Read the article below and answer ALL questions that follow.

Article: Are You a Project Leader or Firefighter? Why do so many professionals say they are project managing, when what they are actually doing is firefighting? Colin Bentley As a project manager, do you feel more like youre managing or firefighting? You came in on Monday with a plan all laid out for the week. Now its Friday and you cant wait until 5 p.m. Did you spend all week putting out fire after fire on projects in your organizationonly to feel exhausted and lacking focus on what your priorities should have been each day? Organizations today need leaders, not firefighters. Project leaders should be focused on the big picture while delivering project outcomes, results and overall value to the organization. Many times when a project is in trouble, an organization may call on a firefightera PM that knows how to quickly put out the fire and clean up the mess. Many times, the PM may not be up to the challenge. Its a recipe for disaster for any journey-level or seasoned PM. In hindsight, is this the best way to manage projects of any size and complexity and demonstrate project leadership in your organization? Clearly, a PM is a valuable asset for more than firefighting; get them involved right up front to help drive successful delivery, outcomes and results that add value to the bottom line. Last year, I was asked to join a panel of experts on Twitter for a discussion on project management, leadership and productivity. We were asked five comprehensive questions in the hopes of discovering successful viewpoints on project management, leadership and productivity no matter what specific process or methodology is used.

Below are highlights of the chat and my perspectives for each respective area: Project Management Question 1:

What are the main challenges when leading projects?

People, processes, politics and everything in between. You must focus as much on leadership as you do on technical skills.

The role a PM plays in the org and its culture will add challenges. Focus on your role as a pm, program or portfolio manager.

Resistance can come from your team, stakeholders and customers. Transparency and leadership are key in PM.

Break down those walls of resistance by building relationships, partnering with your stakeholders, gaining buyin, support. Project managers will be tested regularly on their technical skills, leadership and strategic and business management core competencies from the beginning to the end of their projects. The reality is that projects will put you in the spotlight, so you must focus on your ability to learn to dance in the rain.

Leadership Question 2: How do you inspire and motivate your project team?

PM is an art & science; expect conflict and manage it.

Inspire and motivate a team? How? Model the way, emotional intelligence (EI) will help you understand others motivations, empathy is important!

Your team expects you to show up, lead & model the way every day!

Critical success factors are important to flush out for the project team; document it, measure & manage it!

People are different; one size fits all may not work for everyone.

Absolutely; all project teams should have culture training.

People are your most important asset of your organization; invest in them. Project management is like a team sport; it requires the PM to be a leader, coach, mentor, cheerleader and deflector of all obstacles that get in the way of their projects crossing that finish line.

vmc Productivity Question 3: What are your tips for keeping a project on time and within budget?

Manage your plan or it will manage you. PMP, risk/issue log, schedule. Find the right fit of tools for the right client/project.

Manage your scope, change management & stakeholder expectations.

Keep calm; youre a PM. Project managers need to understand and master the triple constraint to:

1. Plan the project

2. Analyze risk, negotiate with the sponsor

3. Manage stakeholder expectations while maintaining a fine balance of quality

Question 4: What are your tips for rescuing a project thats not running to plan?

Organizations need superstar PMs, projects need adaptable PMs & projects need PMs with leadership skills. You must be self-motivated with the drive and passion to multi-task in most environments today. You may be managing multiple projects and need to be a juggler of time management and focus your attention on a myriad of project activities. Dont let your other projects become troubled, too; they can take on a life of their own and quickly get off track.

Question 5: What key features must project management tools have?

Pick a tool that is mobile, suits the scale & size of the project; sometimes whiteboards, sticky notes & pens work well.

You may have a small, medium or large project. Pick tools that fit; your team may use more than one tool. Usually, I recommend that PMs should pick the right fit of toolsfor the right project and for the right customer. The right fit of tools should meet the team, project and stakeholder needs to communicate, track, report and more. Project leaders today should actively seek ways to get just-in-time advice and tips on project management, leadership and productivity for continuous development and mastery of the three areas of the PMI Talent Triangle. Youll be running to your next big project opportunity in no timeand managing fewer troubled projects. Source:Caietti (2017)

QUESTION 4 (25 Marks) The article raised a further question, Question 5: What key features must project management tools have? and the response provided, stated that your team may use more than one tool. Identify and discuss the various project quality management tools that a project team may utilise to manage projects.