Project manager is a vocal and visible champion who steers and keeps the project activities abreast. In fact, he/she is the connector of the gap between the client and the company and is responsible for planning, organizing and controlling project resources to ensure full implementation of the project. The manager is responsible for securing and accepting any deliveries from either the stakeholder or sponsor.
Project manager demonstrates huge interest in support and development of the outcome of the project by spending a great deal of time in managing and making sure everyone is working at full potential. In order to define the specific objective of the project, manager should work out the plan with the project sponsor and then develop a plan to accomplish these objectives within the budget, scope and schedule (Kouzes, 2006).
In addition to the overall management skills, managers are required to possess certain skills that are deemed important to aid their work, they include interpersonal skills-an effective manager should be able to create a good relationship with the team members. He should be concerned and know how to motivate them for a strong team work.
The managers should also be effective in problem solving skills such that he/she is able to anticipate the problem, diagnose them as they arise and give them permanent solution very fast and efficiently. Moreover, the manager must have technical skills in order to give satisfying results. He/she should have technical know-how, which is the immense knowledge and skills to a particular occupation.
The manager plays three roles. Planning is the primary function of managers, once they are given contract by the sponsors they need to agree responsibility and soon set goals focusing on achieving objectives. Organizing means securing and allocating the necessary materials to the task and also aligning the team members. After the project is initiated, the manager embarks on controlling, which involves monitoring and comparing it with the plan in order to ensure effective performance (Nokes, 2007).
The most important qualities of a project manager are the ability to lead by an example. There is a need for a manager to have integrity in his/her work. Managers should remember to lead by their actions and not words. In fact, leadership demands commitment and total demonstration of values and dedication to honesty in order to earn the trust.
The managers also should be visionary. They are able to vision where to go and articulate it especially in times of change. Team members like visionary leaders since they are able to change in the right direction and draw new boundaries. Therefore, they empower the members to experience the vision on their own. Visionary leaders are able to generate new ideas that propel the organization to the next level and always enable members to have a real stake in the project (Nokes, 2007).
My colleagues’ description shows project manager as the personnel mandated to oversee the undertakings of the project. In most cases, project managers initiate the project at the early stage of planning and designing. Although some industries use a variation of these stages the project manager should execute, monitor and ensure completion of the project (Koontz and O’Donnell, 2005). An effective manager overcomes the preconceived constraints that prevent the completion of the project. These are the financial/budgetary constraints, time, and scope.
References
Kouzes. J. (2006). The Leadership Challenge. London. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Bennis W. (2007). Learning to Lead. Addison. Wesley Printers.
Nokes S. (2007). The Definitive Guide to Project Management. London. Prentice Hall.
Koontz and O’Donnell. (2005). Five Functions of Management. Ohio. University Press.
