Project management is a critical job in ensuring that projects run well, and larger organizations may employ many levels of project managers to monitor team performance. Understanding the various levels of project management might assist you in determining the path you want to take in the profession. In this post, we’ll look at the role of the Project Manager, what tasks they perform, and the various degrees of project management that a company might employ.
Who is a Project Manager?
A project manager is someone who is in charge of a project’s planning and implementation while working within restraints like budgets and schedules. For effective project management, this person develops project goals, aligns internal and external teams, creates project deadlines and dependencies, and tracks key performance indicators.
Role of the Project Manager?
According to the Project Management Institute, a project manager’s function is that of a change agent. They’re someone who “takes ownership of project goals and leverages their talents and knowledge to instill a sense of shared purpose within the project team.” Project managers are leaders; they must not only ensure that projects are completed on time and under budget, but they must also motivate and inspire their teams and clients.
The duties of a Project Manager need sharp critical thinking skills to solve problems as they emerge, as well as fine-tuned communication skills (such as a talent for customer service) to keep everyone informed, engaged, and on board. It’s no surprise that project managers are vital to any business’s success. Project managers may be responsible for the following tasks:
. Meeting with senior company representatives to review project requirements and plans.
. Creating a structure for the project’s completion through planning projects with team members.
. Team members are being briefed on the project and their roles.
. Delegating duties to team members to keep the project on track, and make the best use of each employee’s specific skills.
. Collaborating with other teams and departments to ensure that the project’s activities are coordinated.
. Keeping track of a project’s progress and making changes as needed.
How Project Manager Role Varies in Different Companies
The role of a project manager is evolving. Soft skills such as conflict resolution, leadership, and even trends toward more business management abilities such as business modeling and strategic analysis have progressed from the days of technical, scope, scheduling, budgeting, assigning personnel, and delivering deliverables on time. The new Project Management Institute (PMI) requirements for certification and professional development units (PDUs) required to retain certification reflect these additional talents, which they’ve dubbed the “Talent Triangle.”
To put it another way, if you want to stay competitive, you’ll require strategic and business management skills. So you’ve been instructed to put on more hats, but you only have one head. So, what exactly do you do? Follow these seven-pointers and you’ll be ahead of the game.
- Develop your business knowledge.
- Market knowledge is essential.
- Understand the current state of the industry.
- Develop ties with key stakeholders.
- Make sure you understand the logistics of your company.
- Keep up with marketing campaigns.
- Understand the business model
Essentially, you must remain versatile on the job and continue to learn. Isn’t it the case all the time? The wonderful thing about project management is that it is a fluid and adaptable subject.
It is a good point of contention to note that though the general rules of Project Management may remain the same in different industries, there can certainly be a different scope and nature of activities performed by a project manager. For example
- Financial companies- In a financial trading company which could be STO, Hedge fund or market maker, or investment bank the project manager’s scope might revolve around dealing with client deadlines, independent User interface changes around trade management, dealing with changes in the settlement cycle, industry-wide changes, etc.
- Manufacturing companies– The scope of a project manager might revolve around determining the break-even point, managing projects to reduce the cost, increasing the margins, etc
- Service-based companies– The role of the project manager in a service-based company may involve ways to improve the services, thus collating data around the effectiveness of the company’s product as a whole and providing the solutions.
It must also be noted that the project manager’s scope will also change based on the department where the project is being undertaken. Having said that the basic rules of the game remain the same.
What makes a Good Project Manager?
A good project manager ensures that the finished product is delivered on time, within budget, and meets or surpasses the stakeholders’ or clients’ expectations. Project managers are increasingly required to tie initiatives back to business objectives. To ensure the project has a strategic influence on the business’s needs, it’s critical to interact with stakeholders from the start.
Organizational skills, acute attention to detail combined with the ability to see the big picture, resourcefulness, risk management skills, critical thinking skills, excellent communication skills, a can-do attitude, and the ability to inspire and motivate are all qualities that make a successful project manager. Openness to self-evaluation and re-evaluation, according to the Project Management Institute, can help a project manager succeed.
FAQ’s
Q. What are Project Objectives in Project Management?
The project objectives are the company goals that want to accomplish by the end of the project. The clarity of a project’s objectives is critical in project management, as they will influence every choice made during the project lifecycle.
Q. What are the 3 critical skills of a project manager?
Communication and Interpersonal Skills, Negotiation and binding arbitration skills, and increasing the team’s devotion.
Q. What are Project Management Tools?
Project management tools are a set of software designed to help project teams plan, track, and manage projects so that they may fulfill their deadlines.
Q. What is a Project Schedule in
It’s a schedule that lays out the project’s start and finish dates, as well as the milestones that must be accomplished for it to be completed on time.
Q. Is Project Management a good career?
Project management is a great career with good compensation and a diverse set of responsibilities, but it is also a challenging and stressful job.
Conclusion:
The role of the Project Manager can take numerous shapes. It’s up to you to figure out which roles are right for you and how best to put your skills to use.
You cannot lead a movement that catches your team’s imagination like you might lead a military force with an order from on high; instead, you must lead a movement that captures the imagination of your team. Orders are yesterday’s steering wheel, therefore in today’s flatter corporate world, persuade people to your point of view by positive persuasion rather than force.
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