Effective Project Manager
Table of Contents
2.1. Diligent in rewarding team members that are effective. 3
2.2. High standards of professional behavior 3
2.3. Committed to a Continuous Professional Advancement 3
2.4. Have a Great Appearance. 4
2.5. Interact Effectively with the Formal Authority. 4
2.6. Effective analysis, Focused and Planning. 4
Effective Project Manager
1. Introduction
Every business has managers that engage in several activities all at a go. However with resources being in limited amount, it is necessary the manager makes the most effective use of what they have so as to acquire the best results. The process of effective project control is based on acquiring company goals successfully through planning and management of the available resources.
Project management is for both big and small projects, different from the common perception that it is only for bigger projects (Brousseau, 1987). In the small companies, effective project organization by the manager can lead to the acquisition of precise objectives like the coming up of new goods or service, shifting to new structures or a new market campaign.
Any advancement or transformation that any company intends to undertake will require effective project management skills. This will make it possible for the company to be able to acquire things at the correct time, be cost effective and reliable to the clients (Black, 2006). On the other hand, companies that do not apply effective project management are not able to acquire the best out of their operations, these results to them not being able to meet the goals set by the company as well as resulting to expensive operations. Effective project control by the manager is much more needed in the present time when resources are limited.
2. Effective Project Managers
For a person to be attributed as a good project manager, it has to begin with how they manage their operations in their respective organizations. Good manager for projects are able to meet the project needs at the set time, cost and being with the project needs (Posner, 1987). They should also connect to the goals of the company as well as be of benefit to the society as a whole.
Effective project managers should have obligation and willpower, popular attributes of effective project managers. Their educational backgrounds should speak for themselves as well as work experience ought to show they were dedicated in their work. They accorded the project their complete so as to make sure that the project goals were acquire even in hard periods like some employees backing out.
Effective project managers are a force in the society as well as the company. Their efforts keep the company and the country’s economy running and stay competitive (Black, 2006). Be it huge telecom projects like the China broadband network or small projects like starting a small business, the project managers that are on the fore front are doing excellent work that elevates the life of everybody connected to it. It is basically through planning, implementation and excellent management skills in addition to their commitment and determination that projects objectives are done in the best manner.
All successful projects that have been undertaken in all of the countries like the installation of network tools need project managers that are keen in what they do. It calls on their attributes to acquire successful projects. These attributes may vary from one country to another, from a person to another; the following section offers primarily the most basic attributes for an effective project manager.
2.1. Diligent in rewarding team members that are effective
Projects are normally undertaken in teams. These teams call into use the effort of all the players so as to acquire the goals of the project. There arises times when certain team members put in extra efforts so as to ensure the project is done at the correct time or even earlier (Posner, 1987). Such team members give up their time and allocate more energy for the sake of the project. This effort is acquired as an outcome by the client in terms of excellent service issued. The broadband network in China accorded the society that uses the internet for communication excellent service. The team and more so the project manager ought to recognize the efforts of the team and reward in varied ways like throwing a party, incentives and giving off-days. The team will acquire a feeling of recognition and will be motivated to continue with the same effort (Dunn, 2001).
2.2. High standards of professional behavior
Effective managers of projects accord their decisions and tendencies to the effective aspect of the project as opposed to their self-satisfaction. They are known not to be full of themselves in their work. When they go out they do not share details of their project with others, as this would tag them as being not worth of the trust of the company and fellow workers. This is since in the competition stage, all companies stand for themselves and their benefit, offering information to rival companies or outsiders would be similar to betraying the company.
Effective managers are known to have company discipline and a strong sense of company ethics; this can be seen in their language showing that they are well behaved and refined where hence the clients can accord them their much needed trust. Additionally, the behavior they acquire is reciprocated to their lower staff hence affecting the whole organization. They hence ought to lead by example.
2.3. Committed to a Continuous Professional Advancement
The project manager is termed to as being effective if they are based on being skilled in their area of application; this is directed similarly to the team member in the project who similarly has to professionals in what they are doing (Dunn, 2001). Effective project managers have to display a sense of commitment in advancing their skills. This form of commitment is composed of acquiring the appropriate degrees and diplomas; a good example is the Project Management course. Additionally, they ought to be in search for opening for writing, speech and mentoring his staff. This would be vital to the staff and clients as it will enable them to trust and have faith in their ability.
The leaders of major networks and retail markets in the world like Tesco and Wal-Mart took the effort of project managers so as to make these businesses as they are presently. Strong academic backgrounds and additional courses in management accorded them the competence that they now have. Such manager has had experiences in working for several companies and everywhere they go they are able to register successful results (Gillard, 2005). This moreover accords them the much needed experience adding on to their professional ability.
2.4. Have a Great Appearance
Appearance is everything when it comes to business and projects. Appearance gives the clients and employees the manner that they are supposed to handle you or the seriousness that one has with the project. Dressing casually in the process of a project gives the team members the thought that they are not to take the project seriously. The end result will not be given the much consideration it deserves by the client (Dunn, 2001). Dressing hence reflects the seriousness the project has been accorded, and this tends to shift itself to the team members and finally the client hence ultimately affecting the company image.
Women who are project managers and are effective in what they do, know the difference between dressing to work and going to a night club. Their mode of dressing is reciprocated in the organization’s image.
2.5. Interact Effectively with the Formal Authority
Effective project managers advance a rigid working connection with the bodies that finance the project, steering group and those that are accorded authority in the project. In the setting up projects, there are a number of bodies that play part to it so as to make it successful in addition to the project team members. These members ought to be allocated the necessary space and time so as to undertake their part of the project effectively. There are areas that need all the parties concerned to consult before anything is done, this will ensure that the project acquires the level it is supposed to (Brousseau, 1987; Gillard, 2005). These relations make it possible for them to manage arising issues as fast as possible, to do away with hindrances and to get the necessary project resources that are required.
2.6. Effective analysis, Focused and Planning
Good project managers are known to see their projects as systems. Discerning the project as a system is the most effective way of undertaking a project successfully and getting the ways to elevate its operation. Effective managers ought to be in a good position to note the sections that need consideration with the help of objective analysis of the manner the manager and the team is undertaking their operations.
Similarly, effective managers are constantly considerate of the project and allocate their time and effort so as to make sure they meet the goals of the projects. There are other cases where added elements are included in the project as it is underway. This in most times it is inconveniencing to the project manager and his team as it may force some team members to do double tasks that may ultimately affect the outcome of the project (Dunn, 2001). An effective manager is one when accorded the opportunity is able to handle the project in the best and appropriate manner possible. In case there are added aspects to the project that will affect some team members, the manager ought to have other options so as to make sure that the project is not adversely affected. A good example would be the use of Kanban or priority methods.
Successful managers are aware of the importance that arises from planning with their groups. As stated above, such plans change in the course of the project. The process of planning is quite relevant and highly held when compared to the plan itself. For this to be accorded the necessary importance it deserves, the project managers attempt new processes and practice the present operations, they go for coaching on planning so as to acquire emerging or new skills that they did not have.
3. Conclusion
A project is a set of processes that calls into play the role of each and every member. The project manager is the one who leads the project and ought to possess a number of traits so as to ensure that the project outcome is at the best level. This outcome is reflected to the client and the company as a whole. Hence an effective manager is the image of the company. The paper has been able to looks at the attributes of a successful project manager; the manager as has been discussed ought to be one who interacts well with his team and other related centers of the company, they ought to be keen on their communication and planning process as well as show a good appearance of the team to other clients and staff. Examples have been issued of companies that have good projects managers and have led to the outcome that they now are; Wal-Mart and Tesco as well as the China broadband installation. The future of a company is hence highly grounded on the effectiveness of the project manager.
References
Black, R. (2006). The psychology behind true project success. Computing Canada, 32(6), 19.
Brousseau, J. (1987). Project management: People are the key resources. Computing Canada, 2, 17-19.
Dunn, S. C. (2001). Motivation by project and functional managers in matrix organizations. Engineering Management Journal, 13(2), 3-10.
Gillard, S. (2005). The competencies of effective project managers: A conceptual analysis. International Journal of Management, 22(1), 48-53.
Posner, B. Z. (1987). What it takes to be a good project manager. Project Management Journal, 1, 51-54.
