The project manager is the person who has overall responsibility for a project for the successful initiation, planning, design, execution, review, control, and closure of the project.
He is the person responsible for making decisions, both large and small. The project manager must ensure that risk is controlled and uncertainty is minimized. Every decision you make should directly benefit your project.
Anything that has a beginning and an end, that results in a product, is a project and requires the supervision and leadership of a project manager.
Therefore, project managers work in virtually every field, from technology to human resources, from advertising and marketing to construction.
Project managers use project management software, such as Microsoft Project, to organize their tasks and workforce. These software packages allow them to generate reports and graphs on the project in a few minutes.
Profile
The project manager is a professional within the field of project management.
Skills
Communication
Verbal and written communication skills are keys to success. They may be asked to give presentations, so it is important to feel comfortable using the presentation software and speaking in front of large groups of people.
Leadership
The ability to lead and motivate a work team is essential for the progress of any project. You must resolve temperamental conflicts and promote team spirit.
Negotiation
Project managers will negotiate with clients both the appropriate scope and hours of work, as well as certain resources and manpower.
Knowing how to negotiate to get what is needed and keep everyone involved satisfied is a skill that develops with experience.
Organization
Project managers are unlikely to be successful if they are careless or forgetful. Because they juggle so many different things, they need to get organized in both their professional and personal lives.
Problem solving
Project managers regularly have problems that require attention, and it is their duty to predict potential problems in advance, thinking of solutions should these problems arise.
Budget
All projects have a fixed amount of financing available to them. The project manager should develop a budget for that money and monitor it closely. This is a skill that requires experience.
Knowledge
A project manager is a representative of the client and has to determine and implement the exact needs of the client, based on the knowledge of the organization he represents.
You are required to have experience in the entire domain of project managers' work in order to efficiently handle all aspects of the project.
The tools, knowledge and techniques to manage projects are often unique to project management. For example: structures to subdivide work, analysis of critical paths and management of the value obtained.
Understanding and applying the tools and techniques that are generally recognized as good practice alone are not sufficient for effective project management.
This effective management requires the project manager to understand and use both knowledge and skills from at least four areas of expertise.
For example, knowledge of the application area, which are the norms and regulations established by ISO for project management, general management skills and management of the project environment.
Responsibilities
The project manager is responsible for the planning, acquisition and execution of a project of any company, regardless of the industry.
You must ensure that everyone on the team knows and performs their role, feels empowered and supported in their role, and that they know the roles of the other team members, acting in accordance with each role.
Other responsibilities common to all project managers are as follows:
- Define and communicate the objectives of the project, which are clear, useful and achievable.
- Get the project requirements: work team, information that is required, different agreements, and material or technology necessary to achieve the project objectives.
- Manage communication.
- Develop project plans and define the scope.
- Relate with those interested in the project.
- Manage the project schedule.
- Manage the estimated time for the delivery of the project.
- Manage the project budget.
Features
Project managers are the first point of contact for any problem or discrepancy that arises from the heads of the various departments of an organization, before the problem reaches higher authorities. Therefore, Project management is the responsibility of the project manager.
The project manager is the bridge between upper management and the teams in charge of the actual execution of the project. Therefore, it ensures that the scope of the project is correct, regularly reporting on the progress of the project and that it is kept within the approved calendar.
He rarely participates directly in the activities that lead to the final result, but strives to monitor the progress, mutual interaction and tasks of the different parties, in such a way as to reduce the risk of a general failure, maximizing the benefits and minimizing the costs.
Risk management
One of the key tasks of a project manager is to recognize that risk directly affects their likelihood of success and that this risk must be measured both formally and informally over the life of a project.
Most of the problems that affect a project stem in one form or another from risk, which in turn arises from uncertainty. The successful project manager is the one who focuses on this as his main concern.
A successful project manager can significantly reduce risk by associating himself with an open communication policy, thus ensuring that every important contributor can have the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns.
Example
Technology Project Manager Profile
The IT project manager is responsible for developing and managing technology projects in terms of cost, time, and scope.
Responsibilities
- Create and manage the project plan, assigning tasks and setting milestones.
- Align the objectives of the project with the objectives of the company, ensuring that the project team is clear about those objectives.
- Deliver and install technological solutions.
- Assist the project team with design and development tasks.
- Lead the process of identification and resolution of problems.
- Manage the risk monitoring process.
- Monitor and manage the scope.
- Manage all documentation.
- Work on multiple projects simultaneously.
- Encourage communication with clients or sponsors.
Competencies
- Three or more years of experience in IT project management.
- Project management certifications are required.
- Oriented to detail and achievement of results.
- Good communication skills, with clients, work teams and interested people.
- Experience in business strategy and IT.
- Customer-focused mindset.
- Knowledge of related software tools.
