What are the three most important responsibilities of the project manager?
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Image source: Getty Images What comes to mind when you hear the term “project manager?” Stress? Hard work? Micromanagement? Unification? Organization? How you answer this question can show what kind of project managers you’ve worked with in past positions. It also shows that this career field is not for everyone, because it takes a certain type of personality to handle. Project managers are very well paid and quality managers are in high demand by companies all around the world. Their skills help save countless dollars while creating new products and developing new solutions. They are expected to create order out of chaos and that takes a lot of work. 10 roles and responsibilities of a project managerIf you’re thinking about whether or not this is the right career for you, it’s important to know the expectations you’ll face. That’s why I’ve put together a list of ten core project manager duties and expectations. These project management responsibilities reflect the nature of the job and require specific qualities in order to ensure success in this career. 1. PlanningPlanning is one of the most important key ingredients to prevent project failure. The best project managers understand that creating a clear and direct path is the only way to navigate the unpredictability of the execution phase of the project. They plan out tasks, risks, contingencies, and alternate routes to success. Sample tasks include:
2. LeadingThe best project managers provide effective leadership during easy and trying times. They have the ability to communicate with different types of people, provide calm and sound direction when things go wrong, and are able to point out strengths and weaknesses in others. Lastly, being the leader of a project also means knowing when to take responsibility for failures as well as successes. Sample tasks include:
3. Encouraging and inspiringWhile the movie is almost certainly a glamorized fiction in many aspects, there is one part of the Ashton Kutcher “Jobs” movie that really stands out to me. When Steve Jobs is hired back to Apple while the company is in free fall, he visits a product design team to see what they are currently working on, and he tells the team to drop everything they’re working on and to design something new. He instructs them to create something useful, something that they care about, which in turn leads them to design the 90’s era Mac computer. I like this scene, however fictionalized it is, because it shows a leader that understands how to encourage great work out of his team. He relates their work to what is important to them. This is a huge responsibility of any project manager because it’s not enough to just sit at the top and control a team like pawns on a chessboard. Great work requires great inspiration, and your job as a project manager is to provide that encouragement and inspiration. Sample tasks include:
4. CommunicatingCommunication strategies are essential to project success. A successful project manager must be a great communicator to inform the team about project changes, issues affecting the execution of deliverables, and the expectations for completing each task. Successful communication means being there for everyone when needed, keeping in touch with any challenges in the way of success, and understanding the desires of the project stakeholders. This is a huge responsibility because it puts large demands on the attention span of the project manager. Sample tasks include:
5. ExecutingWhile it’s important to have a team that’ll deal with the bulk of the project life cycle, it’s important for any project manager to involve themselves to some degree in producing deliverables. By involving themselves in the execution, they will gain a much better understanding of the project management process, what it requires, and how long it takes to produce results. This doesn’t mean the project manager ought to micromanage the process. Instead, they should communicate with the team leaders and members, ask questions about the process, and give recommendations if needed. Sample tasks include:
6. Team buildingThis project manager task goes hand-in-hand with encouraging and inspiring the team. The best teams get to know one another and build bonds that’ll help improve communication and collaboration. In one of my previous positions, I worked on a team that everyone else in the office wanted to emulate because we shared a bond that was built through plenty of team building activities and exercises. The managers made sure we went on regular lunches, had book-reading challenges, and worked through exercises that better showed our strengths and weaknesses. Sample tasks include:
7. MonitoringBeing involved with the execution of a project will give the manager the access they need to monitor the progress that’s being made. Using some sort of project management software that tracks project manager tasks, identifies issues through set metrics, and mitigates risks through early issue detection will help with this. Monitoring project progress gives the manager the information they need to produce reports for their higher-ups and project stakeholders. Sample tasks include:
8. PresentingProject managers are the voice of a project, and they are expected to present on anything from progress reports to stakeholders to scope adjustments to their teams. Effective presentations have to be interesting and engaging. If you want to be an effective project manager, consider practicing your public speaking in order to maximize your ability to keep a crowd engaged with everything you talk about. Sample tasks include:
9. Managing timeEvery project needs a schedule and a project manager to keep everyone on that schedule. Project managers that get involved in the execution process and monitor the progress of deliverables will always have an edge when it comes to time management. By involving themselves, they’ll be able to hold their teams to their schedules, ensuring satisfactory completion of their deliverables. Sample tasks include:
10. DocumentingDocumentation is a critical project manager responsibility. It’s not just a simple task of creating drawers full of ink and paper, but instead helps provide justification for future projects, helps avoid future risks, and provides managers with the information they need to keep stakeholders in the loop. Sample tasks include:
Do you need a project manager?In most cases, yes, your project needs a project manager. A project manager will help you organize the thoughts, behaviors, needs, and desires of an entire team and boil these down into a cohesive execution strategy. However, there are specific instances where you could substitute the benefits of a manager with a comprehensive project management software solution. When you should use project management softwareI’ve put together four specific scenarios in which project management software would be an appropriate substitute for a project manager. Make this decision with caution, but most importantly, go with what you think feels right when choosing.
Learn more about what it takes to be a project managerNow that you understand the roles of a project manager, you’re sure to have a better understanding of whether or not you want to pursue this career path. If you’re new to this field, we have plenty of guides here on The Ascent that cover project management basics as well as specific methods like kanban project management. Expert-picked business credit cards with rich rewards and perksCash back, travel rewards, 0% intro APR financing: all of these can be great credit card perks for business owners. But how do you find the right business credit card for you? There are tons of offers on the market today, and sifting through them to find the right one can be a big hassle. So we've done the hard work for you. Get started with one of our top business credit card picks of 2022 today. |