Chapter 3
Serving as a Project Manager
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES
3.01 Defining the Project Management Role
3.02 Exploring the Project Manager Influence
3.03 Building the Project Management Competencies
3.04 Leading and Managing the Project
3.05 Performing Project Integration
Two-Minute Drill
Q&A Self Test
If you’re aiming to pass the PMP exam, you’re obviously already working as a project manager. So often, PMP candidates will try to answer the PMP exam questions based on how they manage projects in their environment, rather than how the PMBOK Guide suggests as best practices. I’m not saying that you aren’t effectively managing projects where you work, but I am saying that you need to answer exam questions according to the PMBOK Guide rather than basing your answers solely on your project management experience.
Where you work as a project manager is likely different from where any other reader of this book works as a project manager. Just as every project is unique, so is the environment in which a project exists. Consider software development projects, construction projects, IT infrastructure projects, learning and development projects, and various other types of projects. Each of these different projects operates in a distinct environment. The environment is a factor of influence in these projects and in your projects.
The project’s environment can influence how you manage the project, the expectations of the project manager, how stakeholders contribute to the project, and a myriad of other concerns. It’s important to understand the environment and what’s expected of the project manager—including the formalities, processes, rules and regulations, and even simpler things like templates and forms.
The PMBOK Guide includes a clear profile of the ideal project manager and an ideal environment. Part of the profile is the ability to be flexible, to adapt, and to follow best practices. That’s what you’ll be tested on—determining the next best thing to do in any given scenario. It all begins, really, with a clear understanding of what the project manager does and the PMBOK Guide’s expectations of what a project manager is. The goal of this chapter is to give you a solid foundation of the project manager role that you’ll be tested on so you can clear the exam and continue on with your life and career.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 3.01
Defining the Project Management Role
The project manager’s role is to get things done by leading the project team through the challenges of the project to achieve the project goals and objectives. Most often, project managers get involved with a project after the vision of the project has been created. Consider a project to build a house, design some software, or move employees from one building to another. Each of these projects and its objectives can be defined well before the project manager is involved.
It’s not unusual, however, for project managers to be involved in the project formulation before the project is initiated. A project manager could consult with the portfolio review board, customers, and management to offer input before a project is selected, funded, and initiated. Project managers may work with business analysts (or take on the role of a business analyst) to gather requirements, create high-level estimates, and develop business cases and feasibility studies—all work that precedes project initiation.
It’s tempting to put roles into boxes and keep people isolated with titles and boundaries, but that’s just not the way it works. Project team members, like the project manager, may play multiple roles on any given project. While the project manager is responsible for leading and managing the project team, the project team is responsible for executing the project plan to get things done. The project manager and the project team work together to plan and execute the project work. As the project manager leads and manages the project team, she will rely on the project team’s expertise, experience, skills, and technical abilities to complete the project work. It’s unrealistic for the project manager to be able to have the skills of each project team member, but it’s realistic for the project manager to understand the type of work each project team member can perform in the project.
Leading the Project Team
Project managers manage things, but lead people. What’s the difference? Management is the process of getting the results that are expected by project stakeholders. Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire individuals to work toward those expected results.
Ever work for a project manager who wasn’t motivating or inspiring? A good project manager can motivate and inspire the project team to see the vision and value of the project. The project manager as a leader can inspire the project team to find a solution to overcome the perceived obstacles to get the work done. Motivation is a constant process, and the project manager must be able to motivate the team to move toward completion—with passion and a profound reason to complete the work. Finally, motivation and inspiration must be real; the project manager must have a personal relationship with members of the project team to help them achieve their goals.
Leadership and management are interrelated. You won’t have effective leadership without management, and vice versa. Know that leadership can also come from project team members, not just from the project manager.
Communicating Project Information
Project communication can be summed up as “who needs what information, when do they need it, and what’s the best modality to deliver the message.” Project managers spend the bulk of their time communicating information—not doing other activities. Therefore, they must be good communicators, promoting a clear, unambiguous exchange of information. Communication is a two-way street; it requires a sender and a receiver.
A key part of communication is active listening. This is the process by which the receiver restates what the sender has said to clarify and confirm the message. For example, a project team member tells the project manager that a work package will be done in seven days. The project manager clarifies and confirms by stating the work package will be done a week from today. This gives the project team member the opportunity to clarify that the work package will actually be done nine days from today because of the upcoming weekend.
There are several communication avenues:
Listening and speaking
Written and oral
Internal to the project, such as project team member to team member
External to the project, such as the project manager to an external customer
Formal communications, such as reports and presentations
Informal communications, such as e-mails and “hallway” meetings
Vertical communications, which follow the organizational flowchart
Horizontal communications, such as director-to-director within the organizational flowchart
Included with management communication skills are variables and elements unique to the flow of communication. Although we’ll discuss communications in full in Chapter 10, here are some key facts to know for now:
Sender–receiver models Communication requires a sender and a receiver. Within this model may be multiple avenues to complete the flow of communication, but barriers to effective communication may be present as well. Other variables within this model include recipient feedback, surveys, checklists, and confirmation of the sent message.
Media selection There are multiple choices when it comes to sending a message. Which one is appropriate? Based on the audience and the message being sent, the media should be in alignment. In other words, an ad hoc hallway meeting is probably not the best communication avenue to explain a large variance in the project schedule.
Style The tone, structure, and formality of the message being sent should be in alignment with the audience and the content of the message.
Presentation When it comes to formal presentations, the presenter’s oral and body language, visual aids, and handouts all influence the message being delivered.
Facilitation Project managers sometimes serve as facilitators of group events, such as meetings and workshops. Facilitators keep people involved in the conversation, guide the conversation to be certain that all participants’ opinions and ideas are considered, and help the participants come to an agreed-upon decision.
Meeting management Meetings are forms of communication. How the meeting is led, managed, and controlled all influence the message being delivered. Agendas, minutes, and order are mandatory for effective communications within a meeting.
See the video “Role of the Project Manager.”
Negotiating Project Terms and Conditions
Project managers must negotiate for the good of the project. In any project, the project manager, the project sponsor, and the project team will have to negotiate with stakeholders, vendors, and customers to reach a level of agreement acceptable to all parties involved in the negotiation process. In some instances, typically in less-than-pleasant circumstances, negotiations may have to proceed with assistance. Specifically, mediation and arbitration are examples of assisted negotiations. Negotiation proceedings typically center on the following:
The purpose of negotiations is to reach a fair agreement among all parties.
Priorities
Technical approach
Project scope
Schedule
Cost
Changes to the project scope, schedule, or budget
Vendor terms and conditions
Project team member assignments and schedules
Resource constraints, such as facilities, travel issues, and team members with highly specialized skills
Active Problem Solving
Like riddles, puzzles, and cryptology? If so, you’ll love this area of project management. Problem solving is the ability to understand the heart of a problem, look for a viable solution, and then make a decision to implement that solution. In any project, countless problems require viable solutions. And like any good puzzle, the solution to one portion of the problem may create more problems elsewhere.
Completing the PMP exam is an example of having problem-solving skills. Even though you may argue that things described in this book don’t work this way in your environment, remember that the exam is not based on your environment. Learn the Project Management Institute (PMI) method for passing the exam and allow that to influence your “real-world” implementations.
The premise for problem solving is problem definition. Problem definition is the ability to discern between the cause and effect of the problem. This centers on root-cause analysis. If a project manager treats only the symptoms of a problem rather than its cause, the symptoms will perpetuate and continue throughout the project’s life. Root-cause analysis looks beyond the immediate symptoms to the cause of the symptoms, which then affords opportunities for solutions.
Once the root of a problem has been identified, the project manager must make a decision to address the problem effectively. Solutions can be presented from vendors, the project team, the project manager, or various stakeholders. A viable solution focuses on more than just the problem. It looks at the cause and effect of the problem itself. In addition, a timely decision is needed, or the window of opportunity may pass and then a new decision will be needed to address the problem. As in most cases, the worst thing you can do is nothing.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 3.02
Exploring the Project Manager Influence
As a project manager, you have tremendous influence on the project’s success, the people on the project team, the management of your organization, and stakeholders that can span your organization, region, or even the entire globe. The project’s sphere of influence describes the parties affected by the role of the project manager. Your project can send ripples into all areas of your organization: resources, monetary constraints, politics, and many other factors can all be influenced by you, the project manager, and the project you lead.
Influence isn’t something we often think of as project managers, but it’s a factor that should be considered when we plan, execute the project, and certainly when we communicate with stakeholders. Not that the project manager must play politics, but the project manager must consider the implications of the project’s success, the communication between the project manager and project team, and the perceptions of the stakeholders regarding the project and its leadership. Over time and with experience in your organization, you’ll find it easier to understand the undercurrent of politics and the hidden messages in questions and comments, and you’ll have a broader, wiser view into what’s happening in the organization and how your project (and you) affects the environment. Everyone involved in the project, from stakeholders to the project manager, can influence others involved, as shown in Figure 3-1.
FIGURE 3-1 Stakeholder and project manager influence are connected.
For your PMP exam, consider the different levels of influence the project manager has on the following stakeholders:
Project team The project manager leads and directs the team to reach the project’s objectives.
Organizational managers The project manager will likely need to work with managers to have access to people, process, and resources.
Project management office The project manager will work with the project management office, if one exists, to manage the project and provide assets, directions, and support.
Steering committee The project manager may have to report on the project status and progress.
Governing bodies The project manager may have to report on project governance internally or to government agencies regarding how the project is adhering to laws and regulations.
Sponsors The project sponsor will want information on the project status and decisions the project manager has made to keep the project moving forward toward its objectives.
End users and customers The project manager is responsible to these people with regard to what the project is creating and how the project may interfere with their lives as the project is in progress.
Suppliers When resources and services are needed, suppliers are influenced by the project manager’s planning and the procurement policies of the organization.
Stakeholders All of the people and groups that are affected by the project and that can affect the project are stakeholders that the project manager can influence for the betterment of the project.
All of these different categories are linked to the project manager and influenced by the project manager. The better the project manager coordinates, plans, and communicates within each of these spheres, the better she can influence these groups for continued project support, improved synergy, and sustainability of the project within the organization.
Influencing the Project
The success, or failure, of a project is often a reflection of how well the project manager led the project team, balanced constraints, executed the project plan, and monitored the project progress. The person with the greatest influence over a project is the project manager, and the project’s outcome is largely based on the project manager’s ability to influence the project to reach its objectives. And, sure, some projects may be doomed from the start due to lack of finances or qualified resources, an unrealistic schedule, or other problems, but these are the exceptions, not the rule. Besides, a good project manager will address these issues and risks with management and stakeholders and find a solution that works, not an excuse that sticks.
The influence of the project manager on the project is demonstrated in two key aspects: communications skills and a positive attitude. Communication is paramount in successful project management. Project managers will effectively communicate with stakeholders through a variety of methods: verbal, written, and nonverbal. Messages are direct and appropriate for the audience, and the communication style is tailored based on what’s being communicated to whom.
Project managers must communicate good and bad news, status of the project, and other project information throughout the project. Communication isn’t one-way, however. The project manager will need to work with the team, clients, vendors, and other stakeholders to get these individuals to contribute to the conversation. This means asking questions, listening to stakeholder concerns, following up on ideas and promises, and keeping the project stakeholders involved, excited, and motivated to continue the project.
A positive attitude does wonders for the success of the project manager. People like to be around other people who have a positive outlook and a “can-do” attitude. Having a positive attitude is really part of project leadership: The project team will mimic your attitude and behavior, and will look to you, the project manager, for guidance and an outlook of what’s happening in the project. When the project manager has a sour disposition, that communicates that things aren’t going well and likely aren’t going to be getting better.
I’m not saying that as project managers we ignore problems and issues. What I am saying is that having a positive attitude, being cheerful, and showing the project team how to be optimistic communicates confidence and inspires others to do the work with gusto and determination. A positive attitude costs you nothing, but it can make a big difference in project team leadership and management.
Influencing the Organization
Project management is about getting things done. Every organization is different in its policies, modes of operations, and underlying culture. There are political alliances, differing motivations, conflicting interests, and power struggles within every organization. So where does project management fit into this rowdy scheme? Smack dab in the middle.
A project manager must understand all of the unspoken influences at work within an organization as well as the formal channels that exist. A balance between the implied and the explicit will enable the project manager to take the project from launch to completion. We all reference organizational politics with disdain; however, politics aren’t always a bad thing. Politics can be used as leverage to align and direct people to accomplish activities—with motivation and purpose.
The exam questions are shallow. Don’t read too much into the questions as far as political aspirations and influences go. Take each question at face value and assume all of the information provided in the question is correct.
Project managers also interact with other project managers within the organization. They’ll discuss projects, competition for resources, priorities on project funding, and alignment of project goals with organizational goals. This network among project managers isn’t just gossip, because it helps them see how other projects are faring, how decisions and events in the organization can affect projects and decisions, and even each project’s viability and quality.
Managing Social, Economic, and Environmental Project Influences
Social, economic, and environmental influences can cause a project to falter, stall, or fail completely. Your awareness of potential influences outside of traditional management practices will help complete the project. The acknowledgement of such influences, from internal or external sources, enables the project manager and the project team to plan how to react to these influences in order for the project to succeed.
For example, consider a construction project that may reduce traffic flow to one lane over a bridge. Obviously, stakeholders in this instance are the commuters who travel over the bridge. Social influences are the people who are frustrated by the construction project, the people who live in the vicinity of the project, and even individuals or groups that believe the need for road repairs is more pressing than the need to repair the bridge. These issues must all be addressed, on some level, for the project team to complete the project work quickly and efficiently.
The economic conditions in any organization are always present. The cost of a project must be weighed against the project’s benefits and perceived worth. Projects may succumb to budget cuts, project reprioritization, or their own failure based on the performance to date. Economic factors inside the organization may also hinder a project from moving forward. In other words, if the company sponsoring the project is not making money, projects may get axed in an effort to curb costs.
Finally, environmental influence on, and created by, the project must be considered. Let’s revisit the bridge construction project. The project must consider the river below the bridge and how construction may affect the water and wildlife. Consideration must be given not only to short-term effects that arise during the bridge’s construction but also to long-term effects that the construction may have on the environment.
In most projects, the social, economic, and environmental concerns must be evaluated, documented, and addressed within the project plan. Project managers can’t have a come-what-may approach to these issues and expect to be successful.
Considering International Influences
If a project spans the globe, how will the project manager effectively manage and lead the project team? How will teams in Paris communicate with teams in Sydney? What about the language barriers, time zone differences, currency differences, regulations, laws, and social influences? All of these concerns must be considered early in the project. Tools can include teleconferences, travel, face-to-face meetings, team leaders, and subprojects.
As companies and projects span the globe to offer goods and services, the completion of those projects will rely more and more on individuals from varying educational backgrounds, social influences, and values. The project manager must create a plan that takes these issues into account.
Reviewing Cultural and Industry Influences
Good project managers stay abreast of what’s happening in the project management community. They subscribe to newsgroups, read magazine articles, and take training to become more proficient in their role as a project manager. By staying current on what’s happening in project management trends, you can identify opportunities, new standards, and best practices. In addition, you’ll also monitor what’s happening in your application field, be it healthcare, construction, or information technology, for example. This will help you as a project manager to identify trends, market conditions, and potential projects your organization may take on.
Once you earn your PMP, you’ll likely take continuing education to earn professional development units (PDUs) to maintain your PMP certification. Don’t view this education as a chore, but rather an opportunity to continue to advance your career and the project management profession.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 3.03
Building the Project Management Competencies
By earning the PMP, you’re showing that you have both project management experience and project management knowledge. Once you’re a PMP, you’ll need to maintain your certification with continuing education by earning PDUs. Your PMP certification is actually a three-year cycle, in which time you’ll earn 60 PDUs to maintain your PMP. If you fail to earn the 60 PDUs, you’ll lose your PMP status and will have to start the entire journey over—not a wise decision.
It’s not terribly difficult to earn PDUs. You can earn some PDUs by serving as a project manager, by volunteering for PMI events, by writing books and articles, and via many other activities. On PMI’s web site, look for the Continuing Certification Requirements handbook for complete rules and opportunities to earn PDUs. Not all of your development can be through volunteering and events, however. As of this writing, PMPs will have to earn a minimum of 35 education PDUs and are allowed a maximum of 25 “giving back” PDUs. Giving back PDUs means that you’re volunteering or contributing to the project management community.
Considering Your Skills and Competencies
Once you earn the PMP, you’ll be attending training online or in person to maintain your certification. It’s a good idea to take stock of what you do, or don’t, know and to choose your training accordingly. Consider your career goals, areas of your project management expertise that may be lacking, or what’s interesting to you. All of the training you take should benefit you—don’t just trudge through training because you have to. Be smart! Choose training and education that will make you a better person and a better project manager, and that will also help you to keep your PMP.
The PMBOK Guide walks through the five steps of competence, as shown in Figure 3-2, that we all move through as we learn new things:
FIGURE 3-2 PMI path for chosen conscious competence
1. Unconsciously incompetent You’re unaware of a skill that you don’t have.
2. Consciously incompetent You become aware that you don’t have the skill.
3. Consciously competent You learn and practice the skill to gain competence.
4. Unconsciously competent You can do the skill without even thinking about it.
5. Chosen conscious competence You practice and maintain the skill.
That’s pretty much how we all started in our careers. We begin by not even knowing that we don’t have a skill. Then we learn about the skill, practice the skill, and so on. To become an expert, we have to learn, practice, and maintain that skill. There are several steps involved in becoming skilled and remaining skilled as an individual. We gather data, such as observations and facts about the skill and process that raw data into useable information. The useable information helps us to gain knowledge and find a deeper understanding and practice of the skill. Over time, and through practice and knowledge, we gain wisdom and mastery of the skill.
Exploring the PMI Talent Triangle
PMI has established a Talent Triangle to illustrate the three domains of education required for PMPs, as shown in Figure 3-3. As a PMP, you’ll need a total of 35 minimum education hours. These 35 hours are distributed across the three domains of technical, leadership, and strategic PDUs. You must have at least 8 PDUs from each category of education, which is 24 of your 35 PDUs. The remaining 11 PDUs can be distributed across any of the three domains—you pick.
FIGURE 3-3 The PMI Talent Triangle requires education in all three domains.
I know this can seem a little confusing at first glance, but here’s a way of looking at all these PDUs and categorization of learning: As a PMP, you have three years to earn 60 PDUs to maintain your PMP. You can earn all 60 PDUs through education—attend a few seminars or online courses and you’re all set. Or you can volunteer at some events to earn up 25 PDUs for your service. That leaves 35 PDUs to keep your PMP. Of those 35 PDUs, you’ll need 8 PDUs from technical training, 8 PDUs from leadership training, and 8 PDUs from strategic training. The remaining 11 PDUs can come from any category in the PMI Talent Triangle.
Technical project management skills are the core skills you apply in your role as a project manager. You’ll focus on what it’ll take to get the project done: planning the project work, executing the plan, monitoring and controlling the project, and closing out phases and eventually the entire project. Within these process groups is where you’ll choose and apply the needed processes to keep the project moving toward the goals and objectives. You’ll also communicate the project status, keep stakeholders involved and informed, track finances, control changes, and manage issues. We’ll spend the bulk of our time in the balance of this book in the technical project management arena.
The PMI Talent Triangle also includes strategic and business management skills. As a project manager, you’re not only working on the project, but you also must look at the organization’s bigger picture of why the project is important and has been initiated and funded in the first place. The goal is to understand and communicate the business strategy, effectively plan and deliver the project for the organization, and maximize the business value of the project. You’ll need to understand how your project fits into the organization’s strategy, mission, tactics, and overall prioritization of projects. You’ll do this in the project by managing the following:
Risks and issues
Finances
Costs and benefits
Business value
Benefits realized by delivering the project
Balance of competing objectives, such as time, cost, and quality
Project managers must also provide leadership. Leadership, the third angle of the PMI Talent Triangle, focuses on dealing with people. You’ll manage the project team, work with vendors, and keep stakeholders informed, involved, and excited about the project. Leadership means that you’ll be optimistic, collaborative, and able to manage conflicts that will creep up within the project. Project managers must build trust, address concerns with stakeholders, and be able to persuade, gain consensus, compromise, network, and provide a long-term view of how the project fits into the overall business strategy. A term you’ll see in Agile project management is “servant leadership,” which means that while you’re the leader, you’re also supporting the project team and ensuring that they have what they need to do their work on the project.
Leadership in a project manager means you’ll have the following:
Respect for others
Integrity and cultural sensitivity
Problem-solving abilities
Ability to give others credit
Desire to learn and improve
Leadership in project management is about helping the team and business succeed. It’s about doing what’s right for the project, for the project team, and for the stakeholders. You’ll focus on what’s most important by prioritizing work, needs, and wants. Leaders take action, make decisions, are flexible and courageous, and can go directly to problems to rectify issues and keep the project moving forward.
Recognizing Politics in Project Management
Without a doubt, politics in an organization can affect project management. Unfortunately, project managers often get mired in between stakeholders’ competing objectives and succumb to office politics that can affect the project for the worse. Politics are really a way of describing how organizations operate—the undocumented, but present, undercurrent of how decisions are made within the organization. Project managers have to understand how organizations work and who wields authority, and navigate through the politics, good or bad, to keep the project moving toward a successful conclusion.
Though the project manager may want to avoid politics, it’s nearly impossible to do, because politics can begin with the perception of the project manager and the power he has. Perception of power is how other people—from the project team, to management, to stakeholders—view not just the project but also the project manager. The project manager does have power, to an extent, over the project and the perceptions others have the of the project manager. Every scenario is different, but you should be familiar with several types of power for your role as a project manager and for your PMP exam:
Positional power The project manager’s power is a result of the position she has as the project manager. This is also known as formal, authoritative, and legitimate power.
Informational power The project manager has control of data gathering and distribution of information.
Referent power The project manager is respected or admired because of others’ past experiences with the project manager. This is about the project manager’s credibility in the organization.
Situational power The project manager has power because of certain situations in the organization.
Personal or charismatic power The project manager has a warm personality that others like.
Relational power The project manager networks, make connections, and creates alliances with others.
Expert power The project manager has deep skills and experience in a discipline. (For example, years of working in IT helps an IT project manager better manage IT projects.)
Reward power The project manager can reward the project team.
Punitive or coercive power The project manager can punish the project team.
Ingratiating power The project manager aims to gain favor with the project team and stakeholders through flattery.
Pressure-based power The project manager can restrict choices to get the project team to perform and do the project work.
Guilt-based power The project manager can make the team and stakeholders feel guilty in order to gain compliance in the project.
Persuasive power The project manager can persuade people toward a specific outcome or decision.
Avoiding power The project manager refuses to act, get involved, or make decisions.
You’ll notice that I’ve framed all of these types of power from the project manager’s point of view, but the reality is that any stakeholder, such as a customer or even the project sponsor, can apply these powers. This is all part of politics, and being able to recognize the power being wielded can help the project manager better manage the project and its outcomes.
Recognize these types of power and how they can be implemented in a project. You may be presented with a scenario and have to determine what type of power is being demonstrated.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 3.04
Leading and Managing the Project
Leadership and management are not the same things. Leadership is about aligning and motivating to achieve goals. Leadership is more about emotional intelligence and inspiring people to work together to achieve great things. Management is about getting things done. Management is concerned with the results and the work of directing people to achieve those results. Certainly project management has attributes of both leadership and management, and you’ll need to recognize both as a PMP candidate.
As a project manager, you’ll serve as both leader and manager. You’ll lead the team by giving them the opportunity to accomplish the project, to create something new, and to complete the project work with an eye toward how the project contributes to business value for the organization. As a manager, you’ll keep the team organized, keep the work authorization moving, and address the knowledge areas of project management. You’ll be accountable, and hold the team accountable, for the scope, costs, quality, risk management, and other facets of project management. Successful project management requires both leadership and management.
People work hard when they feel valued, are inspired, and see others working hard, too. When the project manager leads the project team, she does so by being personally invested in the project. Project management isn’t barking out orders, but serving the project team and working with the team to get the needed results and achieve the project objectives.
Exploring Leadership Styles
Chances are you’ve worked for people you’ve admired. Think of how they led the organization or project. Their characteristics, such as their temperaments and their values, made you admire them. And project team members often reflect their moods, values, and ethics. What the team sees in management, including project managers, is how they’ll tend to act as team members. Leadership styles are the methods you, and others, can take to offer leadership within the project. That’s an important concept: it’s not just the project manager that can offer leadership, because the team, stakeholders, and even vendors can offer leadership at different times throughout the project.
Six leadership styles are utilized within organizations, and you should recognize these for your exam:
Servant leadership The leader puts others first and focuses on the needs of the people he serves. Servant leaders provide opportunity for growth, education, autonomy within the project, and the well-being of others. The primary focus of servant leadership is service to others.
Transactional leadership The leader emphasizes the goals of the project and rewards and provides disincentives for the project team. This is sometimes called management by exception, because it’s the exception that is rewarded or punished.
Laissez-faire leadership The leader takes a “hands-off” approach to the project. This means the project team makes decisions, takes initiative in the actions, and creates goals. Though this approach can provide autonomy, it can make the leader appear absent when it comes to project decisions.
Transformational leadership The leader inspires and motivates the project team to achieve the project goals. Transformational leaders aim to empower the project team to take action, be innovative in the project work, and accomplish through ambition.
Charismatic leadership The leader is motivating, has high energy, and inspires the team through strong convictions about what’s possible and what the team can achieve. Positive thinking and a can-do mentality are characteristics of a charismatic leader.
Interactional leadership The leader is a hybrid of transactional, transformational, and charismatic leaders. The interactional leader wants the team to take action, is excited and inspired about the project work, yet still holds the team accountable for their results.
Applying a Leadership Personality
When you think of a leader, you’ll likely think of a person who’s excited, inspiring, and leads by doing. Or maybe you think of a football coach giving a great half-time speech about overcoming the odds and winning the game. Or some combination of personality characteristics that are motivating, inspiring, and admirable. All of those traits are at the center of the personality of a good leader. For your PMP exam, you’ll need to recognize some personality traits that directly affect your ability to serve as a leader for your project team.
These personality traits stem from experience, maturity, patterns of thinking, feelings, and repeated behavior. Recognize these personality traits:
Authentic Shows concern for others and accepts who they are
Courteous Is polite and shows respectful behavior toward others
Creative Creates, thinks through problems, seeks solutions through creativity
Cultural Is sensitive to cultural norms and beliefs
Emotional Shows empathy and understanding, and manages personal emotions
Intellectual Demonstrates intelligence and respects the intelligence of others
Managerial Shows management aptitude in all aspects of the project
Political Understands the politics at play within an organization
Service-oriented Provides others what they need to be successful
Social Is friendly and approachable, and understands the needs and wants of the project team and stakeholders
Systemic Understands existing frameworks and systems and builds project systems to get things done in an orderly fashion
INSIDE THE EXAM
This chapter focuses on the foundations of what it means to be a project manager. I’d not be surprised if you already recognize most of the information in this chapter, as you’re currently serving as a project manager and working toward your PMP certification. However, don’t shrug off these elements, because you’ll likely see this information on your exam. This chapter is based on Chapter 3 of the PMBOK Guide, and it’s fair to assume it’s part of what you’ll be tested on when it comes to your exam day.
One of the most important points in this chapter is the difference between project management and leadership. Management is about directing people to get things done. Leadership is about aligning, motivating, and inspiring people. Be familiar with both aspects of project management, not just the mechanics of getting things done.
Management utilizes positional power to
Maintain the project
Administrate duties
Focus on project systems
Control the project work
Focus on the next project achievements
Question how and when things will happen
Control and administer finances
Maintain the status quo
Do the right things at the right time
Address issues and problem solving
Leadership influences and inspires people to
Develop personality and skills
Perform their work with innovation
Build relationships
Trust one another
Examine the long-range vision of the project
Question why and what will happen
Challenge the status quo
Do the right things at the right time
Align with the organization vision with motivation and inspiration
There’s some overlap between management and leadership, but the difference is in the attitude, the desire to do things well, and a positive mindset focused on serving others and serving the good of the stakeholders, team, and organization.
All of these characteristics are commendable traits for a successful project manager. Project managers need these traits, which they’ll develop over time with experience, maturity, and a conscious effort to incorporate them into thoughts, actions, and leadership of others.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 3.05
Performing Project Integration
Integration, in this context, differs from project integration management. Instead of addressing the interrelationship among the project processes, project integration in this context addresses how the project is integrated with the goals, tactics, and vision of the organization, not just the project scope and knowledge areas. Integration at this level means that you’re working with the project sponsor to ensure that the goals and objectives of the project mesh with the goals and objectives of the organization. Projects must support the broader vision and purpose of the organization or the project likely isn’t contributing to business value and may have challenges garnering support within the organization.
Within the project, the project manager continues integration by leading and managing the project team. The people that have the greatest effect on project success are the project team members. The project manager can’t do everything, of course, and the project team will execute the project plan. When the project team executes the project plan, their work needs to support the goals of the project, which in turn must support the goals of the organization. If those two things are not in synch, the project will no doubt face challenges, issues, and unrest.
Examining Process-Level Integration
In Chapter 4 of this book and the PMBOK Guide, you’ll see that project integration management addresses the interrelationship among the project processes. Processes are the predefined actions, such as quality control, that bring about a specific result. Process-level integration means that the processes are largely integrated and affect one another throughout the project. Some processes might occur just one time, such as creating the project charter, while other processes can happen over and over as needed in the project. Still, some processes may not happen at all—consider the procurement processes in a project that won’t be purchasing anything from vendors.
Many project managers miss this important point: You complete only the processes that are needed within a project, and you complete the most appropriate process only when it’s needed. There is no “paint-by-number” approach to project management, and processes can generally happen in any order that’s needed once the project is initiated and the charter is created. Yes, you’ll generally move into planning once the charter is created, but as the project is in motion, especially on larger projects, you’ll move on to the process that’s next required, not necessarily the next process described in the PMBOK Guide. Of course, what you do with one process has a direct effect on other processes in your project.
Projects can be complex, and the larger and more complex the project, the more processes you are likely to use. The more processes are introduced and needed in a project, the more you’ll need project integration management. Project managers need not address only the processes of a project, but must also consider three other factors that contribute to the project’s complexity:
Ambiguous nature of projects Some projects aren’t clear in requirements and what will happen throughout the project life cycle. Consider software development, extremely long projects, and unknowns that are lurking in the nature of the work.
Human behavior Perhaps the most complex aspect of project management is human behavior. People don’t always get along, and this can cause problems within the project that stem from behavior outside of the project.
System behavior How your organization works is entirely different from how other organizations work You’ll need to understand the business framework of what it takes to interact with employees, departments, and systems in order to manage the project.
Examining Cognitive-Level Integration
When you first started in project management, did you manage the construction of a skyscraper? Or did you manage a project with clear expectations, not too many moving parts, and what you might today consider an easy project? When we first begin as project managers, we’re often assigned projects that are low priority and that have easily achievable objectives. As we become more mature in the role of a project manager, and have gained experience and insight into project management, we’re allowed to take on more complex projects. It’s the experience that gives us the wisdom to manage the more complex projects.
The idea of integration at the cognitive level means that we not only rely on our experience—an excellent teacher—but we also learn from others. We take classes, read books, and attend PMI chapter meetings. We make a deliberate effort to learn more so that we can manage projects more effectively. Cognitive-level integration is the act of learning on purpose, not just by doing, to ensure that we’re well-rounded in all knowledge areas of project management, even those areas we don’t touch frequently. That’s why your PMP exam will cover the whole breadth of project management even if you have little experience in procurement, or risk management, or any of the knowledge areas.
Examining Context-Level Integration
Context-level integration is the management of a project with consideration for how the project environment has changed, and is changing, in our organizations today. Consider a project 20 or 30 years ago. Social networking, texting, and virtual teams weren’t a reality back then, but they certainly are in play in most organizations today. As project managers, we need insight into how our projects will take advantage of these and other evolving project landscapes and how these elements can create benefits, and perhaps some disruptions, to the project.
Your organization may allow texting and virtual teams in a project, while another organization doesn’t use those elements. This doesn’t mean that one is better than the other—they are just different. Each facet of the context level brings benefits but also costs that can affect how the project moves forward. The project manager needs to understand what’s allowed to use, what’s being ignored, what’s not allowed, and why.
CERTIFICATION SUMMARY
The role of the project manager is to manage the project work, lead the project team, and get things done. The project manager works with the project team to achieve the project objectives, contribute to business value, and coordinate the activities, communications, and events that happen within a project. Project managers facilitate processes to reach predefined expectations and usher the project through initiating, planning, execution, monitoring, and controlling—and, ultimately, to project closing.
Through experience and training, the project manager’s competency increases. The project manager should ascertain his level of skill in management and leadership areas; identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; and then decide to improve upon his management prowess. The PMI Talent Triangle aims to address the three common areas of education for project managers: technical project management, leadership, and strategic and business management.
The role of the project manager isn’t just about managing project work and resources; it also includes leadership. Leadership provides the alignment, motivation, and inspiration for people to complete the project work, succeed in their lives, and focus on the long-range vision of the project. Leadership styles are the methods a project manager can utilize to help the project team members be inspired and motivated to complete their tasks and complete the project.
KEY TERMS
To pass the PMP exam, you will need to memorize these terms and their definitions. For maximum value, create your own flashcards based on these definitions and review them daily.
active listening The message receiver restates what’s been said to confirm the message, providing an opportunity for the sender to clarify the message if needed.
active problem-solving Begins with problem definition, the ability to discern between the cause and effect of the problem. Root-cause analysis looks beyond the immediate symptoms to the cause of the symptoms—which then affords opportunities for solutions.
avoiding power Power gained by refusing to act, getting involved, or making decisions.
charismatic leadership The leader is motivating, has high energy, and inspires the team through strong convictions about what’s possible and what the team can achieve. Positive thinking and a can-do mentality are characteristics of a charismatic leader.
expert power Power gained by deep skills and experience in a discipline. (For example, years of working in IT helps an IT project manager better manage IT projects.)
guilt-based power Power gained by making the team and stakeholders feel guilty in order to gain compliance in the project.
informational power Power gained by controlling the gathering and distribution of information.
ingratiating power Power gained by flattering, or ingratiating oneself, with the project team members and stakeholders.
interactional leadership A hybrid of transactional, transformational, and charismatic leaders. The interactional leader wants the team to take action, is excited and inspired about the project work, and holds the team accountable for results.
laissez-faire leadership The leader takes a hands-off approach to the project. The project team makes decisions, takes initiative in the actions, and creates goals. Although this approach can provide autonomy, it can make the leader appear absent when it comes to making project decisions.
leadership Aligning, motivating, and inspiring the project team members to do the right thing, build trust, think creatively, and to challenge the status quo.
management Management uses positional power to direct, maintain, administrate, control, and focus on getting things done without challenging the status quo of the project and organization.
media selection Based on the audience and the message being sent, the media should be in alignment with the message.
meeting management Meetings are forms of communication. How the meeting is led, managed, and controlled all influence the message being delivered. Agendas, minutes, and order are mandatory for effective communications within a meeting.
personal or charismatic power Power gained by a warm personality that others like.
persuasive power Power gained by persuading people to move toward a specific outcome or decision.
PMI Talent Triangle Defines three areas of PDUs for PMI-certified professionals to maintain their certification: technical project management, leadership, and strategic and business management.
positional power Power gained by the position one holds in the organization or project. This is also known as formal, authoritative, or legitimate power.
presentation In formal presentations, the presenter’s oral and body language, visual aids, and handouts all influence the message being delivered.
pressure-based power Power gained by restricting choices to get the project team to perform the desired project work.
professional development units (PDUs) Hours of education or experiences that the PMP must earn after obtaining the PMP to maintain the PMP certification. PMPs are required to earn 60 PDUs per three-year certification cycle. Of the 60 PDUs, a minimum of 35 hours must come from educational opportunities.
project manager The role of leading the project team and managing the project resources to achieve the objectives of the project effectively and efficiently.
punitive or coercive power Power gained by punishing the people.
referent power Power gained by credibility, respect, and admiration resulting from others’ past experiences with the person.
relational power Power gained by networking, making connections, and creating alliances with others.
reward power Power gained by rewarding people.
sender–receiver models Communication requires a sender and a receiver. Within this model may be multiple avenues to complete the flow of communication, but barriers to effective communication may be present as well.
servant leadership The leader puts others first and focuses on the needs of the people she serves. Servant leaders provide opportunity for growth, education, autonomy within the project, and the well-being of others. The primary focus of servant leadership is service to others.
situational power Power gained by specific situations within the organization.
style The tone, structure, and formality of the message being sent should be in alignment with the audience and the content of the message.
transactional leadership The leader emphasizes the goals of the project and offers rewards and disincentives for the project team. This is sometimes called management by exception, because it’s the exception that is rewarded or punished.
transformational leadership The leader inspires and motivates the project team to achieve the project goals. Transformational leaders aim to empower the project team to take action, be innovative in the project work, and accomplish through ambition.
TWO-MINUTE DRILL
Defining the Project Management Role
The project manager’s role involves getting things done. The project manager is responsible for managing the project work, project resources, and characteristics of the project, but you must also provide leadership for the project team members. Project managers aim to coordinate the efforts of the project in a logical approach to achieve the project objectives.
Communicating project information is a key aspect of successful project management. You’ll need to communicate the right information, to the right people, and at the right time. The message you’re communicating will affect how you communicate. It’s been said that 90 percent of project manager’s time is spent communicating.
Problem solving is a skill that all project managers need. Problem solving means you’re examining a problem at face value, but then digging deeper into the problem and looking for causal factors and the root cause of the problem. Problem solving doesn’t mean just dealing with issues, but solving the logistics of a project, planning for project work, and working with project constraints and boundaries.
Exploring the Project Manager Influence
The project manager is influenced by, and can influence, all of the project stakeholders. Certainly the project team is influenced by the project manager, but so, too, are managers, steering committee members, and other stakeholders. Understanding the roles, power, and interests of these stakeholders can help the project manager better manage the project and operate more efficiently within an organization.
Politics are a natural part of any organization. Effective project managers understand how things really get done in an organization, who has what power, and how politics can influence decisions, progress, and the project team. Politics are often reflected in the behavior of the project manager and how she may manage the project based on the politics she has to deal with in the organization.
International projects can have a variety of influences on the project manager. The project manager must be educated regarding how people and businesses in other cultures operate and how these conditions can affect the project, the project team, and stakeholders. Completing projects in an international environment will challenge the project manager to work with people with varying beliefs, values, educational backgrounds, and social influences.
Building the Project Management Competencies
Once you earn the PMP, you’ll enter your three-year certification cycle. Within these three years, you’ll need to accrue 60 professional development units (PDUs). Of the 60 PDUs, a maximum of 25 can be earned by giving back to the profession by volunteering. The other 35 PDUs must come from continuing education. Within these 35 education PDUs, you must earn 8 in technical project management, leadership, and strategic and business management skills.
Politics are a part of every organization, and projects are not immune from politics. Project managers must understand the political landscape and how politics can affect project decisions, stakeholder involvement, and how things get done in an organization. Politics often stem from the perception of the project and the project manager.
The project manager can utilize several types of power to keep the project moving forward. Understanding and recognizing these powers are important for the PMP exam. You’ll need to be able to identify which power may be used, depending on the given scenario.
Leading and Managing the Project
You will lead people and manage the project. Leadership and management are connected, but they are different things in project management. Leadership is about aligning, motivating, and inspiring people. Management is about getting key results—getting things done. Effective project managers, through experience, will learn how to be both leaders and managers for the project.
Leadership styles are the methods you’ll use to lead the project team. There are six leadership styles you should recognize for the exam: servant leadership, transactional, laissez-faire, transformational, charismatic, and interactional. Know these leadership types and their characteristics so you can identify which leadership type is being used in a given scenario.
Personality affects leadership. Effective leaders are authentic, courteous, and creative. They are aware of the culture the project is operating within and respectful of the project team, have emotional intelligence, and are sociable. Know the characteristics of a good leadership personality.
Performing Project Integration
Process-level integration is project integration management. It’s the coordination of the project management processes within the five knowledge areas. Project integration management is the understanding that what you do with one process can affect other processes. The processes are not isolated in a project, but relative to one another, and many processes can be repeated many times.
Cognitive-level integration is about obtaining experience, knowledge, and ultimately wisdom. Over time, project managers learn by doing, by managing more and more projects within an organization. It’s also about acting and recognizing opportunities for additional learning through training and education.
Context-level integration is the management of a project in consideration for how the project environment has changed, and is changing, in organizations today. By understanding where the project is taking place, the trends and advances in technologies, and the different methods people have for working and communicating, the project manager can adapt and better lead the project within the boundaries and framework of the organization.
SELF TEST
1. Leadership and project management are connected. As a leader and a manager, you will rely on communications within a project to help motivate, manage, and ensure that the project is moving forward toward its objectives. In one component of communication, the receiver restates what the sender has said to clarify the message and to give the sender an opportunity to offer clarity if needed. What is this communication component called?
A. Active listening
B. Sender–receiver model
C. Communications planning
D. Leader listening
2. Beth is a project manager for the HGF Electricians Company, and she’s working with a client to start a new project. Beth and the client are negotiating the price, schedule, and other concerns for a contract for the new project that HGF Electricians Company may take on. In the negotiating, Beth and the client should be negotiating for what result?
A. Best price for the contracted work
B. Fair agreement for both the client and the vendor
C. Most profit for the contracted work
D. Risk distribution between the two parties
3. You are the project manager of the NHQ Project. In your project management role, you want to influence the organization and the project team for the better. What two key aspects are most helpful in influencing the organization as a project manager?
A. Management and leadership
B. Communication skills and a positive attitude
C. Experience and knowledge
D. Experience and willingness to learn
4. Beth is a new project manager for her company, and she’s working with her project team to develop the project management plan. Beth knows that she must rely on several different skills to make her first project successful. Of the following management skills, which will she use most?
A. Leading
B. Communicating
C. Influencing the organization
D. Negotiating
5. Sammy is the project manager for her organization. Sammy is examining her skills and her career and she’s determined that more training in a project management information system would make her a better project manager in her organization. In the five steps of competence, where is Sammy with this realization?
A. Unconsciously competent
B. Consciously competent
C. Consciously incompetent
D. Unconsciously incompetent
6. As a PMP candidate, you should be familiar with the PMI Talent Triangle. You’ll be earning professional development units to maintain your PMP certification status once you’ve cleared the exam. Of the following choices, which answer is not part of the PMI Talent Triangle?
A. Leadership
B. Technical project management
C. Continuing education
D. Strategic and business management
7. Leadership is a desirable trait for a project manager and is heavily referenced throughout the PMBOK Guide. Which one of the following characteristics is not an attribute of leadership?
A. Fiscal responsibility
B. Respect for others
C. Problem-solving ability
D. Desire to learn and improve
8. You are the project manager for your organization. Influencing your organization requires which of the following?
A. An understanding of the organizational budget
B. Research and documentation of proven business cases
C. An understanding of formal and informal organizational systems
D. Positional power
9. Mark is new project manager in the Donaldson Consulting Company. Before joining this company, Mark worked as a project manager for more than 20 years in The Briane Firm, a technical company. Mark has a deep understanding of electronics, software development, and data warehouse technology and is considered an expert in his field. His current project team, however, is pushing back on recommendations from Mark and challenging his knowledge on the project. Since Mark is so new, the project team reasons, he likely doesn’t understand how Donaldson Consulting Company works. What type of power does Mark have in this scenario?
A. Expert
B. Positional
C. Situational
D. Informational
10. What type of power does a project manager have when the team admires the project manager because they’ve worked with her before the current project or they know of her reputation as a project manager?
A. Situational
B. Referent
C. Personal
D. Expert
11. Martha is the project manager for her company and her team likes working for her. Martha has a good attitude, is easy to work with, and is a good planner. The project team views Martha as a member of management who can give them a good review and possibly affect a bonus payment for each project team member if the project is completed on time. What type of power does Martha have?
A. Punitive
B. Situational
C. Reward
D. Guilt-based
12. You can adopt several different tactics and leadership styles in a project. Which one of the following is the best description of being a servant leader?
A. The leader emphasizes the goals of the project and offers rewards and disincentives for the project team.
B. The leader puts others first and focuses on the needs of the people he serves.
C. The leader takes a “hands-off” approach to the project.
D. The leader inspires and motivates the project team to achieve the project goals.
13. You are the project manager for the ERP Project. As such, you will have to use some positional power to keep the project moving forward. You’ll also need to develop leadership skills to align, motivate, and inspire people. Of the following choices, which one is most likely associated with management skills?
A. Focus on the next project achievements
B. Build relationships
C. Support the project team
D. Challenge status quo
14. You are the project manager of the Finance Project for your organization. In this project you’re coaching Maria on the project management knowledge areas. Maria is having questions about project integration management at the process level. Which one of the following is the best example of project integration management at the process level?
A. Poor quality management planning will likely affect the quality of the project deliverable.
B. A robust communications management plan is dependent on the number of stakeholders involved in the project.
C. Larger projects require more detail than smaller projects.
D. Planning is an iterative activity that will happen throughout the project.
15. You are the project manager of a project. The project team is experiencing some trouble with a new material that the project will utilize. You gather the team to lead an active problem-solving session. Which one of the following is the best definition of problem solving?
A. Define the problem and the desired solution.
B. Discern the cause and the effect of the problem.
C. Document the problem and its characteristics to see the whole effect.
D. Test the materials to identify the solution.
16. Dwight was the project lead for the IT Upgrade Project, while Jim was serving as the project manager. Because of a family emergency, Jim has stepped down from the project and has taken a leave of absence. Management has asked that Dwight to serve as the project manager for the remainder of the project. What type of power does Dwight now have?
A. Personal
B. Expert
C. Situational
D. Reward
17. A project manager is meeting with his project team. In this meeting, the top 10 percent of project team members are openly praised for their hard work. The bottom 10 percent of the project team members are disciplined and scolded in the meeting. The balance of the project team is not addresses. What type of leadership is happening in this scenario?
A. Transactional leadership
B. Laissez-faire leadership
C. Interactional leadership
D. Pressure-based power
18. Who is responsible for executing the project plan and creating the project deliverables?
A. Project lead
B. Project manager and the project team
C. Project manager
D. Project team
19. As a project manager, you need both leadership and management skills. Which one of the following statements best describes the difference between leadership and management in a project?
A. Management is the process of getting the results that are expected by project. Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire individuals.
B. Management is the process of getting the results that are expected by project stakeholders. Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire individuals to work toward those expected results.
C. Leadership is about creating excitement to be managed.
D. Leadership is the process of getting the project team excited to create results that are expected by project stakeholders. Management is the ability to keep track of the project results.
20. Communication is paramount in project management and best summed up by defining who needs what information, when do they need it, and what other factor? (Choose the best answer.)
A. Person
B. Resource
C. Format
D. Modality
21. Tracy is the project manager for her organization. She’s working with Tim, a project team member, to garner information about an activity. Tim reports that he’s nearly done with the task and will likely be done next week. Tracy responds by confirming that Tim is nearly done with the activity and that he could be done by next Monday. This is an example of what?
A. Leadership
B. Management
C. Active listening
D. Scrum
22. You are the project manager in a large organization, and you instruct the project team that you and the project team should follow vertical communications throughout the project whenever risks are discussed. What is vertical communications?
A. Communications that follow the organizational flow chart.
B. Communications that follow the project phases.
C. Communication that always flow through the project manager.
D. Communication that is open and any project team member can discuss the risks with anyone associated with the project.
23. Terri is the project manager of the IT Development Project for her company. She and a stakeholder are having a heated disagreement about what was to be included in the project. Terri decides it’s best to bring the project sponsor into the conversation to help everyone find an agreeable conclusion to the disagreement. What is happening in this scenario?
A. Poor requirements gathering
B. Sender–receiver model
C. Strong negotiation
D. Mediation
24. The project manager can influence people and people can also influence the project manager. One such group of influence comprises the organizational managers. Why will the project manager need to influence the organizational managers?
A. To have access to people, processes, and resources
B. To have control over project team members’ time
C. To determine when the organizational managers expect the project to be completed
D. To negotiate for project funding
25. Once you earn the PMP, the certification is valid for how long?
A. One year
B. Three years
C. Five years
D. Forever
SELF TEST ANSWERS
1. Leadership and project management are connected. As a leader and a manager, you will rely on communications within a project to help motivate, manage, and ensure that the project is moving forward toward its objectives. In one component of communication, the receiver restates what the sender has said to clarify the message and to give the sender an opportunity to offer clarity if needed. What is this communication component called?
A. Active listening
B. Sender–receiver model
C. Communications planning
D. Leader listening
A. Active listening is the participatory component of a conversation that confirms what was said and enables the sender to offer clarity, if needed.
B, C, and D are incorrect. B is incorrect because the sender–receiver model is a model regarding how communication moves between two people. C is incorrect because communications planning is a project management process plan for who needs what information, when the information is needed, and in what modality. D, leader listening, is not a valid project management term, so this choice is incorrect.
2. Beth is a project manager for the HGF Electricians Company, and she’s working with a client to start a new project. Beth and the client are negotiating the price, schedule, and other concerns for a contract for the new project that HGF Electricians Company may take on. In the negotiating, Beth and the client should be negotiating for what result?
A. Best price for the contracted work
B. Fair agreement for both the client and the vendor
C. Most profit for the contracted work
D. Risk distribution between the two parties
B. The purpose of negotiations is to reach a fair agreement for all parties involved.
A, C, and D are incorrect. A and C are incorrect because these two choices are mutually exclusive and not concerned with the other party in the contract. D, risk distribution, is not a valid choice as the fair agreement among the parties would address the risk distribution. If the HGF Electricians Company takes on more risk, the client may pay more for the service.
3. You are the project manager of the NHQ Project. In your project management role, you want to influence the organization and the project team for the better. What two key aspects are most helpful in influencing the organization as a project manager?
A. Management and leadership
B. Communication skills and a positive attitude
C. Experience and knowledge
D. Experience and willingness to learn
B. Communication skills and a positive attitude are most helpful in influencing an organization.
A, C,and D are incorrect. A is incorrect because management and leadership are values for a project manager, but they aren’t the most helpful aspects of influence. C is incorrect because experience and knowledge are self-contained skills and don’t do much to influence, inspire, and motivate others. D is incorrect because experience and a willingness to learn are good attributes, but they are intrinsic for a good project manager and are not an external influence on the organization.
4. Beth is a new project manager for her company, and she’s working with her project team to develop the project management plan. Beth knows that she must rely on several different skills to make her first project successful. Of the following management skills, which will she use most?
A. Leading
B. Communicating
C. Influencing the organization
D. Negotiating
B. Communication is the key general management skill a project manager will use the most.
A, C, and Dare incorrect. These choices are important to project management, but communication accounts for the majority of a project manager’s time.
5. Sammy is the project manager for her organization. Sammy is examining her skills and her career and she’s determined that more training in a project management information system would make her a better project manager in her organization. In the five steps of competence, where is Sammy with this realization?
A. Unconsciously competent
B. Consciously competent
C. Consciously incompetent
D. Unconsciously incompetent
C. Sammy is consciously incompetent because she is aware that she needs more training to be competent in a new skill.
A, B, and D are incorrect. Ais incorrect because unconsciously competent project managers have a skill without even thinking about it. B is incorrect because consciously competent managers learn and practice a skill to gain competence. D, unconsciously incompetent, would indicate that Sammy doesn’t know that she is incompetent in the skill.
6. As a PMP candidate, you should be familiar with the PMI Talent Triangle. You’ll be earning professional development units to maintain your PMP certification status once you’ve cleared the exam. Of the following choices, which answer is not part of the PMI Talent Triangle?
A. Leadership
B. Technical project management
C. Continuing education
D. Strategic and business management
C. Continuing education is not part of the PMI Talent Triangle.
A, B,andD are incorrect. Leadership, technical project management, and strategic and business management are the three components of the PMI Talent Triangle.
7. Leadership is a desirable trait for a project manager and is heavily referenced throughout the PMBOK Guide. Which one of the following characteristics is not an attribute of leadership?
A. Fiscal responsibility
B. Respect for others
C. Problem-solving ability
D. Desire to learn and improve
A. This is an example of a management skill. Fiscal responsibility is also a desirable trait for project managers, but it’s a management skill rather than a leadership skill.
B, C,andD are incorrect. Leadership attributes include respect for others, problem-solving abilities, and a desire to learn and improve.
8. You are the project manager for your organization. Influencing your organization requires which of the following?
A. An understanding of the organizational budget
B. Research and documentation of proven business cases
C. An understanding of formal and informal organizational systems
D. Positional power
C. To influence an organization (to get things done), a project manager must understand the explicit and implied organizational system within the organization.
A, B,and D are incorrect. A is incorrect because the project manager may not have access to an organizational budget. B is incorrect because a proven business case may not map to every scenario when influencing an organization. D is incorrect because positional power may relate only to a small portion of an organization, not to multiple facets of influence.
9. Mark is new project manager in the Donaldson Consulting Company. Before joining this company, Mark worked as a project manager for more than 20 years in The Briane Firm, a technical company. Mark has a deep understanding of electronics, software development, and data warehouse technology and is considered an expert in his field. His current project team, however, is pushing back on recommendations from Mark and challenging his knowledge on the project. Since Mark is so new, the project team reasons, he likely doesn’t understand how Donaldson Consulting Company works. What type of power does Mark have in this scenario?
A. Expert
B. Positional
C. Situational
D. Informational
B. Mark has positional power in this scenario, because he’s new to the organization and the team doesn’t recognize his expertise in the technology. Positional power is also known as formal, authoritative, or legitimate power.
A, C,andD are incorrect. A is incorrect because expert power means the team would recognize his expertise in the technology and respect his decisions. C is incorrect because situational power relies on situations within the organization. D is incorrect because informational power means the individual has control of the data gathering and distribution of information.
10. What type of power does a project manager have when the team admires the project manager because they’ve worked with her before the current project or they know of her reputation as a project manager?
A. Situational
B. Referent
C. Personal
D. Expert
B. Referent power of the project manager indicates that she is respected or admired because of her team’s past experiences with her. This is about the project manager’s credibility in the organization.
A, C, and D are incorrect. A is incorrect because situational power means the project manager has power because of certain situations in the organization. C is incorrect because the project manager is liked because of her personality rather than her experiences with the project team in the past. Dis incorrect because expert power means the project manager has deep skills and experience in a particular discipline.
11. Martha is the project manager for her company and her team likes working for her. Martha has a good attitude, is easy to work with, and is a good planner. The project team views Martha as a member of management who can give them a good review and possibly affect a bonus payment for each project team member if the project is completed on time. What type of power does Martha have?
A. Punitive
B. Situational
C. Reward
D. Guilt-based
C. When the project team sees the project manager as someone who can reward them, the project manager has reward power.
A, B, and D are incorrect. A, punitive power, means the team thinks the project manager can punish them. B, situational power, is when the project manager has power based on unique situations within the organization. D, guilt-based power, is when the team feels guilty if they don’t complete their project work according to plan.
12. You can adopt several different tactics and leadership styles in a project. Which one of the following is the best description of being a servant leader?
A. The leader emphasizes the goals of the project and offers rewards and disincentives for the project team.
B. The leader puts others first and focuses on the needs of the people he serves.
C. The leader takes a “hands-off” approach to the project.
D. The leader inspires and motivates the project team to achieve the project goals.
B. The leader puts others first and focuses on the needs of the people he serves. Servant leaders provide opportunity for growth, education, autonomy within the project, and the well-being of others. The primary focus of servant leadership is service to others.
A, C,andD are incorrect. A is incorrect because this answer describes transactional leadership. Cis incorrect because this answer describes a laissez-faire leadership approach. D is incorrect because this answer describes the transformational leadership style.
13. You are the project manager for the ERP Project. As such, you will have to use some positional power to keep the project moving forward. You’ll also need to develop leadership skills to align, motivate, and inspire people. Of the following choices, which one is most likely associated with management skills?
A. Focus on the next project achievements
B. Build relationships
C. Support the project team
D. Challenge status quo
A. Management focuses on the next project achievements.
B, C, and D are incorrect. These choices are attributes of leadership. Leaders build relationships, support the project team, and challenge the status quo. This isn’t to say that managers don’t do these things, but A is the best answer in this case.
14. You are the project manager of the Finance Project for your organization. In this project you’re coaching Maria on the project management knowledge areas. Maria is having questions about project integration management at the process level. Which one of the following is the best example of project integration management at the process level?
A. Poor quality management planning will likely affect the quality of the project deliverable.
B. A robust communications management plan is dependent on the number of stakeholders involved in the project.
C. Larger projects require more detail than smaller projects.
D. Planning is an iterative activity that will happen throughout the project.
A. Of all the choices presented, this answer is the best example of project integration management. Project integration management at the process level means that what you do in one process can have a direct effect on other processes. Poor quality management planning will likely affect the quality of the deliverables is a true statement linked to project integration management.
B, C, and D are incorrect. These are examples of project integration management at the process level. We’ll discuss more about project integration management in the next chapter of this book.
15. You are the project manager of a project. The project team is experiencing some trouble with a new material that the project will utilize. You gather the team to lead an active problem-solving session. Which one of the following is the best definition of problem solving?
A. Define the problem and the desired solution.
B. Discern the cause and the effect of the problem.
C. Document the problem and its characteristics to see the whole effect.
D. Test the materials to identify the solution.
B. Problem solving begins with problem definition. Problem definition is the ability to discern between the cause and effect of the problem. Root-cause analysis looks beyond the immediate symptoms to the cause of the symptoms, which then affords opportunities for solutions.
A, C, and D are incorrect. These approaches don’t first define the effect and the causes, which is crucial to problem solving.
16. Dwight was the project lead for the IT Upgrade Project, while Jim was serving as the project manager. Because of a family emergency, Jim has stepped down from the project and has taken a leave of absence. Management has asked that Dwight to serve as the project manager for the remainder of the project. What type of power does Dwight now have?
A. Personal
B. Expert
C. Situational
D. Reward
C. Dwight now has situational power. The project manager has power because of certain situations in the organization.
A, B, and D are incorrect. Personal power means the project manager has a warm personality that others like. Expert means that the project manager has deep skills and experience in a discipline. Expert isn’t the best choice because Dwight is made project manager only because of the situation with Jim having to leave the project. Reward power means the project manager can reward the project team.
17. A project manager is meeting with his project team. In this meeting, the top 10 percent of project team members are openly praised for their hard work. The bottom 10 percent of the project team members are disciplined and scolded in the meeting. The balance of the project team is not addresses. What type of leadership is happening in this scenario?
A. Transactional leadership
B. Laissez-faire leadership
C. Interactional leadership
D. Pressure-based power
A. Transactional leadership means the leader emphasizes the goals of the project and offers rewards and disincentives for the project team. This is sometimes called management by exception because it’s the exception that is rewarded or punished.
B, C, and D are incorrect. Bis incorrect because laissez-faire leadership means the leader takes a hands-off approach to the project. C and Dare incorrect because the leader is a hybrid of transactional, transformational, and charismatic leaders. The interactional leader wants the team to act, is excited and inspired about the project work, yet still holds the team accountable for their results. D, pressure-based power, is not a leadership type, but rather a type of power where the project manager can restrict choices to get the project team to perform the project work.
18. Who is responsible for executing the project plan and creating the project deliverables?
A. Project lead
B. Project manager and the project team
C. Project manager
D. Project team
D. The project team members are responsible for executing the project plan and creating the project deliverables.
A, B, and C are incorrect. A is incorrect because the project lead isn’t the only role responsible for executing the plan. Answer B is tempting, but the project team is responsible for executing the plan—that is, doing the work to create the project deliverables. C, the project manager, isn’t the best answer, because the project manager may be accountable for the project, but it’s the project team that builds the project deliverables.
19. As a project manager, you need both leadership and management skills. Which one of the following statements best describes the difference between leadership and management in a project?
A. Management is the process of getting the results that are expected by project. Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire individuals.
B. Management is the process of getting the results that are expected by project stakeholders. Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire individuals to work toward those expected results.
C. Leadership is about creating excitement to be managed.
D. Leadership is the process of getting the project team excited to create results that are expected by project stakeholders. Management is the ability to keep track of the project results.
B. Of all the choices, this is the best answer. Management is the process of getting the results that are expected by project stakeholders. Leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire individuals to work toward those expected results.
A, C, and D are incorrect. These statements do not reflect the difference between management and leadership in a project.
20. Communication is paramount in project management and best summed up by defining who needs what information, when do they need it, and what other factor? (Choose the best answer.)
A. Person
B. Resource
C. Format
D. Modality
D. Project communication can be summed up as “who needs what information, when do they need it, and what’s the best modality to deliver the message.”
A, B, and C are incorrect. Although these answers are tempting choices, these aren’t the best answers. Communication is best summed up by defining who needs what information, when do they need it, and the modality.
21. Tracy is the project manager for her organization. She’s working with Tim, a project team member, to garner information about an activity. Tim reports that he’s nearly done with the task and will likely be done next week. Tracy responds by confirming that Tim is nearly done with the activity and that he could be done by next Monday. This is an example of what?
A. Leadership
B. Management
C. Active listening
D. Scrum
C. This is an example of active listening because Tracy is repeating the information and giving Tim an opportunity to clarify which day next week he could have the task completed.
A, B, and D are incorrect. This is not an example of leadership, management, or scrum.
22. You are the project manager in a large organization, and you instruct the project team that you and the project team should follow vertical communications throughout the project whenever risks are discussed. What is vertical communications?
A. Communications that follow the organizational flow chart.
B. Communications that follow the project phases.
C. Communication that always flow through the project manager.
D. Communication that is open and any project team member can discuss the risks with anyone associated with the project.
A. Vertical communication follows the organizational flow chart.
B, C, and D are incorrect. B is incorrect because vertical communication doesn’t follow the project phase. Cis incorrect because not all communication must flow through the project manager. D is incorrect because the project team shouldn’t discuss risks with anyone in the project in a vertical communications models.
23. Terri is the project manager of the IT Development Project for her company. She and a stakeholder are having a heated disagreement about what was to be included in the project. Terri decides it’s best to bring the project sponsor into the conversation to help everyone find an agreeable conclusion to the disagreement. What is happening in this scenario?
A. Poor requirements gathering
B. Sender-receiver model
C. Strong negotiation
D. Mediation
D. By bringing in the project sponsor to help resolve the disagreement, Terri is starting a mediation session for the requirements wanted by the stakeholder.
A, B, and C are incorrect. Though there may have been poor requirements gathering prior to this meeting, we don’t know enough from the question to determine that this is the case. Though communication should follow the sender–receiver model, this isn’t the best choice for the question. Strong negotiation isn’t a valid project management term.
24. The project manager can influence people and people can also influence the project manager. One such group of influence comprises the organizational managers. Why will the project manager need to influence the organizational managers?
A. To have access to people, processes, and resources
B. To have control over project team members’ time
C. To determine when the organizational managers expect the project to be completed
D. To negotiate for project funding
A. The project manager will likely need to work with and influence managers to have access to people, process, and resources.
B, C, and Dare incorrect. These choices aren’t the best answers for why the project manager will need to influence the organizational managers. The project manager may need to influence the organizational managers for project team members’ time, but this isn’t the best choice. Understanding when the project work needs to be completed is part of project requirements gathering and isn’t the best answer. Project funding will likely be established prior to the project initiation and is backed by the project sponsor.
25. Once you earn the PMP, the certification is valid for how long?
A. One year
B. Three years
C. Five years
D. Forever
B. The PMP is valid for three years. You maintain the certification by earning 60 PDUs within the three-year certification cycle.
A, C,andD are incorrect. The PMP is valid for three years.