Most organizations manage their work and accomplish their missions through a multitude of projects. Organizational success takes effective management skills to not only manage individual projects but also direct the web of complex programs of multiple, interrelated projects, skillfully working with diverse stakeholders, demanding deadlines, and available resources. Focusing on the promotion of leadership for the common good as a project manager adds another level of complexity.
Course participants will improve their capacity to balance the art and science of managing projects by building technical competencies, adopting practices of leadership and self-management, and by focusing on leadership for the common good competencies and abilities to manage complexities, non-linearity, and organic human workplace environments designed to accomplish a task or tasks, produce goods, or provide services.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course students should be able to:
1. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
2. Develop technical skills to create a project logic system and effectively manage scope, schedule, and resources; collect and analyze data to monitor, evaluate, and control project success.
3. Understand and practice leadership skills within a project context by creating a governance system, promoting buy-in, inspiring others through a vision, resolving conflict, communicating effectively, and motivating team members.
4. Manage social complexity, design work projects with matrix thinking in mind, and resist linear models that do not properly reflect actual, concrete, iterative and communal work processes when they are successful and well-designed.
5. Increase self-management in organizational skills, analytical thinking, time management, and self-awareness.
6. Understand practicing leadership for the common good values and paradigms, including how to work with multiple, diverse stakeholders in cross-cultural contexts, navigate complex environments, and work with multiple implementing partners.
Books and Materials
Croft, Chris. (2022). Project Management QuickStart
Guide: The Simplified Beginner’s Guide to Precise Planning, Strategic Resource
Management, and Delivering World-Class Results.
ClydeBank Media (ISBN: 978-1-63610-058-6). There is an Audible version and a
Kindle Version of this text available at Amazon.
Various readings and tools posted at Moodle.
Requirements and Evaluations
Students should come to class prepared to discuss the assignments scheduled for that class period (all assignments are assigned for the day they are listed on the course schedule). Thus, for each of the assigned readings found below, it is very important that you follow the proper pedagogical sequence. Please try to avoid coming to class, listening (and attempting to participate), and then reading the chapter or readings assigned that day. Rather, read the assigned chapter or readings for the day/week in question, enter into class familiar with the topic we are covering that day/week and perhaps even with questions prompted by the assigned reading materials. With this sequence, you will get far more from lectures, and you will be positioned to better participated in class and in the learning process.