Homework 1: Program Capstone
Details
You have just been promoted from front-line supervisor to be one of the firm's senior managers. During your business education, you learned that the primary role of a manager is to make good decisions. As a supervisor, you had frequently been making routine decisions, but you realize that decision making for the overall company can and will have far greater impact on the company and its employees.
Your boss, the chief executive officer (CEO), realizes that you do not have much practice in this higher level, decision-making process and has asked you to write a memo describing your understanding of how to make important decisions.
Your memo should address the following questions:
1. Describe at least 3 criteria that would determine whether the manager is making good decisions. What should be done to better assure that you are making a good decision?
2. In the realm of decision making, what are assumptions? Rather than use a dictionary definition, cite several specific assumptions that would go with any real-life decision you have made or have seen made at a company at which you have worked.
3. Given the importance of proper assumptions, your boss asked you to assess the accuracy of certain business assumptions and what could you do to test or confirm the credibility of them. The following were major assumptions for each firm:
• An automobile manufacturer's assumption that the demand for SUVs would continue because gas prices would continue to rise
• An airline's assumption that there was a need for an airline that provided no added amenities
Discussion Post 1
• A key characteristic of an effective manager is good interpersonal skills. Among the interpersonal skills that must be built are: motivation, communication, effective confrontation, coaching and development. Describe the importance of each of these interpersonal skills for a manager.
• A commonly used acronym for goal setting is SMART. Goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Describe a professional goal that you have set listing how it fits into the SMART categories.
• Describe how the decisions managers make differ based on the level of the position such as supervisor, mid-level manager and senior manager.
Discussion Post 2: Project Management
The Woolong Company produces high-end vacuum cleaners and sells them to consumers online. They are designing a new product, and you have been hired as the project manager to oversee it.
o Discuss the tools and techniques you should you use to identify the project stakeholders.
o Describe potential risks associated with this project, and explain what risk management processes can be utilized.
o Share other important components that a project manager should consider as this project continues into the execution phase.
Homework 2: Program Management
Length: 4 to 5 pages.
Details
The Woolong Company produces high-end vacuum cleaners and has hired you to oversee the development and release of their latest product. A preliminary project initiation meeting will result in the identification of the project sponsor, selection of a project manager, and creation of the project charter. A manager in the production department who knows you are taking a college project management course asks you to prepare a report to help them prepare for the meeting by answering the following questions:
1. Who are the project stakeholders? How will they be involved in the project?
2. Whom should the project sponsor be? Why?
3. What skills and experience are likely needed by the project manager for each phase in the project life cycle, and how do these skills and experiences differ between the various phases?
4. What kind of roles and responsibilities should the key stakeholders have? Discuss at least 4-5 different kinds of stakeholders.
5. How should they communicate to different stakeholders during the project?
• What information should be shared with the project stakeholders?
• What is the mechanism that could be used for each type of information?
• What is the frequency with which information should be shared?
• What should be done if project communications are not proving to be effective?
• What technology could be used for project communications?
• At what point could communication about the project become an ethical or legal issue?
6. What are the best ways to manage project risks as well as opportunities during project execution?
• How do they update and analyze old risks as well as new risks while undertaking the project?
• What business opportunity might project completion create?
• What is the potential financial impact of the project?
• What are the expected results of the project?
• What value will the project add?
• What is the potential impact to the company if the project is not finished well?
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
• The answer must be using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, typed, with one-inch margins on all sides.
• The response also includes a cover page containing the student's name, the title of the homework, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
• Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
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