Product Planning and Mangement

“A team is a group of people working together for a common goal. Teams should not be confused with groups. A team shares responsibility, authority, and resources to achieve their collective mission” (Barkley, p. 144). Project planning in teams is an integral constituent of team dynamics. When a team has already been formed it is time for it to start working on a project in order to reach the goals of the team or company in a whole.

It is necessary to keep in mind two peculiarities about team projects.The first peculiarity is that all projects no matter what their goals are need to be carefully planned and structured before the implementation. The second peculiarity is that the given projects will be performed not by an individual but a group of individuals, which may result in a certain conflict of interests or other problems, which may be encountered while working with a group of people. Rosenwinkel Article The article written by Rosenwinkel discusses the purpose of a project plan and reasons that a project plan may not be necessary.According to Stevenson “project management differs from management of more traditional activities mainly because of its limited time framework and the unique set of activities involved, which gives rise to a host of unique problems” (p.

776). Rosenwinkel states “not all projects require a project plan, for some projects it could be a waste of time” (Rosenwinkel, p. 2). The article further discusses that a manager with a dominant personality make consider project planning a waste of time. This type of management style has not been very effective because often times the project plan is misjudged by the dominant manager.

Personal ProjectThe project that I was a project manager on was the development of a childcare center. In order for the childcare facility to be built this project required a project plan. At the time of this project I was not as organized as I should have been. The two people variables were 1) Does one person own the project? The answer to this would be yes or as denote it would be given a (1). This project was my responsibility as well as completely financed by myself.

The success of the project was my interest along. The second people variable was is the owner(s) an expert in all aspects of the project? The answer is no denoted by a (1).I acted as the general contractor on this project as the contractor completed the build out the realization occurred that I was in over my head. I tried to cut cost by not hiring a general contractor the problem arose because the wiring did not met the code therefore the electrical building inspector would not approve his section. The building did not meet the ADA standards so an up fit was needed. The project variables in this project would be 1) Are the project expectation clearly defined and stable? Yes, the project expectation was clearly defined by the planning committee for the county and also the architects.

This project was clearly understood by the more experienced key players it was I who misunderstood the expectations for this project. The second project variable is what is the relative time frame for completing this project? My thoughts were that the project would be complete in three month’s this project took a year in a half. At this point I was extremely frustrated but I continue and really wanting a team to support me. The project was a learning experience for me although I saved money on a general contractor I had to use additional money for experience technicians that I was not aware I needed. ConclusionIn conclusion, good leaders are essential for the successful management of projects. To manage a project effectively, the leaders require a group of dedicated individuals, committed to achieving project goals.

While selecting good staff/team members is important, it is equally important to assign them the right jobs. The project manager plays a key role in the success of a project. Project managers should be able to analyze project risk and uncertainty. Stevenson states, “Projects are often used in situations that have some degree of uncertainty, which can result in delays, budget overruns, and failure to meet technical requirements.To minimize the impact of these possibilities management must ensure that careful planning, wise selection of project managers and team members, and monitoring of the project occur” (p. 808).

Reference Barkley, B. (2006). Integrated project management. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Rosenwinkel, J. (1995). Project plans in the new world.

Journal of Systems Management, 46(2). 34. ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 5374996 Stevenson, W. J. (2009).

Operations management (10th Ed). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin. .