Analyzing Scope Creep

Scope Creep can be a danger to any project. Scope creep can happen with the slightest change but its all about how you handle it. An example of project that experienced scope creep is Girl Scouts cookie sales. There were multiple reasons why we experienced scope creep. Some of the reasons are changes council made to the rules of cookie sales, many parents did not attend meetings to receive information about cookie sales, and cookie booths lacked organization. Other leaders and I had to run down parents for cookie sales money and deal with claims of not understanding how cookie sales work. Council even with as far as red flagging individuals and serving parents papers.

If I was project manager, I would make it mandatory for all parents to attend cookie meetings in order for their child to sell cookies. Parents would not be able to receive cookie orders until monies are paid in full.

Every year the leaders and administrative staff gets together and try to think of ways to improve cookie sales and how to combat the problems that we have every year. Our stakeholders (the girls and the parents) have to understand the obligation and responsibility of selling cookies and we need the parents support in making cookie time successful.

Communicating Effectively

After watching "The Art of Effective Communication", I realize how using different forms of communication and relaying the same message can strike the person you are communicating with differently. The three forms of communication that was used are email, voicemail, and face-to-face communication. Each one struck me differently as I read, listened, and watched.

When I read the email, I thought the email was professional and business like. Jane asked Mark to provide her with the material and when she would be able to receive it. She even gave him an option on how to get the information to her.

While listening to the voicemail, I found it to be a little sarcastic. Especially when Jane said, "I know you have been busy, and possibly in that all day meeting today." Although, it does sound business-like, but it does demanding.

When I watched the face-to-face communication, it seemed pleasant, but business-like. Jane expressed exactly what she needed. It came across as her being sympathetic to Mark's busy schedule with letting him know she need his report as soon as possible. Her facial expressions let Mark know that she wasn't being nasty or unsympathetic.

I think the best form of communication to convey this message would have been face-to-face. It's obvious that Jane and Mark has to work together as a team and face-to-face contact shows that Jane know he has had a busy day and they could work together to get the work done.  They can know come up with an immediately solution.

I have learned from this exercise that it is important to establish the communication methods and how often communication should take place with team members.  If the communication had been often maybe Jane and Mark would not have been in this situation.

Reference
Mutimedia Program: "The Art of Effective Communication"

Week 2 Blog Assignment-Girl Scout Cookie Booth

All the Girl Scouts troops decided to get together and operate some cookie booths to wrap up the cookie season. We asked several local businesses to allow us to set up cookie booths. At first we was off to a good start. We had the set dates, locations, times, and which troop was supposed to be at what location. We began to run into problems. Our problems were lack of communication with the businesses and between the girls. One of our business we booked told double booked two Girl Scouts troops. They later said they had not record of us being scheduled to be there. The next problem we had was girls showing up at the wrong cookie booth or not showing up at all. To solve that problem we started using multiple forms of communication. We used word of mouth, flyers, email, created a Girl Scouts Facebook page, and text message service. This proved to be more effective. We learned in order to run effective troops we first have to learn to get things set in stone when doing business. We also learned that by using multiple forms of communication, it most likely that each girl and their parent will we receive the information. Communication and managing business correctly is important when it come to project management.