The Tightrope Walker in Your OrganizationPosted by Ladefoged Johannesen on May 28th, 2021 Most of us enjoy watching a tightrope walker in circuses trying to walk along a rope to reach towards the other end without falling down. Skillfully, he uses a balancing pole to make it for the other end while being secured with a safety net. Sometimes this walker takes your breath away when he slips over rope and falls inside the safety net, yet, you know he's not hurt. When it comes to real life and you also check around you will observe a genuine tightrope walker within your organization whose slip may cause an emergency not just to him and also on the entire organization. Guess who! Online Dispute Resolution could be the Project Manager (PM). All exactly what a PM does is wanting to reach from end of the project (Initiating), towards the other end (Closing) safely by maintaining all of the project's competing demands balanced. What is funny about it, possibly at once challenging, is always that nearly all of project stakeholders (SH) know what competing demands are, and they are even skilled at stretching them. All of which are aware that a PM must deliver within scope, time, budget, quality, and available resources. However, Conflict resolution in the workplace of those SH knows which 'Balancing Pole' to make use of to help keep these demands balanced. Even if they do know it, they don't know how to utilize it. Here comes the role of our Tightrope Walker; the PM. I will touch on three key management areas a PM uses as Balancing Pole to keep the balance in his project's competing demands that happen to be Integration, Communication, and Conflict management areas. A PM needs to keep his project balanced by maintaining it integrated both on technical side and human side. For example, maintaining a highly effective Change Management procedure enables the project manager to feature any requested changes into all project baselines; i.e. if an implemented change affects scope, it has got to be reflected to cost and time as applicable. The feedback loop of continuous update to project management plan as they executes the project is another means of integration that looks after a balanced project throughout life cycle. Regarding human integration I emphasize ale integrating the project team members together to function as one cohesive unit towards one objective. Just like football team players whose coach harmonizes their performance to score goals. For example, building the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is surely an activity that assists the PM integrate his affiliates because it involves collaborative effort from all of these. It is claimed that 80% of projects failure is a result of poor communications. A successful PM may be the one who continuously maintains links wonderful stakeholders to satisfy their information needs and best manage their expectations regarding the project. Whether it is through effective meetings, presentations, emailing, or conference calling the PM is kept updated with any requested changes that the stakeholders need with the perfect time. Besides, by building an open communications environment a good constructive atmosphere amongst associates is created where ideas are shared and team performance is fostered. All that provides heavy mass to PM to maintain him balanced inside the project journey. Conflict management is directly related to communications skills. A proficient communicator is most likely a powerful conflict-solver. It is worth mentioning that mastering the tricks of conflict resolution is key to keep up harmonized performance in project team. Small business dispute resolution are disruptive and detrimental on the project. On the other hand, a PM should realize that conflict may also be healthy and required by projects; a project with no conflicts is actually an 'unbalanced project'. At the end through the day it may be the PM's challenge to help keep the project balanced. The more skillfully a PM performs 'tightrope walking', the harder he 'entertains' his stakeholders and greater likely he helps it be on the other end in the rope without falling.Like it? Share it! More by this author |