Name?

PM3110
Mr. ?

[UNIT 1 ASSIGNMENT 2:
SIMULATION CASE STUDY 4.2
FINDING THE EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE TO BE A REAL
LEADER]

Finding the Emotional

Intelligence to Be a Real Leader

Name?
PM3110
15 Dec 2013

Case Analysis:
1. Overview
This Case Analysis was conducted in order to reveal as to why Kathy Smith had
Project Management issues on the overseas projects. She has the potential to be an
outstanding project manager as demonstrated by past projects. As the project progressed
so did the complications that Kathy faced from the Team Leaders which resulted in late
deadlines and costly fines. There are preventative measures that could have been done to
possibly avoid these results by Kathy and the organization. In this Case Analysis these
Alternative Solutions and Recommendations will be addressed.
2. Problem/s
The problem that I have identified with this analysis is a relatively simple one where
Kathy Smith lacks the experience of dealing with other cultures. In other words she lacks
the Emotional Intelligence to handle an overseas project without proper training. Traits
perceived as self-motivated, and an aggressive take charge attitude in the United States is
seen as overbearing, un-caring, and inflexible with her workers at the Southeast Asia
location. She never took into account the fact of the cultural differences of her workers
and continued to push them harder, creating more resistance and ultimately more delays
and more problems.
3. Alternative Solutions
She could have shadowed another Project Manager on an overseas project prior to

taking on her own.

Culture Awareness Training Standard as part of the organizations training

program for International jobs.

She could have researched more on who she was going to have as Team Leaders
and workers on the job.

Finding the Emotional

Intelligence to Be a Real Leader

Name?
PM3110
15 Dec 2013

The organization might think of sending someone to replace her in order to

attempt to get the project back on track.

4. Evaluation of Alternatives
After evaluating the Alternatives I have come to the conclusion that Kathy Smith lacks
two important concepts of Emotional Intelligence that will affect project performance.
These two missing concepts are; Empathy and Social Skills, both very important traits in
their own way and both also very detrimental to any work force productivity. By this I
mean without empathy Kathy will not fully understand her Team Leaders and workers or
their cultural differences and in turn not gain their trust or full cooperation on the job. As
she lacks the social skills she will never properly motivate her team to perform to the best
of their abilities or have effective communication with them. There are three other
project manager abilities that she lacks possibly out of inexperience and they are defined
as; Organizing with Cooperation, Cooperative Leadership, and Integrative Thinking
(Pinto, 2010).
5. Recommendation/s
My recommendation for a solution to this situation would not be a single one but a
combination of the ones listed under the Alternative Solutions section. First and foremost
I suggest that the organization send another Project Manager to finish the project and
correct any mistakes that were made and salvage any trust that they did have with the
Team Leaders and workers before they decide to walk off the job. Second, I suggest that
the organization consider investing in some type of Cultural Awareness Training program
if they are to continue conducting business with the International community. Ensure that
Kathy Smith gets the needed training that she requires to take on such a project and I
would recommend that she stay on site to be able to learn from her mistakes as well as to
help fix anything that she can.
6. Possible Results and Obstacles to Implementation

Finding the Emotional

Intelligence to Be a Real Leader

Name?
PM3110
15 Dec 2013

The possible results could be the project not meeting its deadline; with the late penalties
this could also push the project over budget if a cushion was not factored in for errors.
Another possible result is the fact that another Project Manager will have to be brought
on site adding to the costs as well. An internal cost for the organization would be the
implementation of a Cultural Awareness Training program. One obstacle that would have
to be overcome with the implementation would be gaining the trust and cooperation of
the workers once the new Project Manager is on site and picking up where Kathy left off,
but with her still on site should help ease the transition.

References
Works Cited
Pinto, J. K. (2010). Project Management Achieving Competitive Advantage (Second Editon ed.).
Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. Retrieved Dec 15, 2013