Project Management The Managerial Process Part 1 (1-45)

Being an Effective Project Manager Answer Key Multiple Choice Questions 1. Project success or failure often is reliant upon the contributions of all of the following groups of stakeholders EXCEPT A. Customers. B. Suppliers. C. Contractors. D. Competitors. E. Top management. Project success does not just depend on the performance of the project team. Success or failure often depends on the contributions of top management, functional managers, customers, suppliers, contractors, and others. 2. Managing a project and leading a project are two different things. Project leadership is about coping with A. Formulating plans and objectives. B. Monitoring results against plans. C. Change. D. Taking corrective action when necessary. E. Designing structures and procedures. Project managers often have to deviate from what was planned and introduce significant changes in the project scope and schedule to respond to unforeseen threats or opportunities. 3. One difference between project management and project leadership is that project management includes A. Recognizing the need to alter direction. B. Aligning people to meet new directions. C. Monitoring results against plans. D. Motivating people to meet new objectives. E. Deviating from the plan. Good management brings about order and stability by formulating plans and objectives, designing structures and procedures, monitoring results against plans, and taking corrective action when necessary. Leadership involves recognizing and articulating the need to significantly alter the direction and operation of the project, aligning people to the new direction, and motivating them to work together to overcome hurdles produced by the change and to realize new objectives. 4. A well-defined project that encounters no significant surprises would require little A. Management. B. Leadership. C. Monitoring. D. Corrective action. E. Controlling. Well-defined projects that encounter no significant surprises require little leadership. 5. When managing stakeholders, a project manager should A. Develop a hands-on approach. B. Focus on the project team and their needs. C. Understand how different stakeholders can affect the project and manage that dependency. D. Manage and limit time negotiating with stakeholders outside of the organization. E. Refuse to be pulled by the demands of people who are not directly involved in the project. The sheer breadth and complexity of stakeholder relationships distinguish project managers from regular management. To be effective, a project manager must understand how stakeholders can affect the project and develop methods for managing the dependency. 6. Which metaphor best captures the role of a project manager? A. The conductor of an orchestra B. The point guard on a basketball team C. A programmer on a software development team D. A scout on an exploration E. A mathematics instructor A popular metaphor for the role of a project manager is that of conductor. 7. Which of the following groups of stakeholders place constraints on project work such as requiring permits to be secured, that work is built to code, or that safety standards are met? A. Project sponsors B. Government agencies C. Project managers D. Customers E. Top management Government agencies place constraints on project work. Permits need to be secured. Construction work has to be built to code. 8. Stakeholders such as human resources, information systems, purchasing agents, and maintenance are typically classified as A. Project managers. B. Administrative support. C. Functional managers. D. Project sponsors. E. Customers. Administration support, such as human resources and information systems, provide valuable support services. At the same time they impose constraints and requirements on the project such as the documentation of expenditures and the timely and accurate delivery of information. 9. The closest relationships in a project network of relationships are between the project manager and A. Other project managers. B. Project sponsors. C. Top management. D. Customers. E. Project team members. The project team members manage and complete project work. The closest relationships in a project network of relationships are between the project manager and the project team members. 10. The second ring in the network of relationships for project managers includes all of the following EXCEPT A. Other project managers. B. Customers. C. Functional managers. D. Top management. E. Project sponsors. The second ring in the network of relationships for project managers includes all except customers. Besides the project team, the second ring includes stakeholders who are internal to the organization. 11. The outer ring in the network of relationships for project managers includes all of the following EXCEPT A. Other organizations. B. Customers. C. Contractors. D. Government agencies. E. Administrative support. The outer ring in the network of relationships for project managers excludes administrative support that is internal to the organization. 12. A high-ranking manager who advocates the project and uses her or his influence to gain approval of the project is a project A. Promoter. B. Champion. C. Godfather. D. Sponsor. E. Advocate. Project sponsors champion the project. Their reputation is tied to the success of the project. They defend the project when it comes under attack and are a key project ally. 13. Which group of stakeholders defines the scope of the project and ultimately determines whether or not the project is successful? A. Customers B. Top management C. Project sponsors D. Project managers E. Project team Customers define the scope of the project, and ultimate project success rests in their satisfaction. Project managers need to be responsive to changing customer needs and the requirements to meeting their expectations. 14. Networks are mutually beneficial alliances that are generally governed by the law of A. Supply-demand. B. Brooks' law. C. Reciprocity. D. A squeaky wheel. E. Risk-reward. Networks are mutually beneficial alliances that are generally governed by the law of reciprocity. The basic principle is that "one good deed deserves another, and likewise, one bad deed deserves another." 15. In terms of commonly traded organizational currencies, being involved in a task that has a large significance and having a chance to do something important and do it well are examples of ______related currencies. A. Task B. Position C. Inspiration D. Relationship E. Personal Perhaps the most powerful form of influence is based on inspiration. Most sources of inspiration derive from people's burning desire to make a difference and add meaning to their lives. 16. In terms of commonly traded organizational currencies, sharing personnel, undertaking unwanted tasks, and providing technical knowledge are examples of ______-related currencies. A. Task B. Position C. Inspiration D. Relationship E. Personal This form of influence comes directly from the project manager's ability to contribute to others' accomplishing their work. 17. In terms of commonly traded organizational currencies, providing friendship, giving emotional backing, and listening to others' concerns and issues are examples of _______-related currencies. A. Task B. Position C. Inspiration D. Relationship E. Personal These currencies have more to do with strengthening the relationship with someone than directly accomplishing the project tasks. 18. In terms of commonly traded organizational currencies, giving a task that could result in a promotion, acknowledging someone's effort and accomplishments, and providing opportunities for linking with others are examples of ______-related currencies. A. Task B. Position C. Inspiration D. Relationship E. Personal This form of influence stems from the manager's ability to enhance others' positions within their organization. 19. In terms of commonly traded organizational currencies, sharing tasks that increase someone's skills and abilities and letting others have ownership and influence are examples of _______-related currencies. A. Task B. Position C. Inspiration D. Relationship E. Personal Personal-related currencies deal with individual needs and an overriding sense of self-esteem. 20. The following are necessary when mapping dependencies or building a social network EXCEPT A. B. C. D. Identify those on whom the project depends for success. Identify whose opposition would keep you from accomplishing the project. Examine what sources of influence you have relative to those on whom you depend. Focus on the relationships with project team members since they are doing the project work and you have most influence over them. E. Diagnose another's point of view as well as the basis for their positions. It is important to acknowledge that it is valuable to be aware of all stakeholders and how they impact your project. Once you start this analysis you can begin to appreciate what others value and what currencies you might have to offer as a basis on which to build a working relationship. 21. Which of the following is used at Hewlett-Packard for building relationships with key players that will determine a project's success? A. MBO B. MBA C. GIGO D. MBWA E. PMI The management style employees at Hewlett-Packard referred to as "management by wandering around" (MBWA) to reflect that managers spend the majority of their time outside their offices is somewhat of a misnomer in that there is a purpose/pattern behind the "wandering." Through face-toface interactions, project managers are able to stay in touch with what is really going on in the project and build cooperation essential to project success. 22. Once you have established who the key players are that will determine success, then you initiate contact and begin to build a relationship with those players. Less effective managers A. B. C. D. E. Spend the majority of their time outside their office. Are able to stay in touch with what is really going on through face-to-face interactions. Announce an open door policy and encourage others to see them when a problem or issue comes up. Initiate contact to provide encouragement and to reinforce the objectives and vision of the project. Talk with key stakeholders in an attempt to keep abreast of developments and anticipate potential problems. Less effective project managers eschew MBWA and attempt to manage projects from their offices and computer terminals. Such managers proudly announce an open door policy and encourage others to see them when a problem or issue comes up. To them no news is good news. 23. Research consistently points out that project success is strongly affected by the degree to which a project has the support of top management. The following are ways a project manager can manage upward relationships EXCEPT A. Never ignore the chains of command. B. Prove loyalty. C. Pick the optimum time to appeal to top management. D. Consistently follow through on requests. E. Accept profound differences in perspective and become skilled at the art of persuading superiors. Few project managers admit ignoring chains of command. If they are confident that top management will reject an important request and that what they want to do will benefit the project, they do it without asking permission. While acknowledging that this is very risky, they will claim that bosses typically won't argue with success. 24. Which of the following is NOT one of the aspects of leading by example? A. Priorities B. Ethics C. Urgency D. Cooperation E. Power Through a project manager's behavior she or he can influence how others act and respond to a variety of issues related to the project. Six aspects of leading by example include priorities, urgency, problem solving, cooperation, standards of performance and ethics. 25. The traits of successful project managers include all of the following EXCEPT A. Pessimist. B. Proactive. C. Skillful politician. D. Effective time management. E. Personal integrity. Traits of a successful project manager include being a systems thinker, having personal integrity, being proactive, having high emotional intelligence, having a general business perspective, being effective at time management, being a skillful politician and being an optimist. 26. When project managers recognize that if they want participants to exceed project expectations then they have to exceed others' expectations of a good project manager, they are leading by example through which of the following aspects? A. Urgency B. Problem solving C. Priorities D. Standards of performance E. Ethics Veteran project managers establish a high standard for project performance through the quality of their daily interactions. They respond quickly to the needs of others, carefully prepare and run crisp meetings, stay on top of all the critical issues, facilitate effective problem solving and stand firm on important matters. 27. To provide greater clarity to business ethics, many companies and professional groups A. Encourage managers to rely on their own personal sense of right and wrong. B. Post consequences to unethical behavior. C. Publish a code of conduct. D. Conduct annual training seminars on business ethics. E. Establish a reward system for those who display ethical behavior. To provide greater clarity to business ethics, many companies and professional groups publish a code of conduct. Cynics see these documents as simply window dressing, while advocates argue that they are important, albeit limited, first steps. 28. The key to exercising influence is A. To make few mistakes. B. To build trust. C. To build a network of top-level people. D. To understand the political connections within the organization. E. To make friends with everyone. Trust is the "lubricant" that maintains smooth and efficient interactions. When you are trusted, people are more likely to take your actions and intentions at face value when circumstances are ambiguous. 29. Which of the following would be defined as the ability to lead and manage yourself by establishing a sense for who you are, what you stand for and how you should behave? A. Proactive B. Emotional intelligence C. Empathetic D. Sense of purpose E. Personal integrity Before you can lead and manage others, you have to be able to lead and manage yourself. You have to have personal integrity. 30. Which of the following would be defined as the ability or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self and others? A. Emotional stability B. Coolness under pressure C. Emotional intelligence D. Empathy E. Management sensitivity Emotional intelligence (EI) describes the ability or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self and others. 31. One way to build a supportive social network at work is to use A. CYA. B. MBWA. C. ACWP. D. PDM. Management By Walking Around is a technique to spend more time face-to-face with team members in order to better understand what is going on with the project. 32. The one thing that can help establish your right to lead the project more than anything else is A. B. C. D. Ability to balance the project budget. Being visible to top management. Being an active advocate for your project. Having proper credentials. Active advocacy for the team, resources, and time necessary to complete projects is critical to the overall success of the effort. 33. A key to being able to effectively persuade superiors is A. Constantly meeting deadlines. B. Being visible to top management. C. Establishing project ownership. D. Proving loyalty. Proving loyalty takes many forms, but mainly it is showing that you can take direction, carry out requests, and staying within set organizational boundaries without a lot of push-back. 34. The largest source of tension between project managers and upper management typically come from A. Lack of project resources. B. Differences of perspective. C. Budgeting exercises. D. Not managing risk correctly. Project managers need to acknowledge that their perspective is focused primarily on the project at hand and the perspective of upper managers is typically broader for the organization. 35. When having to have a difficult conversation with upper managers, you can increase success by A. Framing the issue in familiar language. B. Not asking for further budget allocation. C. Making sure you have just met your last deadline. D. Framing the issue in familiar language and making sure you have just met your last deadline. Being able to use familiar language (e.g., interests that the manager have) will increase the probability of your issue being better understood. 36. A side-effect of lack of trust is in other party is A. B. C. D. Increased cost to the project. Excessive number of deadlines missed. Often expensing extra effort to understand true meaning of communications. None of these choices are correct. Because you do not trust someone, often people will spend extra time trying to glean unstated meaning and true motivations behind statements and actions. 37. One of the ways to allow others to build trust in you is to A. Celebrate staff birthdays on a regular basis. B. Allow adequate time for staff training. C. Never be late on a project. D. Behave in a consistent manner. Consistent behavior is a distinguishing trait of character. Fill in the Blank Questions 38. Management is about coping with complexity; ________ is about coping with change. leadership According to Kotter (1990), these two different activities represent the distinction between management and leadership. Management is about coping with complexity, while leadership is about coping with change. 39. A popular metaphor for the role of a project manager is that of ________. conductor A popular metaphor for the role of a project manager is that of conductor. 40. ________ naturally compete with each other for resources and support from top management. Project managers Project managers naturally compete with each other for resources and the support of top management. At the same time they often have to share resources and exchange information. 41. ________ champion the project and use their influence to gain approval of the project. Project sponsors Project sponsors champion the project and use their influence to gain approval of the project. Their reputation is tied to the success of the project, and they need to be kept informed of any major developments. They defend the project when it comes under attack and are a key project ally. 42. ________ define the scope of the project, and ultimate project success rests in their satisfaction. Customers Customers define the scope of the project, and ultimate project success rests in their satisfaction. Project managers need to be responsive to changing customer needs and requirements and to meeting their expectations. Customers are primarily concerned with getting a good deal and this naturally breeds tension with the project team. 43. Networks among stakeholders are mutually beneficial alliances that are generally governed by the law of ________. reciprocity Networks are mutually beneficial alliances that are generally governed by the law of reciprocity. The basic principle is that "one good deed deserves another, and likewise, one bad deed deserves another." 44. __________-related currencies come directly from the project manager's ability to contribute to others' accomplishing their work. Task Task-related currencies come directly from the project manager's ability to contribute to others' accomplishing their work. Probably the most significant form of this currency is the ability to respond to subordinates' requests for additional manpower, money, or time to complete a segment of work. 45. _________-related currencies stem from the project manager's ability to enhance others' positions within the organization. Position Position-related currencies stem from the project manager's ability to enhance others' positions within the organization. A project manager can do this by giving someone a challenging assignment that can aid in their advancement.