Project management, while a simple term, can refer to vastly different levels depending on the industry being discussed. A project manager for a larger consumer goods company may need twenty years experience and an MBA from Harvard while a project manager for a small construction company may be a glorified shift supervisor. In any case, project management is based upon two main acts; organization and leadership. The title of project manager bestows upon a person the responsibilities of an endeavor, usually from start to finish, to make sure that it progresses to completion.
Organization is of extreme importance to any type of project management because the project manager is usually the central authority and often the last word for the project. A project manager will be the intermediary between multiple parties both within the company and to external clients or contractors. Often a project’s success or speed will be determined by a managers ability to stay organized while planning ahead and communicating the goals of the project to all parties. A project manager must be multi-disciplined to deal with all aspects of the project in an organized manner. It is essential to organize the capital, the labor, and the needed resources for a project.
Leadership is also essential to any project manager. As discussed, while acting as an intermediary, a project manager will have to direct the focus of the project and keep all parties moving forward. An endeavor is likely to falter or fail if there is no central leadership to keep the project on schedule and on task. A main part of this leadership is to keep the projects participants engaged and devoted to the project. The manager will need to make sure that the goals of the project are known to the crew in order to finish a project successfully.
While there are varying levels of project management, from organizing a little league team to arranging a multi-million dollar corporate merger, the same basic skills are needed. In order to be a successful project manager, one must attain the skills of organization and leadership, this will ensure that a project stays focused and has a guide until its completion. Along with this, a project manager must make sure that the resources are available and that the crew is devoted. No matter what level of project management is being discussed the keys to being a good project manager will never change.
