week 03 - Chapter 3 Ideas

Chapter 3 is filled with important tips in regards to the success of a project. The topic of this chapter centers on the "stakeholders." Stakeholders, as discussed within this chapter, are anyone that is involved in making the project to the person that will be affected by the project. As project managers, we have an obligation to understand and identify the needs and opinions of the stakeholders. Without a solid understanding and cooperation from them, the project will never succeed. Within this chapter, I paid special attention to three ideas:

1. Keep Team Members with Minor Roles Involved

This is especially important in any kind of a project. People with small but essential roles should not be ignored and always be kept informed of the overall progress. As I was reading this section, in my mind I thought about a car. In order for a car to move, every part of the car needs to be in perfect condition.and be positioned at its rightful place. If a screw is loose, eventually the car may cease to function. In a project team, if we as project managers fail to keep everyone in the loop, the project will eventually come to a halt because some crucial team members was unproductive due to their lack of information.

2. Control Who Becomes a Stakeholder

As a project manager, one should also be aware that people that are not involved within this project should not be influencing the pace and direction of the project. While we do respect the opinions of others, these people should not disrupt the flow of the team. A project cannot achieve success if the project manager is affected by the opinions of others.

3. Manage Upward

This idea runs together with the second idea I've discussed above. As a project manager, I should understand that the role that was given to me grants me the privilege to manage those that have higher authority than myself. Well, I do not think that this necessary means that I can manage them. Rather, I should always keep them informed and make them understand what I am doing and why I am doing it. In my opinion, keeping the high-ups satisfied is equally important as keeping my team members united.

week 02 - chapters 1 & 2

the first two chapters are easy reads, laying down the foundational concepts in regards to project management. of the two chapters, i've picked up three main points that i valued very much.

from chapter 1:

1. constant, effective communication among everyone involved in the project

this is especially important. a team that doesn't focus on the same goal can not be managed. as a result, the project manager would be rendered useless and the project would never reach its goal. communication is important so that everyone involved can get their point across. whether it is an idea, a compliment, a concern, or a dislike, they are all equally crucial to get it out in the open. effective communication allows all members of the team to be on the same page.

from chapter 2:

2. set realistic expectations about the cost-schedule-quality equilibrium with all the project's stakeholders

having a realistic expectations serves two purposes. first, all the members of the team, including the stakeholders, will understand what the overall outcome will be. it also minimizes the uncertainty of what is to become of this project. second, it will directly motivate the team members in achieving the final goal. as long as everyone in the team understand what is expected and what needs to be done, they should be pleased as each step of the overall project has been taken care of.

3. on budget

we are all in this to make a profit. so the first thing to do is definitely to NOT go over the budget. there may be small discrepancies, but the project should never be excessively over budget.

when referring to the case of over budget, i am always reminded of the kevin costner's 1995 flick "waterworld," which went severely over budget and raked up approximately 175 million dollars in production costs but only made 88 million domestically. the movie did so bad in the u.s. that it is still now the all time boxoffice bomb. as far as kevin costner, his career went downhill from that movie on... ouch. (on a personal note, i still love him in "the bodyguard").

so, in any case, being on budget is very, very, very crucial. nowadays, money is quite difficult to recover. no one should be unwillingly placed in the position of dishing out more money before making a profit.

week 01 - expected project and goal

my project, and the final goal, which should take place in the nearby future, is to open up a store for salon supplies. this store is aimed to be in direct competition with sally's beauty supply, but with more supplies brought in to cater to the asian population in the bay area.

you may ask, what do you mean by "catering to the asian population"? simple, i plan to stack my store with more supplies that would be used in asian hair salons. from my personal experience, and after talking to several friends of mine, it would seem that almost everyone that i know go to asian hair salon when they need to get their hair done. some of my friends are even willing to drive over 40 minutes to their favorite location.

the reason?

1. when they are interacting with a stylist from their own country, they feel that they can more appropriately get their point across.

2. the techniques and materials used in asian hair salons are far different from the ones used in "supercuts"

after all, if you get a bad haircut, you'll have to suffer for at least 2 month to get your hair back.

in any case, this is what i plan to accomplish in the nearby future. it is definitely an ongoing project, and one with several obstacles. here are the steps to my project:

1. gather a group of individuals with similar interest to come up with the initial funding

2. survey distribution to nearby hair salons - to determine what they like to see in the store

3. SWOT analysis - this will be used to determine our expected chance of success

4. search for a location within the bay area area

5. design/decorate the store

6. negotiate with the supplier to bring in the materials to fill up the shelves

7. design advertisements to promote the store

8. store opening

once the first step begins, the project is expected to be completed in 18 month.

week 01 - intro

hi all,

my name is chia hui lee. for the past several years, i've spent my days in the real estate business. i was making good money for a while, but juggling between a hectic work schedule and paying attention to my family proved to be a bit too overwhelming.

i needed a break. but more importantly, i need a job that allows me the flexibility of creating my own working hours. after much thought, i understood that the only way to do so is to become my own boss. but with no management background, i felt that i lacked the proper skills to do what i wanted to do.

so, i decided to go back to school. not only because it offers me a fresh break away from my old lifestyle, i would also be able to learn something in the process. through the completion of the courses that i am taking, i hope to learn more about the intricacies of working in teams as well as gain a better understanding of the fundamental principles in management.

someday, you will see me watching the sunset, with a tequila in one hand, from one of my privately-owned beach houses in the bahamas.