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Before discussing the project manager, I recommend reading my post on the definition of project management. You can access the article through this link: Understanding Projects and Project Management
A project manager is the person responsible for planning, executing, and completing a project. They typically manage the project team and resources, create timelines, manage communications, assess risks, and strive to achieve the project's objectives.
Objectives of a Project Manager
- Ensure maximum quality in the project: One of the project manager's primary objectives is to ensure maximum quality. They implement quality control processes to ensure that the product or service meets customer expectations.
- Minimize project costs: It is essential to stay within budget and ensure effective use of resources. Controlling costs is a significant factor in determining project success.
- Complete the project within the specified timeframe: The project manager plans and manages project activities according to specified deadlines. The project timeframe is a critical component of achieving goals. Delays can lead to issues such as budget overruns and customer dissatisfaction.
- Maximize Net Present Value (NPV) from the project: The project manager strives to maximize the net present value (NPV) of the project investment. NPV is a significant metric used to evaluate the profitability of the project investment. By optimizing project activities and resource utilization, the project manager aims to increase NPV.
- Minimize project duration: The project manager endeavors to minimize the project duration. Shortening the project duration can help reduce the resources and costs required to complete the project. However, this objective should be achieved without compromising quality and scope goals.
- Minimize project risk: The project manager recognizes, assesses, and manages project risks. Risk management enables the project manager to deal with potential risks and minimize the impact of unforeseen circumstances.
Characteristics of a Project Manager
- Integrative approach: The project manager does not get bogged down in details and manages tasks with a holistic view rather than technical expertise. They focus on bringing together pieces to focus on the whole.
- System approach: When dealing with complex projects, the project manager adopts a systemic approach. They consider the project as a whole and understand the relationships between all parts.
- Facilitation and generalization of tasks: The project manager reduces complexity, optimizes processes, and works to enhance the performance of team members.
- Ability to answer fundamental questions: The project manager can answer key questions for successful project management:
- What tasks are to be performed?
- When are they to be performed?
- How are the necessary resources provided?
- Organizing and managing: The project manager organizes the project process, manages team members, and assumes responsibility for critical tasks such as budgeting, planning, and control.
- Managing the relationship with functional manager: The project manager is partially related to the functional manager according to the organizational structure. However, this situation can sometimes lead to uncertainties regarding authority and responsibilities. The ambiguity in roles between the functional manager and the project manager can lead to problems in resource allocation and decision-making processes. Therefore, it is essential to define clear authority and responsibilities and maintain open communication.
- Managing the relationship with top management: The project manager maintains an effective relationship with top management. This ensures the provision of necessary resources and support for the project's success. However, this relationship should not lead to complexities regarding authority and responsibilities.
Functional Manager
- Area of expertise: The functional manager typically has deep knowledge in a specific area of expertise (e.g., finance, engineering, etc.). This assists the project manager in understanding the specific requirements of the project and making correct decisions.
- Technical management skills: The functional manager analyzes technical tasks and understands the details.
- Technical decision making: The functional manager decides how a task will be done and by whom.
- Analytical approach: The functional manager adopts an analytical approach and makes decisions using data.
- Technical oversight: The functional manager monitors and tracks the technical aspects of the project.
Responsibilities of a Project Manager
To the Company (Organization):
- Efficient use of resources: The project manager must effectively manage the organization's resources and ensure their efficient use. Elements within this scope include controlling the budget, ensuring evaluation based on the skills of team members, or procuring materials on time.
- Implementing timely and accurate communication: Communication plays a critical role in the success of the project. The project manager must communicate timely and effectively with both the project team and stakeholders. Sharing accurate information, conveying goals clearly, and discussing problems promptly are important factors affecting project success.
- Managing the project with careful and competitive approach: The project manager must carefully manage the project process and make strategic decisions to achieve project objectives. In a competitive environment, effectively managing the project process is essential to maintaining a competitive advantage.
- Protecting the company from risks: The project manager must identify, analyze, and take appropriate measures to manage the risks that may arise during the project process. Identifying risks in advance is important to protect the company's reputation, financial status, and operational continuity.
- Timely submission of project reports on budget and schedule: The project manager must regularly submit reports on the project progress and ensure that these reports are consistent with budget and schedule objectives. Timely and accurate reporting helps senior management make informed decisions.
- Timely communication of problems to senior management: The project manager must identify and communicate problems promptly to senior management. Identifying potential problems in advance ensures that corrective actions are taken before it's too late.
To the Project and Customer:
- Maintaining balance of requests: The project manager must maintain a balance between customer demands and project requirements. While the customer may have changing demands or priorities, when these demands fall outside the project scope or excessively consume project resources, the project manager must consider these requests while maintaining project integrity.
- Resolving conflicts between parties: Conflicts may arise between the customer, project team, and other stakeholders during the project process. Disagreements may arise over change requests, budget constraints, or time pressure. The project manager must effectively resolve such conflicts to ensure project progress.
- Achieving project quality, cost, and time objectives: The project manager must direct the project team effectively, allocate resources correctly, and manage the process effectively to achieve these objectives.
To Team Members:
- Being honest, respectful, fair, and consistent: Increases team members' motivation and trust. Everyone should be treated equally. There should be open communication and transparency. Respect ensures that everyone feels their ideas and contributions are valued, and consistency ensures that decisions and behaviors are consistently implemented. Thus, team members' expectations can be managed better.
- Assisting in the dissolution of the team after project completion: The project manager must manage and support the dissolution of the team when the project is completed. They should facilitate the transition of team members to new roles. Thanking team members, celebrating successes, and encouraging future collaborations are important. Additionally, providing resources to support team members' career goals and development needs is among the project manager's responsibilities.
Main Task of a Project Manager
The main task of a project manager is to provide necessary resources. However, while providing resources, the following challenges are often encountered:
- Insufficient budget: The budget allocated for the project may often be insufficient. In such cases, the project manager may need to find alternative funding sources or use existing resources more efficiently to complete the project with limited resources.
- Uncertainty: There may be many uncertainties initially. The project manager may struggle to accurately determine resource requirements because various factors that may vary throughout the project may exist. Flexibility and constantly updating plans are essential to cope with these uncertainties.
- Need for additional resources and cost implications: As the project progresses or unexpected situations arise, the need for additional resources may arise. These additional resources can increase the project's cost, requiring the project manager to use budget management skills to manage limited resources effectively. (Cost-benefit ratio)
- Resource competition: The project manager may compete with the functional manager or other project managers to manage limited resources. When resources need to be distributed among different projects, this situation can turn into a "win-lose" situation, where one project gains resources while others lose. In such cases, the project manager may need to struggle to distribute resources fairly and effectively.
Skills of a Good Project Manager
- Strong communication skills: Must be able to listen and persuade others.
- Ability to organize: Must be able to plan, set goals, and analyze them.
- Ability to build a team: Must be able to empathize with people, motivate them, and create team spirit.
- Ability to lead the team: Must set an example with thoughts and actions, be energetic, forward-thinking, represent the company, and demonstrate a positive attitude.
- Ability to deal with problems encountered: Must be flexible, creative, patient, and persistent.
- Technical skills: Must have project experience and knowledge gained from the past.
In this article, I defined the role of a project manager, explained the objectives, characteristics, responsibilities, primary task, and skills of a good project manager. In my next article, I will address the topic of Project Organization. You can access this article through this link: Definition of a Good Project Organization