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The Great Project ManagerAndrew D. BessetteBQM 444 Project ManagementOctober 3, 2013Mr. Tony SinesSouthwestern College Professional StudiesThe Great Project ManagerMany ideas abound on what makes an effective project manager (PM). For example, can this person ensure that the tasks get completed on time, and on budget? The qualities that the individual need to “make sure the job is done” may not be very difficult to obtain. In fact, most people who have any knowledge of the proposed project may be able to get the job done. That would make an effective PM right? What would make them more than just effective? What characteristics and qualities does a great PM possess that a simply effective one does not? The directed reading by B. Z. Posner explained a set of two questions posed to a group of PMs. The answers to these questions along with a couple other articles explain what it takes to be more than just an effective PM. They explain how to be a great one. They also explain the problems that the PM may encounter when running a team, and how these problems relate to the skills necessary to confront them. Additionally they explain the skills required to ensure the project’s and the company’s continued success. First, what does it take to be a great PM?What it takesMany articles and books are available to explain how to become a great PM. According to the article by B.Z. Posner in Meredith and Mantel Jr. (2012) there are six main skills required to be a great project manager. These skills derived from the question posed to the PMs at the seminars. Barker and Cole (2007) further break down their ideas of skills required into two subcategories, business and interpersonal. The six skills required are communication, organizational, team building, leadership, coping, and technological. The first skill or trait that the reading explained was important for a PM to possess was “being a good communicator”. This meant that the PM had to be able to actively listen and have the necessary skills to persuade others to follow the goals set out by the company for the project. On the same note Barker and Cole (2007) state that the PM must have “…sufficient “clout” to have influence with senior decision makers” These skills go hand in hand with ensuring not only the job get done, but get done with ease and without any damaging conflict that may accomplish the goal, but damage the overall company. According to the 20/20 Business Insight Website (2013) “The leader must have the ability to effectively negotiate and use persuasion when necessary to ensure the success of the team and project.” They also tell us that the bulk of the time spent by a project manager must be by communicating with all the interested parties. All of the other traits are crucial to being a great PM, however there is one characteristic that is the most important of all. The main trait of communication goes to explain how Meredith and Mantel Jr. (2012) concluded that the primary characteristic that distinguishes the great PM from a mediocre one is their “problem finding ability” This means that the PM can see and correct problems before they occur. In order to further explain the characteristic, it must first be explained some of the potential problems that the PM may encounter. Potential ProblemsProblems are abundant when leading a project. The great PMs can see these issues before they happen and can come up with a solution before they affect the outcome of the project. The 8 main problems a PM may encounter according to “Table 1” in the reading are; resources inadequate, meeting unrealistic deadlines, dealing with unclear goals/direction, team members uncommitted, insufficient planning, breakdown of communications, changes in goals and resources, and finally conflicts between departments of functions (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2012 p 141). Of these problems, the most common one was the first in the list, inadequate resources. This problem seemed to materialize during almost every project in the form of funds available for the project, people to complete the work, resources available when needed, and especially time to complete the project. Oddly enough, the tables that are provided in the reading (Meredith and Mantel Jr., 2012 p 141-143) does not correlate the number one problem to the number one skill required to be a great PM. In fact, the tables do not match on any of the skills and problems in order of precedence. The only thing that table one and two do follow is how the reading describes how often the qualities and problems arise, and the precedence they are put in the tables. So how does the PM confront these problems? Is there a certain skill set that can help them deal with difficult situations? How can they deal with the issues before they happen? The characteristic “problem finding ability” is the one that can help alleviate this main problem faced by PMs. Included in this ability is the need to perform adequate preparation or set up.Skills Required For SuccessThe PM must be able to see issues coming. According to the 20/20 Business Insight Website (2013) many of the problems that surface could have been stopped if there was proper preparation before the project began. Specifically 20/20 Business Insight Website (2013) states “The lack of planning contributes directly to unrealistic resource allocations and schedules.”. Those are the number one and two problems described in table 1 of the reading. What other skills are required? The two top skills needed to avoid most problems (helps most during the planning phase) before they begin are Communication Skills, and Organizational skills (Meredith and Mantel Jr. p 142, 2012). Communication skills include being a great listener and being able to understand what each department needs to get the project complete. The PM must have great active listening skills, and needs to be able to respond properly to all issues. They have to use their influence in the company to persuade others to fall in line with their inputs. Without this skill, the PM would fail. The second skill of Organizations skills is the most important in the pre-planning stage. This is where the PM sets up everything from the estimated completion date to the budget allowed. Most projects fail because the PM did not spend enough time organizing the project before they began. These two skills along with the others described can help a PM become successful.SummaryThe project manager has a very difficult task. They will need to combine the skills of Communication, Organizational, Team Building, Leadership, Coping, and Technological knowledge in order to combat all of the problems associated with running a project. Even though the reading describes that the number one issue may not be solved by the number one skill, it is important to acquire that skill in order to have a successful project. The bottom line is that in order to be more than just an average PM, you must acquire multiple management skills and be able to apply them at the proper time to combat the ever-growing list of problems that you may encounter. ReferencesMeredith J.R., Mantel S.J. (2012) Project Management, A Managerial Approach 8th Ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishers.20/20 Business Insight Website. (2013). Retrieved October 4, 2013, from , Stephen; Rob Cole. Brilliant Project Management. PrenticeHall Upper Saddle River, , NJ, 2007 ................
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