Posted by Marian Woods on March 22, 2012 at 12:57pm
After reading some articles on the importance of a good project management tool it got me thinking about the human aspect of project management , that being the project manager! What makes a project manager stand out from the rest of the team? And what skills do the need to hold in order for the project to be successful?
The project manager is the leader of the pack when it comes to project management, they are thoroughly involved in the running of a project before, during and after it is completed. The project manager gives the project team the necessary direction needed for them to work together and get the job done! A major part of the project manager’s job is to organize and control the work flow between the project team members to ensure that the work gets completed on time and precisely.
So what makes a first-class project manager? For the most part a project manager possesses the practical skills and organisational view needed to manage a project accurately; however it’s the skills that can’t be taught that really makes a project manager stand out from the rest.
- Communication: A project manager needs to possess this skill if he/ she are to effectively discuss the conditions of the project to the project team members.
- Team building: A project manager is the ring leader and must have the ability to bring the team members together. The project manager will build a team with different skills who are able to work together on any given project.
- Problem solving: Problems will arise and a project manager won’t always have the luck where he/she can predict them. However whether they are prepared or not they must have the skill and knowledge to be able to deal with the problem before it has an impact on the overall project. Therefore it is extremely important that a project manager has the ability to solve problems as they hit.
- Leadership: A project manager is answerable to any aspect of a project and consequently needs to show leadership skills. The “will say will do” skill is critical to project success.
- Commitment: Having the commitment to see a project through and ensuring that the project is completed in line with the project plan, expected results and goals is vital in the project manager’s role.
- Organization: A project manager needs to be able to visualize the project right up to the end, in order for them to have the ability to organize the workload of the project into sections and across multiple resources. Right person for the right task is order of the day.
