Defend Resource Management Strategies
Three myths about project management are: 1) a delayed project is not good, 2) processes are more important than people, and 3) failure is not an option (Moore, 2011; Watson, 2014). These myths, if believed, can have damaging effects on a project and the project manager’s outlook. This paper will evaluate these myths, describe how to mitigate them, explain how to measure and control the project resources expended, and identify five specific resource management related issues and the mitigation technique that can be used to address them.
Myths
The first myth—that delays are always bad—can be problematic for project managers because it can box them in to thinking about progress in a very specific way. The reality is that hiccups are likely to occur, and if one area of the project is delayed, there should be a sense of where other areas can proceed. This is where the GANTT chart can come in to play to help the project manager understand how to manage the project effectively when one area falls behind schedule. The GANTT chart shows what stages of the project can proceed independently of others and what stages require earlier processes to be completed first. The GANTT chart is the best way to mitigate for this myth. It allows every step of the process to be measured and controlled so that the manager knows what resources are needed where and when and by whom.
As Gasparotti (2011) notes, “good project planning requires time and resources” (p. 36). Mitigation, therefore, depends upon having access to the time and resources required for the project to reach its goals. Time and resources are both people dependent. People provide the time and the resources for a project, which means that a project manager must be able to communicate effectively with the stakeholders involved in the project to ensure 1) that it can be completed on time, and 2) that the necessary tools are available.
Without an effective communication strategy, the project manager will not have an adequate idea of how to budget time and resources appropriately and breakdowns in everything from the supply chain to assembly can be negatively impacted as a result. This is why Gasparotti (2011) states that “human resource planning is very important”...
36). One practical way to manage human resources is via the GANTT chart. This chart allows the manager to see the person/hour ratio of every activity within the project, which gives the manager a sense of “the time required by a single person to achieve a certain activity” (Gasparotti, 2011, p. 36). The GANTT chart is a great boon for the manager for a number of reasons, but mostly because “if more people are involved, sharing among them various tasks, the actual duration of implementing a certain activity is reduced” (Gasparotti, 2011, p. 36). In other words, as the project “depends on the project priorities (performance, costs or time)” (Gasparotti, 2011, p. 36), the GANTT chart gives a detailed explanation of how time and resources can best be managed.
Additionally, if a delay occurs and all work grinds to a halt, it still does not mean that the project has failed or is in danger of failing. Delays can give more time to inspect everything that has been completed and make sure everything is up to code or to correct issues that were not properly addressed earlier. A delay can be thought of as an opportunity to take a fine-tooth comb over the project areas and work out whatever kinks are found.
The second myth—that processes are more important than people—implies that getting the formula right is all that matters. This is actually far from the truth: what matters most is having the right people in place so that they can make the right decisions, achieve the goals of the project, and help to assist the project along as needed. Churchill and Lovell (2012) note that formulas can be helpful for streamlining processes—but ultimately the people in place are ones responsible for executing the formulae. They have to be of a high caliber, with understanding and the ability to perform at a high level day in and day out. The best way to mitigate for this myth is to hire the right workers for the right job and to maintain open lines of communication with workers throughout all processes. This can be measured and controlled by working with HR to develop a protocol for finding and recruiting the exact kind of talent required for the job.
The third myth—that failure is not an option—undermines the idea that managers…
