As an independent project manager, you have just been hired by the president of a privately-owned insurance company that has 200 employees and has been in the family for three generations. The current leadership of the company has grown up in the business, has little background in project management, and is largely absentee.

The project you have been hired to turn around is one that was started 18 months ago and was managed by the then-director of customer service, who, after 20 years, has left for another opportunity. This project, like other projects at the company, is floundering. It is already six months behind schedule and over budget, and it lacks commitment from the four other functional groups who are key stakeholders: sales, accounting, IT, and order processing. The project you are charged with getting back on track and completing is for a new customer service system that is projected to create efficiencies, automate call center functions, and increase the quality of customer service.

Assesstwo reasons why the previous manager may not have been the right person to run this project. The previous manager was the director of customer service who knew her department well, but she had no project management experience.

Determinethe type of power you will likely have as an independent PM leading this project and requiring input and fractional resources from various other departments.

Identifythe key person in the company who must actively and fully support you and the project for the project to succeed.

Describethe leadership style you will choose to practice as project manager.

Summarizethe steps you will take to reform the team and name the type of team culture (using the Human Synergistics Circumplex) you will try to develop.