Do your teams need someone to guide them and manage resources? Then we recommend exploring the role of a Project Manager. While it’s common to use job titles in English these days, this is just the “director of projects” as always: a professional who ensures that teams collaborate effectively and perform better. A Project Manager needs to combine multiple skills, be organized and detail-oriented, but above all, possess leadership abilities. Why do we say this? Join us and find out for yourself.
Project Manager: An Orchestra Conductor for Your Company
The Project Manager or project leader is like a true orchestra conductor. It’s a very special role within the company: through their personal qualities and skills, they must be able to build and maintain their leadership among team members. In short, they are responsible for managing the project. Their mission is to ensure that teams carry out their tasks effectively.
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When companies consider hiring a Project Manager, a key question arises: should they be a subject matter specialist or a professional with general knowledge? This question is not trivial, as the challenge is enormous and much is at stake. And the answer isn’t obvious. Therefore, it’s best to explore what we expect from a Project Manager in order to move forward with the definitions.
Do My Teams Need a Project Manager?
To begin: Does your company need a Project Manager? It’s not easy to determine, because teams might have flaws or issues, but they are always committed to resolving them. However, sometimes they can’t do it alone, because someone needs to handle a bunch of necessary tasks that usually exceed the normal functions of the team.
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Evaluation Questionnaires. Using specialized platforms or designing your own questionnaires, you can assess aspects such as project planning, execution, and follow-up.
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Project Management Software. Some software tools allow you to track how projects are being managed. If they aren’t sufficient to coordinate projects, it might be a sign that you need a Project Manager.
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External Consulting. You can request an evaluation or audit from a consultant specializing in project management to identify areas that need improvement and where having a Project Manager would be beneficial.
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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). If the indicators point to deficiencies, such as missed deadlines, improper use of resources, or low customer satisfaction, there are issues that a Project Manager could solve.
Project Manager’s Mission: Zero Routine, 100% Management
From these concepts, it becomes clearer what the Project Manager’s mission is: 100% management. Let’s define project management as the tracking of task progress, monitoring of indicators, and decision-making in agreement with the sponsor to adjust or modify the project if needed. Thus, the primary tasks of a Project Manager include:
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Needs and Requirements Analysis. Identify what is needed for a project by collecting and analyzing objectives, expectations, and required resources.
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Specification and Deliverables Definition. Outline the concrete results expected from the project and establish criteria for measuring success.
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Specification Writing. Create documents that accurately describe the technical, functional, or operational requirements of the project.
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Project Plan Design and Maintenance. Develop and update a structured plan that includes tasks, schedules, budgets, and necessary resources.
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Metrics and Measurements Calibration. Adjust or validate methods, metrics, or tools to ensure their accuracy and effectiveness in the project.
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Planning. Organize all project phases by setting goals, deadlines, and efficiently assigning resources.
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Coordination, Client Interface. Act as a link between the company and the client to ensure smooth communication and meet expectations.
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Stakeholder Management. Identify, engage, and handle the needs and interests of everyone affected by or affecting the project.
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Team Building. Foster cohesion and teamwork, motivate members, resolve conflicts, and create a collaborative environment for the project’s success. Collective power is essential for the project’s success. The Project Manager’s role is to motivate, ensure, and develop group cohesion, being attentive to individual challenges and intervening in case of conflicts among team members.
Interesting, right? As you can see, the Project Manager is always on the move. Their tasks are far from routine; instead, they are dedicated 100% to the core management of the project.
The “Golden Triangle” of Project Management
This leads us to the question we asked at the beginning: Should the Project Manager be a subject matter expert or a general administrator? Beyond this, the Project Manager must be fully committed to what is known as the “golden triangle” in project management.
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Its vertices are: quality, costs, and timelines. Therefore, the Project Manager must ensure the project’s goals are achieved while adhering to the golden triangle:
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Respect for quality.
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Adherence to costs.
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Meeting deadlines.
If our candidate for project director can meet these expectations, being a subject matter expert is a plus but not a determining factor.
Personal Qualities of a Project Manager
The mission of a Project Manager, as we’ve seen, is crucial, so they need to possess a range of qualities and skills that transcend specialization. For example:
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Leadership. Being recognized as a leader is a key factor for the success of the mission. Credibility with stakeholders and the ability to be followed makes the difference between an average project manager and a true leader who is listened to and respected. Keep in mind, a leader is not someone who does everything alone; on the contrary, a leader delegates and supports their team daily, giving each person a high degree of autonomy.
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Relationship Skills. Their many cross-functional contacts require building and maintaining strong relationships within the company. The most experienced have built a true internal network that enables them to leverage the right actions depending on the project. This also means implementing a genuine, rich, and trustworthy relationship with the client. The client knows they can rely on the project manager. This includes the ability to communicate and convince.
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Innovation and Creativity. The Project Manager must be able to think beyond conventional patterns to explore creative alternatives. The pre-made solution, already implemented by the competition, is not necessarily the best. They must know how to get their team to think “outside the box” to find innovative ideas.
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Rigorousness in Managing Project Details. Adhere to steps, analyze, synthesize, absorb information, and turn it into objectives or actions.
Required Technical Skills
Lastly, but equally important, the Project Manager must have a strong background in areas essential to fulfilling their mission, such as:
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Knowledge of project management methodologies.
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Planning tools and problem-solving methods.
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Resource and risk management techniques.
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Team management techniques and understanding of organizational operations.
Do You Have the Ideal Candidate but Don’t Know Where to Place Them in the Organizational Chart? t’s not a minor issue. It depends on the nature of the project and the company structure. Thus, the Project Manager might be integrated into one of the areas or have staff functions. Time to think!
That’s all for the information on “What Does a Project Manager Do in a Company?” We hope it’s been useful. Remember, you can find more information on various topics at SEOSab. Follow us on social media to stay updated on our news from here.
