Having held a role as a project manager for over 10 years, I have come to learn that there is an art and finesse required to manage projects well. Like a maestro conducts a group of talented musicians, a project manager must conduct a team of highly talented professionals. And that alone can be intimidating. It's the project manager's role to make sure all team members are in sync, and that the final result of every project runs just like a symphony. Precise communication and careful organization is your friend.
Managing projects can also have a lot of similarities to warfare. It's a busy mess of organized chaos, and it can get bloody at times. Conflict is a big part of projects. Believe it or not, conflict can actually be a good thing in a project. It can bring awareness to challenges and areas overlooked, but of course, conflict can also be very destructive if not managed properly. Within a project, there are many details that must be planned and coordinated--placed together carefully--then delegated and managed by the project manager. Sun-Tzu's The Art of War has taught me a lot about life and project management. There are a few quotes that I have found relevant to project management.
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”
“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
“Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.”
Why a Project Needs a Manager
Over 90% of high-performing organizations utilize a project manager.[1] Project management has become a necessity for every business. Companies must focus on finding a leader who has the vision, the right skills, and knowledge to ensure the project is completed on time.
Project management is important because?it brings leadership and direction to projects. Without project management, a team can be like a ship without a rudder, moving but without direction, control, or purpose. Leadership allows and enables team members to do their best work.
"Project management is important because?it brings leadership and direction to projects. Without project management, a team can be like a ship without a rudder."
Tesla has a knack for completing projects on time and within budget. Their outspoken visionary, Elon Musk has a lot to do with this, but it's also his team of very talented project managers, skilled and experienced in the craft. This team is a focused, hard-working, and well-connected group of individuals, working a bit like one brain to achieve the goal. Tesla's massive Gigafactory in Berlin took dozens of project managers to plan and execute the massive on time and within the $5 billion budget.
Know the Five Phases of a Project
There are five phases of a project cycle, and each plays a vital role. Every project manager must learn and know these like the back of their hand. Maybe it's no coincidence that there are 5 of them.
- Initiation. The first stage of turning an abstract idea into a meaningful goal or to put it another way, the first step in starting a new project is the initiation phase. In this phase, the project manager needs to establish why they're doing the project and what business value it will deliver. There are two key documents within the initiation phase. The first one is the project charter. This document demonstrates why your project is important, what it will entail and who will work on it. The second document is the business case. This document includes all the components of the project charter, along with some key additional elements. A comprehensive financial analysis, including an estimate of the return on investment (ROI), an analysis of project risk and a risk management plan, and finally an action plan that includes how decisions will be made (such as a RACI chart), a communication plan, and next steps you'll take if your business case is approved. defines the project on a broad level. Once that is done, you'll need to identify the stakeholders and use that information to secure buy-in from them. Then you're ready to run a feasibility study and assemble the team and tools. Once that's all underway you're ready for the project planning phase.[2]
- Planning. The?project planning?stage requires complete diligence as it lays out the project’s roadmap. Unless you are using a modern project management methodology like?agile project management, the second phase of project management is expected to take almost half of the entire project’s timespan. In this phase, the primary tasks are identifying technical requirements, developing a detailed?project schedule, creating a communication plan, and setting up goals and deliverables.
- Execution. The?project execution?stage is where your team does the actual work. As a project manager, your job is to establish efficient workflows and carefully monitor the progress of your team. Another responsibility of the project manager during this phase is to consistently maintain effective collaboration between?project stakeholders. This ensures that everyone stays on the same page and the project runs smoothly without any issues. Your projects can benefit from the best?project collaboration tools?that are available in the market. They’ll not only make your life easier but also improve efficiency and increase the productivity of your team.
- Monitoring and Controlling. In the project management process, the third and fourth phases are not sequential in nature. The?project monitoring and controlling phase?run simultaneously with project execution, thereby ensuring that objectives and?project deliverables?are met. As a project manager, you can make sure that no one deviates from the original plan by establishing Critical Success Factors (CSF) and?Key Performance Indicators?(KPI). During the monitoring phase of project management, the manager is also responsible for quantitatively tracking the effort and cost during the process. This tracking not only ensures that the project remains within the budget but also is important for future projects.
- Closure. This is the final phase of the project management process. The?project?closure?stage indicates the end of the project after the final delivery. There are times when external talent is hired specifically for the project on contract. Terminating these contracts and completing the necessary paperwork is also the responsibility of the project manager. Most teams hold a reflection meeting after the completion of the project in order to contemplate their successes and failures during the project. This is an effective method to ensure continuous improvement within the company to enhance the overall productivity of the team in the future. The final task of this phase is to review the entire project and complete a detailed report that covers every aspect. All of the necessary data is stored in a secure place that can be accessed by project managers of that organization.[3]
Responsibilities of the Project Manager
A project manager or PM is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the completion of specific projects for an organization while ensuring these projects are on time, on budget, and within scope. The PM the person in charge of ensuring projects are completed on time, on budget, and within scope.[4] It's no easy task. Sure, for projects that are small and simple such as building a home or a simple software solution can be an easier task, but for large and complex projects such as building a skyscraper or implementing a marketing solution for a global company, it can be a lot of work, a lot of preparation and lot of coordination. Here are the basics of being a PM.
- Planning everything from execution to delivery
- Directing the team to achieve a common goal
- Delegating work effectively
- Managing the resource of time
- Managing the deployment deliverables
- Monitoring progress and tracking roadblocks
- Conducting regular meetings
- Establishing a shared vision
- Managing documentation and reports
- Coming up with a plan B
- Creating a self-governing team
- Keeping the team close-knit
- Coordinating with clients, vendors, and stakeholders
- Evaluate the team's performance after the project has competed [5]
How to Become a Project Manager
Well, it's simple and complex all at the same time. Becoming a project manager takes drive, confidence, the right people that believe in you, hard work, and a lucky break. I believe that ultimately anyone who has the drive, communication skills, leadership abilities, organization, and problem-solving can become a PM. You'll learn quickly if you're meant to be one or not. If you're just starting, and you are interested in working towards becoming a project manager, whether you are in construction, aerospace, utility management, or software development, there are a few ways to get started. This is how I got my career started as a PM:
- Develop foundational skills. Learn about and practice the essentials such as communication, management, negotiation, budgeting, leadership, organization, and problem-solving.
- Find a mentor. Run alongside a PM for at least 10 projects as a technician, analyst, consultant, etc.
- Take on five or more small projects. Before you go out and get certified to be a PM you'll need to run a few projects of your own. Obviously, it won't be wise to take on big ones, so start small and get the experience under your belt.
- Educate yourself. Next is to take the certification prep course. You'll need this in order to prepare for the PMI certification which is extensive and requires a great deal of learning.
- Get certified. The last step is to get your PMI certification. This is a big step and there are a number of ways to go about it depending on your experience and the area you'd like to specialize in.
Conclusion
This might all seem like a lot, and well, it is. The journey to becoming a PM is a long one, and it takes a great deal of work once you get there. Being a project manager is no easy task. When everything is going well on a project, the team gets praise, but when things are going wrong the project manager gets the blame. That's just how it works. All in all, being a PM is a lot of fun and the challenge can be invigorating, especially when you get on with the right team and company. A good project can help too. Successful project completion can be a huge catalyst for a company's growth and revenue. As the PM, you'll be right at the forefront of it all. And that is something worth getting up in the morning for and being proud of.
Sources
President at Seagate Contract Management
2 年Well done Josh!