To be a successful project manager one needs to lead their project teams effectively. In order to do that, it involves being flexible especially with the team that the project manager is managing. Members of a project are more likely to work efficiently in an environment they enjoy being a part of and feel comfortable in. This is why it is important for the project manager to know how to get their teams to work efficiently. Issues or changes to the project are not the only things the project manger needs to be flexible about, but also personal issues team members may be going through. No one knows what is truly going on in other people's lives, therefore is it necessary for the project manager to help a team member out and be flexible for them as best as possible. Although these personal issues may effective the team member's productivity it is best if the project member does his or her best to get them back on track and stay positive as best as possible. This outlook and flexibility will show the team that the project manager truly cares and is passionate about his or her team and the project and will make the team more willing to work harder for them. However, if personal issues start to effect the project as a whole it may be best to tell that team member to leave the group to attend to their personal issues and have a new member or even the project manager take over that role. This would once again boost moral and show the project manager's willingness to work with the team and be successful. Overall it is best for a project manager to always stay flexible as any issues can arise at any time.

@kaf43 I agree adapting to personal needs is important but project managers have limited time. You need to mention where flexibility crosses the line of professionalism.

I think project managers and team members should negotiate how flexible the project manager can be. Hours and availability outside of dedicated meeting times should be set. Same with level of intervention within professional expectations. Everything else should be up to the project manager's discretion.

The amount of flexibility I offer to my team members is dependent on the free time I have available. It is up to me to choose how many hours and if I want to expend that time. Completing the project is my main priority but so is balancing my time. Tackling other people's personal problems should not be considered in a personal manner, but in a professional rational way. In other words, I must do at least a basic cost-benefit analysis to understand how that person's personal problems will affect the team, its resources, and project deadlines. If even after I do the cost-benefit analysis and I see that this person needs my help that is outside of my professional duties, I won't because it's unprofessional.

To summarize my answer, I only help to the extent that the team and team project manager agrees upon and nothing more or less than professional. Personal manners can easily get out of hand and can be liable to lot of unwarranted problems.

@Wk46 as I do agree that the expectations from the team members and the project manager should be defined prior to the project starting, however, it is extremely difficult to predict personal life events that may impact a team member in such a way where they may not be able to commit 100% to the project due to external circumstances. While I do understand and accept that team members need to be keeping their emotions controlled and not allow personal life issues affect the work that someone is conducting, but if something as personal as an injury or a family member passing away does occur the project manager needs to be understanding of the situation and appropriately deal with the situation so that it does not negatively affect the team in the long run and the team member is still motivated and committed to working on the project. On the other hand, it is also extremely important that team member acknowledges that they have a responsibility to the team and the project that they are assigned to and that they need to handle their personal life externally from work - so in the case of death or personal illness I would say that it is on the team member to effectively communicate to the project manager that they need a few days away from work to process and gather themselves so that they can come back and give their best effort towards the project. A project manager needs to be accommodating but they also need to be fair while the team members need to remember that they have a responsibility to the project and the team and that if they are ever in a mindset where they cannot give their best to the project to communicate that to the project manager right away.

I think that flexibility within the limitations given by the project would have to suffice. Understandably, personal issues that may occur to individual members are possible, and project members should be aware of that. At the same time, project managers can't keep postponing the project due to the lack of productivity because of the issues. Project managers should help out when they can but also take into account when they have to reconsider changing the WBS around. If worse comes to worst, a change in team members would be best.

Life is unpredictable so it is impossible to account for everything. During a project there will be times where team member may have an unexpected event that can deter their ability to perform in their group. I agree with alot of the previous posts that flexibility is needed by the project manager to account for these types of issues as well as there needs to be limitations to this flexibility since deadlines do not wait. In these types of situations both sides need to take a level of responsibility. The team member who is having a rough unexpected event should also still keep in mind that there are things that rely on him/her within the job, but also for the team and project manager to have a level of flexibility to allow for adequate recovery time whether it be personal days or bereavement. I had a undesirable event in my life and family during a project for senior design capstone. I remember that the team and manager/professor at the time understood and allowed me time to get myself in order. The whole time in the back on my mind despite this event is that i still have a responsibility for my team. I took the time I needed but was not overzealous about it and was still able to return with a healthy state of mind afterwards to continue what my group and I set to do. So to answer the post yes, there needs to be flexibility but to a limit

As project managers, it is crucial that they are flexible and understanding when it comes to personal problems. It's important to remember that we never know what's going on in someone's personal life or what they are going through. Project managers should have a good relationship with their team so that they can communicate well with each other. Depending on the situation, the project manager should give time off or reduce workload. For minor problems, a project manager can extend deadlines or reduce hours. For major problems, for example, a death in the family or a health issue, a project manager should offer some time off for the individual and work closely with them so that they can manage their personal situation and help them get on track with their work responsibilities. Overall, it's important for there to be good communication between the project manager and the team members so that the best course of action can be made when team members are facing personal problems.

When managing a project, as important as it is to know the theory and science behind the enterprise; it is much more important to know the strengths and weaknesses of your team. As a PM, the goal is to leverage the strengths of your team along with your specific experience to finish the project efficiently and quickly. Being flexible is paramount. Without the ability to tweak schedules, move around team members, and adapt to constantly changing vendors & clients; a PM will be lost.

I would say that the Project manager should be flexible to some extent regarding the personal issues of the team. If there is a loss among one of the team members, that individual won't be able to respond and be efficient with their task, so that would be distracting for the rest of the team affecting the whole project as a whole. Also, what if a relative is really sick and you need to step out to take care of them? There are certain moments when you really need to be flexible with your team because the project's success depends on every single one of us. If some people need to take off for some time, we need to find a way to compensate so the project won't be delayed. We might need to ask the rest of the team to step in and help somehow, so the project won't be as affected.  

I think flexibility on the part of the project manager is very important, however it is definitely dependent on certain factors. For one, the severity of the personal problem can either increase or decrease the flexibility of the project manager. Also, flexibility from the project manager will definitely decrease if a deadline is nearby. Finally, what I believe to be the most important factor for flexibility from a project management is previous work ethic as well as communication and transparency. If an employee has worked hard and has always been on time with their deliverables they deserve to have more flexibility. To add on to that, if the employee is very up front and transparent about the whole problem they should also be granted some flexibility. In the end, flexibility is should be looked at differently depending on the case and the person who is asking for it. 

Project managers should absolutely be flexible when a personal situation comes up for one of their members. I think it is important to emphasize work life balance in the sense that personal life matters should always take precedence over work, given significant importance to the team member. That being said, the PM should also have to ensure that given that situation, the project itself is not put at stake during the absence of a missing personnel. This is preventive measures that the PM should already have accounted for during the initial planning phase, where documentation should be simultaneously made to supplement the process (paper trail) as well as identifying key replacements and substitutes in the event that more help is needed or personnel must drop.

Relating this to industry, alot of the larger sized companies often have multiple members of a team that can step up and carry for their missing coworker while they are out on leave for whatever reason, so it is important to communicate absences to the PM so that they can redirect the appropiate resources and personnel where needed.

I think the PM needs to adjust the level of flexibility for each scenario. For example, a PM may need to be more lenient with younger employees that do not have as much work experience and may require more guidance and professional development. On the other hand, if a PM has addressed an issue and demonstrates flexibility, but the issue continues to persist, the PM will need to draw a line here. Ultimately, the PM is responsible for ensuring that a project progresses at the expected rate and this is their underlying commitment to the greater organization. Thus, they need to manage their own flexibility based on whether it is impacting the completion of project and if it is being hindered/delayed, the PM will need to make difficult decisions (less flexible) to ensure project completion. 

When handling personal matters within their team, project managers must be very flexible. The first step is to recognize the scope and nature of these issues, which calls for candid dialogue and empathy. Determining the effect on a person's mental health and productivity facilitates decision-making. In order to ensure success and provide the required support, it is important to strike a balance between the needs of the project and those of the team members. It's important to establish clear expectations that specify roles and any necessary modifications. It is advantageous to work together with the team members to develop solutions, such as redistributing tasks or modifying deadlines. Nonetheless, flexibility needs to be reasonable in order to uphold accountability and professionalism. Clarity and consistency are ensured by documenting any agreements or changes, which promotes a positive work atmosphere and helps the project succeed.

From my experience in the workplace, I think the mini simulation was accurate in demonstrating how flexible a successful project manager would need to be. At some point after working on projects, there will be people on the project team that have differing opinions from each other or the project or even from the project manager themselves, and knowing how flexible to be in certain situations is vital. Because there may be some members that can be difficult to make decisions with, its important to be knowledgable about behaviors and social skills to understand how to best handle these situations with specific team members when they arise. Therefore, Project Managers should know when and when not to be flexible, especially with certain situations that may not occur often. 

I think it is important to show flexibility. Everyone has their own challenges. But, you also need to remember that you are working in a place of business. There are limitations to flexibility too.