Project management fundamentals and core concepts

Project Management

If you were Palmer at the end of the case, how would you respond?

Olds having decided to work full time in Consulting for Crosby meant that Palmer had no alternative, but to accept his decision. Palmer should accept this decision as trying to bring Olds to his team would result in negativity as Olds wanted to work in Consulting and not Auditing. Palmer should find a suitable replacement for Olds in order for the project to continue. Employee sharing amongst different managers should be addressed and avoided at all costs. Employee sharing always results in divided attention and the employees cannot concentrate on the different roles or responsibilities. In order to avoid similar situations, Palmer should inform Sands of Crosby's unwillingness to be a team player. This way Sands will discuss with Crosby of the need to work as a team within the organization. Palmer should also improve on his communication methods. Communicating effectively with Olds would have ensured that he does concentrate on his auditing responsibilities and reports on time.

2. What, if anything, could Palmer have done to avoid losing Olds?

Olds was a dedicated and talented employee, which made him desirable to both account managers. Crosby recognized Olds talents, and he did his best to reward him and his team. Palmer should also have realized how valuable Olds was to his project. Olds had been struggling with both projects, and he tried to work extra hours, which resulted in conflicts at home. He did not have a good work-life balance, and this is never good for any employee. As a project manager, Palmer should have recognized the struggles Olds was facing and developed a schedule that enabled Olds to thrive on both projects and at home. Communicating with Olds regularly not only in terms of work, but in general would have allowed Palmer to create a close bond with Olds and this would have endeared Olds towards him instead of Crosby.

3. What advantages and disadvantages of a matrix type organization are apparent from this case?

Advantages of matrix organization are that when an employee feels overwhelmed as Olds felt, they can speak to the objective third party. This way Olds was able to voice his concerns to Sands and was moved to the project he preferred. Having employees move from project to project is also advantageous as it results in shared expertise in all the projects. This organizational structure also provides efficient utilization of the resources. Disadvantages are that employees have dual reporting responsibilities, which can cause conflict and anxiety as happened to Olds. There is also a possibility of project managers conflicting in regards to priorities. Palmer and Crosby had different priorities pertaining their projects, which resulted in conflict within the organization. There was also conflict with the functional manager as she was responsible for all the projects and employee distribution. Sands had to ensure that project managers delivered on their deadlines. This caused conflict as Palmer was behind schedule because Olds was concentrating so much on Crosby's project.