Question

The tasks for personal area discussion / area for personal improvement are:

1) to do a self review of your Project Management skills.

2) to create a list of areas on which you want to focus additional efforts.

Complete this individually and later in 2 1/2 weeks you will review and determine what you have learned. Assessing where you are and writing out a goal area for personal improvement will make it easier to develop action steps for achievement. Ultimately your list, tasks, milestones and journey will become the structure for your written reflection graded assignment "Lessons Learned".

Answer 1

Self reflection

The project management skills are important to complete the project successfully. The self reflection and review of project management skills reveal that in certain areas, I have good strengths and in some area, I need to improve my skills. Till now I have been familiar with the cost control techniques. In this area, I am efficient to calculate project spending. This skill is an asset as I can complete a project with given budget. My ability to identify cost constraints and manage finance of project reveals that I have developed cost controlling skill. I also have learned to manage risks of a project. I can identify the risks and their intensity in the project and this helps to take proactive action. Management of suppliers and contract management skill are also learned during the course. I have also developed my skill in organizing the work. I can develop a task list for the project and can delegate the work to team. My communication is to a certain extent satisfactory but not excellent that I need to improve. My written communication is good but my interpersonal communication is not up to the mark. I also do not have ability to read facial expression and body gestures clearly that is a limiting factor. I use social media tools, emails and other tools for communication and I am quite good to communicate in written form. I am also good in quality management of a project.

On the other hand, along with my oral communication skills, I also lack ability to develop coaching to the people. I need some training to improve my coaching style to win trust of project team in me. Leadership is very much important in the project uncertain environment. But I lack effective leadership and conflict resolution tactics. My leadership is not appropriate for project leadership. To develop project leadership, effective oral communication, vision sharing, flexibility in decision making is required. My leadership needs to inculcate participative leadership approach and a visionary approach that is found in transformational leadership approach. Traits of transformational leadership are also required to be developed to become effective project leader. Good negotiation skill is also required because I do not develop such skill in my personality. Negotiation skill can assist to resolve conflicts and therefore, I need to develop this skill as well. For this purpose, I need to develop my listening ability of others and practice a self disclosure technique. I need to be assertive as well and recognize my values. Critical thinking skill is also not developed to a desired level.

Thus the list of areas where I have to develop my skills is outlined here

1. Development of communication skills

2. Development of negotiation skill

3. Development of critical skill

4. Development of leadership skill

5. Development of conflict management skill

6. Development of interpersonal communication skill