No matter what sector you work in, you will find that the project manager is the heart and soul of any team. A project manager’s role involves working with constraints, using skills sets and timescales to the best of their ability.
There is many ways a project manager’s role can be made easier and there are certain factors that must be taken into consideration for the to be a successful one. From communication to Prince2 training, here are just a few ways you can be a better project manager.
Communication
The most frustrating thing that can occur within a team is lack of communication. Communication is a skill that should come naturally to any project manager. You may not realise it, but as a project manager, you are dealing with a team full of different types of people. From creatives to admins it is your role to keep your team members on track.
Senior director of program management Events.com, Liz Helbock argues that communication with your team must stay consistent throughout a project, whether that be by email, meeting, report or project plan:
“As project managers, we must work to keep those lines of communication open to ensure we have all the details to report back to executives and stakeholders.”
Time Management
Time management is important if you want your team to be as productive as possible. There are endless distractions throughout the working day and as a project manager, it is important that you keep track that project is running on time.
In any role, effective time management and productivity are extremely beneficial skills. Time tracking is a great way to get the most out of your team. CIO say that:
“By tracking your team’s time for the project, you’ll have a solid estimate on the average time specific tasks take.”
This will be beneficial for future projects as you will be able to create more accurate estimations for projects. This type information can also tell you if a project is slightly behind, therefore you can make adjustments to its development.
Project Management Training
Even project managers need an annual boost of motivation. Training not gives employees new skills but it helps them to create goals. By supplying your project managers with an appropriate course, these are skills that they can pass on to their team.
Project management trainer, Datrix, recommend APMP certification as it “can build a chain reaction” from project managers to customers. If an employee improves on estimation and customer service, the business will benefit.
APMP Certification: Leadership
For those who are new to the role of project manager, the word “leadership” can be extremely daunting. The best business has strong leaders at the heart of them.
One mistake a project manager can make is not delegating enough. As a project manager is your role to delegate and assist your team when it is necessary. A Project Manager should have a plan, allowing them to achieve their goals without procrastinating in their decision making.
Practise Soft Skills
Soft skills are something that may not come naturally to you, however, it is important that you practise them. A project manager should be a people person and soft skills can only be learned by doing. There is two factors that make a good project manager and that training and work experience. The longer you are in the role, the more successful you will become.
It is true that with any project, comes the risk of failure. This is why it is important to prepare before going ahead with a plan. The most successful project manager will plan ahead for these risks, creating a strategic proactive plan.
