Write a two-page paper based on the opening case. Answer the following questions:
a) What do you think the real problem was in this case?
b) Does the case present a realistic scenario? Why or why not?
c) Was Nick Carson a good project manager? Why or why not?
d) What could Nick have done to be a better project manager?
e) What should top management have done to help Nick?
a) Once going through the opening case I realized that the problem with the project was the wrong people in the wrong job. While selecting the manager who is going to lead such a biggest project special attention should be given because the project manager is the one who will guide the project towards the right direction. The other problem realized is the commitment of the managers. There must be some problem with the resources or top level commitment or some management reasons why the managers are leaving the project. At the last moment the leadership was given to nick who is very good in the execution of the project but not controlling and tracking the project as the good project manager.
Even though nick tried from his side but the top management were unable to cope up with him and guide him with what they wanted time to time. So there is a problem not only in the managers’ selection but also in the top level commitment.
b) Yes I think that the case presents the realistic scenario because there are many such cases that we hear and face in our own daily life. Everyone cannot be a good manager, thus in this project wrong selection of mangers lead to the change of mangers 3times in the period of the project. It may have hampered the project. The project is very large and takes long time to be completed and such problems may add further more delay in the project completion. Similarly a person Nick was assigned a team manager who has only a technical background so he however completed the project in time but the management role was not done properly.
c) After the project been handed over to Nick Carson, he completed the project in time. This demonstrates that he is an intelligent person with a technical mind who can fulfill or do whatever the project was asked to do. He accomplished the goal anyway but according to the top level management they have still complain about Nick that he has not done all the project works properly. They tried to say that he was good with the technical portions but not with the reporting and management parts.
d) Nick was the software developer before he is assigned the task of project manager. Instead of focusing only on the task of software development he should also focus on the responsibilities of a project manager. He must have adequately inspected the project and prepare proper documentation and give the progress report to the top management about the project in the timely manner. He kept everything with himself so that no other i.e. top management is unaware by the progress of the project. They cannot track anything about the project plan, what portion of the project has been done what is going on, and how is it doing its activities? All these types of questions are left for the top level staffs. Nick can create a detail project management plans including schedules and progress tracking activities. He can present the status report to the top management
e) If Nick was unable to get his responsibilities of manager, it is the responsibility of the top management to remind him. They can provide the templates that include the information that they need and they even did not give any instructions that he need to follow. So they may give examples or instructions to follow, top management may provide the stakeholders’ analysis to Nick so that it will help him manage the project and understand users need and expectations. They must try to understand Nicks need and provide him with the more support. E.g. provide an assistant with some project
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