Bus 375 Assignment 1
Analysis of The Reluctant Workers
Holly Mitchell
Strayer University
BUS375
F. L. Mitchell
February 3, 2013
Analysis of The Reluctant Workers
This paper will look at the case study “The Reluctant Workers” then analyze and identify three of the core skills used by the first time project manager (PM) Tim Aston. We will also explore the skills and effectiveness of the young PM’s ability to communicate and motive his functional managers and project staff. In addition, we will examine the support provided to the Tim by the company’s senior management and decide if the support provided was adequate or still lacking proper direction. And finally, this paper will make recommendations to both the PM and the company’s senior executives that will be relative to the personal motivation of the staff, resource allocation, and organizational skill to aid in support of Tim becoming a more effect project manager.
The three core skills that this paper will examine that were in play for the case study are; technical expertise, leadership, and management support.
Tim’s lack of experience performing as a PM exposed his technical expertise as being inadequate. Tim was new to the company so he did not have any strong ties with any of the functional or line managers, which would result in his ability to make fair and unbiased decisions over all levels of staff disciplines. However Tim, unlike many other project managers in other companies, was not required to spend twelve to eighteen months in a company apprentice program (Kerzner, 2010, p.148). The lack of mentorship from senior management proved to be part of Tim’s problem when it came to communicating and motivating his staff. Tim came into the company with high hopes of being one of the best program managers ever, and soon learned that communication and the motivation of his staff was an obstacle that he had not fully expected. Getting the staff to devote the time needed, evening getting them to attend an
Holly Mitchell
Strayer University
BUS375
F. L. Mitchell
February 3, 2013
Analysis of The Reluctant Workers
This paper will look at the case study “The Reluctant Workers” then analyze and identify three of the core skills used by the first time project manager (PM) Tim Aston. We will also explore the skills and effectiveness of the young PM’s ability to communicate and motive his functional managers and project staff. In addition, we will examine the support provided to the Tim by the company’s senior management and decide if the support provided was adequate or still lacking proper direction. And finally, this paper will make recommendations to both the PM and the company’s senior executives that will be relative to the personal motivation of the staff, resource allocation, and organizational skill to aid in support of Tim becoming a more effect project manager.
The three core skills that this paper will examine that were in play for the case study are; technical expertise, leadership, and management support.
Tim’s lack of experience performing as a PM exposed his technical expertise as being inadequate. Tim was new to the company so he did not have any strong ties with any of the functional or line managers, which would result in his ability to make fair and unbiased decisions over all levels of staff disciplines. However Tim, unlike many other project managers in other companies, was not required to spend twelve to eighteen months in a company apprentice program (Kerzner, 2010, p.148). The lack of mentorship from senior management proved to be part of Tim’s problem when it came to communicating and motivating his staff. Tim came into the company with high hopes of being one of the best program managers ever, and soon learned that communication and the motivation of his staff was an obstacle that he had not fully expected. Getting the staff to devote the time needed, evening getting them to attend an
References: Kerzner, H. (2010). Project management, a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. (10 ed.). hoboken, NJ: Wiley.