Unorthodox Solutions to Project Management-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Write a Reflective Essay on Creative Thinking Skills as Unorthodox Solutions to Project Management. Answer: Introduction The first sentence describes what the paragraph is going to discuss which will be on creative thinking skills of a project manager at Blue Lab Company in India. The project manager is required to design and install low smoke stoves and economically viable toilets. Project manager becomes one of the important decisions for the project success(Burke, 2013). The writer further explains the last sentence that creative thinking skills in project management is that of applying distinctive knowledge, tools and techniques in project activities to achieve unique results. The project manager is expected to be technical and administrative credible(Hedman, 2013). Creative thinking skills represent the ability to use equipments and tools, relate with project team members and produce innovative products, while competency of project manager defines ability to put many pieces of task together innovatively to make valuable decisions. The last sentence is a concluding sentence that summarises the para graph. A skilful and competent project manager who is a creative thinker should be knowledgeable in a several areas and functions(Gido Clements, 2014). Literature review Project manager allocated creative thinking skills is important for today management and ensuring company success. The project manager in Blue Lab Company is expected to utilize skills from project beginning to closure. The project management creative thinking skills and responsibilities are classified into broad areas to parent organization, and project stakeholders (clients, project team members). Skills importance to Blue Lab Company The creative thinking skills of a project manager can be important for the parent company (Blue Lab) in ensuring unique project goals is achieved. To support the first sentence there are several responsibilities that a project manager needs to carry out during the project life cycle(Kendrick, 2013). The tasks of a project manager are to use planning skills to formulate a project management plan that covers several components. The writer supports the argument by mentioning the components to be planned to include: procurement, quality, communication, risk, schedule, and resources. Through creative thinking several tools and techniques can be used by project managers for this planning process for example: risk registers, work breakdown structures, critical path methods, and stakeholder registers. There are other special demands for project managers which include: acquiring adequate resources, motivating project personnel, dealing with obstacles, setting project goals and reporting roles (Bourne, 2015). Ideally, there should be another sentence that links to the next paragraph. The several demands are unique with management and the success of projects, and project managers need to use creative thinking when dealing with them. The role of a project manager through planning and organization skills is to balance the three constraints (scope, budget, time)(Lock, 2014). Resources need to be obtained from the right source and use them optimally; time and budget need to be conceptually generated to ensure operations of the project run smoothly. The next sentences explain the last sentence in which the writer was discussing. Project manager creative thinking skills are to ensure balancing of the three constraints to avoid one overriding or affecting the other. Due to uniqueness of projects several risks and crisis face it. Project managers need to identify, assess and mitigate these risks. Projects can fail if the scope requirements are not well defined. The project creative thinking skill is to use relevant softwares to breakdown project activities into smaller tasks, work packages and establish relationship and responsibilities over them(Kloppenborg, 2014). It makes easy to allocate resources and time if the ac tivities are structured well. The project manager is required to have negotiation skills during acquisition of resources and contract making process. The writer further explains other additional roles and responsibilities. Projects require means of verifying and maintaining performance. Project managers are required to have controlling skills that is manifested by them setting standards and ensuring the standards are maintained(Kendrick, 2013). One role of the project manager in Blue Lab Company is to creatively set standards and specifications for work performance and ensure that they are followed. Measurement and follow ups of standards can be achieved in projects by having monitoring and evaluating units. The work of such unit is to ensure project performance is measured as per the set standards and requirements, and corrective measures are taken in consideration. Skills importance to Blue Lab Company stakeholders Blue lab clients represent several stakeholders directly or indirectly affected by the project. Blue lab company stakeholders include: customers, employees, suppliers, and other relevant bodies. The project manager role to the clients is to ensure integrity of the project is maintained in spite of other conflicting demands from other parties with legitimate interests through integrative and interpersonal skills(Armstrong, 2010). Blue Lab Company through its project manager needs to creatively have a clear policy that will integrate and manage its clients interests. By carrying out stakeholder analysis the company will identify the needs and interests of each client and provide suitable methodologies to manage them. In project sustainability is important and that can be achieved by project manager having a democratic leadership skills of allowing all clients participate in project activities(Grindle, 2014). The project managers through human resource skills need to negotiate with other functional managers to acquire desired personnel and convince them to take project roles(Armstrong, 2010). Human resource skills entail identification, development and maintaining of the right personnel for project needs. Project team members need to apply creative thinking in projects through suitable methodologies and policies. The author expands his point, but is still relevant to the first sentence, and uses a reference to support this. Project manager need to take a leading role in creating a comfortable work environment for employees to focus on what they can achieve(Heagney, 2016). The project manager general task is to creatively have skills of how to acquire adequate resources, motivate employees, deal with obstacles, handling conflicts and failures, and maintaining communication. The last sentence is a concluding sentence that summarises the paragraph. The project manager need to have a clear de finition of how success and failure can be determined that makes it easy to keep track and monitor various activities(Hedman, 2013). Critical analysis of literature review Project management creative thinking skills are important for a project manager to function effectively in a project(Ferigotti , Cunha Fernandes , 2016). To support the first sentence the writer mentions project management creative thinking skills discussed in the literature to covers areas like: technical, planning and conceptual, social and interpersonal, negotiation, human resource management, and conflict management skills. The writer critically analyses each of the mentioned project management skills where creative thinking is required. Technical skills involve using tools and techniques found in project management to support decisions and activities in projects for example risk registers, work breakdown structures(Hurwitz Hurwitz, 2013). Project managers can creatively use technical skills to develop tools and techniques that simplify project activities and employing them to increase efficiency and effectiveness. The writer then adds some examples to support what his point of view by proving practical examples and illustrations. Planning and conceptual skills are critical in coming up with guidelines and budgets for achievement of project activities for example project management plans of quality, procurement. To support the importance of creative thinking skill project managers can use planning and conceptual skills to ensure procedures and systems are formulated to execute project activities. There are other skills which are useful in project management. Social and interpersonal skills are important in management of stakeholders in projects. This is explained further by the writer that project managers use social and interpersonal skills for creative communication plan(Gido Clements, 2014). The next sentences just explain the first sentence in that human resource management creative skill is important for a project manager in managing, maintaining and motivating the right project staff in unique competitive way. That entails identifying through a selection process, training and remunerating them to perform well in organization. Creative thinking in conflict management skill is coming up with suitable methodologies for a project manager to mitigate conflicts arising from project team members in the project. Leadership skills are important in creatively directing and inspiring project team members towards project activities. The writer explains further that the project man ager is expected to take a leadership and operative role in integrating all aspects and elements of the project, ensure that proper knowledge, skills and resources are available, and ensure the project results are timely and cost effective. Conclusion The writers conclusion categorizes the creative thinking skills in project management as those that can be mastered and those that cannot be mastered. For those skills mastered theoretically include: negotiation, controls, human resource management, planning, leadership and conceptual skills one can uniquely apply creative thinking. For those project management skills not mastered and require practice after learning include: technical, interpersonal and conflict management skills where creative thinking can be a challenge. Both skills are helpful to accomplish unique outcomes with limited resources under critical time constraints for those who are aspiring to be future project managers. To support the last sentence further creative thinking in project management provides aspiring managers with tools that improve their ability to plan implement and control project activities by utilizing resources distinctively. The creative thinking skills in project management can be improved by fur ther learning and confidently applying them in projects. References Armstrong, M. (2010). Human resource management. London, England: Mc Graw Hill. Bourne, L. (2015). Making projects work:effective stakeholder and communication management. New Delhi: CRC press. Burke, R. (2013). Project management: planning and control tecniques. New Jersey: Wiley publishers. Ferigotti C., Cunha S Fernandes B. (2016). Managerial competencies for requirements of sustainable innovation: the case of Electrolux of Brazil. International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development,, 160-176. Gido Clements. (2014). Successful project management. Chicago: Nelson Education. Grindle. (2014). Administrative Team Management: Four Essential Components. The Clearing House,, 56(1), 29-33. Heagney, J. (2016). The project manager leader. In fundamentals of project Management. New York: Adventure works press. Hedman, K. (2013). Project management professional exam study guide. Indianapolis: Wiley. Hurwitz, M., Hurwitz, S. (2013). Personal, Team, and Organizational Development. In Leadership is Half the Story: A Fresh Look at Followership, Leadership, and Collaboration . University of Toronto Press, 10(4), 23-78. Kendrick, T. (2013). The project management tool kit: 100 tips and techniques for getting the job done right. . AMACOM Div: American management Assn. Kloppenborg, T. (2014). Contemporary project management. London: Nelson Education. Lock, M. (2014). The essentials of project management. New York: Ashgate publishing Ltd.