Project management is an important task. With the help of combined organizing methods, planning and control, the project manager will rationally adjust and harmonize all the resources to complete certain project in an efficient and time satisfactory way. Hiring the right project manager will ensure completion of project tasks, i.e., successful completion of a project within deadline, within budget and with the necessary quality.
A project manager has the responsibility to plan and ensure execution of many different types of projects such as software development, construction, architecture, design, production, etc. A project manager is the person responsible for resource usage, time management, communication within the team, project budget usage, risk analysis and who will do what. The main duty of a project manager is to ensure project success by minimizing risks. He will achieve this through the application of many methods, and a good project manager must know all the systematic skills of a successful manager.
Top 10 qualities of a successful project manager
Every good project manager has to have a high level of knowledge and self-organization. The ability to rationally evaluate the risk that lies within a certain project and the tasks within it are among the core qualities for the good project manager. In order to successfully perform their job, the project manager has to have the skills to efficiently communicate with his associates. Human resources management is an important precondition for effective and successful project management. Top skills of a successful project manager are:
- good communication skills
- integrity
- enthusiasm
- empathy for project team members
- expertise
- capability to determine priorities
- good handling of stressful situations
- team orientation
- capability to efficiently solve problems
Basic tasks of a project manager
A project manager has to define project execution, form organization, and pick up team members; he will have to control and document the project execution as well as command all project phases. This means that the project manager has to have a very wide array of knowledge in different areas: finances, management, and budgeting as well as the ability to motivate members of his project team. A project manager organizes, points, and coordinates the work of team members. They solve problems and conflicts and direct everything with the goal to efficiently complete the project.
Depending on his position in the overall organization structure, the project manager has larger or smaller authorization in project management. He has all the formal authority and responsibility to efficiently lead the project team.
Basic skills of a project manager include:
- Development, leading and organizing a project
- Advanced methods of project management
- Advanced methods of quantitative finances
- Running and using tools to run projects
- Control over finances and project investments
- Control over human resource management
- Control and organization of work of the project team
- Personal skills of negotiating, leadership, proper decision making in a business environment
There are two types of project manager, and it is up to you to choose which one you need: a project manager that is task-oriented or a project manager that is people-oriented.
A project manager that is task-oriented is a good solution for technical, small to medium projects with clearly defined goals. A project manager that is people-oriented will be a good choice for complex and large projects that include significant changes. Communication and interaction is very important in large projects because support in overcoming barriers and passive resistance are key factors for success in this case.