Project.Management.ProjectManagement

Define Project, Management and Project management.

            Even from the very first day of school our instructor never fails to give us a very heat whelming activity. At the very moment of our first meeting, he instructed us to wite everything we know about project, management and project management. Just as I thought that this class would be different compared to the things that we were doing in our other class with him. But then again it turned out to be wrong. As fast as we could, we define those three familiar terms and we did that as far as our knowledge could bring us. I am afraid but I hope that I did write something that is worth to be appreciated. The following statements were some of my answers.

Project

            It is a proposal, a venture or a task with a given goal of interest. In most cases I usually hear the word project if it is to be done with due amount of time and is bounded by a certain date of deadline. In students like us, project would be clearly defined as an assignment required for us to comply so as being able to pass a certain projects. But I pretty well guess that in real life scenario, what is being termed as project referred to a

vast form of task that needs a high form of processes and procedure. For me it might fall on different categories depending unto which kind of field does a single person works. For me, project is also comprised with very a significant plan for it to be realized and achieve its desired goal of interest.

Management

            From the word itself, it refers to the word managing, a process of doing something  to be able to attain the thing that you are wanting and I believe that it is to be done through a rigid form organizing a multiple and a series of plans. Management could also be said that it is being directed by a manager that makes everything possible for a project to work and succeed. In management I can also say that there are a lot of hard works and labors that lies along with it. When we say management, it is a general term used in every business and is indeed vital for its growth and development.

Project Management

            The above definition is a lot more general and hits almost all form of managerial thing. But, again as part of my assumption, the above term refers more clearly to an exact form of managing a single project. This compound word is a way match in managing a venture that is more technical than any other form of managing is. I should say that based on my own experience that I was once mislead by our own interpretation of managing a project.  In that case, we fail since we did not know exactly what a real and effective management of project that we should take.

Those words that were mentioned were a lot more familiar not just to me but  I pretty well guess that its common to all of us. As I again read and go over my answers, I can say that it was all basing on my experiences, and personal under takings. Especially when we are to talk about project, it is very much personal to me since I had been with this word for a long span of time or shall I say since I started to let myself in learning and trying new things. But I believe that what I had before is just a crumb of bread compared to what a real project is. But of course as we all know that a certain project that may fall to an individual may depend depending on his or her own capabilities and of his or her own level.

Now during the first day of discussion, there had been a lot of things that were introduced and was given emphasis and by this  time, we had a clearer view of our topic since we had it ourselves our guide to Project management, the PM Book.

            It may sound distracting but then again I wanted to ask what is a Project. According the the PM Book, Project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. Before knowing it, we had a simple discussion between us of what is the exact and simple answer, yet no one  has ever mention the exact word temporary. It is temporary since every project has a definite beginning and definite end. It is temporary since a project follows a step by step and never ending procedure and never stops until it reaches the peak of its own goal and mission. The PM book also stresses out that although defined as temporary, project  may not be generally be applied to a service or result, that aside from it it may also end up to the lasting outcomes of the project.

As defined by the book, project management can be summarized in an abbreviation like PDOC. It means planning, directing, organizing, and control. The first one is planning. I believe that of how will you progress will greatly depends on how you plan. It depends on you plan before the project, during and while making the entire project and after the project is to be done. An example of it was when we had our project in one of our subject last semester. It was for our finals grade so it is assumed that all of us would clearly do our best efforts for us to pass the course. I admit that I fail, that we fail. But we fail not because we had a failing grade nor because of the teacher neither because of time pressure. But we fail because we failed to plan. We know our goal and we know what the supposed outcome is but we forgot to plan in order to achiebe this goal. I believe that if we only had the idea and the thought  but could never be able to plan and work it out, it will all be useless, futile and dull. Just like what we accidentally did. (laugh out loud J). The next terminology discussed was directing which is synonymous to guiding which is also connected to leading. It sound and feels so awkward for me but, I guess that the reason why we had a failure in managing our project was that no one has ever lead us. I just wanna share a thought and I guess that this really sounds awkward but on what I can deduced from what happened to us was that we got a strange feeling with regards on who’s gonna lead since we were once a  “leader”. Now I know that what happened to us was that we both rely on each others presence ending up that there’s no work that was being done. And on my personal attacked, I also got an uncomfortable feeling knowing that the people around me were much more knowledgeable about the project. But I should say that although surrounded by this people I believe that we are competent with the project. Its just that we failed to plan and no one has ever lead us. The third and second to the last is organizing. I also believe that if this element would be eliminated and false to practice it, that certain project that an individual is pursuing might not work. Of course, if not organized, the ideas would be shattered thus ending up with a not valuable result. When we say organize, it also says that we need to mage everything in its best and paramount degree. That is the case if we wanted to obtain the best of the best. The last terminology deals and talks about control. Control. When we say you have the control on this and on that, for me it only means that you have the power over this and over that. With the power that is in control we have the chance to manage and be in charge of the project in which entrusted to us. Through this last element, I could see evidently that possible flow of progress in developing that certain project.

But, as we go on our discussion, the debate with regards to the difference between management and leadership arose. What is management and what is leadership. How do they differ and what is there usage. First let us clearly define and now more about management. We had discussed it from the previous days that management is related to some sorts of control is an individuals’ free will or unto his own interest. In management, it has the control and the power. Now, for the case of leadership, the stand goes like this. Inclined to leadership is directing and guiding. I supposed that from this definition alone we can all understand the real and defined difference among the two words. I could still remember that  before we continue the discussion, he or shall I say the facilitator let us to examine if whether we are being managed by him and by any other teachers or lead by them or him alone. When we had that particular discussion, my hands really felt itchy and I wanted to ask of how can we lead with out managing since I could really feel the degree of its difficultness when it comes to practicing. Its is very much hard to control and limit ones self. Alas! I got the answer, and that is through guiding. When we guide, we need not to control and we need not to demand. When we lead we would just be light and influential so as to let them to follow us and not tell and force them to follow us. I believe that by that, it would be rigid and harsh.

PM Book has been a helpful tool in developing and helping a beginner like me to understand project management. It had been starting to help me for now, much more I believe that it greatly affects the management world in the real life’s arena. Now, I hope that as we continue our journey in getting to know more about project management, we can build a good business and succeed in our life.