But what exactly does the Project Manager do? What is its role, and why is it beneficial for companies in their Project Management?
Let’s go step by step.
Who Is The Project Manager
The Project Manager is responsible for initiating, planning, designing, executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing a project.
This new figure, a project manager in Italian, was born in America and then developed around the world. He is probably one of the figures that are proving to be the most important in recent times, as he deals with a project in its entirety and must have considerable skills ranging from management to digital marketing and the latest technologies.
It is called by its acronym, PM. It is sometimes mistaken for the Product Manager. But beware, they are two very different figures.
The creation of a project does not necessarily mean the launch of a product. It could be multiple products or one or more services. It could also be more simply the achievement of one or more strategic objectives.
If we were to find a football metaphor, his role would certainly be that of the manager.
To understand what exactly the Project Manager does, you need to understand what the project means. The latter refers to the achievement of precise and measurable objectives. It is, therefore, not a lineup of tasks to be done or operations to be solved but the ability to organize them into a single strategy capable of obtaining results more significant than the sum of all the parties involved.
The achievement of objectives and compliance with deadlines remain implied.
Project Manager Skill: The Skills
A mix of different technical, communicative, and relationship skills is required. A Project Manager must also know the business world, integrating managerial skills with emotional ones.
In addition to the various software and collaborative platforms on the market, such as Asana, it is necessary to know tools and methods for project management:
- decision making
- written and oral comprehension and expression
- management of human and financial resources
- active listening
- problem-solving and critical sense
- negotiation
- management of one’s own and other’s time
- monitoring of results
- active learning
- education and understanding of the other
- adaptability and versatility
- persuasion
- good resilience in times of stress
All this must be accompanied by an excellent knowledge of the area where the project will be carried out.
As illustrated in the “Project Management Body of Knowledge” guide, it is necessary to have the following skills:
- The integration and coordination of each development phase of the project;
- Project times and scheduling;
- Costs and financial plan of the project;
- The quality of the project;
- The human resources involved, with great Team Building, motivation, and empowerment skills;
- Project communications, with the ability to organize and conduct business meetings;
- The risks associated with the activity, with knowledge of negotiation techniques and structured conflict management, ability to
- Problem Solving & Decision Making;
- Project procurement and relationships with suppliers;
- The project stakeholders.
Innovation Project Manager: An Extra Gear
A Project manager who deals with innovation has an edge. He is not only competent in the field of organization, but he also has a thorough knowledge of all the latest technologies.
Roles And Responsibilities Of The Project Manager
Start
First of all, it is necessary to evaluate if the project is feasible. The results are then defined, and the stakeholders involved in the project are identified.
Planning
In this phase, the management of all the activities identified for the realization of the project occurs. An estimate of the costs of the objectives is made; A risk management plan is defined.
Goals must be SMART:
- specific
- measurable
- realistic
- reachable
- based on time
Execution
This is a very important stage. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that team members do what is planned and that everything goes according to plan.
Monitoring and control
Control: the Project Manager analyzes the status of the project. In practice, he checks compliance with the times and the budget previously analyzed through periodic meetings with the team;
Closure
In closing, the documents are updated, and the group is informed of the project’s conclusion and the results obtained.
Often and willingly, it is a cyclical process where the project itself is constantly evolving.
Advantages Of Project Management In The Company
The figure of the Project Manager has now become central within companies, whether we are talking about public companies or SMEs, or whether we are talking about international companies.
To complete complex projects it is necessary to rely on professionals capable of mastering the method and execution of processes.
Also Read : Open Innovation: How To Achieve It With Startups And Large Companies
