Project Leader Personal Learning Contract Learning Within

Project Leader

Personal Learning Contract

Learning within organizations is vital to success. It is the lifeblood that grows and sustains human capital (Bassi & McMurrer, 2004; Noe, 2008; Senge, 1990) through human resource development (HRD) and the management of technology which, according to Thamhain (2001), is the key to competitiveness and wealth creation.

In this essay the researcher attempts to explore the challenges he will be facing as a leader and the competencies he will need to handle these challenges. The essay is divided into two parts. Part-I reflects the challenges, difficulties, scope and required competencies to be leader in the organization and how the writer will develop himself to fulfill the requirements of the role. While in Part-II the author has stated how to keep balance among personal and professional life.

Part-I

Contract Title: What I want to work on. The leadership contribution and capability I want to build.

Leadership is "an inherently relational process of working with others to accomplish a goal or to promote change" (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, 2006, p.320). Defining what leadership isd certainly differs among individuals or groups. According to Stogdill (1974); "there are almost as many definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept" (p.259). Examples of the various definitions asserted by leadership scholars provide insight into how leadership is conceptualized, described and articulated. Yukl (2002) states that, "Leadership is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how it can be done effectively and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish the shared projects" (p.7). Gardiner (1990) defines leadership as "the process of persuasion or example by which an individual

Self-organization, spontaneous emergence of structures and behaviours (Capra, 1996) is founded upon the interactions among the agents of the system (as cited in McDaniel, 2007) as opposed to being dictated by a central command and control. Self-organization is more spontaneous and takes advantage of the white space (Rummler & Brache, 1995) on the organization chart. It happens in the shadow systems instead of the formal organization. The information used in self-organization passes informally through patterns of communication relationships.

I have selected the role of project manager for myself. "Construction projects have reported a high degree of risk; not being on time, not within budget, and not meeting the expectations of the client" (CMAA, 2004; Post, 1998). Efforts to improve performance have included lean construction, partnering, construction management, and supply chain management (Sullivan et al., 2005). Another solution has been to implement increased project management (PM), direction, and control (Hwang & Liang, 2005; Gordon & Akinci, 2007; Cottrell, 2006).

Many factors involve in the successfulness of a construction project, like project complication, contractual actions, and associations between project participants, the capability of project managers, and the expertise of key project members (Baker et at., 1983; Chua et at., 1999; Mohsini et al., 1992; Jaselskis et al., 1991). The most of current project performance measurement tools centring on financial aspects like the profit on investment and profit per unit (Sanger, 1998) squabble that financial parameters are helpful, but there are insufficiencies, such as lagging metrics (Boynton, Zmund, 1984; Ghalayini, Noble, 1996), a need for strategic focus, and a not succeeding in providing data on quality, relations, and the surroundings (Hayes, Wheelwright, Clark, 1998; Johnson, Kaplan, 1987; Neely, 1999).

Importance and Scope of the Role

Construction industry is one of the most important industries for United States. It has a large contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) of nearly about 8.2% (Simonson, 2007). Construction industry is the second major employer in the country only to the U.S. Government, which comprise the Armed Forces (Engineering Technology, 2004).

These numbers well define the fact that construction industry is an integral part of the country's progress; however, ironically, failure of the industry is also second highest as construction companies have a bankruptcy rate of 95%. Previous research indicate that among one-third and one-half of all projects are out of budget or in the wake of schedule and also that more than one-third of proprietors of main new projects are mixed up in adjudication or litigation of contract claims. Almost three-quarters (72%) expansion has been seen in the number of change orders (Molenaar, 2003).

Since leadership has the ability to increase output, competence, and presentation (Collins, 2001; Liker, 2004) which comes off smart thinking and vision, a large amount of money is being spent on research for development of good winning leadership programs and trainings (Crain, 2007; MIT, 2003). Employers put their employees into leadership trainings and seminars (Toor, Ofori, 2008). The researchers have mostly agreed upon the four factors that cover up the mechanism of real leadership: fair processing, internalized ethical perspective, reasonable clearness and self-awareness (Avolio et al., 2009). A survey of the American Council of Engineering Companies exposed community engineers are not mostly considered as community leaders whilst a large fraction of correspondents professed them as technical consultants (Russell, Stouffler, 2003).

Since early in the 20th century organizations were thought of as machine-like and the people within the organization as replaceable parts (Wheatley, 2006). This metaphor extended to thinking that futures could be predicted and forecasted and still is an important characteristic of organizations and their ability to thrive within a competitive marketplace. The idea that you cannot manage it if you cannot measure it is still valid today (Rummler & Brache, 1995). Measuring performance at the organizational, process, and individual levels of the organization is still a necessary component of the recipe for success in the marketplace. But according to Wheatley (2007); "if we think of organizations as machines, we remain blind to the power of self-organized networks" (p. 63).

Importance of Self Development

Self-organizing networks are a characteristic of living systems (Barabasi, 2002; Strogatz, 1994) and according to Capra (2002) we need to understand human organizations as living systems in order for self-organizing networks to be accepted as a learning mechanism.

An example of an informal shadow system is the "white space" in the organization chart described by Rummler and Brache (1995) where cross functional processes intersect with formal departmental boundaries. They suggest that the communication and learning that takes place in the white space is important to optimum performance.

An example of the new forms of behaviour in Capra's definition of self-organization is Argyris' (1990) double loop learning. He suggests that we not only need to learn directly from the feedback from our actions but also by rethinking the assumptions of our learning. Constantly reflecting on our assumptions facilitates examination of our paradigms which can change our thinking, which can change our learning, which can change our actions. Senge (1990) seems to endorse the "far from equilibrium" stance by recommending that organizations experiment with new concepts and paradigms. The experimentation idea is also espoused by Davenport and Harris (2008) in their research on organizations that are successful with using business analytics as a competitive advantage.

Staying too close to equilibrium can dampen the creative dynamics that complexity science says is needed for survival (Rowland, 2007). The order that comes from the paradoxical edge of chaos does not come from intentional command and control but from a complex spider web of sparsely connected elements (Kauffman, 1995). In living systems cognition, the process of knowing, is intertwined with the very process of life (Maturana & Varela, 1987). "The interactions of a living organism -- plant, animal, or human -- with its environment are cognitive interactions" (Capra, 2002, p. 34). Living and learning are always connected and help create the process of autopoiesis, the self-generation of living networks (Maturana & Varela, 1987). Autopoietic systems constantly undergo structural changes while maintaining their patterns of organization. Living systems couple themselves structurally to their environment which causes changes to both the organism and the environment.

2. 2. Diagnosis of the opportunity to focus and enhance your contribution through ROLE.

Leadership development is at or near the top in importance to senior executives within organizations (McAlearney, 2006; Towers-Perrin, 2005). In the criteria for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, leadership has the second highest weighting, second only to business results but ahead of customer focus, measurement, analysis, knowledge management, workforce focus, process management, and strategic planning (Noe, 2008). It is estimated that between $20-30 billion was spent on leadership development programs (LDPs) in 2008 (ASTD, 2009). Studies show the impact of formal leadership training on the acquisition and development of leadership skills (Russ-Eft & Preskill, 2001).

However, my objective in informal learning as I am now not playing this role but planning to play and prepare myself for this role through peer learning. So I need to develop such skills. As there is growing interest in informal learning (Collis & Margaryan, 2005; Eraut, 2004; Terrion, 2006)) and investment is being placed in leadership development. So if it may be possible that informal learning influences the acquisition of leadership skills to the same degree as formal learning? Leadership development training could become more economically efficient and effective.

Terrion's (2006) research looked at a management leadership program for administrators at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Canada. The study's objectives were to evaluate the program's impact for the participants related to learning, behavioural change, and achievement of core competencies. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews the findings suggest that "informal learning strategies are the primary means by which University directors develop core competencies" (Terrion, 2006, p. 183). The strategies that were built into the program were "informal learning through greater self-awareness, the establishment and maintenance of social networks, or social capital, for discussion and problem solving by senior managers and for the development and reinforcement of skills" (Terrion, 2006, p. 183). These are informal learning strategies that are examples posited by Watkins and Marsick (1992) and suggest that formal learning can be designed for informal learning to take place. The study's conclusions also reinforce what was proposed by Enos. (2003) that "informal learning for managers is a social process" (p. 379).

Responsibilities

A project manager holds a vital position in every project. The PMI (2004) described project managers as "the chief architects and executives in charge of overseeing the day-to-day project operations." Kerzner (2006b) asserted that the project managers guide the project implementation plan development through collecting the required resources (financial, human, equipment, etc.) to making sure deliverables across all project phases. According to Gido and Clements (2006), "project managers provide leadership to the project team. For instance, in the area of planning, project managers spearhead the development of a plan with the project team and review the plan with the customer; in the area of organizing, they secure the appropriate resources to perform the project; and in the area of controlling, they track actual progress and compare it with planned progress." So, I have focussed on learning, how I will plan and set my schedule to accomplish the goals set.

As a manager, I will be responsible to lead my team as well as managing stakeholders. Hutka (2009) expressed that each project, no matter what its size, requires a single project manager to direct the project team toward the project's objectives. Project managers also are accountable for controlling and fulfilling the stakeholders' expectations (Gido & Clements, 2006; Hedeman et al., 2005; Phillips, 2009; PMI, 2004). Wood (2008) claimed that a well-informed and knowledgeable project manager is a plus point in terms of diminishing costs by using the best practices appropriate for the project, recuperating superiority by lessening delays by pre-ordering required materials' and instruments, and plummeting jeopardy through ongoing re-examines and documentation. As a result, as project managers I will communicate unforeseen developments accurately to the team members and also listen to their suggestions (Hutka, 2009).

Skill Development

Aside from my central role and responsibilities that project managers occupy in every project, I have realized that I need to develop the necessary skills to efficiently incorporate effectual practices inside the project phases and attain winning deliverables. For instance, project managers should be effective communicators (Gido & Clements, 2006). The PMI (2004) asserted that "90% project managers' time is spent communicating the project objectives to the team and presenting progress, technical design, and project status reports to the stakeholders involved in the project."

A second leadership skill as stated by Gido and Clements that project managers must possess good leadership and interpersonal skills, be able to manage stress, have a good sense of humor, and be good delegators. I have focussed on this skill development and my peer partner helped me to develop this skill. Effective delegation, though, requires that the project team members or supervisors being passed on to act must be authorized to agree to full liability on the job and be liable for their actions (Phillips, 2009).

Self-Awareness

As Adam (2009) claimed, creating high-quality teams is not an occurrence but it is developed through encouragement by a determined, goal-orientated participation that promotes better self-awareness. Project teams look up persons who are working next to project managers to deliver the actual work (Huemann, 2010); a group of mutually dependent individuals working together to attain the project purpose (Gido & Clements, 2006); "a collection of individuals who will work together to ensure the success of the project" (Phillips, 2004); "the group that is performing the work of the project" (PMI 2004); or "the group of people working towards a common objective to achieve success."

Decision Making

According to Axson (2007), "ensuring effectiveness requires not only redesigned processes and new technologies but also appropriate skilled and trained practitioners who will make the right decisions; integrate, implement and transform data and information into knowledge and take steps to ensure the achievement of the project goals." The significance of the project team, that is why should not be taken lightly in any given project. As O'Dell, Grayson, and Essaides (1998) claimed, "with technology, organizational problems are half solved, but the other half is not technology; rather, it is people." "Methodologies do not manage projects; people do" (Kerzner, 2006a). Drucker (1954) asserted that all firms say regularly that people are their maximum asset, yet few exercise what they sermonize, let alone truly believe it.

In line with Drucker's claim, Pinto (2007) argued that many organization are focussing on the management of capital assets with no any real capacity to check and "make the most of a company's biggest asset: its people." As a result, Pinto recommended that effectual practices command that people be valued, deliberate, and urbanized since they are lively possessions that can add to in value with time; they stand for the residual assets of a business after everything else has been eliminated, and company and shareholder values often suffer when human capital is mismanaged.

Group Discussion

To take benefit from the most of a company's greatest asset, the project team, Gelbard and Carmeli (2009) expressed that the use of group discussion and role-playing that emphasize critical and integrative thinking can be a vital contribution that opens information possibilities and heartens pioneering ideas within the project team. Huemann (2010) and Wang (2005) asserted that finding pioneering ways to work jointly as a team is the most excellent advance to building enthusiasm and maximizing the team members' involvement while generating enhanced solutions and growing group efficiency. According to Hansson (2007), "decisions made in groups such as committees, task forces, review panels, and study teams have an across-the-board impact on organizational activities and workforce."

Technology

"This is the era of e-business or no business" (Garrett, 2007). Miles (2003) claimed that improving process efficiency could not become realism in anticipation of the growth of the Internet. E-business, according to Garrett, "describes technology-enabled business that focuses on the seamless integration of the key stakeholders, performing organizations, project managers, and team members." This claim recommends that technology is the vehicle that drives business success and that company without having technology may face a higher risk of business failure. According to Schachter (2004), "technology-related projects sometime fail to meet project deadlines." Thus, if performing companies want to be successful, meet project deadlines, and ultimately please their clientele, they require technological tools (Thomas & Fernandez, 2008).

There is an increasing tendency to researching better ways of performing projects efficiently by using project management tools (Axson, 2007; Besner & Hobbs, 2008). The objective is to lessen the breakdown rate of projects. Besner and Hobbs examined the use of 70 at length recognized project management tools and techniques and the level of shore up provided by organizations for their use. They noted that the future of project management practice will become more reliant on the efficient employability of these technological tools. Technology will help faster project delivery (Unruh, 1997).

Effective practices that drive greater profits and product excellence need the addition of technological tools and techniques (Besner & Hobbs, 2008) within the project life cycle. According to Spender (1996), "technology is the master tool that shapes the systematic aspects of organizational systems." However, Starns and Odom (2006) claimed that professional expertise to recognize the best mix of technologies via a combination of using existing technologies, improving current technologies where suitable, and getting new technologies when necessary will be the main factor to obtain project success.

Knowledge Management

In regard to the concealed driver of effectiveness, knowledge management has been widely identified as the main element to obtain project effectiveness (Davenport & Prusak, 2000; Ingasan & Jonasson, 2009; Kerzner, 2004; Morrison & Brown, 2004; Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995). Davenport and Prusak defined knowledge as "a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information." For other knowledge management experts like Nonaka and Takeuchi, organizational knowledge expresses the ability of a company to produce and deal out new information all through the company exemplified in its products, services, and systems