HRMT50001 HUMAN RESOURCES AND COMMUNICATIONS
GROUP ASSIGNMENT #2
Part 1: Question:
If you were the PM, how would you improve communication, create a positive team
experience and lead the team through challenges. (10 marks)
Effective project management requires clear communication, a positive team environment, and strong
leadership, even in the face of challenges. Following are some tips to improve team performance and
project results:
1. Improved Communication
Clear Channels: Use Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Asana for messaging and managing tasks,
and Zoom or Google Meet for meetings.
Rules: We can setup rules on how to use different channels, such as email only for official
updates and chat for quick discussions.
Centralized Information: It is important to save the documents on shared drives like Google
Drive or SharePoint so that everybody has the access to the latest information.
2. Communication Plan
Stakeholder Analysis: Identify who requires what information and how often. For example,
weekly updates with the team and monthly updates with stakeholders.
Process: Timelines, responsibilities, and preferred method.
Feedback: Include mechanisms by which team members can feedback on the effectiveness of
communication.
3. Active Listening
Training: Workshops on active listening—for example, fully focusing on the speaker, asking
questions, and paraphrasing for clarification—could be very instructive.
Non-verbal Signals: Awareness of body language and tone of voice for in-person or virtual
meetings.
4. Status Updates
Meetings: Conduct daily stand-ups and weekly meetings to let each person know what the
key milestone updates are. In addition, this keeps all concerned aligned and minimizes
surprises.
Psychological Safety and Trust
Create an Environment: Where team members are allowed to share their ideas and opinions
without feeling judged. Respect each member's background and skillset.
Clearly Defined Roles
Utilize Tools: Such as RACI charts that define who is responsible, accountable, consulted,
and informed to avoid confusion and overlapping work.
Team Building
Organize Activities: Such as workshops to enhance skills, coffee breaks, virtual happy hours,
or off-site events to strengthen team bonds. Celebrate both individual and team achievements
with rewards, emails, or verbal praise.
Overcoming Challenges
Adaptive Leadership: Adapt your leadership style to what the team requires. Be directive in
times of crisis and collaborative during planning phases. Empathize with the team members'
challenges, especially during high-pressure situations.
Transparent Communication: Let the team know what is happening, why it is happening,
and what the consequences may be. Engage the team to find solutions to
problems; often it is during this process when creative solutions are developed.
Support: Provide training to overcome obstacles with new tools or techniques. The
team must be well-equipped with the resources such as software and human
resources that may be required for the project. Provide emotional
support through individual meetings with people who may need encouragement.
Application in Real Life
For a software development project experiencing delays because of resource issues and
misunderstandings within the team:
Communication: The project manager informs day-to-day stand-up updates about the
progress to identify roadblocks. This work allocation should be very transparent, and for that
reason, a centralized task management platform like Jira must be used.
Team Environment: The PM arranges lunch for team building in order to reduce tensions
and regain trust. Clearly define roles via a RACI chart to avoid overlaps.
Leadership: The PM acknowledges the delay and imparts this to team members and
stakeholders with respect to timelines. A skills workshop is organized to train the team in
critical areas, hence smoothing processes.
Part 2: Prepare the following documents:
A Stakeholder Management Plan & Power/Interest Analysis (use template provided –
15 marks)
Management
Strategy Justification / Rationale
Power Interest (specific (Provide your
Internal
Stakeholder Level Level action(s) that assessment/justification of
Project Role /
Name & Title H / M / H / M / you will take the power level AND your
External
L L to manage assessment/justification of
each the interest level)
stakeholder)
Project Sponsor Internal High High Regular Power level - High, as
Sponsor progress they control funding and
updates via key decisions.
email and bi- Interest level - High due to
weekly a vested interest in project
success.
meetings;
address
concerns
promptly.
Team Leads Team Manager Internal High Mediu Weekly team Power level - High, as
m meetings; they directly manage team
provide task execution.
Interest level - Medium, as
updates and
their focus is on
resources for operational aspects.
their teams.
Client Client External High High Weekly Power level - High, as
Representative progress calls; client approval determines
involve them project acceptance.
Interest level - High due to
in major
their reliance on
milestone deliverables.
reviews to
ensure
satisfaction.
Technical Subject Matter Internal Medium Mediu Conduct Power level - Medium,
team Expert m brainstorming providing expertise but not
sessions for decision-making authority.
Interest level - Medium,
technical
focused on technical
challenges to aspects.
clarify
deliverables.
Operations Post- Internal Low High Monthly Power level - Low, with
Manager Implementatio updates; no decision-making
n User prepare authority.
Interest level - High, as
training
they depend on the project
materials for outcomes for daily
their eventual operations.
adoption.
Procurement Supply Chain Internal Medium Low Quarterly Power level - Medium, as
Officer Management meetings are they influence resource
held to ensure acquisition.
Interest level - Low, as
timely
they are involved only
resource indirectly.
availability
and address
potential risks.
End-User Final User External Low High Host user Power level - Low, no
Representative acceptance involvement in project
testing execution.
Interest level - High due to
sessions;
direct reliance on the
gather project's success.
feedback for
usability
improvements.
Regulatory Compliance External High Mediu Share Power level - High, as
Body Oversight m compliance non-compliance could
reports; derail the project.
Interest level - Medium
schedule
since involvement is
review limited to regulatory
meetings to checks.
address
regulatory
concerns.
A Communications Management Plan (use template provided – 10 marks)
Answer: Project Name: Software Development Project
Message
Message Audience Method of Due/Frequency Sender
Communication
Project Kickoff Team, Virtual Meeting Once (Project Project Manager
Overview Stakeholders (Zoom) Start)
Weekly Progress Team Slack, Jira Weekly Project Manager
Updates
Milestone Stakeholders Email As milestones Project Manager
Achievements are achieved
Issue Resolution Relevant Team Daily Stand-Ups Daily Team Leads
Discussions Members (Zoom)
Project Status All Stakeholders Email, PDF Monthly Project Manager
Reports Attachments
Feedback Team Virtual Meetings Bi-weekly Project Manager
Sessions (Google Meet)
Final Project Team, In-person or Once (Project Project Manager
Review Stakeholders Virtual Meeting End)
Term or Acronym
Term or Acronym Definition
PM Project Manager
RACI Responsible, Accountable, Consulted,
Informed
Stand-Up Daily short project update meeting
Guidelines and Procedures
- Communication Tools and Platforms:
- Use Slack for instant messaging and task discussions.
- Microsoft Teams and Zoom for virtual meetings.
- Jira for task tracking and work transparency.
- Shared drive (Google Drive) for centralized document storage.
Communication Guidelines:
- Use email for official updates, critical decisions, and stakeholder communication.
- Schedule regular daily stand-ups (15 minutes max) and weekly detailed review meetings.
- Encourage feedback through bi-weekly virtual sessions.
A RACI Chart (use template provided – 10 marks)
RACI chart
Responsible
Accountable
Consulted
Informed
Activity Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed
Project Kickoff Project Manager Project Manager Stakeholders Team
Overview
Weekly Progress Project Manager Project Manager Team leads Team
Updates
Milestone Project Manager Project Manager Stakeholders Team
Achievements
Issue Resolution Team leads Project Manager Team members Stakeholders
Discussions
Project Status Project Manager Project Manager Stakeholders Team
Reports
Feedback Project Manager Project Manager Team Stakeholders
Sessions
Final Project Project Manager Project Manager Stakeholders
Review