What skills and qualities do you think are most important to be an effective and successful ID Project Manager?
An effective and
successful ID project Manager must have the technical PM skills such as
defining the scope accurately and planning. In his video about defining the
scope of an Instructional design project, Dr. Stolovitch (Laureate Prod, n.d.),
discussed the need to define the scope of the project accurately. When I
reflect on most projects I have done, I must say I could have done better if I
had defined the scope well and had better planning skills. Defining the scope of an ID
project’ (Laureate Prod, n.d.), Dr Stolovitch Other than the other project
management skills such as managing stakeholders and understanding team roles, I
believe soft skills are also very critical for any project manager.
An effective ID project management
must be able to inspire a shared vision. As ID Project managers, we often
manage teams. At times the vision can be lost when you are not able inspire and
ensure everyone is aligned to the bigger picture. Efficient communication is another
skill that needs to be considered. In recent project management cases, we have
analyzed we have seen how poor communication can impact and risk a project.
Ability to communicate with people at every level is key. Efficient
communication allows transparency and directness. Ability to persuade and
negotiate starts with being an effective communicator. Other soft skills as put
by Barry (2017) in his article the 10 top qualities of a project manager
include integrity, enthusiasm, empathy, competence, ability to delegate tasks,
cool under pressure, team-building skills, problem solving skills. Ertmer,
Quinn & Glazewski, 2014 identified the roles and responsibilities of
project managers and their competencies.
How will these qualities help you
to find the balance that will best serve the project, the client, and the
students for whom the solution is being developed?
The project is successful when its
deliverables are delivered on time and on budget. The client is more likely to
be happy when the objective of the project has been met and the two factors of
time and budget are adhered to. For students/learners being able to have a
program that is focused on them and addressing the key issues/problems they
face is key. Project planning as a key quality helps to identify the tasks and
their dependencies, all of which are important in clarifying timelines,
resources and impact on budget. Lack of planning in ID project management can
spell failure from the beginning.
What challenges will you face if
you must manage your own ID projects and fill the roles of both the Project
Manager and Instructional Designer?
Earlier on in our degree we read
an article about the many hearts of an instructional designer. By then I had
referred to our small virtual learning team as a band, where the two of us
performed as drummers, singers, stage show dancers, guitarists etc. Want I want
to bring out here is the fact as instructional designers our roles already
involve a lot of hearts that we alternate depending on the needs. While most of
the instructional design tasks require a good understanding of project
management, I think for large projects it is important to have these two roles
separated. The separation will allow reduction of risk in meeting agreed
timelines and quality assurance.
You can share your thoughts on the types of skills and competences required for a project manager in an instructional design project in the comments below.
Reference
1. Barry, T. (n.d.).
Top 10 Qualities of a Project Manager. Retrieved February 23, 2017, from https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/top-10-qualities-project-manager.php
2. Ertmer, P.,
Quinn, J. & Glazewski, K., (Eds). (2014). The ID casebook: Case studies in
instructional design (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
3. Laureate
Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Defining the scope of an ID
project [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
