Survival Guide for Project Managers
Project managers plan and oversee all aspects of a business, construction, engineering, telecom or IT project. They are responsible for the budget, timeline and quality of the project. Project managers must constantly cope with shifting priorities, changing conditions and conflicting demands. To survive in a project management role, you must be highly organized and must follow certain practices religiously.
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Communicate
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Constant communication is key to successful project management. You may be working with vendors, suppliers, clients and internal departments such as purchasing, marketing, production, warehousing, distribution, customer service, sales and accounting. Part of your job is to be the repository for information and to make sure each contributor has all the information she needs both at the beginning of the project and throughout its execution. You must communicate critical changes in job status, timeline and budget to both internal and external stakeholders; new risks, changing priorities and scope changes to the project team as they occur; and regularly speak with the client to make sure he feels good about the status of the project. Remind the client if he has outstanding obligations that can delay the project.
Follow Up
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Successful project management is largely a matter of compelling people over whom you have no actual authority to do their jobs correctly and on time. If a team member promises to complete a task by a given date, do not wait until the deadline to ask for a project status or you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Follow up regularly to ensure that each participant (including the client) is making progress on their assigned tasks. If you sense that the work isn't getting done, or you can't get a straight answer, talk to the person's supervisor or ask your supervisor to do so. While you do not want to alienate your colleagues, you are ultimately responsible for making sure all tasks are completed.
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Document Everything
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Keep all of your documentation current, organized and easy to find. Clients and supervisors alike expect project managers to have detailed data at a moment's notice. Having to hunt for a specific piece of information can decrease client confidence and make your boss wonder if you are organized enough to manage the project. Further, not everyone in a group discussion hears the same thing. Follow all meetings with a confirmation email outlining the topics discussed and assigning action items. If you don't want to be called in the middle of your tropical vacation, ensure that the person covering for you can find your project file and can easily understand the information in it.
Always Do a Post-mortem
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A post-mortem, or "lessons learned," comes after the books have closed on a project. Evaluate the project honestly and objectively. List all the things that went very well. Figure out what you did to make the outcome positive and make those activities standard processes in your career. Also list all the things that could have been better. Evaluate what went wrong and what opportunities were missed. Consider how the problems could have been avoided and develop a plan for eliminating similar issues on future projects. It can be tempting to skip this step, especially if the project didn't go well or you are busy with other projects. But, the insight gained from a post-mortem can improve your project management skills and further your career.
Take a Break
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Project management is a high-stress job with a significant burnout rate. Essentially, you are responsible for everyone involved in the project, and that pressure can become tremendous. Yet project managers are often highly dedicated work-a-holics. Resist the urge to work long hours unless absolutely necessary. Take holidays off and enjoy your vacation time. Time away from work will make your work time more productive. A well-rested project manager is more effective, more focused and more likely to catch mistakes and problems before they become critical issues.
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- Photo Credit builder and the project manager image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com
