Characteristics of Project Manager

Executive Summary

The aim of the report is the write about the project manager. Discussion and analyzing the quality and skills that a project manager have will be on the report. There will also be the case study and analyzing if the project manager in the case study is a good or bad manager. In the first part of the main body, the report will discuss about the quality of the project manager from communication skills, enthusiasm and empathy.

The competencies and managerial effectiveness will come after that. In this part we will see from the aspect of goal setting, human resource management, and delegating task, time planning and budgeting. After that, it will be the case study discussion on Lena showing that she has the good competencies of delegating task, good communication skills, trust, empathy and responsible project manager.

Concluding the report, a good project manager is vital for a company to be success.

Introduction

The aim of the report is to discuss and analyze the characteristic, quality and the different attribute that a person should acquire to become a good project manager. The report will also write on the case study provided linking the discussion to the project manager inside this case study to see if the manager inside the case study is a good project manager or not. The project manager as team builder: creating an effective team’ (John Kotter, 1996) and ‘according to industry researched from Gartner, poor project manager competency accounts 60 percent of projects failure’ (Maclnnis, 2003) prove that project manager have an really critical role because a project success of failure is very important to a company and can be vital to the organization interest and if the organization will continue to be successful in the business (Ammater & Dukerich, 2002).

It can be seen that a good project manager with good quality and competencies can lead the company to a great success and they definitely play a vital role in this.

Main body

Qualities of project manager

First the report will discuss on some of the important qualities that an individual should have to be competent to be a good project manager. A good project manager needs to inspire a shared vision among the team. It is quoted by Bennis, ‘A leader is the one who life us up, gives us reason for being and gives the vision and spirit to change’ (Bennis, 1997).

A project manager is a leader in a team and he or she should enable the team to feel they have a real stake of the project and experience the vision on their own. Good communication is also very vital for the project manager. Project leadership is about the clear communication about responsibilities and goals. The project managers are the one who communicate with the stakeholders and the team. The manager are the link between them to let the team member knows what the stakeholders want and also receive feedback from the team (Bennis, 1997).

A good project manager should also have the quality of enthusiasm and empathy. It is for sure that a team will never like their leader to be negative as they bring the team spirit down. The project manager have the have the magical power to make the team believe that they are part of an invigorating journey and feel a can do attitude on the leader. A confident leader with enthusiasm will always be move chance in motivating a group. Empathy presupposes the existence of the object as a separate individual, entitled her own feelings and ideas (Norman, 1970).

It is always a god feeling for the team member that it will be nice when the project manager acknowledge that all team members have a life outside and consider this into the situation and does not put what he or she dislikes to other team member. Managerial effectiveness and competencies of a project manager Managerial effectiveness refers to a manager that can demonstrate proficiency in repertoire knowledge and abilities that promote organizational success (Boyatzis, 1982). A good leader should have good management on the goal and actions. A good project manager tends to be very goal-focused.

They will always keep mind of the main goal of the project and to make good actions and plans to make sure they achieve the final goal. Effective project manager have the good competencies in human resource management. They normally demonstrate a good ability to gain cooperation, resolve the conflicts and influence others (Boyatzis, 1982; goodings, 1999, Potter, 2001). Normally in the team of a project, it consist of two subordinate; those who are already in the company and those who have abilities that help on the project that are working on and are temporary attached.

It is very normal that these teams and different working style and will have conflicts. A good leader will make constant team building and discussion to resolve this. This is also another competencies related to the leader which are the team-building skills. Delegating task is also a very vital part for a good project to be able to be complete in the best quality and in time. In this, the project manager should demonstrate the trust in others that the team feel like they participate in the task and discussion, the leader delegate the work and controls it.

Time planning and budgeting also defines if the project managers are an effective one or not. Projects have time limits and if the project manager cannot make sure that the project finishes in time it is for sure that the cost for the project will be much higher and cross the budget that it was supposed to be. Understanding the life-cycle for project management is very vital as it makes sure that the manager can understand how to apply the key skills of time management to it.

In budgeting, even the team have accountants looking after the day to day running of the project but it is still essential that a manager keep track on it and make sure it is monitored and not out of budget (Key skills of project manager, Oct 24th, 2003) Directing subordinates are also very crucial as a project manager. Good managers focus on individuals and make sure they develop themselves well and accomplished project goals. Theey will often use formal authority to obtain compliance.

However, managers also use personal authority, organizational policies and procedure to influence others (Boyatzis, 1982; goodings, 1999, Potter, 2001).

Case study evaluation

After reading the case study, it can actually be found out that Lena Merall is actually a very effective and good project manager. She is self-motivated and takes goals setting very vital for the company. Firstly, Lena has very good communication skills as a project manager. She communicated with the company directors and senior manager about the future plans of the company.

After research, she reassures the board that the project she will run will bring profit to the company with her good communication skills. Communicating with the team is also very effective. It can be seeing that Lena are motivated and are very good in goal setting. She set the goal after researching and set up a good project for the company. She is also good in distributing teams. She use team member to research and find potential for the company. Set up a team fast when she decided to work on a project. She show trust and let the team be participating and choose the job that they are good in.

She also show good empathy as she include the two team which can be include last in the first place so they don’t feel left out. This shows that she is good at delegating task and trusting the team.

Conclusion

It can be seen through the report that a project manager plays a vital role in leading an organization to success. Project manager are the team leader and act to be the spiritual power of the group. So it is crucial for the organization to pick a good project manager as the decision and managing style directly affect the team and the project and affect if the organization if they succeed or fail.