Project Management

IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT A SCIENCE OR AN ART?

Project Management is defined as a discipline of planning, organizing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of a specific project. A project is defined as an organized work towards a pre-defined goal or objective that requires resources and effort, a unique venture having a budget and schedule. Its success can be measured in terms of how closely it comes to meeting the goal or objective within the parameters of its budget and schedule. It is characterized by impermanence since it ceases once the project is completed. (Mike Field & Laurie Keller, 1998).

In my own perspective, project management is both a science and an art. It is a science because it seeks to understand and apply processes, tools and techniques. The use of project management tools such as the Gantt chart/PERT CPM, cost monitoring and control, etc. are very relevant. These provide direction and guidelines for project completion and success.

Project management is an art because it involves the organization and the people. It requires a tedious task of organizing, building and motivating the team. For a project to succeed, it requires the right and appropriate people. It requires an effective project manager and dedicated team members. Along the way, several issues may arise due to conflict of personalities and interests. It is a reality that people tend to communicate ineffectively as evidenced by gossips and hearsays—which all ruin the team’s unity. Yet, an effective leadership and communication will ease out barriers and bring unity to the team. Hence, the people who work for the project namely, the project manager and the team members need to communicate effectively, work within the organization’s culture and motivate each other. The project manager needs to have leadership skills and organizational effectiveness. Team members need to have the dedication and determination for the project’s success.

A personal experience noted certain challenges in project management. I experienced handling a three-day, out of town Job Hunt. As Head of the Personnel Department, I automatically became the project manager and my members are five Personnel staff. The goal was to hire at least 400 people for casual and staff level positions. The project cost was not much of an issue because the city government through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) offered a place to hold the event. Renting a venue to hold such big event should have been the biggest chunk of the cost. However, a challenge was posed with the lack of experience of the Personnel staff since three of them were still very new in the company. Another challenge was the external coordination with the City Mayor’s office and PESO due to the distance and an impersonal means of communication (e.g. telephone). Yet, through proper identification and delegation of tasks and motivation, the “neophytes” were able to deliver. Proper scheduling and monitoring of activities in preparation of the Job Hunt (e.g. preparation of materials, such as streamers, posters, test booklets, etc.; and advertisements) made the event well disseminated and organized. The Job Hunt team came back successful, able to meet the management’s expectation.

Human Resource

Which Is Difficult, To Fire The Wrong Person

Or To Hire The Right Person?

For more than six years of working as Human Resource Officer, hiring the right person and firing the wrong person do not become my cup of tea. They both remain my struggles.

Hiring the right person for a job is one of my toughest tasks. Resumes, aptitude and personality tests and interviews do not say everything about the person. There are applicants who are very intellectually equipped and yet emotionally unprepared for a job. Many times, I was “wowed” by interviewees with their credentials, level of confidence and pleasant personalities only to realize quite soon they are not the right persons for the job. Some lack the “soft” skills, while others, the “hard” skills necessary in order to be effective in a job. I once hired a Training Officer whom I thought was very fit for the job. During the interview, she convinced me that talking to a group was her passion. Among the applicants, she was the most conversant and pleasant. I hired her on the spot. During her evaluation day, she seemed very enthusiastic while running the training. However, after several times of running the same training, she admitted she had difficulty sustaining a discussion to a big group of 30 to 40 trainees. I was already trapped with her “deception skills” during the interview. She exactly knew who I wanted and pretended to be that person. And I was wrong.

I also hired a store operations supervisor whose resume, wit and leadership potential impressed me. After a month, she came to my office with a resignation letter, telling me she could hardly supervise her subordinates. She even cried in front of them out of frustration.

On the contrary, there was this one employee I hired despite the lack of competence. She had difficulty expressing her thoughts and showed nervousness while talking. I still hired her because of the urgent need. She has been with the company for three years and almost always hits the sales quota. These experiences made me realize that I can never say who the “right” person. Whom I considered “right” was “wrong” and whom I thought was “wrong” turned out “right”. Indeed. It will take time to be able to know if he or she is the right person. And usually, the confirmation happens after hiring the person.

In the same manner, firing the wrong person is one of the hardest things to do. It is even made more difficult when that person considers himself “right” for the job or when you know he or she is the family bread-winner. One probationary employee contested the performance appraisal of his immediate superior. He was very disheartened and it took me almost an hour to explain why his contract had to be terminated. During our conversation, I reflected I caused a share of his pain for hiring him.