Questions:
Read Douglas Ross’s article “Applying Covey’s Seven Habits to a Project Management Career” (see the sixth Suggested Reading in this chapter) or another article that describes the seven habits. Summarize three of Covey’s habits in your own words and give examples of how these habits would apply to project management.
Answers:
According to Covey stated that “proactive means implementing your ability/power to choose and focus on those things you can control and influence your “circle of influence.”” However, how does this habit relate to effective project management? As proactive project management is distinguished from other disciplines by a management focus on the "circle of influence", (Covey, 1996); therefore, the proactive project manager usually has four competencies including decision maker, marketeer, problem solver, and team builder to present this habit.
1. The Project Manager as Decision Maker.
The project manager is as a decision maker, the effective project manager is decisive for a project success. The project manager shall have the proper perspective and the drive to decide what is right decisions for completing the project goals from initiative, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. For example, when the project manager is going to initiate the project processes before, he/she shall be proactive to realize that risk management influence the project processes choices and decisions while address risk from a holistic viewpoint that help project managers to effectively evaluate and make good project decisions to achieve the project successfully.
Usually, initiating the project is following by the company’s business goals, so the effective project manager is business-oriented and as marketeer. For example, depending on the company’s business goals, the project manager would identify and develop ways to achieve their business goals such as how satisfy their clients and customers expectation to increase the company’s profits. As Covey (1996) stated that the goals do not exist to create/add more value without a proactive project manager.
Within the project processes, a project manager is as problem solver accountable for any insurmountable problems to complete the project successfully. For example, when the organizational design inhibits the formal authority of the project manager to execute effective problem-solving actions, the project manager must be proactive in the use of other forms of influence to solve problems while implement the completion of the project success (Covey, 1996).
In order for completing the project success, any project shall be a team work effective than work alone. As we know a proactive-oriented team members can support the project manager in controlling project cost, schedule and scope management issues much more effectively than any project management software package can. Therefore, the proactive project manager establishes rewards and incentives for encouraging proactive behavior of team member toward ensuring project success.
Habit Two: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.
"This habit is relevant to all communications, including communication with customers, team members, suppliers and subcontractors and upper management.” (Covey, 1996). According to Covey mentioned that project managers have been trained mostly in reading, writing, speaking, but may lack of communication habit of active listening. While every project initiation is business-oriented and based on customers’ demands, so that project shall be structured a two way communication - B2C communication model. Nevertheless, if the project manager has not good communication skill, who fails to manage communications that will become a bottleneck or will create bottlenecks and can possibly disservice to the project. Therefore, the project manager shall listen and understand carefully what customers’ requirements and expectation, then summarizing and rephrasing what he/she heard in order to clarify his/her understanding of the other’s position or feelings documented in the project processes. After that the project manage can use PERT diagram and CPM network diagram to present how the project is going to be completed for customers understanding.
Habit Three: Synergize.
Whereas any project is team work, “team work is more effective by partnering than by working alone.” (Covey, 1996) Synergize is the essence of project management accordingly. While the project manager is a team builder and leader, the team builder uses all available resources to create value for clients and customers with team members; moreover, the team leader guides team members and coordinate a diverse and divergent perspective from team members to develop creative solutions to existing or potential problems. In fact, the project value is enhanced as the team works together, and the goal is to far exceed the potential output of the individual team members; therefore, as Covey (1996) stated that “team building is one of the highest priorities of a project manager.”
In conclusion, according to Douglas Ross’s article mentioned Covey’s seven habits to a project management career, a project manager plays an important role within implementing a project success. The project manager can be a decision maker, marketeer, problem solver, and team builder with habits. There three habits are listed. First, project managers should be proactive to realize that risk management, customers’ requirements, business goals and team members’ effort influence project initiation. Second, the project manager should seek first to understand, then to be understood by project technical tools such as PERT diagram and CPM network diagram these tools exhibit the project processes understood for customers. Third, the project manger should behave that project success and value is team work together.
References
1. Ross, D. (1996). Applying Covey’s Seven Habits to a Project Management Career. PM Network, Project Management Institute, 26-30. Retrieved April 1996, from http://www.welchco.com/02/14/01/60/96/04/0105.HTM
2. Schwalbe, K. (2006). Information technology project management (4th ed.). Boston Massachusetts: Thomson Course Technology.
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