Jean-Roch Houllier, Essay Example

In any situation involving leadership, one of the most important tests of that leadership is how the leader responds to a crisis. During the course of virtually any project there are likely to be some sorts of problems that arise. It is possible to plan for some problems, but there will almost inevitably be circumstances that arise that take the organization and its leaders by surprise. In the context of project management,   a crisis often involves developing new plans and responses on the fly, and leading the project back towards a successful outcome. The measure of an effective leader is in how well he or she can manage this task.

In one discussion about how PMs lead during times of crisis, the authors differentiate between a “breakdown” where “full recovery is still possible” and a “crisis” where “nothing will ever be the same again” (Jean-Roch Houllier, & Mounir Soudani, 2013).  In this context, a “crisis” is a situation where the circumstances going forward will never be what they were before the crisis. In a crisis, the PM faces a number of challenges. He or she must quickly identify the problem and the potential solutions to the problem. This requires the PM to, among other things,  gather information from team leaders, implement new budgets, and develop new timelines for completing the project.

Part of being an effective project manager involves implementing processes and systems for monitoring and assessing projects as they go along, so that there are at least some warning signs or other indications that there are potential problems on the horizon. This makes it possible to also develop contingency plans that evolve as the project moves forward, with the aim of implanting such contingencies quickly if necessary. It is never possible to plan for ever surprise, but an effective project manager will be able to respond to crises through preparation and strong leadership.

Reference

Houllier, J. & Soudani, M. (2014). How to face a project crisis and restore a reputation, by Jean-Roch Houllier, PLM, PMP, IPMA, MGP, SSCBB, FFP & Mounir Soudani, PMP, SSCGB. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.allpm.com/index.php/free-resources/94-article/newsletter-article/503-how-to-face-a-project-crisis-and-restore-a-reputation [Accessed: 7 Apr 2014].