PM7040 Assignment 1: Interpersonal Skills

This assignment focuses on managing a virtual team for a project with a tight deadline and high visibility. The task involves developing a team-based reward and recognition system, addressing questions about team effectiveness, system structure, administration, participation, review processes, and compensation for short-term experts. The assignment requires a 5-7 page paper, adhering to APA style, with clear organization, practical examples, and support from references. It also includes grading requirements focusing on grammar, writing style, structure, and content.

Interpersonal Skills – Assignment 1
Assume you are managing a virtual team for the first time in your career. Your project is the fifth
highest priority in the organization’s portfolio management system, which has 55 different
programs and projects, so it is receiving extensive attention from the management. The project is
launched to develop and deliver a new product within two years, and the schedule is urgent
because management wants to ensure that the product makes it into the marketplace before the
company’s competitors release a similar product of their own.
To help ensure you project’s success, management has appointed a senior-level governance
board to oversee its progress. This board meets with you monthly, and you are expected to
consult with its members between meetings in any significant issues or risks arise.
Unfortunately, economic conditions prevent you from having direct interaction with your project
team, which is made up of 25 members located on three different continents. Your company does
not have a video conferencing system, and most communications will be asynchronous except
for occasional conference calls held at pre-arranged times.
You want to ensure that your project is a success and that your team members are pleased and
motivated by their work on the project. Therefore, you meet with your governance board to ask if
you can implement a team-based reward and recognition system for the project. The board
members agree that although other programs and projects in the organization do not have similar
systems in place, implementing a reward and recognition system might be a good idea. If the
system is ultimately deemed beneficial, it could then be applied to other programs and projects in
the organization as well.
You are pleased the governance board is supportive of your idea, and you decide to conduct a
teleconference with your team to explain the concept to them. During the teleconference, you use
a nominal group technique by giving each team member an opportunity to respond with ideas
about the reward and recognition system. You then ask your team to formulate a draft plan for
the system. One team member volunteers to lead this effort.
Questions:
1. What criteria should be used to determine team effectiveness?
2. How should this team-based reward and recognition system be structured?
3. Who should determine how to administer the system—e.g., the team itself, the project
manager, the project sponsor, the governance board? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of involving each of groups listed?
4. If a team member disagrees with the approach, can he or she opt out of the system
without fear of reprisal, or does everyone need to participate for the system to be
effective?
PM7040 – Assignment 1

5. How often would a review of the system be conducted to ensure it’s effective? Who
would conduct this review, and how would the review be done?
6. How would a subject matter expert who is part of the project for only two or three
months be compensated by the reward and recognition system?
7. What other problems could influence the development and implementation of this
system?
Assignment:
Assume you are this person who is managing a virtual team for the first time in your career. As
noted in the discussion question, you want to make sure your project is a success and also that
your team members enjoy working in the virtual environment. Answer the questions posed on
page 72 of the text. Also, assume that your organization has now acquired two subsidiary
companies located in different time zones.
Prepare a paper addressing these issues and submit it. As a guideline, your paper should be five
to seven pages. Reference any other sources you consult.
Grading Requirements:
(1) Correct grammar and spelling throughout
(2) Uses APA academic writing style
(3) Introduction and conclusion sections present
(4) Clear organization and development approach using assignment requirements, along with
practical examples and support from references
(5) Student clearly develops and supports own conclusions
(6) Content page count at or surpassing the upper guideline
(7) Two or more sources used in addition to course texts
(8) Sources/references properly cited using APA style
PM7040 – Assignment 1