Making The Changes Necessary To Become A Brilliant Project Manager

The role of a project manager is both a coveted and feared position. On the one hand, it’s easy to see that being a project manager gives you an excellent opportunity to be at the center of things and to be directly responsible for a project coming to life. The fear is somewhat along the same line: you are directly accountable. So, if the project falls to pieces or gets finished but is of poor quality, people will look to you to explain why. Some of the fear is also down to the fact that being a project manager is quite an open-ended job title, that lacks clarification to the degree that people would like. With all of that in mind, here are four ways you can become an excellent project manager.

1) People Management Is Key

“There’s a joke about people management skills which is that a true master of people management won’t even need to lift a finger in other areas. But on a serious front, the ability for a project manager to people manage and, crucially, personality manage could entirely make or break a team’s efforts”, says Howard Clark, project manager at Essay Writer and StateOfWriting. People are complicated; there’s no hiding it. Everyone working on a project will have their perception of the goals and purpose of the project. When things clash, a truly excellent project manager will step in and resolve issues in a way that makes everyone feel heard and considered.

2) Communication

The key to a happy marriage also happens to be the key to a successful project. Communication, no matter how long it takes, is vital. If you aren’t communicating well then, you’re leaving yourself open to the possibility that one of your team does something wrong. Sometimes, the cost will be negligible. Other times you could watch the whole thing go up in smoke and think to yourself how fickle life is that a simple miscommunication cost you the project and maybe even your reputation. Scared? Don’t be. Communication isn’t a specialty trait requiring real mastery;; it’s just a question of consistency. Put yourself in the shoes of whoever you are talking to and imagine hearing your words from their perspective.

3) Monitor The Pressure Gauge

Sometimes being a good project manager means cracking the whip. Sometimes it means telling everyone to take the afternoon off. Flexibility over this issue is the real key. “A good project manager will always be able to read a room. When they can sense that everyone is half asleep and that progress is grinding to a halt, they have to know whether to light a flame or take a pause and rest up for the next attacking wave. That decision will be very influential over the team’s happiness and productivity and ultimately the success of the project, “ says Alana Mulberry, HR at Academized and PaperFellows.

4) Lead From The Front

Any project manager who receives their posting and then sits back and enjoys the good life of not being responsible for any actual work isn’t going to be a project manager for long. Sometimes, project management means rolling your sleeves up and getting to work yourself. Moments like these are an effective way for you to earn respect and trust of your team. A good project manager will never let their team get the sense that they are in anyway sitting back and letting things get done by the team. You want to be working, to set the example for those around you and to maximize your chance of success.

Being a great project manager is all about your attitude and approach. As the leader, everything you do sends a direct message. The seriousness of the project and how much success is expected. i. Hard work, with a great ethic, is something you’ll want to cultivate in your team but not at the expense of burning them out. Finding that balance and that flexibility will be essential for you to become an excellent project manager.