Question

Choose any one of the phases below and provide a strong discussion that identifies two (2) risks that could threaten the success of the project. Develop and apply two strategies that would result in effective resolution.

• Project definition
• Project planning
• Project execution
• Project closure

Answer 1

Project closure

Project closure is the phase which brings it all together. The tasks have been finished, but the main objective of the management process is not concluded yet. We can say that project closure is a phase which is second only to planning in terms of importance. A company can skip the closure phase altogether, but that diminishes their chance of being able to grow and achieve higher results in future projects. Usually, we are faced with these two common risks.

1. The reluctance of the employees to be vocal during the closure phase thinking it will affect their standing in the team as well as the fear that coming forward would mean that they are an easy target to be singled out.

2. The project manager/leader offers no constructive criticism. Instead, they point out the mistakes of the individuals; the targets missed, the schedules not adhered to and providing no value in terms of suggestions.

There is a high probability that these risks could occur during the project closing phase and therefore, to mitigate or prevent them effectively, management needs to:

1. Recognize the value of employee morale, motivation, and value of two-way feedback, allowing for a more engaging and enlightening process.

2. Some project managers have no emotional intelligence or empathy, making what they do to be perceived as an insult, overstepping, or even bordering degrees of unprofessionalism. This is where the HRM needs to step in, training their project managers to be competent in understanding nonverbal signals, the value associated with open communication and the importance of presenting their state of mind in a more empathetic manner allows for smoother conduction of the entire closing phase.