Improve your management skills using LLMs like GPT-4
Intro
A few good prompts into an LLM can provide a great case for you to practice your management skills.
I like playing around with different LLMs. All of them are quite similar for my intended use: from fun stuff with prompts like “write rap glorifying the product *** in style of Eminem” to more serious brainstorms for marketing like “Create 1000 slogans to use in marketing for the product ***”.
But recently I have been looking for fresh and interesting cases to solve with fellow managers just to discuss these situations and come up with the best solution. And today in the morning it dawned on me. What if the LLMs can be used to create fun and interactive scenarios to train management problems and provide solutions to them?
TLDR:
You can use LLMs to:
- Generate project descriptions to build WBS, project plans and other docs, then submit them to LLM and get feedback.
- Generate cases for projects to solve them, then check your answer with the one generated by the LLM (generally these answers are quite generic but still true)
- You can practice conflict management by role playing a conversation (sort of)
The first try
If we bluntly input a prompt into ChatGPT like:
➡️ model a project management problem for me to exercise but don’t provide a solution
we get the following output which is not what we need. The problem sounds a bit too generic although it hits the typical pain points correctly:
- *Sure, here's a project management problem for you to consider:*
*You are leading a team tasked with developing a new software application
for a client. The project has a strict deadline and a fixed budget, and
there are a number of technical challenges that need to be addressed.
Your team is composed of both in-house and external contractors, and
communication between team members has been difficult due to time zone
differences and language barriers.*
*As the project manager, you have noticed that progress has been slower
than expected, and there have been several missed deadlines. You are
concerned that the project may not be completed on time and within
budget, and you are also worried about the quality of the final product.*
*What steps would you take to address these issues and ensure the project
is completed successfully?*If we ask GPT to make it more concrete we get a more concrete result with numbers but still not quite what I am looking for:
- *Sure, here's a more concrete project management problem for you to consider:*
*You are leading a team of ten developers and testers tasked with
developing a new e-commerce website for a client. The project has a
strict deadline of six months and a fixed budget of $500,000. The
website needs to be able to handle a high volume of traffic, process
payments securely, and provide a smooth user experience across multiple
devices.*
*Your team is composed of six in-house developers and four external
contractors, who are located in a different time zone and speak a
different language. Communication between team members has been
difficult due to language barriers and the time difference. Your team
has also encountered several technical challenges, including integration
issues with third-party payment providers and difficulties optimizing
page load times.*
*As the project manager, you have noticed that progress has been slower
than expected, and there have been several missed milestones. You are
concerned that the project may not be completed on time and within
budget, and you are also worried about the quality of the final
product.*
*What steps would you take to address these issues and ensure the project
is completed successfully?*And if we ask GPT to provide a solution to the concrete problem above, we get a pretty generic answer which could contain the solution to your problem:
- *As an AI language model, I cannot provide a definitive solution, but I can
provide some general steps that a project manager could consider to address
the issues in the project:*
1. ***Assess the current situation:** Gather data and insights on the
progress of the project, identify the root causes of the delays and
missed milestones, and evaluate the risks associated with the remaining
work.*
2. ***Communicate with the team**: Schedule regular meetings with the
team to discuss progress, issues, and solutions. Encourage open
communication and collaboration between team members, and provide clear
guidance on priorities, expectations, and deadlines.*
3. ***Re-evaluate the project plan**: Review the project plan and timeline,
and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that the project remains on
track. Consider re-prioritizing tasks, re-allocating resources, or
renegotiating deadlines with the client.*
4. *Address technical challenges: **Work closely** with the development
and testing teams to identify and address technical challenges. Consider
bringing in additional expertise or resources if necessary.*
5. *Mitigate language barriers: **Use translation tools** and/or **hire a
translator** to help bridge the language gap between team members.
Encourage team members to speak up if they are having trouble
understanding or communicating with each other.*
6. *Monitor progress closely: **Keep a close eye on the progress** of the
project, and use metrics and data to track progress and identify
potential issues. Be prepared to adjust the project plan or take
corrective action as needed.*
7. *Maintain quality standards: Ensure that the project meets the client's
requirements and quality standards. Conduct regular testing and quality
assurance checks to catch any issues early and avoid costly rework later
on.*So, my first conclusion here is that as a bare minimum it is possible to use GPT-4 as a machine to generate project descriptions with problems which you can try to solve yourself.
Case generator
We don’t need just any random case to solve, do we? We need cases that teach us something, so how to make sure we are consistently getting a ready to use case out of an LLM?
Let’s try the following prompt based on the previous context:
➡️ generate a project management case to solve
in response GPT gives us quite a long and detailed project description which we could use to build a WBS, a project charter or a different document that has ever been described in PMBoK. But it still was lacking a clear problem statement.
- *Project Title: Development of a Mobile Application for Task Management*
*Background:
A medium-sized software development company, TechSolutions, has identified the need for a mobile
application to improve task management and collaboration among its employees. The current task
management process is primarily manual and lacks efficiency, leading to missed deadlines,
miscommunication, and a lack of visibility into project progress. The company aims to develop a
user-friendly mobile application that will streamline task management, enhance team collaboration,
and improve overall productivity.*
*Project Objectives:*
1. *Develop a mobile application compatible with both iOS and Android platforms.*
2. *Enable users to create, assign, and prioritize tasks within the application.*
3. *Provide real-time updates on task progress, deadlines, and milestones.*
4. *Facilitate effective communication and collaboration among team members.*
5. *Implement robust security measures to protect user data.*
6. *Ensure a seamless user experience with an intuitive interface.*
*Project Scope:*
1. *Mobile Application Development:
a. Design and develop a cross-platform mobile application using native or hybrid technologies.
b. Implement features for creating, assigning, and prioritizing tasks.
c. Integrate push notifications for timely updates on task assignments, reminders, and completion.
d. Enable users to attach files, comments, and relevant details to tasks.
e. Implement a search functionality to locate specific tasks.*
2. *User Management and Authentication:
a. Develop a user registration and login system.
b. Implement role-based access control to ensure appropriate task visibility and management.
c. Enable users to reset passwords and manage account settings.*
3. *Task Collaboration and Communication:
a. Integrate a real-time chat or messaging feature to facilitate communication among team members.
b. Enable users to tag colleagues, send notifications, and engage in discussions related to tasks.
c. Implement task comment functionality to capture relevant discussions and updates.*
4. *Task Analytics and Reporting:
a. Develop a dashboard to provide insights into task progress, deadlines, and completion rates.
b. Generate reports on individual and team performance metrics.
c. Implement data visualization techniques to present information in a user-friendly manner.*
5. *Security and Data Privacy:
a. Implement secure authentication mechanisms to protect user accounts.
b. Encrypt sensitive user data and ensure secure storage.
c. Conduct regular security audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.*
*Project Deliverables:*
1. *Mobile application prototype with core functionality.*
2. *Cross-platform mobile application compatible with iOS and Android devices.*
3. *User registration and authentication system.*
4. *Task management features, including task creation, assignment, and prioritization.*
5. *Real-time chat or messaging feature for team collaboration.*
6. *Task analytics dashboard and reporting module.*
7. *Robust security measures to protect user data and privacy.*
*Project Constraints:*
1. *Budget: $200,000*
2. *Timeline: 6 months*
3. *Resource Limitations: A project team comprising one project manager, two software developers, one UI/UX designer, and one quality assurance engineer.*
*Key Stakeholders:*
1. *TechSolutions Management Team*
2. *Project Manager*
3. *Development Team*
4. *End Users (TechSolutions employees)*
*Project Risks:*
1. *Technical challenges during cross-platform development.*
2. *Delays in integrating complex features such as real-time chat and push notifications.*
3. *User adoption and resistance to change.*
4. *Security vulnerabilities leading to data breaches.*
5. *Limited resources impacting project timelines.*
*The project manager will be responsible for overseeing the entire project, including planning, execution, and monitoring, to ensure the successful development and implementation of the mobile application for task management.*we can ask it to provide some non-functional requirements too:
- *Yes, in addition to the functional requirements, there are several
non-functional requirements that need to be considered for the development
of the mobile application for task management. These non-functional
requirements focus on aspects such as performance, usability, security,
and scalability. Here are some examples:*
1. *Performance:
a. The mobile application should have fast response times for task
creation, updates, and loading of data.
b. The application should be able to handle a large number of
simultaneous users without significant performance degradation.
c. The application should optimize battery usage to ensure it does not
excessively drain the device's battery.*
2. *Usability:
a. The mobile application should have an intuitive and user-friendly
interface.
b. The application should be accessible to users with disabilities,
adhering to accessibility guidelines and standards.
c. The application should support multiple languages to accommodate a
diverse user base.*
3. *Security:
a. The application should implement secure data transmission over the
network, utilizing encryption protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS).
b. User authentication and authorization should be robust to prevent
unauthorized access to sensitive information.
c. The application should have mechanisms to prevent data loss or
corruption in case of device theft or loss.
d. Compliance with relevant data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR)
should be ensured.*
4. *Scalability:
a. The application should be designed to handle increasing user loads
and data volume without performance degradation.
b. The system architecture should support horizontal scalability to
accommodate future growth and additional features.*
5. *Reliability:
a. The application should be highly available, with minimal downtime
for maintenance and updates.
b. Error handling and recovery mechanisms should be in place to handle
unexpected failures or disruptions.
c. Regular data backups and disaster recovery procedures should be
implemented to ensure data integrity.*
6. *Compatibility:
a. The application should be compatible with a wide range of mobile
devices, operating systems, and versions.
b. It should adhere to platform-specific guidelines and best practices
for consistent user experience.*
*These non-functional requirements will guide the development team in
ensuring that the mobile application not only meets the functional
requirements but also delivers a high-quality and user-friendly solution.*Although such a description is useful for practicing such things as WBS, building SRS, Project Charters, schedules, Gantt charts and other attributes of a happy Waterfall project, this is not exactly what I was looking for.
Let’s try the following way:
➡️ give me 10 examples of problems that might occur on a project
GPT obliges:
- *Certainly! Here are ten examples of problems that might occur on a project:*
1. *Scope Creep: The project scope gradually expands beyond the original
requirements, leading to increased workload, budget overruns, and
potential delays.*
2. *Resource Constraints: Insufficient resources, such as manpower,
budget, or equipment, can hinder project progress and result in missed
deadlines or compromised quality.*
3. *Communication Breakdown: Poor communication among team members,
stakeholders, or project managers can lead to misunderstandings,
delays, and ineffective collaboration.*
4. *Stakeholder Conflict: Conflicting priorities, differing expectations,
or disagreements among stakeholders can create obstacles, causing delays
and hampering decision-making.*
5. *Inadequate Risk Management: Failure to identify and mitigate potential
risks can result in project delays, budget overruns, or even project
failure.*
6. *Lack of Project Control: Inadequate monitoring, reporting, and
control mechanisms can lead to a loss of visibility, making it
challenging to identify deviations from the plan and take corrective
actions.*
7. *Poor Quality Management: Insufficient quality control measures or a
lack of adherence to quality standards can result in product defects,
customer dissatisfaction, and rework.*
8. *Changing Requirements: Frequent changes in project requirements can
disrupt project progress, introduce scope creep, and create confusion
among team members.*
9. *Technical Challenges: Unforeseen technical issues, such as software
bugs, hardware failures, or compatibility problems, can delay project
delivery and require additional effort to resolve.*
10. *Ineffective Leadership: Inadequate leadership or project management
skills can result in a lack of direction, poor decision-making, and low
team motivation, affecting project success.*
*It's important to note that these problems are common in project
management, and effective project managers are equipped to anticipate
and address them proactively.*and if we follow it up with
➡️ generate a case for each problem, keep each case to 100 words, don’t provide solutions to the cases
we are finally close to what we need
1. *Case: Scope Creep
A marketing campaign project was initially scoped to create five promotional videos. However, stakeholders kept requesting additional videos, script changes, and design modifications throughout the project. As a result, the project timeline was extended, resources were stretched thin, and the project team struggled to meet the evolving demands.*
2. *Case: Resource Constraints
A construction project requires a specialized equipment operator, but the operator unexpectedly falls ill and is unavailable for several weeks. The project timeline is at risk, and finding a qualified replacement within the same timeframe proves challenging, potentially leading to delays and increased costs.*
3. *Case: Communication Breakdown
A software development project involves a distributed team working across different time zones. Miscommunications and delays in sharing critical project information occur due to language barriers, technical difficulties, and lack of proactive communication channels, causing misunderstandings and rework.*
4. *Case: Stakeholder Conflict
In a product development project, stakeholders from different departments have conflicting priorities. The marketing team wants additional features for a competitive edge, while the engineering team insists on adhering to the agreed-upon specifications. The conflict creates project bottlenecks, slows down decision-making, and hampers progress.*
5. *Case: Inadequate Risk Management
An event planning project fails to identify the potential risk of inclement weather for an outdoor venue. The lack of contingency plans leads to last-minute arrangements, including a change in location, which impacts attendee experience and overall event success.*
6. *Case: Lack of Project Control
A software implementation project lacks a proper project management framework, resulting in a lack of visibility into progress, task dependencies, and potential issues. The project manager struggles to identify deviations from the plan, leading to missed deadlines and inefficiencies.*
7. *Case: Poor Quality Management
In a manufacturing project, quality control measures are not properly implemented, leading to a high number of defective products. The lack of inspection processes and quality assurance protocols results in customer dissatisfaction, returns, and reputational damage.*
8. *Case: Changing Requirements
A web development project faces frequent changes in client requirements due to evolving market trends. The constant modifications disrupt project flow, introduce delays, and require constant rework, impacting both the timeline and the team's morale.*
9. *Case: Technical Challenges
A system integration project encounters compatibility issues between legacy and modern software systems. The technical complexities and the need for extensive customization pose unexpected challenges, leading to delays and increased effort required for seamless integration.*
10. *Case: Ineffective Leadership
A construction project suffers from poor leadership, as the project manager lacks the necessary experience and skills to effectively guide the team. Decision-making is inconsistent, communication is unclear, and team morale is low, resulting in a lack of direction and suboptimal project outcomes.*The prompt above can be improved by expanding the limit of words but GPT doesn’t always understand it. Also you can try giving the response a structure and make GPT follow it. You can also prompt something like:
➡️ bring more details to the case #7
to make it more engaging.
We get more good answers if we keep hitting “regenerate response” button but I wanted to get more.
Solutions
What if I wanted to also get comprehensive solutions from GPT too? The following prompt gives solutions that are good enough and are in line with general sensible management practice. What’s also important is that they are as concise as the cases.
- *Solutions:*
1. *Solution for Scope Creep:
To address the issue of scope creep in the marketing campaign project, the project manager should implement a scope management plan. This plan should include the following steps:*
2. *Clearly Define and Document Scope: Revisit the project's initial scope and clearly define the deliverables, requirements, and objectives. Document them in a detailed project scope statement.*
3. *Change Control Process: Establish a formal change control process that requires all scope change requests to be documented, evaluated, and approved by the project stakeholders. This process should include an assessment of the impact on the project timeline, budget, and resources.*
4. *Regular Stakeholder Communication: Maintain open and proactive communication with stakeholders to manage their expectations and keep them informed about the approved scope and any changes that occur.*
5. *Prioritize and Assess Scope Change Requests: Evaluate each scope change request based on its urgency, impact, and alignment with the project objectives. Prioritize requests that are critical for project success and decline or defer non-essential requests.*
6. *Monitor and Control Scope: Continuously monitor the project's scope and compare it to the approved baseline. Any deviations should be addressed promptly through the change control process.*
7. *Solution for Poor Quality Management:
To improve quality management in the manufacturing project, the project manager should implement the following solutions:*
8. *Quality Assurance Plan: Develop a comprehensive quality assurance plan that outlines quality control measures, inspection procedures, and acceptance criteria for the manufactured products. This plan should align with industry standards and best practices.*
9. *Quality Training and Standards: Provide training to the manufacturing team on quality standards, techniques, and best practices. Ensure that all team members understand the importance of quality and their role in achieving it.*
10. *Inspection and Testing Protocols: Implement robust inspection and testing protocols at various stages of the manufacturing process to detect and rectify any defects or deviations from quality standards.*
11. *Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging feedback from customers, monitoring defect rates, and implementing corrective actions to address quality issues promptly.*
12. *Supplier Evaluation: Assess the quality of raw materials and components supplied by vendors. Establish clear quality requirements for suppliers and conduct periodic evaluations to ensure they meet the desired standards.*
*By implementing these solutions, the project manager can improve quality control, reduce defects, enhance customer satisfaction, and protect the company's reputation.*These solutions are okay, I guess, but here the limitations of context-based LLMs come into play. We cannot give it the entire context and hope that it is going to magically give us an answer to our problems. Still, it is good enough for aspiring managers to prepare them for what’s coming and let them learn what the general practices for resolving them are.
However I wanted to create cases that are more concrete and not as dry.
Role playing a conversation
Let’s say we want some difficult to solve cases and in many situations this involves conflict. It is very difficult to get the AI to simulate a dysfunctional behaviour but luckily we have many LLMs, not just GPT-4. For the examples below I used the Sage model. If I try to make GPT role play a 1–2–1 conversation with a programmer who has insulted a colleague he really avoids any generation involving slurs, etc. (I was feeling lazy and really wanted to avoid trickery like DAN prompts).
after this the AI proceeds to generate the entire conversation for you but you might have to insist:
you can continue this conversation seemingly endlessly.
Conclusion
I can’t say that this can be considered a 100% substitute to work groups and PM clubs, etc. as I needed to spend some time to make GPT generate what I need and the result wasn’t entirely life-like (although I think by spending some more time training the model you can make it generate excellent results). However it is possible and it can already be a decent assistant in training aspiring managers.
P.S.
If you want to understand how the LLMs work on a high level I suggest wonderful videos by Computerphile, especially this one as general understanding of how LLMs work will definitely help you make better use of the technology and let you create better prompts.
