Essential Components for a Successful Project

By Pat Strawser
EDIT 7550
Dr. Branch
Summer 2014

Introduction
Collaborative projects can always be a challenge. Even in the most basic format of a single designer working
for a single client, ensuring that the whole transactional process goes smoothly is tricky. Clear
communication, timeliness, and being budget-minded (among other things) are all critical to serving the
needs of the project and the client in the best possible way.
To start, its important to understand what a project is. A project can be considered to be the achievement of
a specific objective, which involves a series of activities and tasks which consume resources. It has to be
completed within a set specification, having definite start and end dates (Bjeirmi, Munns, 1996, p. 81).
Further, a project is said to have two distinguishing features: a project has a beginning, a middle and an
end, and.projects are measured along three dimensions of quality, time and money (Branch, p. 1).
A project requires a team of individuals working together to accomplish its objective. Establishing clear lines
of leadership, authority, responsibility for certain tasks, a time-table for accomplishing those tasks, and plans
for managing conflict and risk, is essential to success. Additionally, this team requires a leader someone to
manage them in accomplishing the objectives of the project. This individual is responsible for seeing that the
needs of client for whom the project was created are met, and that the project can be deemed a
success.
What are the things that make up a successful project? What follows are the ingredients for success. Each
component is critical, and no one component is more important than another.
Working as a Team
Knowing ones place in a team requires understanding the goals and vision of someone else. To work in a
team means that you set aside your own personal agenda, and instead take on somebody elses agenda.
Teamwork requires strong communication skills, an ability to be organized and punctual, and a willingness to
receive criticism. Having an understanding that it is your job to get along well with others in order to achieve
a common goal is also an invaluable asset to working with a team.
Ultimately, its important to understand why the team exists in the first place. The project originates from a
requirement to meet a need that exists for the client. That initial need must be kept in focus by all those
involved in the project (Bjeirmi, Munns, 1996, p. 83). The team must know that its responsible for
understanding the work to be completed; planning in more detail, if necessary; completing work within
budget, timeline and quality expectations; and informing manger of issues, scope changes, risk and quality
concerns (Branch, 2011).
Leadership
Effective leadership is a unique balancing act of managing people towards a common goal. Project
managers are required to grow and become real leaders, and they must handle all aspects of project
leadership strategic, operational, and human (Shenhar, 2004, pp. 570-571). Without a properly placed
leader, a project team will struggle to perform their duties effectively, and may ultimately fail to deliver an
acceptable product to their client. As Atkinson quotes the UK Association of Project Management for
defining project management:
The planning organization, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of
all involved to achieve the project objectives safely and within the agreed time, cost and
performance criteria. The project manager is the single point of responsibility for achieving this
(1999, p. 338).
Good leaders also create a project strategy..and they articulate a clear project vision that is well
communicated to all team members (Shenhar, 2004, p. 570). Additionally, project management can be
defined as the process of controlling the achievement of the project objectives (Bjeirmi, Munns, 1996, p.
81). They see to it that the project conforms to the given requirements of quality, time, and money (Branch,
2011).

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Responsibility and Authority

Two separate things, it is important not to confuse responsibility and authority. Very simply defined,
responsibility spells out who does what; authority spells out who makes decisions. Specifically, responsibility
refers to the duty or obligation taken on by someone who is capable of distinguishing between right and
wrong and is trustworthy and dependable (Branch, 2011). Authority is the right to determine, adjudicate or
otherwise settle issues and disputes, the right to control and command (Branch, 2011). Additionally,
authority can be delegated, but responsibility cannot (Branch, 2011).
Ostensibly, the project manager is the one who has the authority to manage the project, including leading
all planning and development of deliverables (Branch, 2011). But there is plenty of responsibility and
authority to go around, as there is a vast cast of individuals involved in the working of a project. Beyond the
team and project manager, there is the client, for whom the project is being created; there is a client project
manager (who is similar to a project manager) and a functional manager; a project manager; stakeholders; a
steering committee; suppliers and vendors; and users. Each of these individuals holds very unique positions
with specific responsibilities.
Managing Change
As the saying goes, the only constant in the world is change. Being prepared for the inevitability of change,
and how to manage the conflict that arises as a result of it, can mean the difference between the success or
failure of a project. An effective project manager will know how to navigate such murky waters.
To start, it should be underscored that conflict is not always bad. Conflict is a natural part of the team
environment. But to be effective, teams must be able to manage that conflict and how they do so brings
out the best or the worst of employee involvement (Amason, Harrison, Hochwarter, Thompson, 1995, p.
20). It should be pointed out as well that conflict is central to team effectiveness because conflict is a natural
part of the process that makes team decision making so effective in the first place. Effective teams know
how to manage conflict so that it makes a positive contribution (Amason, Harrison, Hochwarter, Thompson,
1995, p. 21).
The project manager is concerned on a day to day basis with customer needs, competitive advantage, and
future market success; and rather than sticking to the initial product definition and project plan, they keep
making adjustments that will create better business outcomes and higher competitive advantage (Shenhar,
2004, p. 570). It is their job to steer any conflict in such a way that costs are minimized and opportunities for
improvement are taken advantage of.
Risk Management
Much like managing change, managing risk is all about how you plan for it and how you handle it when it
comes. Risk is simply the possibility that you may not achieve your product, schedule, or resource targets
because something unexpected occurs or something planned does not (Fortney, 2011). Risk can be
classified in a number of ways. One is risk linked by technical performance, budget, and schedule (Belout,
Gauvreau, 2004, p. 2). Put more broadly however, identifying risk is to know what potential unsatisfactory
outcomes are associated with the project (Branch, 2011).
Conclusion
Taken all together, the above components all need to work together in a proper balance in order to see a
project through to successful completion. Effective project management requires attention to each, with a
view towards focusing the teams efforts beyond simply getting the job done. However, the project
managers willingness to deviate from the script in order to capitalize on other opportunities is critical to
surviving unforeseen change. This type of managerial flexibility, along with his attention to teamwork,
leadership, responsibility and authority, conflict and risk management all comprise the essential components
for a successful project.

June 9, 2014

References
Amason, A. C., Harrison, A. W., Hochwarter, W. A., Thompson, K. R. (1995). Conflict: an important
dimension in successful management teams. Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 24, Issue 2, Autumn 1995, pp.
20-35.
Atkinson, Roger. (1999). Project management: cost, time and quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon,
its time to accept other success criteria. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 17, No. 6, 1999,
pp. 337-342.
Belout, A., Gauvreau, C. (2004). Factors influencing project success: the impact of human resource
management. International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 22, Issue 1, January 2004, pp. 1-11.
Bjeirmi, B. F. Munns, A. K. (1996). The role of project management in achieving project success.
International Journal of Project Management, Vo. 14, No. 2, pp. 81-87, 1996.
Branch, R. M. (2011). Project management: an introduction [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
https://uga.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/585807/viewContent/10548373/View
Branch, R. M. (2011). Responsibility and authority [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
https://uga.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/585807/viewContent/10548381/View
Branch, R. M. (2011). Risk management [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
https://uga.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/585807/viewContent/10548383/View
Branch, R. (2009). SPICE: A competitive project management paradigm. Competition Forum, Vol. 27, No. 1,
pp. 181-187.
Branch, R. M. (2011). Working as a team [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
https://uga.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/585807/viewContent/10548379/View
Fortney, S. (2001). Project Management for Dummies. New York: Hungry Minds

Shenhar, A. J. (2004), Strategic Project Leadership Toward a strategic approach to project management.
R&D Management, 34: 569578. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9310.2004.00363.x

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