INYO Course

Activity Reflection

I attended one of the workshops I found on masons’ graduate life website. The workshop is about “How to Manage Large Projects”. I joined the workshop because I assume it one of the important skills I should have. Besides that, if someday I finish my master and become the manager of a company outside there, indeed, the knowledge of the workshop will be useful in order to manage my task, my schedule, or maybe my subordinates. Other than that, since I am currently majoring in data analytics, it is literally helpful while we want to decide the sources that we should prepare in order to obtain the best solution or decision of the problem we are dealing with. Also, if I relate this workshop to my bachelor degrees’ field, which is computer science, it should be necessary as well since such field regularly deals with many projects that should be done soon, especially while I serve as a project manager. Moreover, I also will help in managing all assignments I have while doing my master now.

The materials of the workshop are very well structured. It began from the definition of project which is helpful for someone who is not familiar with the main purpose of the workshop. After that, it continued by defining the sequence of the project management process. On this part, the tutor emphasized that there are seven parts that should be done, such as determining the parameter of the project such as the stakeholder involvement or the budget. Other than that, the workshop also discussed about making a good plan prior to starting the project, communicating the plan to those involved, delegating the project tasks, monitoring the project progress, completing the project, and also following up the project such as talking to the stakeholder, or discussing the task that has not been finished with the members who is responsible to it. Also, I learned that breaking the project down into a checklist will assist me in finishing the project. For instance, in one of my major courses, named decision analytics, in order to solve the given problem, we should determine the source needed first. Afterward, by using the source we have determined, we can find another value prior to gaining the final solution. Such processes can be poured into the several checklists according to the materials’ workshop. Making several checklists is quite important while we are trying to solve a big problem. It is because sometimes we cannot remember precisely the sequential details that drive us to gain the best solution of the problem. Another thing that I found interesting is making the flow chart of how the project will be organized. It is truly important in order that the project will be kept on tract in terms of time. Also, the workshop shares the tools which are classified as the open source apps to help us manage the real huge project.

Since currently I have not got a specific project that requires me to use the knowledge I got from the workshop, I believe that it should be literally important form me to undergo the next term. Besides that, the workshop also gives me a view of what a data scientist manager should do to finish many issues while the given time is not much. Other than that, it showed me of how to manage many projects which should get done by our subordinate if someday in the future I be a general manager. Also, since I had attended the workshop, I am currently sure I will become a better student in terms of managing a huge project. It is because I already understand how to use one of the tools, such as Trello or Googles’ Planner, in order to manage a large project I will get someday in the future.