Assignment: Project Leadership Roles at TriHealth (Case Study from Chapter 3)

Read the case titled: "Project Leadership Roles at TriHealth" found in Chapter 3. This assignment is about developing a specific project team for TriHealth.

Write a six to eight page paper in which you:

• Identify the common roles in a human resource project. Then, analyze these roles to typical human resource functions.
• Reorganize any two roles at TriHealth that result in shared responsibilities and then state why you chose those two roles.
• Suggest the short-term and long-term effects on the company with roles being shared among employees.
• Analyze the need for an additional role. Then, propose a new role and its proposed impact.
• Use at least four quality academic (peer-reviewed) resources in this assignment.

Your assignment must:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Assess organizational strategies that contribute to effective project management of human resources.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in managing human resource projects.
• Write clearly and concisely about managing human resource projects using proper writing mechanics.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN ACTION: Project Leadership Roles at TriHealth

TriHealth is a company that manages several large hospitals and a variety of other health organizations, such as physical fitness facilities and nursing services. Due to the company's increasing size and complexity, TriHealth leadership decided they needed to formally define roles of project executive sponsor, project leader, performance improvement consultant, core team member, and subject matter expert. These roles are shown below.

Project Executive Sponsor

Initiating Stage

• Empower project leader with well-defined charter, which is the overarching guide
• Clearly define expected outcomes
• Demonstrate commitment to and prioritization of project
• Define decision-making methods and responsibility-sponsor/project leader/team
• Partner with project leader to identify obstacles, barriers, and silos to overcome

Planning Stage

• Ensure Project Leader understands business context for organization
• Ensure Project Leader develops overall project plan
• Assist Project leader in developing vertical and horizontal communication plan
• Demonstrate personal interest in project by investing time and energy needed
• Secure necessary resources and organizational support

Executing Stage

• Communicate and manage organizational politics
• Visibly empower and support Project Leader vertically and horizontally
• Build relationships with key stakeholders
• Actively listen to and promote team and project to stakeholders
• Remove obstacles and ensure progress of project
• Ensure goals are met and stakeholders are satisfied

Closing Stage

• Ensure closure; planned completion or termination
• Ensure results and lessons learned are captured and shared
• Ensure assessment of related applications or opportunities
• Ensure any necessary next steps are assigned and resourced
• Recognize contributions and celebrate completion
• Negotiate follow-up date(s) to assess project status

Project Leader

All of the roles listed are the ultimate responsibility of the project leader. However, in the development of the charter, the Sponsor and the Project Leader will have a discussion about the Project Leader role. At that time, the individuals will determine if the Project Leader needs additional assistance or skills to facilitate the project success and which of these responsibilities need to be delegated to others with expertise in those areas.

• Leads negotiation with Sponsor for charter definition.
• Collaborates with Sponsor to clarify expectations.
• Provides direction to the team with integrity, leadership, and communication skills.
• Facilitates productive meetings and supports the team's decisions.
• Prepares the high-level work plan and timeline.
• Champions the project on the management level and with the staff.
• Leads the implementation of the project.
• Manages project flow, including agenda setting, meeting documentation, and coordination of team assignments.
• Develops implementation, education, and communication plans for the project.
• Responsible for the team and project progress and proactively intervenes to promote team and project success.
• Identifies, communicates, and facilitates the removal of barriers to enable successful project completion.
• Supports the team with tools and methodologies to accomplish goals.
• Facilitates collection and analysis of data.
• Leads the team in developing a plan to sustain the change and monitor effectiveness.
• Leads team in developing recommended next steps.
• Closes project with Sponsor and ensures lessons learned are captured.
• Establish with Sponsor the dates for post-project checkup and overall measurable effectiveness of project.

Performance Improvement Consultant

If the Sponsor and the Project Leader determine additional support/expertise is needed, a Performance Improvement Consultant can provide the following expertise:

• Provides direction to the Project Leader in establishing targets and a measurement and monitoring system.
• Mentors the Project Leader on leading the team through the project management process.
• Collaborates with the Project Leader to prepare a work plan and timeline for the project.
• Proactively intervenes to promote team and project success based on teamwork and interactions.
• Assists the Project Leader in identifying, communicating, and removing barriers to enable successful project completion.
• Assists in the researching of research, best practices, and benchmarking.
• Coaches the Project Leader on the development and implementation of a comprehensive communication, education, and change management plan.
• Provides the Project Leader support in ensuring regular communication with the Sponsor and Stakeholders.
• Offers expertise to the team with tools and methodologies to accomplish goals.
• Collaborates with the Project Leader on the collection and analysis of data.
• Ensures a system-wide perspective is considered and downstream effects analyzed.
• Provides change management education and assists the Project Leader in developing key strategies for successful change management.
• Provides coaching to the Project Leader on key strategies for successful planning, implementation, and sustainability of the project.

Core Team Member

• Takes responsibility for the success of the team.
• Attends meetings for duration of the project.
• Actively participates in team meetings.
• Understands the entire range of the project.
• Actively participates in the decision-making process.
• Supports the team's decisions.
• Completes outside assignments.
• Carries out many of the project activities; produces deliverables on time.
• Provides testing or validation of decisions being made by the team.
• Provides data collection and reporting.
• Participates in the communication, education, implementation, and evaluation of the project.
• Gathers input from the areas they represent, if appropriate.
• Shares team decisions and plans throughout the project.
• May work directly with Stakeholders or Subject Matter Experts.

Subject Matter Expert

• Not a core team member of the team.
• Participates in demonstrations/presentations and/or team meetings, as needed.
• Carries out project activities as assigned; produces deliverables.
• Responsible for supplying requirements.
• Provides input to the team or complete activities based on a specific expertise he or she possesses that is essential to the project.

Source: TriHealth.