Reflection Opportunity
Remember, nothing is so practical as a good theory! As a CRS project manager, you work with a number of partners who have different and unique levels of experience, maturity, and ability.
1. ������������������������������������������������������������ Write down some examples of how you have appropriately been more supportive or more directive with any of these partners in the course of project management. ��������������������������������������������������������������� 2. ����������������������������������������������������������� Write down some examples of when your management style was inappropriate (e.g., not providing enough support for a partner who was having problems or being too directive with a mature partner who resented it). 3. �������������������������������������������������������� What opportunities do you have now to experiment with a different management style that is more effective?
(Source: Adapted from Bob Jud Training Materials 2005)
Servant-leadership is another approach that challenges autocratic or hierarchical leadership models. To become a servant-leader, a manager needs to build a relationship of trust, set up winwin performance agreements, and then provide support to people so that they can achieve desired performance results. Servant-leadership requires humility, focuses on building interdependent teams, and emphasizes meeting people’s priorities and needs. Covey (1989) describes some of these ideas in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
he concept of project management as a discipline was developed to manage the U.S. space T program in the early 1960s. Project management emphasizes careful planning, and focuses on optimizing resources (i.e., skills, talents, and the cooperative efforts of a team of people, as well as facilities, tools and equipment, information, systems, techniques and money) to achieve objectives successfully and complete a project. According to Lewis (2001), successful projects are:
• • •
good (of high quality, attain desired objectives or performance level); cheap (within cost or budget parameters); and fast (on time).
he evolution in thinking of work as a means to an end to that of work as having value in its own T right has led to the idea of learning organizations. Learning organizations discover how to tap people’s interests, commitment, and capacity to learn at all levels in the organization (Senge 1990) and build on experiences and results. A related idea is David Korten’s learning process approach (1990). Recognizing that development projects nearly always operate with limited knowledge in environments that are constantly changing, Korten worked with others to develop new strategies for bureaucratic transformation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) committed to working with the poor. A true learning organization embraces error rather than denying its existence, covering it up or blaming others. It looks to failure as a vital source of knowledge and lessons for making adjustments to achieve better performance.
Cross-cultural Issues in Management You may have noticed something: Many of the above management models and theories come from Western and largely North American settings. How do these models fit with existing cultural norms in other settings? You may have felt this personally as someone from one culture being managed by someone from another culture. A study done in Cambodia and summarized in the “From Theory to Practice” story box illustrates some of the potential issues and challenges.
20 PROPACK II CHAPTER II SECTION 1