The project manager notices that project activities being completed by one department are all taking slightly longer than planned. To date, none of the activities/work packages have been on the critical path, nor have they affected the critical chain planning that has occurred. The project manager is bothered by the problem, since four of the next five critical path activities are being completed by this department. After making three calls, the project manager is finally able to converse with the department manager to determine what is going on. The conversation is slow, because both speak different native languages and they are trying to converse in French, a shared language. To make communication easier, the project manager frequently asks the department manager to repeat back what has been said.
A. Create a better communications management plan that requires only one language to be the universal language on the project and have translators readily available on a moment's notice
B. Contact someone else in the department who speaks the project manager's native language better to confirm the department manager's opinion
C. Find out if the upcoming activities should be reestimated
D. Work on increasing the effectiveness of the performing organization by recommending
continuous improvement of the policy in question
Answer D
The department manager communicates that his staff is following a company policy that requires two levels of testing. During the conversation, the department manager also makes a comment that leads the project manager to believe that the policy may include excessive work. This is the fourth time the project manager has heard such a comment. What is the BEST thing to do?
A. Create a better communications management plan that requires only one language to be the universal language on the project and have translators readily available on a moment's notice
B. Contact someone else in the department who speaks the project manager's native language better to confirm the department manager's opinion
C. Find out if the upcoming activities should be reestimated
D. Work on increasing the effectiveness of the performing organization by recommending
continuous improvement of the policy in question
Answer D