Who is a project manager?
If you aspire to become a project manager, begin by appreciating what your employer expects you to do. In a nutshell, they'll assign you a framework of tasks involving team participation that must converge for completion on a defined deadline. They must also meet set standards. In short, a project manager's burden connects to meeting a corporate goal without hassle. It sounds like a genuinely full and worthwhile career option, don't you think? Yes, but it stretches even further. Many projects don't exist in a vacuum but are part and parcel of a program - a cog in a big wheel if you will. It means you have to cooperate with counterparts in other projects, all aiming at the same objective. The last thing you need is to stand out as the delinquent component that lets the otherwise well-oiled machine down.
Why does a project need management to succeed?
As long as projects in construction, healthcare, energy, engineering, and many other industries remain a mainstream commercial activity, there'll be a demand for project managers. The emphasis on the term "manager" is pertinent because:
Tasks are complicated, often convoluted, and carry risk.
Timelines are frequently pressurized.
Numerous skills are at the center of ultimate success.
Harnessing cohesive teamwork generally determines achievement.
As demonstrated above, there's a substantial challenge ingrained in the project manager's role from many angles. For many, therefore, it's an attractive aspiration and career ambition. If that includes you, we believe you'll derive value from this article.
A. Project managers are "people managers."
In every company, the employee experience (EX) lies at the root of business achievement. Staff stability goes right to the heart of a project's progress and completion. While a single program is not the entire business or even a program within an organization, it follows the same principles and yardsticks. One of the biggest threats to project viability is employee churn. In other words, the inability to retain team cohesion and avoid disruption to the workflow.
Projects invariably are temporary in nature and sometimes make for strange bedfellows. Depending on the complexity, divisional employees are seconded to the project, working in unison in a concentrated or part-time manner until it's run its course. Obstructive issues emerge because team players:
Are not used to each other.
Doing diverse jobs, don’t think alike.
React differently to time pressure.
Respond differently to a boss (i.e., you) that's not their traditional head.
For example, a project to launch a pharmaceutical into a Latin-American market possibly rides on the combined skills of a chemist, an IT specialist, a supply-chain expert, someone from H.R. conversant in Spanish, communications professionals from marketing, and so it goes. Then there's the project manager with the responsibility of:
Resolving conflict
Leading ideas into action
Guiding team discussions
Smoothing out bumpy negotiations
Filling in skill gaps
Training on the job
Making fast decisions to maintain momentum
Uplifting members’ spirits at low moments
Quelling over-optimistic reactions to be more realistic.
Keeping all members focused on project milestones and goals.
Stepping in to resolve individual lapses that restrict team progress.
Project managers must have "people skills," leadership attributes, and a charisma that a team reflecting diverse attitudes and mannerisms responds to. Assess if you're comfortable with the profile as described. Learning it from books and formal training seldom transcends personality traits unsuited to the above (e.g., shyness, conflict aversion, a short fuse, etc.)
B. Project managers must be agile.
Staying with the "people" aspect, project managers require the flexibility to lead project teams and fit in with peer leaders in other program areas. Whenever there's interdependency, communication, and discussion in an atmosphere of mutual respect is vital to numerous projects aligning with one another. Moreover, there are likely resources and potential assistance elsewhere in the program capable of energizing a single activity (and its multiple tasks) if harnessed appropriately by its leader.
Another considerable asset that works for team leaders is doing what's needed without wasting time. Getting milestones into the rearview mirror is in a project manager’s DNA. Invariably it may involve going directly to directors in the C-suite to access data and training input with persuasiveness and compelling documented reasons. There are no fixed boundaries for pathing the way to reach the pinnacle of project success.
C. Network, network, network.
It brings us to an essential requisite - the ideal candidate's inclination to network (and enjoy doing it). Interacting with peers, broadening your work possibilities, and lifting your sights above traditional boundaries are seasoned project managers' hallmarks. They are the ones leading groundbreaking initiatives time and time again. They succeed because they know how to get on with even the most defensive characters and break down human resistances that tend to derail the best-laid plans.
Generally, suppose you are a gregarious (though methodical) individual, with all the demonstrated leadership skills itemized above. In that case, management will pick you out from the crowd. At some point, whenever a project formation raises its head, your networking impressions will count in your favor.
D. Observe all essential behavior moderators to a “T.”
Yes, a natural ability to get others to follow your lead is crucial. Still, the underlying foundation of it all is always doing the right thing. Too much freedom in the pursuit of project success may tempt one to cut corners that may come back to bite your integrity later on.
Establish principles of behavior that you can adhere to and set the example for all others in your team and peers in your program. Without belaboring this topic, it boils down to upholding the highest standards of:
Transparency
Work ethic
Mutual respect
Practical possibilities and realism
It will resonate strongly with sponsors, executives, stakeholders, and steering committees in the reports you submit and the meetings you conduct.
E. Last but not least, certification
It's not rocket science, but also not all that easy either. While it doesn't usher in the stream of project manager pluses outlined in this article as a given, it indicates that you have the makings of a leader. Certification attributes to those demonstrating the skills and knowledge to get ahead in this competitive field. The real challenge begins when you get out there, making management aware you're ready for the adventure. It will provide a head-start versus uncertified individuals vying for project leadership status. Project Management Professional (P.M.P.)® - with over 1 million certification holders worldwide - is the most in-demand certification. It's reputed to help graduates open doors and employment opportunities in a spectrum of industries across the USA.
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