THE PROJECT MANAGER

Broad Contents

• Skills needed in a Project Manager

• Functional Manager versus Project Managers

• Selecting the Project Manager

• Location, reporting and salary of the Project Manager

• Duties and job description of Project Managers

• Next generation Project Managers

6.1 Skill Requirements for Project Managers:
• Projects are often complex and multifaceted. Managing these projects represents a challenge, requiring skills in team building, leadership,
conflict resolution, technical expertise, planning, organization, entrepreneurship, administration, management support, and the allocation of
resources.
• This section examines these skills relative to Project Management effectiveness. A key factor to good project performance is the Project
Manager's ability to integrate personnel from many disciplines into an effective work team. To get results, the Project Manager must relate to:
• 1. The people to be managed
2. The task to be done
3. The tools available
4. The organizational structure
5. The organizational environment, including the customer community

• All work factors are interrelated and operate under the limited control of the Project Manager. With an understanding of the interaction of
corporate organization and behavior elements, the manager can build an environment conducive to the working team's needs.

• The internal and external forces that impinge on the organization of the project must be reconciled to mutual goals. Thus, the Project Manager
must be, both socially and technically aware to understand how the organization functions and how these functions will affect the Project
organization of the particular job to be done. In addition, the Project Manager must understand the culture and value system of the organization
he is working with. Research and experience show that effective Project Management performance is directly related to the level of proficiency
at which these skills are mastered.
Ten specific skills are identified (in no particular order) and discussed in this section:

1. Team building
2. Leadership
3. Conflict resolution

4. Technical expertise
5. Planning
6. Organization
7. Entrepreneurship

8. Administration
9. Management support
10. Resource allocation
• It is important that the personal management traits underlying these skills operate to form a homogeneous management style.

• The right mixture of skill levels depends on the project task, the techniques employed, the people assigned, and the organizational structure.

• To be effective, Project Managers must consider all facets of getting the job done.

• Their management style must facilitate the integration of multidisciplinary project resources for synergistic operations.

• The days of the manager who gets by with technical expertise alone or pure administrative skills are gone.

• The ten specific skills required in a good Project Manager can be discussed as follows:
1. Team Building Skills:
• Building the project team is one of the prime responsibilities of the Project Manager. Team building involves a whole spectrum of management
skills required to identify, commit, and integrate the various task groups from the traditional functional organization into a single Project
Management system.
• To be effective, the Project Manager must provide an atmosphere conducive to teamwork. He must nurture a climate with the following
characteristics:
• Team members committed to the project
• Good interpersonal relations and team spirit
• The necessary expertise and resources
• Clearly defined goals and project objectives • Involved and supportive top management • Good project leadership • Open communication among
team members and support organizations • A low degree of detrimental interpersonal and inter-group conflict
• Three major considerations are involved in all of the above factors aimed towards integration of people from many disciplines into an effective
team: a) Effective communication b) Sincere interest in the professional growth of team members c) Commitment to the project