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2018
Change Management
and Leadership
COURSEWORK 3
ALLAN MACPHERSON - B00246928
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Contents
Contents
Page 1
1.0 Introduction
Page 2
2.0 Discussion on Change Management and Leadership
Page 3
2.1 Change Management
Page 3
2.2 Leadership
Page 4
3.0 Relevance to Project Managers
Page 5
3.1 Change Relevance
Page 5
3.2 Leadership Relevance
Page 6
4.0 Conclusion
Page 6
5.0 Bibliography
Page 7
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1.0 Introduction
The following coursework for Change Management and Leadership has been requested by The
University of the West of Scotland and has been completed by Allan MacPherson – B00246928. The
coursework discusses the relevance and importance of Change Management and Leadership for
Project Managers.
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2.0 Discussion on Change Management and Leadership
Change Management and Leadership are fundamental building blocks of any project. Projects can,
from time to time, be problematic and require changes to be made in terms of scope, direction,
delivery and strategy.
For any change to be successful it requires strong leadership and leadership that will influence and
inspire the project team. Both successful Change Management and strong Leadership are
fundamentally important to being a successful project manager and having the project delivered on
time, within cost and to the correct standard.
2.1 Change Management
Change Management is a process that supports required changes in organisations direction,
approach or strategy. The Association of Project Management defines Change Management, in their
APM Body of knowledge 6th edition book, as:
(Management, 2012)
To implement organisation change there are many models that can be used such as Kotter’s, Lewin’s
and Carnall’s.
Although Change Management models are more generally used for organisational change, the
process of change is fundamentally important to Project Managers and Projects in terms of
individual change. Most project managers will follow standard methodologies for success. However,
there are various forms of change required in projects due to risks, variation and failure. (BCS, 2012)
Considerations must be given that change can impact:
- Scope
- Goals and Objectives
- Specification
- Resources
- Time, Cost and Quality
- Schedule and Plans
- Issues and Risks
- Market needs
These considerations are to mention a few, every project will have varying levels of change
requirements and it is vital that these are managed correctly in order to achieve success.
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The Project Management Institute detail these required support in changes as:
(Institute, 2008)
Unexpected changes and change requests will happen during a project life cycle, with the likelihood
of inflation during the execution stage, so it is important that these are well managed with a level of
change control. A robust change control process will ensure that all changes are monitored,
considered and approved, with only approved changes being implemented.
If the changes are approved it allows for a systematic approach for implementation and it helps
understand what impact the change will have on the project scope, deliverables, organisation,
documents, specification, time, cost and quality to mention a few.
A robust change control process will include change management activities detailed in Ref 1 –
Integrated Control Process from The Project Management Institute PMBOK (Institute, 2008)
Ref 1 – Integrated Control Process
Every successful project requires a robust project change control process to ensure that all changes
are managed effectively.
2.2 Leadership
Leadership can be approached in many different ways and there are various styles of leadership that
can be used. Leadership is about inspiring people with a vision and strategy, ensuring people feel
empowered, inspired and enriched by the leadership shown. The Association of Project
Management defines Leadership, in their APM Body of knowledge 6th edition book, as:
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(Management, 2012)
Strong leadership is required to ensure successful goals are achieved in any organisation, company,
programme or project. Without strong leadership an organisation’s goals and objectives will not be
met nor will the employees be motivated to achieve these goals and objectives. Good leadership
increases team motivation, loyalty and commitment to complete the end goal. It is a very powerful if
applied correctly and ensures the building blocks of behaviour to promote personal growth and
development of individuals in an organisation, programme or project.
Leadership will also help define the culture, help guide and shape an organisations direction and will
also create harmony. This is achieved by key individuals showing excellent leadership skills which is
important for any organisation, company, programme or project. Good leadership inspires the team
to actively own and solve problems, a key attribute to any good team. A leader, Manager or Project
Manager cannot “go it alone” as they require a strong team of individuals around them to support
the common goal. Strong and stable leadership ensures that this has the best chance of success.
(Defining Leadership, 2018)
Good leadership will also ensure compelling communication is present which is essential to ensure
team interaction is effective. It also ensures that information and ideas are communicated
effectively to achieve the desired goal. In short, compelling communication is a key attribute of any
good leader and is a building block to ensure success. (Communicating as a Leader, 2018)
3.0 Relevance to Project Managers
Change Management and Leadership are fundamentally important to project managers as they are
two key components that are required to ensure a project is successful. Change Management and
Leadership are leading drivers in the success of a project. All good project managers will have the
ability to manage change in projects effectively and display positive leadership behaviour to inspire
the project team to attain success.
3.1 Change Relevance
Change will ultimately happen in a project, be at the start or the end, change will happen at some
point. It is absolutely paramount that project managers can manage change effective and efficiently.
This is usually done in the form of a change management log or process.
All project managers need to manage change and require the skills to ensure effective change
management. Whether it is a change in strategy or a specification, the change and process must be
given the correct consideration from both the project manager and the project team. The project
manager must ensure that the change is managed effectively to ensure successful completion of the
project in terms of time, cost and quality.
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3.2 Leadership Relevance
Leadership is key to inspiring people with strategy and vision and to ensure that they are kept
motivated. Project Managers must be good leaders in order to ensure momentum is kept in
achieving the projects goals and objectives. Good leadership will ensure that the project team is kept
aligned with vision, strategy and the goal of the project.
Another consideration is that project teams are usually set up in a matrix organisation structure,
thus the project manager does not have any direct reports but uses other line managers resources.
Good leadership in this respect is key for any project manager to ensure that individuals are kept
motivated and inspired to continue giving full support to the project. In all organisations it is easy for
line managers to overload employees and if they are part of a side project team this is usually the
first commitment to fall. A good project manager will recognise this and exert good leadership
qualities with the employees and line managers to ensure progress is maintained on the project and
the individuals are not overworked or stressed, thus maintaining their motivation for the project.
(Cano, 2018)
4.0 Conclusions
Change Management and Leadership are a fundamental part of project management and are key to
ensuring a successful delivery of any project. If any of these two elements are weak then the
probability of a project not achieving its goals and objectives are high. In order perform at the
highest level project managers must maintain and display a high commitment to change processes
and exert strong and stable leadership within the project team. This will ensure that motivation is
kept high within the project team and that project team members feel empowered to deliver a
project on time, within budget and to the highest quality.
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5.0 Bibliography
BCS. (2012, February 23). BCS. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from BCS The Chartered Institute for IT:
http://www.bcs.org/upload/pdf/hapostolopoulos-230212.pdf
Cano, M. (2018, March 08). Leadership and Conflict Management. MSc Project Management Course
Notes. Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Scotland: The University of the West of Scotland.
Communicating as a Leader. (2018, March 01). Retrieved from Leadership Training Tutorials:
http://leadershiptrainingtutorials.com/index.php?q=Communicating_as_leader#.WpfZD-
QUm3A
Defining Leadership. (2018, March 01). Retrieved from Leadership Learning Tutorials:
http://leadershiptrainingtutorials.com/index.php?q=Why_is_Leadership_so_Important#.Wp
fGnOQUm3A
Institute, P. M. (2008). Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) 4th Edition.
Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute Inc.
Management, A. f. (2012). APM Body of Knowledge 6th Edition. Princes Risborough: Association for
Project Management.
