, so it is essential to examine each part despite the highest priority of such contracts (Kerzner, 2022).
In this case, we would not have fulfilled our partner’s requirements with the highest quality, and the project’s overall success would have been in danger. As a result, the decision was made to reject the acceptance of the localization contract. The indicator that was influenced by this decision was the satisfaction of the opposite side of the project. The Spanish worker was dissatisfied with such a decision, but after clarification, our relationship improved. Lastly, this decision reduced the risk of failure and negative project performance indicators that could occur.
One of the most crucial parts of the project was the creation of the manager reserves, and the decision to use them helped to avoid financial difficulties. The project I was working on was excellent and included cooperation with different countries, so the need for translators occurred. However, during such projects, it is essential to determine the principal terms used and choose the most appropriate variants that would be used by each team working on the project. During the simulation, the department of translators had training, which cost 9000 dollars.
In the middle of the project, it was stated that it was essential to pay for this training, but this expense was not included. The decision to use the management reserves was made, and potential financial issues with unexpected expenses were avoided. The management reserve is crucial, as it ensures safety from unexpected financial losses and positively impacts the project’s financial part (Kerzner, 2022). As a result, the financial performance indicators would not change negatively, and the translators’ team’s educational background and professional development would be ensured, positively affecting overall project success.
The third challenge was faced during the translation process and the use of already discussed terms by the translation from our department, so the decision to change the translators should be made. The message from our partners in France and Germany about the poor quality of the translation of their version of the project was received. It was noted that the terms discussed before needed to be appropriately used. During the communication with the leader of the translator department, it was revealed that the new translators were involved in the process, which created the precedent for mistakes and misunderstandings.
The project manager decided to change the translator’s team, but this was an incorrect choice. As a result, the different quality of translation could be negatively influenced because, during long-term projects, it is advised to keep the workers the same, as they are already aware of different aspects of work. In addition, the cooperation between the project manager and the team could suffer. Hence, the quality of further translations and the level of communication between the team and project manager could be negatively influenced.
The last critical decision made during the simulation was the acceptance of one of our workers’ requests to spend the weekend with family and work from home during that time. Allowing such activity positively influences the overall teamwork and trust between the project manager and team members. Project managers should be able to manage conflicts and do their best to avoid them. Conflict management is an integral part of the project manager’s work, and it is essential to know strategies and techniques to reduce conflicts (Khosravi et al., 2020).
Working on long projects can be complicated and overwhelming, so avoiding burnout and conflicts among team members is essential. I faced a dilemma; on the one hand, I could lose connection with essential workers on the project, and in case of emergency, the project’s success could not be achieved. However, on the other hand, I could avoid conflict and improve my relationships with the team. Thus, accepting the worker’s offer and allowing him to work remotely for a few days did not harm performance indicators and allowed him to avoid misunderstanding and further related failures.
The Main Success, Issues, and Actions During the Simulation
During the simulation, the main success was resolving the probable conflict with our partners and the appropriately structured communication with team members. The first success – conflict resolution – was achieved due to the ability to analyze the situation and implement the right approach to refuse and apologize. In my case, I also achieved professional success, as I learned how to react to challenges in communication with partners and soften the relations with them.
As a result, our cooperation with partners continued, and despite misunderstanding and non-acceptance of their positions, the projects continued to develop. The second success was the ability to react to the additional expenses appropriately. The preventive creation of the manager’s reserve helped to avoid unexpected expenses and improved my management skills. In this case, the workers could get essential knowledge, and the company could cover the expenses without harming the project effectively and financially.
The main issue was during the process of making decisions and the translations of the documents. Firstly, the decision process was challenging, as the team could only sometimes provide recommendations, and decisions should be made on my own. It was challenging, as crucial mistakes could be made without essential knowledge, which could negatively influence the overall project outcomes. For example, one such decision was whether to accept the localization contract, so each factor should have been included to make an effective decision.
Secondly, the issue was faced during translations of the project’s materials. Many complaints were associated with poor quality of translation, and the decision on how to resolve the situation should be made. In this case, my ability to immediately find the core of the problems and effectively cooperate with the team was challenged. Hence, the two main issues in the translation department were decision-making and problem-solving.
These successes and issues help to analyze and consider two actions that could be used in future projects to avoid misunderstanding and conflicts and improve project effectiveness. The first action is to predict and analyze each stage of the process and possible areas of misunderstanding in advance. In this case, an analytical team can cooperate with partners of the projects to reveal the gap in the projects and include the wishes of each side. The project manager should be able to prevent conflicts and immediately react to different misunderstandings between partners (Kerzner, 2017).
The second action is to implement the most appropriate communication to be aware of each change in each team and other relevant information. In this case, the project manager would be aware of each team member’s work, and if new workers are involved or any other changes are seen, the manager could predict possible issues and be more attentive. As a result, implementing these two actions can reduce or help avoid possible working issues, misunderstandings, and conflicts.
The Role of Learning Curve Theory in Project Management
The learning curve theory is a helpful tool to implement during similar future projects, as this theory provides valuable insights on improving the time and cost of the projects, the essential part of the process. During the project, crucial decisions were made regarding cost and time, and team management and learning-curve theory provide valuable information on how to avoid issues in these spheres. Firstly, the theory emphasizes the role of analyzing each side of the project needs to optimize time, cost, and team resources used to achieve the most relevant result (Abdelkhalek et al., 2020).
For instance, the specified number of team members can be stated so that the manager would be aware of each team member’s experience and benefits. Secondly, each side of the project should decide in advance the project timeframes and changes they would like to implement (Abdelkhalek et al., 2020). In this case, misunderstanding about notions and other relevant issues can be avoided. Lastly, the learning-curve theory highlights the necessity to accurately analyze each stage of the project to be aware of each outcome and the consequences of changing time, cost, or resources on overall project effectivity.
Recommendation to Improve the Future Project’s Outcomes
Implementing different practices to improve overall project effectiveness and future project outcomes – the first is effective communication and trust. Communication is among the most essential parts of the project’s success, as it is based on teamwork (Kerzner, 2019). During the simulation, all decisions and questions were solved in cooperation with team members, and the lack of communication led to misunderstandings with the translators.
That is why the project manager should implement different strategies and team-building training to boost trust and communication within the team. During future projects, constant team building and communication training can improve cooperation inside the organization and effectively work on project ideas and their implementation. Therefore, it is recommended that different strategies and training be used to improve communication and teamwork during similar projects in the future.
The second recommendation is to enhance strategic planning as the most essential part of the process. Strategic planning is the development of project management tools that enhance organizations consistency of actions (Kerzner, 2019). In this case, project management methodology should be used to improve the process’s running. Strategic planning helps divide the project into different stages so the team and project managers can better analyze each step correctly.
Strategic planning consists of the following parts: statement of work, work breakdown structure, specification, timing, and spending curve (Kerzner, 2019). Developing and understanding these elements can improve the effectiveness of similar projects in the future and increase cooperation between partners. Hence, strategic planning should be used for similar future projects.
Lastly, examining and implementing changes in the projects is recommended. During the simulation, it was noted that new changes in expenses and time could harm the overall project effectiveness and relationships between partners. In this case, it is crucial to agree on the possibilities for changes and create a reserve to cover unexpected expenses. For similar future projects, meetings should be held to discuss the issue of possible changes and the wishes of each side of the project. Moreover, the timeframes and additional reserves for different changes and unexpected issues should also be implemented to inform partners about the possibilities for changes and situations where the refusal of implementation could be received (Kerzner, 2019). As a result, this recommendation will reduce unexpected issues due to different changes.
Conclusion
To sum up, the simulation helped to accurately understand the role of project management and analyze the crucial decisions made during the process. The most critical issues were communication, conflict resolution, and the ability to react immediately and solve challenges. It is essential to implement different strategies, including effective communication and trust, strategic planning, and change examination to improve the effectiveness of similar projects in the future and avoid issues and mistakes. As a result, the effectiveness of future projects and project management skills could be boosted.
References
Abdelkhalek, H. A., Refaie, H. S., & Aziz, R. F. (2020). Optimization of time and cost through learning curve analysis. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 11(4), 1069-1082. Web.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 12th ed., John Wiley & Sons. Web.
Kerzner, H. (2019). Using the project management maturity model: strategic planning for project management. John Wiley & Sons.
Kerzner, H. (2022). Project management metrics, KPIs, and dashboards: a guide to measuring and monitoring project performance. John Wiley & Sons. Web.
Khosravi, P., Rezvani, A., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2020). Emotional intelligence: A preventive strategy to manage destructive influence of conflict in large scale projects. International Journal of Project Management, 38(1), 36-46. Web.
