September 29, 2009

Attributes of a Successful Project Manager – Part 2

Posted by Brad Egeland

In Part 2 of this three-part series we will look at further at Jason Chravat’s presentation of the attributes of a project manager from his book entitled “Project Management Nation: Tools, Techniques, and Goals for the New and Practicing IT Project Manager.”

In this segment, we’ll discuss the need for the project manager to have:

General knowledge of project management
Understanding of technology and some technical background
Ability to work successfully as a problem resolution professional

These are just a few more of the key areas of expertise that the project manager needs to possess. Read on for further discussion.

Knowledge of Project Management

The first step for a newcomer to become qualified in project management is to complete a program of education. Meeting with others who are learning about project management is helpful, but it takes time. Alternatively, a prospective project manager can gather the information on his or her own. Those new to the profession don’t always need degree programs or pay large sums of money just to learn project management. Many of the world’s leading project managers learned their skills and techniques from experience and on-the-job training. That’s where the best secrets lie, and that’s why I thought sharing my experiences with project management would be helpful.

Technical Authority

Project managers often tell me that, as project managers, they do not need to understand the technology or technical issues because the technical resources working on the project will be responsible for the technical detail. Unfortunately, in the IT environment today, it is important for all project managers to be well-versed in the relevant project technology (including its applications and processes) and be able to communicate on technical issues with the “techies.” The majority of organizations that employ project managers insist that the project managers be able to take technical decisions and that they possess the necessary technical skill sets to be on a similar level as the technical staff.

I have heard many IT resources complain bitterly about project managers who haven’t got the foggiest notion of what needs to be done technically. The result is often that many of these resources simply carry on with their own development process and view the project manager only as an administrative manager who coordinates time sheets and ensures the delivery of status reports.

Project managers who are not well versed on the technical level find themselves (1) isolated, (2) lacking in credibility, (3) not consulted technically on major development issues, (4) not taken seriously, and (5) possibly even provided with false information. Project managers who understand the technology and can use it practically can apply such knowledge with outstanding results. Project managers also need to be certain that they have obtained the necessary project authority from the project sponsor and then communicate this to all stakeholders. This senior executive involvement often does the trick!

I always encourage project managers to make technical decisions if and when an opportunity arises, or to be involved in any way possible, by playing the role of facilitator or negotiator with the staff.

Sun Tsu said…

If the general’s employment of his mind is not in harmony with the army, even though the formation’s lightness and heaviness are correct, and the front and rear are appropriate, they will still not conquer the enemy.

Ability to Identify and Resolve Problems

Problems will arise on any project, no matter how much planning and effort have been made to avoid them. Recovering from any such problem means that the earlier the project manager can address the problems, the better. Identifying problems may require the project manager to review tasks with resources in order to find the real causes of these problems. If the causes are not within the manager’s own control or authority, then he or she must go to the project sponsor and seek advice there.

As alarming as this may seem, it may mean stopping the project until a solution is found, which is a good suggestion. Remember, the earlier you make the input to correct things, the smaller the input required.

Continuing to let tasks and milestones go off track will make it more difficult to correct the situation.

In Part 3, we’ll look at the project manager’s need for an ability to make timely and critical decisions, effectively select and manage a team of skilled resources, and to have a professional approach when dealing with management, teams, and the customer.

Share this post: