Unit 3: Organizational Design
Many businesses have struggled with organizing projects under a separate organizational system than their ongoing operations. Upon the chartering of a project, organizations must determine how their project will be implemented. In many cases, traditional organization designs fall short of providing the type of structure needed for successful project implementation. Thus, the manner in which a project is organized may change with each new charter through a temporary design project which fits the current project's needs.
There are various project management systems that provide the proper framework for implementing project activities within organizations. This unit will discuss how project managers can balance the needs of both the overall organization and the project by utilizing effective design techniques.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 15 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- define organizational structure;
- define organizational design;
- describe effective communication tactics and tools for project teams;
- describe how to identify proper resources for a project;
- describe how to build a productive project teams; and
- define conflict management.
3.1: Establishing the Proper Organizational Structure
Read each of the four sections of this chapter on organizational structure. Having a basic understanding of organizational design will help you strategize risk management, project initiation, leadership, and more. What is the most important aspect of understanding organizational design you would take away from this section? Why?
This chapter aims to give an overview of organizational structure from several points of view, including culture, communications, and management. Consider the convergence of cultures between team members, stakeholders, and you, the project manager. How do you engage the team? What issues can adversely affect the project when dealing with different cultures and expectations?
Watch this video, which covers the organizational issues that management must discuss before starting a project and strategies for identifying and preventing these issues to prevent project failure. How might the point of view of the professor differ from yours, culturally? What effect does technology have in this area?
3.2: Working with Individuals
As you read, note how a project management professional's communication style, personality type, and leadership style can affect how they interact with the project team members. What communication style or personality type do you prefer in a manager? Is there a certain type of leader you work best with? Think about the type of communicator and leader you would like to be.
Read the first section of this chapter on why people management matters to the successful delivery of projects. This chapter demonstrates the importance of managing people for the success of a project. You will read other sections from this chapter later on.
Watch this video, which covers how to select the right personnel for project implementations and tips on identifying the right people and resources such as facilities, funding, and other needs to carry out project tasks.
This video focuses on how to get buy-in from your team members and stakeholders. Part of that is how you make hiring decisions. Can you think of some examples from your work or volunteer experience where you had to make a teambuilding decision?
3.3: Working with Groups
Creating a good working team with a group culture that benefits all members is vital to a project team's smooth functioning. Think about times when you had positive or negative interactions with team members on a project. What can you attribute these moments to? How was the project ultimately affected? Attempt the exercises at the end of the chapter.
Read this section, which discusses how to build an effective team of high performers for successful project implementation.
Watch this lecture, which discusses the importance of identifying the right resources in project teams, team-building tactics, and the effect of leadership on outcomes.
This video posits that one of the benefits of building diverse teams is interdisciplinarity, or the thinking and creating across disciplines that can happen when team members have diverse perspectives, points of view, or backgrounds. Can you think of any additional benefits of this kind of collaboration? Are there drawbacks?
3.4: Communication Tactics
Read this chapter and attempt the exercises at the end of each section. This chapter discusses how communication technology can facilitate faster and better communication among project team members. Pay attention to the learning outcomes listed at the outset of each section. After you read, revisit these outcomes and ask yourself if you have achieved them.
Read this article, which discusses why project managers must communicate effectively. Spend some time on the activity. Record your reflections in your notes.
Read this chapter and attempt the exercises. Use the learning objectives at the top of each section to frame the chapter. Although some of the information about teams will be a review, note how communication surrounds all of the factors of a project manager's success.
3.5: Conflict Resolution
Read this section, keeping in mind that there is a difference between constructive conflict and conflict that can damage teams and projects. Have you noticed this distinction in any organizations you have worked for?
Managing conflict can mean more than just settling disputes among the project team members. Project managers may have to settle conflicts with their clients. In this section, you will consider the project manager's role in settling issues around competing interests, making decisions to revise previous decisions, and dealing with the client's concerns.
Read this section, which discusses why political skills will be necessary to make deals and resolve conflicts with stakeholders who project managers may have little formal authority over.
This article examines five strategies for solving common disagreements: confronting, dominating, compromising, accommodating, and avoiding. Pay attention to the literature review.
Unit 3 Discussion and Assessment
- Make forum posts: 1
Consider responding to the following questions in this discussion forum. You may also respond to other students' posts.
- What characteristics should an effective project team have?
- As a project manager, what challenges may you experience when you manage your team?
- When conflicts occur in your project, what strategies would be helpful for you to manage project conflicts?
Click on Unit 3 Discussion to post your response.
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.