Bottongos.com

Committed for Better Business

To be an effective project manager (PM), we need to look at our definition of project management. Surprisingly, the definitions vary greatly by organization and individual. We should be careful about calling something project management that it really isn’t. Doing so often confuses the profession. call it what it is If a position is more administrative, add this tag. If a role is more holistic with overall responsibility and leadership for the success of the project, I’d be more inclined to call it project management. Well-defined roles are essential not only for the organization and the individual, but also for the profession as a whole.

If someone is used to providing overall project leadership and responsibility under a PM title, certain expectations are set. If the next opportunity does not provide the same opportunities and expectations, both the organization and the individual may experience problems. Similarly, if someone is in a lower-level role simply scheduling meetings and following up on action items, this person may develop an inappropriate perception of project management. Remember, a true PM is responsible for all aspects of the project, including managing scope, time, cost, quality, procurement, human resources, communication, risk management, stakeholder management. and integration. I would even take this list a step further and involve the PM in scoping discussions during business development. It’s never too early to involve the person responsible for high-stakes efforts.

Other things that bother me are the lack of analysis and the lack of communication skills. Project management is not about producing reports or documents, but about managing to ensure the success of the project. Project data is necessary to ensure success, but without analysis and interpretation it is strictly administrative data. I am also often surprised by the lack of communication in project management. Strong PMs spend eighty to ninety percent of their time communicating. This doesn’t mean just forwarding emails, but providing impact analysis and recommendations. And my last pet peeve (for this post!) centers around improper handling of situations by escalating all items or informing all parties of all developments. This goes along with communication. Determine your stakeholders and how you will interact with those stakeholders. It may be easier to copy everyone involved, but it’s not about what’s easy.

Let’s do our part to strengthen the quality of our profession and improve the quality of our projects.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *