Project Manager Job Function
The project manager function has become increasingly important as organizations do more work on a project basis rather than in line, or operational, work groups. Any work effort that has a definite start and stop point, especially if it requires coordination among multiple people and functions, can benefit from project management expertise.
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Types of Projects
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Project managers have been common in large-scale, high-stakes, expensive projects, such as construction and software development. Recognizing that project management skills result in more successful projects, organizations are now also using project managers for efforts such as product development in marketing or design projects in creative agencies. More complex projects with larger, cross-functional teams and stakeholders or projects with multiple constraints and risks benefit most from having a project manager.
Role in an Organization
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Project managers may be part of an operational work group. These project managers usually manage projects where their work group has significant participation, even though the project team includes members of other work groups. In some organizations, project managers report to a Project Management Office. They are then assigned to projects with the highest priority in the organization.
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Responsibilities
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The project manager is accountable for all aspects of the project. While the schedule and budget often get the most attention, she must also coordinate among multiple work groups to get tasks completed and manage relationships with the project team and project stakeholders. She must understand the goal and requirements of the project to ensure they're met and that the project team doesn't get asked to do work outside of the original project scope.
Projects rarely go exactly as planned, so a project manager has to be able to think on her feet to adapt to changes that occur and to manage risks that may derail the team's efforts.
Skills Required
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A project manager must be part diplomat, part encourager, and part taskmaster. Communication skills are very important, as he must be able to work well with project stakeholders, who may have conflicting needs and priorities. Communication is also key to effectively managing his team, understanding their concerns and helping resolve these.
A project manager must be detail-oriented to coordinate all the project tasks and resources. He is unlikely to be an expert in all of the project team's work, but should understand enough to help resolve any obstacles that arise.
Training
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Although many prospective project managers get on-the-job training by being thrown into this role on a project that requires their expertise, there is formal project management training available. Some universities offer a project management concentration with a bachelor's or master's degree and there are also many project management certificate programs available. Some disciplines, such as construction, require specialized skills and have specialized training available.
Certification
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Many companies hiring project managers now require them to have certification. The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification offered by the Project Management Institute is widely respected. Other certifications are offered by the International Project Management Institute and the Centre for Excellence in Project Management.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit young manager image by NiDerLander from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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is a project manager responsible to deal with backlogs if they occur?
