A project manager, quite simply defined, is an individual who is responsible for the entire project. He or she is not responsible for completing every task. Indeed, it is unlikely that the manager would even have every skill needed to complete all the work. He or she is simply the final decision maker. This person will usually be considered responsible for the success or failure of a project, unless other reasons for the outcome are blatantly obvious.

A successful project manager uses a variety of skills. He or she must be able to efficiently obtain information which is then used to make informed predictions and business decisions. The ability to thoroughly analyze, create and implement successful projects requires dedication and foresight. A very organized, self-disciplined individual with experience in presentations is well fitted to a managerial position. This kind of manager stands out as a team leader who inspires employees and at the same time effectively achieves positive communication with customers when needed.

After the formalities of decision-making are over, the manager’s hard work begins. Managers must envision the progress that should be made with an impartial eye. Adjustments may need to be made in the progress of goals and the effectiveness of actions. Team motivation and focus is essential and managers should be vigilant with these things as teamwork equals quality. Quality is pivotal in the overall progress of the project. Amidst all of this the manager has to keep an eye on time constrains and budgeting. A watchful eye for quality assurance will determine success or failure of any project. Effective planning eliminates actions not useful or damaging to the project.

The project manager will also need to define a plan and manage any changes to that plan, all while keeping project goals in mind. The goals for the project must be created, as well as a plan of action for accomplishing them. The process of bringing these goals to pass must be managed without allowing them to go beyond the scope of the goals themselves. There must also be a contingency plan for identifiable risks should they come to be a problem. There must also be a determination of any changes to the scope of the project, as well as an estimation of costs, all of which must be put in writing with the customer.

Evaluation of a team’s assets and liabilities is essential to good leadership. The good project manager will also be able to use this knowledge to achieve the most successful results from his or her team. Diplomacy combined successfully with assertiveness, rather than aggressiveness, is a useful combination of skills. Clear lines of communication to the team and among team members are important. It should be noted that, while maintaining the schedule is the manager’s responsibility, team members should have input into developing this schedule.

In 1969, the Project Management Institute, or PMI, came into existence. It was meant to ensure that project managers got the skills they needed for current success and future advancement. In 1981, PMI directors published a set of appropriate standards and guidelines. This frequently updated guide to project management is referred to as the PMBOK, and should be carefully reviewed by those who wish to be successful project managers.

IntroductionThe title of project manager (PM) is used to mean different things in different companies.  Fortunately there is a standards body called the Project Management Institute which provides excellent guidance around the role and function of a project manager.

Some will disagree, but I don’t care if your project manager is PMI certified or not.  You need to care about having a project manager with the skill to carry out the role as the Institute defines it.  It’s your change management strategy, and it’s your reputation on the line.

Finding a Project Manager

Do you need a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)?  As I said above, I don’t care.  There are newly certified PMP’s who have taken their tests and gotten the certification, but they may not be battle tested.  There are veteran project managers who never got the fancy title, but they know how to manage projects.  And there is everything in between.  The track record is what you need to care about.

Do you have a strong PM on your team now?  Is that person well respected, perhaps a key opinion leader in your organization?  Do they treat project management as a profession?  Then by all means use them.

If, on the other hand, project manager has been a title used by junior, untrained people who walk around with a task list and a clip board, it’s time to bring on stronger talent.

Your fastest route to a proven project manager will be a contract hire, either from a reputable firm or an independent.  There are many good ones out there.  Get and check references, and interview at least three.  Let your key opinion leaders and managers interview them as well.  Look for their track record and for good chemistry.

Set the Project Manager Up for Success

Simply put, everyone needs to understand that the project manager is your alter ego.  Everyone includes you.

Your managers and project leaders must understand that they are accountable to the PM for providing all of their tasks, their dependencies on other tasks and other work units, their schedule commitments, and their resource requirements.

They need to understand that the PM will review all of their information and look for problems.  These could include missed tasks, schedule inconsistencies, resource overloads, etc.  Often managers will tell the PM that they can handle some of these problems, by working people longer hours or by overlapping some tasks “by a day or two”.  A good project manager is going to challenge such claims, and you’ll need to stand behind the PM.

The PM is going to hold everyone accountable for milestone deliverables.  In most projects, especially those that are complex, milestones are missed and contingency plans must be activated.  Again, you as the leader need to support the PM as they hold people accountable.

Handling Conflicts

It’s entirely possible that the PM will have conflicts with managers, team leads or others in the organization.  Make it safe for people to discuss and bring up such conflicts.  Just because the PM is your alter ego doesn’t make them right — any more than you are always right.

Engage your key opinion leaders along with the project manager and others.  Find out the facts contributing to the conflict, and make the decisions necessary to get the change management strategy back on track.

Change management strategies that fail often do so because of poor project management.  Don’t let that happen to you.

So, you’ve made the decision to become a Project Manager. Have you ever asked yourself why? I know that the general consensus these days is that the Project Management profession is growing and that there is a tremendous need for experienced project managers. What an incredible opportunity!Your choice to become a project manager may be quite logical based on your current career path. After all, you’ve been successful as a systems analyst, developer, or whatever else it is that you do – so why not move up the career ladder and get a pay raise by becoming a Project Manager? After all, everyone knows that project managers do make a lot of money for not really doing anything, don’t they?

Now obviously I’m being facetious. But you must recognize that there is this myth prevalent in the IT industry that project managers are not real workers. Why? Maybe it’s because the work that we do sometimes has a sense of “invisibility” – a lot of it is intangible. In many cases, your clients will not see any physical output except when the project is delivered successfully.

To try to prevent this perception from materializing, some project managers respond by getting very involved in the detailed tasks – in an effort to prove to their clients, their teams, and maybe even themselves that they really are working – that they are valuable to the project.

Sadly, because they often schedule themselves to complete critical tasks, the oversight and control that they were supposed to be exerting as project managers does not get done and so the crises begin.

So, take this time to assess yourself. Do you truly believe that you have the skills and disposition to become a successful Project Manager? Do you know what these are?

Well, that’s where we come in. I have decided to approach this assessment in much the same way as we analyze any product that has proven successful. Let’s use the metric known as “Fitness for Use”.

Fitness for Use

Most of you may be are familiar with the term “Fitness for Use” when it is applied to software or hardware analysis. Is the software or hardware that we are recommending or developing going to fit the needs as specified by our clients? These requirements can be reviewed from both qualitative or quantitative terms – it doesn’t really matter. The main purpose of this evaluation is to ensure that any component or system that is recommended should be fit for use in the environment that it is being installed and under the constraints that may exist or that is specified by our clients.

So how does this apply to Project Management?

Well, think of modifying the acronym “F.I.T™” to represent the three key characteristics that any successful project manager should demonstrate:

Focus Intensity Training

The Standish Group’s Chaos Report recognized that part of the reasons for project failure could be attributed to the inexperience and lack of training of the assigned Project Manager. In other words, the Project Manager that was assigned was not F.I.T™ for the job.

We need to make sure that you are F.I.T™ for this position. This approach may seem a bit radical, but believe me, it is what has helped me set the foundation for a successful career. I have no doubt that it will do the same for you.

In Parts 2 to 4 of this article, we will be exploring the nature of F.I.T.™ and determine how you can use this information to improve your project management capabilities and levels of project success.

The traditional project manager role focused on the processes and tools needed to complete a project within a set budget and time frame. It no longer makes best business sense to develop a long-term plan and stick to it at all costs. Factors such as globalization, stricter accountability, employee development, change and risk management and unstable economic conditions all require that companies today have to be able to adapt quickly and to be flexible to succeed in tough economic times.

How does this impact on the project manager interview?

Project managers need to be flexible and adaptable. The change management process is essential to the success of a project.  Project manager interview questions will explore the ability of the candidate to quickly assess a new situation and adapt effectively to it. The project manager needs to fill the role of  coach, communicator and conflict and resistance manager with the team when change is introduced.

They need to be strategic thinkers who can successfully build strategies consistent with organizational beliefs, goals and plans. The project manager is required to consider not only the success of the project itself but also the success of the project outcome. What is the strategic impact of the project? The new role of the project manager requires a comprehensive knowledge of the strategy that the project is supporting and the ability to place the project in the context of an existing strategic plan.

Project managers need to come up with innovative ways of improving effectiveness and finding solutions to challenges. The project  manager should go beyond accepting and implementing the first solution that comes to mind. Solutions need to be found through the generation of ideas and possible alternatives in a creative manner and thinking out of the box can go a long way in finding workable solutions.  Expect interview questions that determine your willingness to be creative and inventive with both the initiation of a new project as well as the components of an existing project.

The modern project manager must be able to motivate and inspire confidence in the project team regardless of the difficulties and challenges they face. Leadership skills are key to successful project management. An effective project manager needs to lead though setting goals and using the most appropriate methods to guide and influence the project team towards goal attainment. Good leaders make team members feel they have a real stake in the project and encourage them to participate in meeting challenges. Interview questions will explore the ability to effectively structure a team, to implement and maintain good intra-team communication and to enhance team satisfaction. Encouragement and positive reinforcement are key to getting the team to effectively work together.

Project management tools and processes remain important but the emphasis has shifted in the project manager interview to an exploration of whether the candidate has these key project leadership skills.

The Project Manager Interview Guide helps you prepare successfully for your job interview.