Manzano, Marie Beth C.

Project Management
BSBA OM III-A

Chapter 10
LEADERSHIP: Being An Effective Project Manager

I couldn’t wait to be the manager of my own project and run the project the way I
thought I should be done. Boy, did I have a lot to learn!
-first time project manager

This chapter:
Based on the premise that one of the keys to being an effective project manager
is building cooperative relationships among different groups of the people to
complete projects.
Will begin with a brief discussion of the differences between leading and
managing a project.
Concludes by identifying personal attributes associated with being as effective
project manager.

Managing versus Leading a Project

The project manager would simply implement the project plan and the project
would be completed.
The project manager would work with others to formulate a schedule, organize a
project team, keep track of progress, and announce what needs to be done next,
and then everyone would change along.
The project manager’s job is to get the project back on track.
A manager
o expedites certain activities;
o figure out ways to solve technical problems;
o serve as a pacemaker when tension rise; and
o makes appropriate trade-offs among time, cost, and scope of the project.
Project managers do more than put out fires and keep the project on track. They
also innovative and adapt to ever-changing circumstances.
Project managers are responsible for integrating assigned resources to complete
the project according to plan.
According to Kotter these two different activities represent the distinction
between management and leadership.
o Management is about coping with complexity, while Leadership is about
coping with change.
Good management brings about order and stability by formulating plans and
objectives, designing structures and procedures, monitoring results against plan,
and taking corrective action when necessary.
Strong leadership, while usually desirable, is not always necessary to successful
complete a project.
Strong leaders can compensate for their managerial weaknesses by having
trusted assistants who oversee and manage the details of the project. A weak
 leader can complement his or her strengths by having assistants who are good at
sensing the need to change and rallying project participants.

Managing Project Stakeholders

First-time project manager are eager to implement their own ideas and
manage their people to successfully complete their project.
New project managers do find time to work directly on the project, they
adopt a hands-on approach to managing the project. They choose this style
not because they are power-hungry egomaniacs but because they are eager
to achieve results.
Some new managers never break out this vicious cycle. Others soon realize
that authority does not equal influence and that being an effective project
manager involves managing a much more complex and expansive set of
interfaces that they had previously anticipated.

To be effective, a project manager must understand how these groups can

affect the project and develop methods for managing the dependency. The nature
of these dependences is identified here:
Project Team manages and completes project work.
Project managers naturally complete with each other for resources and
the support of top management. At the same time they often have to share
resources and exchange information.
Administrative support groups, such as human resources, information
systems, purchasing agents, and maintenance, people valuable support services.
Impose constraints and requirements on the project such as documentation of
expenditures and the timely and accurate delivery of information.
Functional managers, depending on how the project is organized, can
play a minor or major role toward project success.
Top management approves funding of the project and establishes
within the organization.
Project sponsors champion the project and use their influence to gain
approval of the project.
Contractors may do all actual work, in some cases, with the project team
merely coordinating their contributions.
Government agencies place constrains on project work. Permits need
to be secured.
Other organization depending n the nature of the nature of the project,
may directly or indirectly affect the project.
Customers define the scope of the project, and ultimate project success
rests in their satisfaction.

Influence as Exchange
To successfully manage a project, a manager must adroitly build a
cooperative network among divergent allies. Networks are mutually beneficial
alliances that are generally governed by the law of reciprocity.