In this article, we will discuss the perspective and the ability to manage projects at the pace that we (project managers) are interested in, and whether it is possible to control it in any way, with the intention of course to manage an efficient and fast project schedule for the benefit of the entrepreneur.
In my opinion, there are at least two perspectives on project management in general and task management within the project in particular. The first perspective is the traditional and dominant perspective, and it is a task management perspective: it focuses on the work or the task itself. This perspective belongs mainly to the executors who are responsible for the execution and management of tasks in the project and uses mainly a rational approach to promote the project goals under schedule, budget, and quality. The problem with this perspective is the growth of the market in the field of project management, which was taken over by large organizations, and its expansion in many new industries has given rise to another perspective that cannot be ignored - the organizational perspective.
This second point of view (the organizational perspective) sees a particular project as a temporary organization established by the base organization, the "entrepreneur" who is responsible for carrying out the task. This perspective focuses on the relationship between the sponsor (the base organization/the entrepreneur) and the project team (the temporary organization). However, it does not fully define the project task. I would like to expand on the differences between the two perspectives based on the understanding that each project requires a different pace of adaptation in light of the different organizational culture between entrepreneur and entrepreneur.
I argue that the differences between the two perspectives are logical and even legitimate, but they represent a challenge in the field of project management. The sooner we understand this, the better it will be between the parties, and in particular we will be able to coordinate expectations within ourselves so that we do not become frustrated.
It is important to understand that a point of view is a personal perspective on how you perceive project management, and the other side may not necessarily agree or identify with you. Therefore, it is important in most cases to learn about the organization/entrepreneur, understand their world view and their perspective, and thus gain on the one hand the understanding that these are their perceptions, decision-making paces, and organizational constraints. At this point, in fact, your main profit is the ability to empower your values as a project manager that can help the entrepreneur promote the interests of the organization in places where his weaknesses do not allow him to meet the project paces required along the decision-making axis.
In conclusion; a task perspective emphasizes the promotion of the project through effective and rational management. Execution managers define their goals when they start the project in order to provide a product or service that meets the described and required specifications within defined time and cost constraints. To achieve this efficiently, they do a situation assessment, and then choose the mode of execution that will meet their needs. Only from this, they allocate resources, implement the plan, and work to deliver the project as expected, meeting time and budget constraints.
An organizational perspective sees the task perspective as a sub-task within the organization that is defined in time and scope of execution. To understand this perspective, think of two organizations, one permanent and one temporary. The temporary organization receives its inputs from the permanent organization and transfers its outputs to the same organization. In practice, the permanent organization/the entrepreneur can contain more than one temporary project organization and can operate several renewal projects simultaneously.
The main differences between the perspectives:
| Task Management Perspective | Organizational/Entrepreneur Perspective |
---|---|---|
Central Focus | Defining the task execution | Establishing a project with another organization simultaneously |
Project Success | Achievement of the objectives defined in the project | Completion of the task execution and achievement of the objectives |
Nature of Goal Definition | Determined, determined, strives for quick delivery | Solves constraints, strives for delivery according to organizational constraints |
Planning | Done from the beginning, task-oriented | Broad planning at the beginning, rolling planning, milestone-oriented |
Plans | Detailed Gantt management through high-resolution networks | Gantt management based on low-resolution milestones |
Time Definition | Completion of execution as quickly as possible | Execution according to the organization's pace and resources under the existing constraints |
Organizational Style | Task-oriented | Task-oriented and political |
Leadership Style | Rewarding leadership | Transformational leadership |
Project Control | Control of scope, budget, and quality, efficiency, and savings | Comprehensive control and holistic vision in delivering the project as desired |
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