Project Management

Introduction

Project management is one of the most potent tasks that determine the professionalism of a manager. The reason for the claim is that most projects are definite in terms of both time and resources allocated. Thus, project implementers must push their limits in order to ensure that both requirements are met, and achieve the objectives of the project. In the process of working on the project, conflicts may arise from different sources, while the employees may not work to their full potential due to different factors such as stress. This paper will delve into potential conflicts in a project, types of stress that could affect the project, and the process of decision-making to solve the potential challenges of a project.  

Describe 6 Potential Conflicts (at least 3 Negative) and their Potential Impact on a Project.

First of all, favoritism occurs when the project leaders allow some of the project workers have favors by giving them undeserved attention. Favoritism negatively affects the spirit of the rest of the team, and they develop a poor working relationship with the favored employee and the favoring boss. 

The second potential conflict may arise from perfectionism. Some project managers are strongly oriented on details and want the perfect results (Phillips, 2003). Perfectionism leads to resistance from the side of the project team, as they feel that their input is insufficient. Team members become detached from the project as they wait for detailed directions from their leaders. Therefore, the project is a reflection of one person’s ideas and not a team’s contribution. As a result, perfectionism could lead to a perfect project or a failed project.

The third potential problem is intimidation. Managers could intimidate the project workers and make their ideas seem insignificant. Thus, the employees leave the decision-making to their managers and contribute little to the project.  

The fourth issue is excessive push for prolonged working hours. In order to meet deadlines, some projects require overtime hours and prolonged work days. Nevertheless, some employees might demand for more time with their families. On the other hand, the push ensures that the project is completed within its desired time and by the defined deadline.

The fifth possible source of conflict is poor remuneration. Project workers feel demoralized if their money was paid in small parts or if they were received low salary in comparison to their accomplishments. Therefore, they might not contribute to the project as expected leading to poor results.

The sixth potential issue is unclear division of roles between the team members. The problem leads to some of the employees feeling diminished when their seniors assign their roles to other people (Phillips, 2003). It creates conflicts among the project workers and reduces their productivity.

Describe 3 Stresses and their Potential Impact that could Affect Individuals on the Project or the Project as a Whole.

Stress refers to the instinctive response of a body to the external environment or to an individual’s feelings and thoughts. Stress decreases the overall performance of a person at a workplace, which usually includes slower decision-making process. An employee under stress can expose the organization to hurried and under evaluated important decisions (Schacter, Gilbert, & Wegner, 2010). When the decision maker is under the stress, the organization is at the verge of compromising both productivity and performance.  

The first type of stress is physical stress, which results from prolonged periods of work, hence physical fatigue and reduced concentration. It can be caused by the lack of sleep and is accompanied with many cases of accidents at work. Physical stress affects the projects’ timelines, since it reduces an individual’s performance.

The second type is mental stress that results from increased care and worry particularly in cases when a certain project may not be as good as expected (Schacter et al., 2010). Once the managers and workers experience anxiety over the quality of the project, they are often exposed to the fear of making mistakes. As a result, they can find out that they have to revise their decision and invest more time amending their earlier mistakes. 

The third is psycho-spiritual stress, which mostly results from workplaces pressure. Poor relationships between the project team members, financial difficulties, and negative attitude towards the job are among the main causes of psycho-spiritual stress (Schacter et al., 2010). The project team invests little efforts in the project, resulting in potential poor results of the project. In addition, deadlines are not met, and the quality of work is usually unsatisfactorily.

Research and Determine a Method for Performing Consensus Decision-Making

Consensus decision-making refers to a process where the majority of opinions and ideas are considered (Schacter et al., 2010). Consensus decision-making starts with a discussion, followed by the identification of emerging proposal, and then the team identifies any concerns and disagreements with solutions. The next step is a proposal, which is also evaluated and discussed. Then the decision is finalized or any other concerns yet to be agreed upon are revisited. The consensus decision-making is inclined to participatory contribution of stakeholders and all participants are given a chance to make their contribution.

Conclusion

Project management requires that the project employees are offered the best working environment, because conflicts and stress could lead to insufficient results and little adherence to the time and resources allocated. The potential issues should be addressed by ensuring that the project decisions are all inclusive, everyone in the project is motivated, and their input is appreciated.

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