A Project is a series of tasks to reach the desired outcome. It involves the application of tools, skills and techniques, and methodologies to meet the project requirements/goals on time within the budget. A Project Manager is a person accountable for the task from start to finish which involves core responsibilities like Planning & Organizing, Managing tasks, Budgeting, and Controlling the costs.
We all have managed Projects in our everyday life utilizing time management & leadership skills we already possess, be it shifting to a new home or city to throwing a party, juggling a to-do list to managing your budget. You can use these day-to-day skills as a program manager by being more intentional about it. People from diverse backgrounds with their unique skills based on experience can jump into Project management so it’s an open field no matter where you come from. If you have relevant skills from your past job or life experiences you could’ve been a bartender, a militant you could use your skills effectively to become a good project manager.
Project managers play a crucial role in their organizations. They add value in their teams identifying and breaking down tasks in steps to make a plan utilizing prioritization, matching tasks to individuals with relevant skills who’d best complete the work, and helping them in the best way to do so they must know motivations, strengths, and weaknesses of individuals in the team and holding them accountable by making sure to they have the support they need to complete the task and communicating the progress to both the cross-functional team and key stakeholders which involves project goals and expectations, team member roles and responsibilities, and constructive feedback. They add value to the project and impact the organization by focusing on the customer, building a great project team, fostering relationships and communication, managing the project, and breaking down barriers so you can overcome obstacles and find solutions to succeed. Their key responsibilities include creating plans, timelines, schedules, and other documentation using productivity tools, data and creating processes to manage tasks and track project completion.
The manager does not need to be an expert like the task but is great at knowing who’d be the best to complete that task effectively. Leadership is a critical aspect of project management and interpersonal skills like communication, negotiation, conflict mediation, and understanding motivations are key to it.
The project life cycle is the path from zero to done for the project which includes initiation of the project, making a plan, executing and completing tasks, and closing the project.
Initiating the project requires defining goals, determining resources, people, and project details, and getting approval. Creating a plan is highly essential for every single project which involves creating a budget, setting the schedule, establishing the team and determining roles & responsibilities and planning for risk and change, and communicating the plan to the team and stakeholders. Changes to the plan and budget are normal during the project thus the manager needs to monitor the budget, track issues and risks to manage the quality of the project by removing unforeseen barriers coming between the progress of the project. Changes in team and dynamics of the projects are common too so the project manager should have strong organizational skills to manage projects during times of unpredictability. The project manager has to monitor and document progress and keep the team motivated while removing obstacles, making sure of active communications within the team, and making adjustments as the project moves forward with the available resources. Once done with the project ensuring all the tasks have been completed and the project outcome has been accepted and reviewed by the stakeholders the project is closed.
Project management methodology is a set of guiding principles and processes for owning a project through its life cycle. The method can be linear i.e. waterfall or iterative i.e. agile.
Waterfall & Agile applies the traditional project life cycle. While you don’t have to follow the strict chronology in agile and tasks are completed in an iteration. Agile is more of a mindset to deliver value inheriting changes during the project. Lean Six Sigma methodology focuses on team collaboration for improved quality, moving through the processes quickly while saving money in completing the project. Choosing which methodology to follow depends on the nature of the task to best meet the project goal.
Organizational structure refers to how the company is organized, who does what, and who reports to whom it is really important in preparing and carrying out the project. The Classic structure follows the traditional top-down system of reporting when you report to your boss in the hierarchy while the Matrix structure involves reporting to stakeholders across teams and direct managers. Organizational culture influences project management as well.
Change management is the process of delivering your project and getting people to adopt it. Adoption is the first key after your project goes live as it means it’s serving its purpose and to make sure that it’s smooth. Creating a sense of ownership and urgency, figuring out the right combinations of skills and responsibilities which is important in motivating your team, and most importantly effective communication is vital for smooth execution of the project. One should think about the organization’s culture and structure upon beginning a new role or project to understand how decisions are made, the responsibilities of individuals, and issues or areas of concern.
Thanks to the skills being transferable you’re open to high-growth industries like manufacturing & construction, information services & publishing, management, finance & insurance, oil & gas, and utilities as a program manager. All the industries are demanding project managers as they need new projects to be finished so the possibilities are almost endless across various industries. Internships are the best way to break into a new role as you get to work on real-world projects and network simultaneously. Some of the common entry-level roles are junior project manager, project administrator, assistant, or coordinator. After some experience, traditional roles are project manager/analyst/leader/controller.
