Unfortunately, really good project managers seem rare. That is because as more work is being accomplished through projects and project teams, few exhibit the range of project leadership skills required to succeed.
The best project managers are both very detail-oriented and also very politically and emotionally savvy. They have to work effectively with the numbers as well as with the people. Good project managers need to be able to harness the strengths of their team while they navigate the corporate halls to garner support from senior management, secure resources, adapt to change and keep the project moving forward at reasonable speed. A very challenging role as you can tell from so many project post mortems that point to a lack of effective project leadership as the cause of failure…
When you are either appointing a project manager or considering taking on the role yourself, here is a list of ten attributes of effective project managers based upon over 20 years of project post mortem research. Effective project managers know how to:
- Create Project Clarity.
Effective project managers communicate and commit to clear project goals, roles and processes from the very beginning so project sponsors, team members, stakeholders and company leaders are on the same page. You will know you are headed in the right direction when everyone agrees with the business case, goals, success metrics, scope, deliverables, roles and project plan. - Manage Project Change.
Effective project managers evaluate requested changes in scope so they can advise stakeholders on the risks and benefits of extending the project beyond the original plan. You know you are headed in the right direction when the project team is effectively balancing cost, quality, and time success criteria in the eyes of their key stakeholders. - Build a High Performance Project Team.
Effective project managers select team members according to the skills, competencies, working styles and attitudes needed for individual and collective success. Project success is dramatically affected by the relationships within the team and the ability to function as a cohesive unit. It is the project leader’s job to create the project team environment required for team members learn to effectively work together to solve problems even in the face of conflict. - Hold People Accountable.
Effective project managers hold themselves, the team and each team member accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities so the project can be a success. You know you are headed in the right direction when all stakeholders believe that accountability was important and key deadlines and deliverables were met or appropriately revised to meet changed circumstances. - Manage and Mitigate Project Risk.
Effective project managers anticipate and plan for risk so they can anticipate and deal with situations that threaten the success of the project. They utilize a clear and disciplined approach to identify, control, and reduce potential business and project problems upfront with a clear process to handle unexpected issues. They brainstorm, identify, and prioritize potential and actual risks with key stakeholders, based upon past projects, a risk profile, and proportionate to the project schedule and project budget. - Utilize Scenario Planning.
Effective project managers work with team members to come up with contingency scenarios to implement when things go awry so that they have a clear game plan when circumstances change. - Set and Manage Expectations.
Effective project managers set and manage expectations with stakeholders and with team members in terms of timing, scope, quality and budget early and often. You know you are headed in the right direction when project assumptions, costs, quality, and time parameters are being continuously reviewed and balanced to ensure that the project is on target. - Ensure Appropriate Project Resources.
Effective project managers maneuver at the highest corporate levels to secure adequate resources and support to ensure project success. Bad project managers make unrealistic or inadequate assumptions about people’s availability or capability vis-à-vis the project visibility, importance, goals, scope, complexity or timeline. - Align with Key Stakeholders.
Effective project managers keep all key stakeholders engaged throughout the process. They identify and partner with all internal and external project stakeholders and know what “each one cares about and why.” Bad project managers are unclear who the internal and external project stakeholders are and what they care most about. - Communicate Up, Down and Sideways.
Effective project managers keep in touch with upper management to advise of progress, stay close to team members who need to keep on track and maintain focus on the project at hand, and are tuned in across functions so the organization as a whole is well informed of the project’s progress and the importance of the project’s success to the business. They ensure the right people get the right information at the right time regarding their responsibilities, coordination with others, project status, and decisions.
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