The Project Manager

Prepared By:
Dr. Faid Gul 1
 Contents of the Lecture
 Overview of the previous lecture

 Responsibilities of the project manager

 Skills needed to successfully manage projects

 Approaches to effective delegation

 Ways the project manager can manage and control changes

 What is a Project?
 The PMBOK® has defined a project as “A temporary endeavor
undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result”
 Distinction among Portfolio, program and project. Further divisions
of a project include: tasks, work packages and work units
 Attributes of a project include Scope (one time activity), Life Cycle
with a Finite Start & End Date, Interdependencies, Uniqueness,
Resources, Conflict
 Distinction between project, functional areas and operations
Project Life Cycle

Adopted from: Meredith, J. R. & Mantel Jr., S.J. (2011). Project

Management A managerial Approach.(8th Edn.). John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
Project Life Cycle
Adopted from: Meredith, J. R. & Mantel Jr., S.J. (2011). Project
Management A managerial Approach.(8th Edn.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Risk During the Project Life Cycle

Adopted from: Meredith, J. R. & Mantel Jr., S.J. (2011). Project

Management A managerial Approach.(8th Edn.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Risk During the Project Life Cycle

Adopted from: Meredith, J. R. & Mantel Jr., S.J. (2011). Project

Management A managerial Approach.(8th Edn.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc
 Who is Project Manager?
 Project manager is the person assigned by the organization to lead the team
that is responsible for achieving the project objectives
The role of a project manager is distinct from a functional or operations
manager
Typically the functional manager is focused on providing management
oversight for a functional area or a business unit
 Operations managers are responsible for ensuring that business operations
are efficient
 The project manager also works closely and in collaboration with other
roles, such as a business analyst, quality assurance manager, and subject
matter experts
 Who is Project Manager?...
 In addition to any area-specific skills and general management
proficiencies required for the project, effective project management
requires that the project manager possess the following competencies:
 Knowledge—Refers to what the project manager knows about project
management
 Performance—Refers to what the project manager is able to do or

accomplish while applying his or her project management knowledge

 Personal—Refers to how the project manager behaves when performing the

project or related activity. Personal effectiveness encompasses attitudes,

core personality characteristics, and leadership, which provides the ability to
guide the project team while achieving project objectives and balancing the
project constraints
Interpersonal Skills Required for Project Manager
 Leadership  Political and cultural awareness
 Team building  Negotiation
 Motivation  Trust building
 Communication  Conflict management
 Influencing  Coaching
 Decision making

Adopted from PMI PMBOK® 5th Edition

 Project vs. Functional Manager
Project Manager Functional Manager
Oversee many functional areas In charge of 1 functional dept. (e.g. marketing, finance,
human resource)
Generalist-wide background of Specialist in the area they manage
experience and knowledge
More skills at synthesis Analytically oriented
May not have in depth knowledge of all In depth knowledge of the functional area/ operation
areas
Use systems approach Responsible for What, Who, When, Where, Why and
How of each job/task (5W1H Principle)
Facilitator Direct, technical supervisor

Facilitate cooperation/ coordination Know the technology to advise and solve problems
 Responsibilities of Project Manager
 Parent Organization
 Project & Client
 Members of Project Team
 General Public
 Responsibilities to Parent Organization
 Proper conservation of resources
 Timely and accurate project communication
 Competent management of the project
 Keep management informed – project’s status, cost, timing
and prospects
 Running over budget or delay
 Protect firm from risk
 Damage control
 Responsibilities to Project & Client
 Preserve integrity of the project
 Resolve conflicting demands made by many parties –
engineering, marketing, manufacturing, administration,
purchasing
 Ensure the promised quality and performance
 Meet the project schedule
 Assist the client in the design development process to
achieve the projects time, cost and value objectives
Responsibilities to Members of Project Team

 To understand the finite nature of the project

 To understand the specialized nature of the team
 To be concerned with future of team working on the project
 To ensure the smooth transition back to functional units
Responsibilities of the Project Manager…
 The project manager’s responsibility is to ensure the customer is
satisfied that the work scope is completed in a quality manner,
within budget, and on time
 Provides leadership in planning, organizing, and controlling the
work effort
 Coordinates the activities of various team members
 Does not try to do it alone
 Involves the project team to gain their commitment
Responsibilities of the Project Manager in
terms of Management Functions
Planning
 Clearly defines the project objective and reaches agreement with the
customer
 Communicates this objective to the project team
Organizing
 Secures the appropriate resources
 Decides which tasks should be done in-house and which by
subcontractors or consultants
 Assigns responsibility and delegates authority
Responsibilities of the Project Manager in terms
of Management Functions…
Leading

Creates an environment in which individuals are highly motivated

 Inspire the people assigned to the project
 Create vision of the result and benefits of the project

Controlling
Tracks actual progress and compares it with planned progress

Takes immediate action if progress or costs change

Skills of the Project Manager
The project manager is a key ingredient in the success of a project
 Strong leadership ability

 Ability to develop people

 Excellent communication skills

 Good interpersonal skills

 Ability to handle stress

 Problem-solving skills

 Time management skills

Leadership Ability
 Leadership is getting things done through others
 Inspire the people assigned to the project
 Create vision of the result and benefits of the project
 Participative and consultative leadership style
 Establishes the parameters and guidelines for what needs to be done
 Does not tell people how to do their jobs
Leadership Ability…
 Involves and empowers the project team
 Involves individuals in decisions affecting them
 Empowers individuals to make decisions within their assigned areas
 Understands what motivates team members and creates a supportive
environment
 Does not create situations that cause individuals to become discouraged
 Fosters motivation through recognition
Leadership Ability…
 Sets the tone of trust, high expectations, and enjoyment
 Has high expectations of him/her-self and of each person on the project
team
 Is optimistic and positive
 Encourages the same positive attitude
 Is highly motivated and sets a positive example
 Has self-confidence and inspires confidence
 Leads by making things happen
Ability to Develop People
 Committed to the training and development of people
 Uses the project to add value to each person’s experience base
 Believes that all individuals are valuable to the project/ organization
 Stresses the value of self-improvement
 Provides opportunities for learning and development by encouraging
individuals to assume the initiative, take risks, and make decisions
Ability to Develop People…
 Provides assignments that require individuals to extend their

knowledge
 Identifies situations in which less experienced people can learn from

more experienced people

 Has people attend formal training sessions

 May provide coaching

Communication Skills
 Effective and frequent communication is crucial for project success

 Communicate regularly with the project team, subcontractors,

customer, and own upper management

 A high level of communication is especially important early in the

project
 Good oral and written communication skills

 Spend more time listening than talking

Communication Skills…
 Establish ongoing communication with the customer

 Communication should be timely, honest, and unambiguous

 Effective communication establishes credibility and builds trust

 Provide timely feedback to the team, organization and

customer/client
 Create an atmosphere that fosters timely and open communication
Interpersonal Skills
 Good interpersonal skills are essential for effective project

management
 Develop a relationship with each person on the project team

 Try to learn about the personal interests of each individual without

being intrusive
 Should use open-ended questions and do a lot of listening

 Empathize with individuals when special circumstances arise

Interpersonal Skills…

 Maintain relationships throughout the duration of the project

 Use good interpersonal skills to try to influence the thinking and

actions of others
 Use good interpersonal skills to deal with disagreement or

divisiveness
 Use good interpersonal skills to deal with changes and conflicts
Ability to Handle Stress
 Cannot panic; remain composed

 Able to cope with constantly changing conditions

 Act as a buffer between the project team and the customer or upper

management
 Have a good sense of humor

 Stress is likely to be high when a project is in jeopardy of not

meeting its objective(s)

Problem-Solving Skills
 Early identification of a problem or potential problem is important

 Being open to other perspectives

Encourage project team members to identify problems early and solve

them on their own

 Think win-win in a problem solving situation
Time Management Skills
 Have self-discipline
 Be able to prioritize

 Show a willingness to delegate

Time Management Skills (Stephen R. Covey’s time management
matrix)
The Seven Habits
Habit 1 : Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Developing the Skills Needed to Be a Project
Manager
 Gain experience—work on as many projects as you can; each project

presents a learning opportunity

 Seek out feedback from others

 Conduct a self-evaluation and learn from your mistakes

 Interview project managers who have skills that you want to develop

 Participate in training programs

Developing the Skills Needed to Be a Project
Manager…
 Join organizations, such as the Project Management Institute

 Read and subscribe to journals

Volunteer and contribute to the community or a specific cause to

develop leadership skills

 Learning and development are lifetime activities—there’s no finish

line
Delegation
 Involves empowering the team to achieve the objective(s) and

empowering each team member to accomplish the expected results

 Allow individuals to successfully carry out assigned tasks

 Give team members the responsibility to accomplish job objectives

and the authority to make decisions and take actions

 Give team members accountability for accomplishing results
Delegation…
 Requires effective communication skills

 A clear understanding of what is expected in terms of specific results,

but do not tell the individuals how to do the task

 Select the team members who are best qualified to perform each task

and then empowering them to do it

 Have confidence in each member of the team
Common Barriers to Effective Delegation
 Project manager has a personal interest in the task

 Project manager thinks s/he can do it better or faster him/herself

 Project manager lacks confidence in the capability of others

 Project manager is afraid s/he will lose control of the work and not

know what is going on

 Team members fear criticism for mistakes or lack self-confidence
Managing Change
 Despite the best laid plans, changes will still occur

 Changes may be:

Initiated by the customer/ sponsor

Initiated by the project team
Caused by unanticipated occurrences during the performance of the
project
Required by the users of the project results
Managing Change…
 The later in the project that changes are identified, the greater their

effect
 Aspects most likely to be affected are budget and completion date

 At the start of the project, procedures need to be established

regarding how changes will be documented and authorized

Managing Change…
Whenever a customer requests changes:
 Have project team members estimate the effects on cost and

time/schedule
 Be sure team members won’t casually agree to changes that may

require additional person-hours

 Develop open communication and a climate of trust

 Have users participate up front in the decision to change

Thank You