Keys to Successful Project Management
The key to Successful Project Management
There are many ways to fail; however, if the project manager is able to determine the fundamentals of successful project management, he or she will surely come out triumphant.
Besides knowing the phases of a project management cycle and each phase’s definitions and purpose, a project manager, the leader in the project, should know the following fundamentals.
What are project management fundamentals?
A project is a collaboration of different people with their own technical skills and specialties and the project manager is the one who has the power to bring everyone together to work in a cohesive environment and whose main goal is to accomplish and deliver the project according to the specifications of the customer / client.
What skills does a Project Manager need?
The project manager is in day-to-day charge and to ensure success must have the following fundamental skills:
A project manager must be a leader but listen to the contributions of the team and consider their expertise.
The project manager should be able to establish the scope of the project, integrate the client’s objectives and goals into a plan, build and inspire a team, delegate tasks, lead by example and be able to manage the team to deliver the results
Outstanding communication skills are a definite must as the project manager is the voice and heart of the project. They have sole power to connect the client to the plan, the plan to the team, and the team to the resources. Conveying the objectives properly, allowing for open communication to flow will provide a venue for an easy and non-risky necessary adjustment.
A project manager should have the capacity and skill to create a plan that is in accordance to the goals and objectives. The ability to discern what part of the scope and definitions of project is important and what is not is a skill developed over time, experience and instinct.
The project manager should be well-organized and able to document all the cost, resources, equipment, people, schedule and processes. Software can provide tracking applications to assist.
Last but not the least, a project manager should have the skill to control and monitor the entirety of the project. Always be aware of the state of the project, changes, budget, conflicts, concerns and risks to avoid any fatal mistakes. They should be able to skilfully manage and consequently deal with whatever the project throws at them.