Assignment 1: Prioritizing Projects at D. D. Williamson (Case Study from Chapter 2)
Due Week 3 and worth 240 points
Read the case titled: “Prioritizing Projects at D. D. Williamson” found in Chapter 2.
Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:
Analyze the prioritizing process at D. D. Williamson.
Suggest two (2) recommendations to improve the prioritizing process.
Create a scenario where the implemented process at D. D. Williamson would not work.
Project five (5) years ahead and speculate whether or not D. D. Williamson will be using the same process. Justify your answer.
Use at least four (4) quality (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.
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills. Click here to access the rubric for this assignment.

Assignment 1: LASA 2: Employee Development and Performance Appraisal
Submit your assignment to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.
You are the vice president of a human resources department and Susan has been your executive assistant for one (1) year. She effectively completes her given assignments, sometimes ahead of schedule. Susan has a welcoming personality and is commended on her willingness to help when asked. As a result of her efficiency, Susan often has spare time on her hands.
In several conversations, you have spoken with Susan about taking a proactive stance and involving herself in the business to increase her knowledge base. You have suggested she attend strategic planning meetings, shadow other Business Partners, and take professional development courses geared towards human resources. Susan has not incorporated any of these suggestions.
The organization promotes and encourages employee development and has a requirement of 24 professional development (PD) hours for each employee per annual review cycle. As VP of the department, you have offered to mentor Susan; yet she has not taken advantage of the offer. Given Susan’s capabilities and potential, you want to mutually establish future performance goals and developmental opportunities to enhance her effectiveness and maximize her organizational contributions.
Susan’s professional appearance and interaction with co-workers is superb. When asked to complete a task, she fulfills the assignment willingly and with very few errors. She is well liked and respected by her peers. She has impeccable oral and written communication skills. Overall, you are pleased with her performance but want to see Susan take initiative to seek out tasks to complete rather than waiting to be told what to do.
As the VP of HR, you have been tasked with a two part assignment. In part one of this assignment you will explain the importance of performance appraisals, analyze the essential elements which should be included and describe how performance appraisals can be used to promote employee growth. In part two of this assignment you will create a performance appraisal for Susan.
Your paper should be 8-10 pages in length incorporating both parts I and II. You can either design a performance appraisal document or use an existing template. The performance appraisal should be no more than 3 pages of the total page count for the assignment. Be sure your paper addresses all of the following components:
Part I: Importance of Performance Appraisals:
Explain how performance appraisals can be used as part of employee development.
Explain why rankings are given to employees and the advantages and disadvantages of including rankings.
Address why organizations should deliver appraisals in a timely manner to employees.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of three different types of performance appraisals. Make a recommendation of which type of performance appraisal is most appropriate for Susan.
Provide suggestions on how the manager can give feedback on a continual basis to the employee to encourage continual development.
Part II: Susan’s Performance Evaluation
As the VP of HR, you are providing Susan with feedback on these areas and suggesting ways to develop in the areas where she is not meeting expectations as outlined in the scenario. The performance appraisal directly ties to compensation increases. The appraisal should highlight achievements over the past year; while addressing expectations and setting goals moving forward.
The performance evaluation should address the following areas:
Professional Development
Job performance
Communication – internal and external
Professional Demeanor
Working relationships
Compensation recommendations
Grading Criteria Maximum Points Part I: Explained how performance appraisals can be used as part of an employee development plan.(32 points) Explained why rankings are given to employees and the advantages and disadvantages of including rankings.36 Addressed why organizations should deliver appraisals in a timely manner to employees.(28 points) Discussed the advantages and disadvantages of three different types of performance appraisals and made a recommendation of which type of performance appraisal is most appropriate for Susan.(48 points) Provided suggestions on how the manager can give feedback on a continual basis to the employee to encourage continual development.( 32 points) Part II:Performance appraisal addresses: Professional development, job performance, communication, professional demeanor, working relationships and compensation recommendations.(60 points)
Written Components:
Organization: Introduction, thesis, transitions, conclusion (16 points)
Usage and mechanics: Grammar, spelling, sentence structure (16 points)
APA elements: Attribution, paraphrasing, quotations (24 points)
Style: Audience, word Choice (8 points)

For the questions, you will be expected to answer in no less than 500 words and no more than 800 words. You will also be expected to use a specific example as a demonstration of your response. You will need to provide APA formatted in-text citations and references for any information sourced from a reference.
From Week 2, discuss the viticulture of California and the aspects that make California wine unique. Incorporate the wine regions while elaborating on the rise of the Pinot Noir in wine culture.
Using the Wine/Food Pairing link below, create 5 pairings from California wines, one of which should be with a California Pinot Noir. Create new pairings, rather than restating those that you used in the Forum. Incorporate the pairings into your answer. State why you are choosing each wine and food in the pairing.
https://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/
Model Short Answer
10 points for spelling/grammar/APA
10 points for length
10 points for critical analysis
10 points for subject knowledge
10 points for focus/thesis support

Assignment 1: Prioritizing Projects at D. D. Williamson (Case Study from Chapter 2)Due Week 3 and worth 240 pointsRead the case titled: “Prioritizing Projects at D. D. Williamson” found in Chapter 2.Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:Analyze the prioritizing process at D. D. Williamson.Suggest two (2) recommendations to improve the prioritizing process.Create a scenario where the implemented process at D. D. Williamson would not work.Project five (5) years ahead and speculate whether or not D. D. Williamson will be using the same process. Justify your answer.Use at least four (4) quality (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.
Prioritizing Projects at D. D. Williamson
One of the most difficult, yet most important, lessons
we have learned at D. D. Williamson surrounds project
prioritization. We took three years and two iterations of
our prioritization process to finally settle on an approach
that dramatically increased our success rate on
critical projects (now called VIPs, or “Vision Impact
Projects”).
Knowing that one of the keys to project management
success is key management support, our first approach
at prioritization was a process where our entire senior
management team worked through a set of criteria and
resource estimations to select a maximum of two projects
per senior management sponsor—16 projects in total.
Additionally, we hired a continuous improvement
manager to serve as both our project office and a key
resource for project facilitation. This was a great move
forward (the year before we had been attempting to
monitor well over 60 continuous improvement projects
of varying importance). Our success rate improved to
over 60 percent of projects finishing close to the expected
dates, financial investment, and results.
What was the problem? The projects that were not
moving forward tended to be the most critical—the
heavy-investment “game changing” projects. A review
of our results the next year determined we left significant
money in opportunity “on the table” with projects
that were behind and over budget!
This diagnosis led us to seek an additional process
change. While the criteria rating was sound, the number
of projects for a company our size was still too
many to track robustly at a senior level and have resources
to push for completion. Hence, we elevated a
subset of projects to highest status—our “VIPs.” We
simplified the criteria ratings—rating projects on the
level of expected impact on corporate objectives, the
cross-functional nature of the team, and the perceived
likelihood that the project would encounter barriers
which required senior level support to overcome.
The results? Much better success rates on the big
projects, such as design and implementation of new
equipment and expansion plans into new markets.
But why?
The Global Operating Team (GOT) now has laser
focus on the five VIPs, reviewing the project plans
progress and next steps with our continuous improvement
manager in every weekly meeting. If a project is
going off plan, we see it quickly and can move to reallocate
resources, provide negotiation help, or change
priorities within and outside the organization to manage
it back on track. Certainly, the unanticipated barriers
still occur, but we can put the strength of the
entire team toward removing them as soon as they
happen.
A couple of fun side benefits—it is now a development
opportunity for project managers to take on a VIP.
With only four to six projects on the docket, they come
with tremendous senior management interaction and
focus. Additionally, we have moved our prioritization
process into our functional groups, using matrices
with criteria and resource estimations to prioritize customer
and R&D projects with our sales, marketing, and
science and innovation teams, as well as IT projects
throughout the company. The prioritization process
has become a foundation of our cross-functional
success!
Following are excerpts from the spreadsheet
D. D. Williamson used to select and prioritize our VIP
projects last year. Exhibit 2.15 shows the five criteria
used to prioritize the projects. Exhibit 2.16 shows how
associate time when assigned to a project is not available
for other projects. Projects can also be limited by
the amount of funds. Finally, Exhibit 2.17 defines
terms used in project selection.
48 Part 1 Organizing Projects
49
EXHIBIT 2.15
PROJECT PRIORITIZATION FOR D. D. WILLIAMSON
PROJECTS (REDUCED FOR EXAMPLE)
Qtr to
start
project
Project
number
Project list —
continuous
improvement
and innovation
Level of
difficulty
Achieve
sales
revenue
of $XXX,
XXX, XXX
Weight Weighted
criteria—
sales
Drive
additional
sales
in natural
colors of
$X, XXX,
XXX
Weight Weighted
criteria—
natural
colors
Achieve
return on
capital
employed
of XX%
Weight Weighted
criteria—
ROCE
Repeatability
of project—
other
locations
Weight Weighted
criteria—
repeatability
Risk of
project
barriers to
completion
Weight Weighted
criteria—
barriers
Total
rating
1 Powder
packaging
equipment
installation
8 5 40 1 5 5 9 4 36 5 3 15 5 3 15 111
1 Design and
install “new
processing
equipment” in
China
operation
8 5 40 1 5 5 10 4 40 9 3 27 9 3 27 139
2 Implement expansion
plans
for new products
(X)
9 5 45 10 5 50 8 4 32 8 3 24 8 3 24 175
2 Install “new
environmental
scrubber”
4 5 20 3 5 15 10 4 40 10 3 30 10 3 30 135
50
EXHIBIT 2.16
ASSOCIATE TIME ASSIGNED TO PROJECTS
PROJECT LIST—CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT AND
INNOVATION
TOTAL ASSOCIATE
AVAILABLE HOURS
FOR PROJECTS
TED MARGARET ELAINE BRIAN ANN GRAHAM EDIE CAMPBELL
Associate “improvement” hrs for quarter: 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120
Total associate hrs committed: 80 120 60 180 0 60 40 60
Total hours
exceeding available quarter
−40 0 −60 60 −120 −60 −80 −60
Powder packaging equipment installation 60 60
Design and install “new processing equipment”
in China operation
60 40
Implement expansion plans for new products
(X)
80 120 60 60
Install “new environmental scrubber” 60
EXHIBIT 2.17
TERMS USED IN PROJECT SELECTION
DEFINITIONS OF
KEY TERMS
Project Ownership Defines the functional area with primary responsibility for the project
Global vs. Local Global projects will be implemented or impact on more than one location in the year defined;
otherwise projects are defined as local
Prioritization The five weighted criteria on worksheet one were used to put projects in rank order—used to
assign resources and identify the cut off
CI Project An improvement effort which is not part of an associate’s daily work requirements
Team Charter The plan for completing CI projects, often in seven-step format for problem resolution, though
formats vary according to project type and complexity. Includes the plan for communicating
progress and results
Project Roles The defined roles on an improvement team—not all teams will have all roles, but each project
will have at least a project manager and sponsor
Project Manager (PM) The owner of a project—will be expected to charter the team, ensure the forward movement of the
project, and report on progress, completion of the project, and closure/celebration of successes and
learnings. Also responsible for the communication plan within the charter. Must be a leadership
program graduate, and typically a functional manager, either global or local
Sponsor (S) Typically a senior manager/GOT member—responsible for ensuring assignment of appropriate
resources, clearing any barriers, and otherwise championing the project
Team Member (TM) An associate who has a significant contribution to make to the improvement effort, often a
representative of an involved function. Attends all team meetings and shares responsibility for
completion of the project
Subject Matter Expert
(SME)
An associate with needed knowledge for project outcome—may not be significantly affected by
changes. Attends only when knowledge is required, but commits to sharing knowledge when it is
needed.
Level of Difficulty The estimated human resource effort that will be required to complete a project (estimated on a
per quarter basis)
Level 1 Low investment of hours required (may require capital); solution is known and implementation of
solution is predictable; likely only 2–3 people involved
Level 1 projects—estimated hours for resource allocation: PM: 10 hours; S: 2 hours; SME:
5 hours
Level 2 Medium investment of hours required; may require upfront measurement and multiple solutions,
but solutions and implementation are still expected to be simple. Probably requires 3–5 team
members
Level 2 projects—estimated hours for resource allocation: PM: 60 hours; S: 15 hours; TM: 30
hours; SME 15 hours
Level 3 High investment of hours required; trying to solve complex and/or ongoing problems. Likely to involve
a behavior change in others—solutions or implementation outcomes may be unknown or less
simple. Likely a team of 4–8 people, perhaps cross-functional/cross location
Level 3 projects—estimated hours for resource allocation: PM: 120 hours; S: 30 hours; TM: 60
hours; SME: 30 hours

Interview a leader currently working in a health care institution or organization that interests you. The interview should be at least 30 minutes in length. To prepare for this interview, develop 10 questions that focus on organizational behavior that you will ask the leader.
Ask questions that help understand and define the person’s leadership and motivational approaches, and how these affect organizational behavior and culture. Consider academic and professional background, contributions to the community, problem-solving processes, mentoring activities, employee relations, position and role in the organization’s structure, etc.
Paper
Write 1,000-1,250 word paper. Refer to the questions and responses from your interview. Analyze your findings using the information on leadership styles and theories, and the positive and negative outcomes associated with various leadership approaches, presented in this course. Summarize the conclusions of your analysis in regard to the following:
Describe the leadership style, or styles (transformational, transactional, visionary, servant, etc.) communicated by the leader. Provide examples to support your explanation.
Describe what motivational strategies used by the leader.
Identify organizational behavior/cultural issues the leader has formally or informally addressed. Describe the leader’s role in those situations, and how the leader’s motivational strategies or models affected organizational behavior/culture.
Describe the positive and negative outcomes that occurred as a result of the leader’s overall approach.
Based upon the organizational outcomes, determine the most effective strategies the leader could implement in the future in order to improve, or continuing to improve, organizational and individual performance.
General Requirements
Prepare this assignment according to the APA guideline