Leadership in Project Management: Stakeholder Engagement Discussion

This discussion post delves into the critical aspects of leadership within project management, particularly focusing on stakeholder engagement and communication strategies. The assignment centers around a scenario involving the design and development of an Information System (IS), emphasizing the importance of effective communication to mitigate team conflicts and ensure project success within budget and timeline constraints. The author, assuming the role of Christoph, develops a communication plan addressing key questions, including the top messages to communicate to the Service Operations management team, methods for fostering relationships among team members across different locations, and strategies for adapting communication approaches based on individual team member relationships. The post also explores the creation of a user group to facilitate knowledge sharing and influence product improvements, alongside responses to other students' initial posts, analyzing their perspectives on stakeholder roles and project challenges. The assignment draws on relevant academic references to support its arguments.

Running head: LEADERSHIP IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Leadership in Project Management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:

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Module 3: Discussion Question
Initial post
Stakeholder’s engagement is referred to as one of the most essential things that are
required for successful accomplishment of any project. The project which has been considered is
design and development of an Information System (IS) for overall service improvement. It has
been determined that, in order to implement an IS within estimated budget and time line it is the
responsibility of the project associates and all the stakeholders to engage themselves with the
assigned roles and responsibilities. However, it is determined that, stakeholders can leave issues
unresolved, create blockages and also can create communication filters as well. However, the
issue which I had faced during project development life cycle period was lack of communication
and extreme internal team conflict. I feel that in this case I should step in and take part in fixing
the identified issues. I need to make sure that all stakeholders are experienced and skilled as well
and engaged to their assigned roles and responsibilities and definitely using the approach of open
communication throughout the project development life cycle period.
Answer to question 1
After resolving the general direction of IVR architecture an also setting the team firmly
on track for executing the project successfully Christoph has decided to implement accurate
communication plan. It has been determined that, with the help of accurate communication
strategies the operation team associates would be able to share their ideas with each other. The
associates who will take part in the communication process include Pauline Jones, Liza Davis,

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Steven Lubis, Lucy Mathis and Pam Stevens. Three top messages that are necessary to
communicate with the operation heads are as follows:
Message 1: Regarding organizational structure and the hierarchy
The associates should take part in this communication process. The communication
includes organizational structure and hierarchy that is followed in an organization while sharing
information to others. The organizational structure identifies the associate’s hierarchy staring
from the executive manager upto the employees who work for the company. It is essential for
successful accomplishment of all projects and processes those are being throughout followed. It
is identified that accurate organizational structure is crucial for project success. If proper
hierarchy and structure is not designed and implemented then intra organizational conflict will
occur that results major operational and functional failure.
Message 2: Financial results
For this case scenario the 2nd message that has to be communicated and shared among the
team associates includes financial result. This is an important tool or concept that must not left
unmanaged as it may cause major operational and functional risks. After conducting a feasibility
analysis the prepared result should be communicated to others for ensuring that project outcome
is commercially beneficial and profitable for the project case scenario. This feasibility analysis
report is important to be shared among all the associates.
Message 3: The third message that has to be shared among project team associates
including Pauline Jones, Liza Davis, Steven Lubis, Lucy Mathis and Pam Stevens is the sense of
the leaders about the project objectives. The leaders should motivate others so that they can keep
themselves engaged to the job roles and responsibilities. The way through which all associates

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should serve their daily responsibilities and roles must be shared in terms of a message. If this is
not successfully shard then, the organization or the project may fail to meet the expected
objectives and initial project target.
These messages are different from the three messages that are being shared through
during communication process. Open communication is the best suited approach that has to be
used to share ideas and creativity of the project team associates. If open communication is not
followed professionally then the operational service will fail to meet the primary objectives. For
a wider service operational staffs and managers should use this communication approach. These
messages are different from the identified above three messages
Answer to question 2
In order to develop relationship with the rest of other team associates the service
Operation management should design proper communication approach. Three company
associates and Pauline Jones are physically located in three different call centers in New York,
San Antonio and Sacramento. In order to establish communication among theses people different
communication approaches are needed to be arranged and utilized by the operation management
team. The medium, path and process that are to be used while communicate with each other
include conference, face to face meeting, presentation etc. All theses communication approaches
are beneficial from the business perspectives.
Considering my physical location in Stowe, VT I would like to prefer email as a process
of communication. It has been determined that in order to share the content, ideas and creative
strategies the best possible process of communication that needs to be used by me is email and
video conference. Most times the communication process that I will use is email. Sometimes it

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may happen that problems are not being solved through only email services in those cases I will
use video conference to share ideas and solving problems as well. Each time physical presence or
face to face meeting is not possible, whenever physical presence is possible for those cases direct
interaction of one to one meeting will be the most effective interaction approach.
I think that, due to physical locations of the other associates every time direct face to face
interaction will not be possible but video conference will almost give a similar experience like
one to one or meeting.
Answer to question 3
The process of communication or the way of interaction with Lucy Mathis will be
different from other customer service managers and Liza Davis because, I do not share the
similar type of bonding with all of them. Lucy Mathis use to discuss many operational and
functional activities with me and also we have taken part in most of the training and development
programs together earlier those were arranged by our organization. Therefore, we know each
from other from previous days. Lucy also asks for many operational strategies therefore my one
to one conversation with Lucy will be completely different from the rest of the customer service
managers and Liza Davis. Not only this but also, Lucy Mathis holds a processional leadership
style that helps to motivate the project team associates. Thus, I also take suggestion from Lucy
for further communication process improvement.
Answer to question 4
User groups are referred to a user organization with specific hardware products and
software products. Within this group members can share their ideas and experiences as well. The

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responsibility of a user group is to influence vendors to modify or increase the service efficiency
of the products. In order to build and continue on engagement process started with
communication a professional computer accounts user group will be created.
In that team I would like to include Pauline Jones, Lucy Mathis, Pam Stevens and Steven
Lubis. The associates will play respectively operation manager, finance operator and resource
operator. The responsibility of the operation head is to make sure that all the operations are
running successfully. Then, the finance manager should check that the finance structure of the
project is accurate not only this but also the resource operator should make sure that proper
resources are allocated to accurate project activities.

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Response
1st Student
After reviewing Justin Safee’s initial post I have realized that, stakeholders plays one of
the most vital roles in error free project progress and success as well. In fact, for effective
organizational decision making stakeholder’s engagement are essential. Therefore, in order to
keep any project on track the supervisor must identify and understand the individual project
stakeholders and their respective roles. However, it is roles of the project supervisor to enlist and
allocate different project stakeholders to separate project activities. The personal experience is
also shared and discussed in this initial post where it has been identified that the stakeholders
faced certain major risks those requires to be resolved sooner. In that case the project associate
had to step in for resolving the risks.
The project that was assigned was a complex and large one considering the company
structure it has been found that the request was too big and complex as well. In order to
accomplish the new project they had to delay the other ongoing project which was not at all
beneficial from the business perspectives. The project team members reached to the regional
manager to get assistance on hard work and qualified team. With this assistance the team has
successfully completed the project activities within assigned timeline and budget. The issues and
respective resolution the team had taken are elaborated but the processes those are being
followed to make it possible are not illustrated in this post. In addition to this, the stakeholder
engagement processes that are taken are also not illustrated here.

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2nd Student
The post provided by Michelle Page I have found that, stakeholders helps the project
supervisor and project associates to meet the project objectives and primary aim. For those cases
where stakeholders get engaged to project activity late might face major operational and
functional issues. Throughout the project development life cycle period the project associates
should take active participation in the project activities. The difference or challenges that may
occur in a project if the stakeholders get engaged initially or in the execution phase are
elaborated in the post but what are the different stakeholder’s engagement plans or strategies
those are to be followed throughout are not elaborated in the post. I think as mentioned that, if a
project stakeholder leave any issue unresolved then, it would cost a lot for the project managers.
The issues or operational issues that the Michelle Page actually faced at the project
execution phase was not elaborated accurately in the post rather the other potential challenges
on which they worked were also not illustrated. The respective strategies those have been taken
to identify the resolve the challenges are also not properly and individually mentioned in the
post. On the other hand, based on the event size how the plan changes and managed as well were
also not properly discussed in the post. How the board member’s decision and the committee
members decisions are combined to get proper execution of a project is also not accurately
execute in this post. However, how to tackle a specific business level difficult situation is
elaborated here.

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