Project management skills are essential in today’s business world. As businesses become more complex, project manager roles have grown ever more important. The demand for professional project managers increases each year.
But, what should you look for in a project manager? Are there certain qualities and characteristics that make a project manager good at his or her job? Here are some tips to help you find the right project manager.
8 Things to Look for When Hiring a Project Manager
One of the most important roles in any business is that of a project manager. Project managers are responsible for managing projects, but they’re also responsible for ensuring their projects get done on time and at a high-quality level. They manage multiple tasks; the job involves coordinating many people, and it’s not uncommon for a project manager to manage multiple projects at once.
If you are looking for an individual who has the skills and experience needed to manage projects successfully, the key attributes might be:
1. Overall Project Management Skills
When hiring a project manager, it’s important to look for someone with strong leadership skills, because they’ll be working with clients and other people daily — and that can be stressful. Look for someone who’s active and has a knack for delegating tasks and keeping the work moving forward toward completion.
Look for someone who keeps in touch with their clients throughout the project, checking in regularly to make sure tasks are being done on time. Sure, sometimes you’ll have to follow up with them about a specific issue — but it’s better if you can get those issues resolved before they lead to bigger problems.
2. Expertise in Project Management Methodologies
When it comes to finding a project manager, you’ll want someone with extensive experience in the field. This is especially true if you’re working with a larger company, where project managers work on a variety of projects for different clients. A person well-versed in project management language, terminology and best practices will be a huge asset to your team.
A good one will be an expert in a particular methodology, or set of methodologies, that you’re using. Your project manager should have an intimate knowledge of all the details and intricacies of your chosen methodology so they can apply it effectively.
3. Expertise in Client Requirements
This is the most important quality anyone should look for in a project manager. If you’re not sure who the client is, or if you’re working with multiple clients at once, you must hire someone who has experience managing projects on behalf of this client.
A good PM will have a thorough understanding of the client’s business and an ability to specify exactly what they need. He or she will be able to articulate exactly what the project is going to deliver, the timeline, and how it fits into the current strategy and goals of the company
4. Effective Interpersonal Relationships with Stakeholders
Professional project managers are excellent communicators and relationship builders, which makes them an asset to any organization. But they’re more than that. They’re people who can bring together different groups and separate conflicting ideas. Project managers are often the face of an organization, so they must be approachable and likeable.
Every project manager should strive to understand each stakeholder’s personality type, as well as his or her specific needs so that the team can provide an effective solution for each of them.
5. Project Costing Skills
A project manager is a “jack of all trades” position. You need someone who’s not afraid to get their hands dirty but can also manage the details. You should look for project managers who have a strong understanding of how project costs are set and managed.
6. Managing Risk in a Project
Projects and projects managers are inherently risky. Every project has a chance of going wrong, and the best project managers can mitigate risk by managing a variety of factors and teams.
When making a big decision like hiring a project manager, you want someone who can hold up their end of the bargain and manage risk for you. That means being able to forecast the probable outcome of your project and make decisions accordingly.
7. Effectiveness at Managing Staff Effectively and Efficiently
One of the most important skills a PM must have is the ability to effectively and efficiently manage their team. In other words, they should show they are effective at getting things done. If they can’t get things done, their team won’t be able to deliver on promises customers expect.
The project manager also needs to be able to handle conflict resolution, both internally and externally. If there’s a disagreement between the team members that can’t be resolved, the manager has to make sure it never gets out of hand.
8. Ability to Motivate People
There’s no substitute for leadership. We’ve all been working on a project we were either in charge of or were given responsibility for and felt that we had no idea what to do. Project managers are the leaders who keep morale up, inspire people to work harder and deliver projects on time.
But no one can replace leadership. You need a project manager who can motivate you to work harder and push through the tough spots when things get tough. To find a project manager that is a good match for your organization, look for these traits.
Various Aspects of Project Management
Project management has become extremely important in today’s business world. It can make or break a project. But the factor that separates good project managers from those who are merely good is the ability to manage time and resources effectively.
Project management is a crucial part of any business — from startup to Fortune 500 companies. A successful project manager ensures that all the stages of a project are in order, from identifying the goals of the project to executing them and closing them out once the project is complete. Project managers can be found at all levels of an organization: from junior employees who need to manage their projects, to executives who oversee large-scale projects.
There are five basic aspects of project management:
1. Identifying Goals and Objectives
This is important in both small- and large-scale projects. In smaller-scale projects, this step simply involves defining a goal or objective and deciding how much time it will take to complete. In larger-scale projects, however, this stage is more involved because you must define milestones along the way and set up systems to track progress toward those milestones.
2. Managing People
This step involves hiring and managing staff members, delegating tasks and motivating them to finish their work on time. You also have to ensure that they’re getting paid on time, so make sure they have access to payroll information and their pay stubs at all times.
3. Defining Goals and Objectives
This step is useful for both large and medium-scale projects. For small-scale projects, it means defining a goal and deciding how much time it will take to achieve that goal. For larger-scale projects, however, you’ll have to focus on milestones and set up systems to track your progress toward those milestones.
4. Measuring Progress
Defining appropriate metrics ahead of time ensures that you can properly track and measure your project’s progress. While it can involve more overhead in the beginning, it will save you time when it’s time to analyse the data at the end of the project.
5. Monitoring and Controlling Scope
As your project progresses, there will often be surprises or changes in scope, which can cause your budget to increase or decrease. Make sure you periodically revisit your scope to ensure that it is still appropriate for the project
Conclusion
It is very important to find the right fit for your projects with the help of a project manager, they need to have these elements to carry out the job successfully. The importance of a project manager can’t be overstated. Without methodical oversight, a project will flounder and may even fail. So you must make sure that you hire the right person for the job. After all, the quality of your project rests in their hands.
FAQs
1. What to look for in a project manager?
It’s important to find someone with experience who can execute your vision. Does that person have formal education or certification? While these don’t guarantee the quality, it’s worth looking for proof of expertise and commitment.
2. What experience should a project manager have?
To be an effective project manager, they have to have a wide range of experience in a variety of fields. A successful project manager should be able to apply knowledge from different areas and disciplines to his or her work effectively.
3. How do I work well with my PM?
Communication is key in any relationship, and a project manager is no different. However, working well with your project manager isn’t always as easy as you may think there will be challenges but success in how you manage these challenges.
4. What if we cannot agree on something?
It’s important to make it clear of your needs and look for ways to find a middle ground for the project to run smoothly.
5. What special skills should a project manager possess?
A good project manager should be able to communicate knowledge and direction to the team members.
References
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/05/14/what-to-look-for-in-a-project-manager/
https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/role/project-manager
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/aspects-of-project-management
https://www.knowledgehut.com/blog/project-management/10-characteristics-of-a-good-project-manager
