Every project is different. Even if you are managing what, on paper, looks like the same project as your company ran last year, it will be different. That’s because the team members involved are probably different as some people have left and others joined the company. The business environment is different. And you are different – you’ve got a year’s more experience.
So even very repetitive-seeming projects can have a vastly different outcome. It’s one of the great things about project management and why it’s such a great career choice – managing projects is never boring!
1. Task Management
Projects are made up of tasks, and being abletask management to manage all the tasks is absolutely essential for a project manager. There are a number of task management software solutions to help, but as well as those you will need a strong eye for detail and the ability to chase down updates on progress from your team.
Task management involves ensuring that you know what is going on at any one time, and reorganizing tasks around the available resources as appropriate. Using software to help can make this critical skill easier, as much of the process of getting status updates can be automated.
2. Team Management
Projects aren’t done in isolation, so you’ll be leading a team, even on the smallest project. That team could be just one person, but that individual will still be looking to you for advice and guidance. You’ll be able to put your team management skills into practice on every project.
Team management may come naturally to you or it may be something that you have to work out. It includes ensuring that the team members are motivated, that they know what they are supposed to be working on and that they have the resources required to get their jobs done. Some people say that project management is mainly about giving everyone else the resources and space to do their work, and that’s what team management is all about.
There are also some administrative elements to team management like tracking holidays, sickness absence and ensuring reward and recognition for your team members where it is within your ability to do so.
3. Change Management
Requirements change on projects all the time – it’schange management one of the most annoying things about project work! But it can also be very rewarding. After all, changes normally make a project better as they add more functionality and end up with a better result for the client. So we shouldn’t shy away from changes, but they do need to be managed effectively. Changes should be recorded, assessed and an impact analysis carried out so that you can see what impact the change would have on the schedule, budget, scope and quality. Then someone has to make a decision about whether to incorporate this particular change into the project or not. That’s usually the project sponsor, although they will probably look to you for a recommendation.
Change management is another critical skill for the project manager. If you can manage changes effectively you can introduce new features and changes to the project with full analysis of the impact and the minimum of fuss. Use the existing change process and your change log to effectively manage issues on your project.
4. Issue Management
Just like there are always changes on projects, there are always issues! Something always goes wrong, so if it hasn’t happened on your project yet, just wait. It will! Issues can range from anything from the very small, low impact problem that you can resolve yourself to a massive disaster needing you to convene a team of experts to come up with a solution.
Issue management, whether the problem is big or small, always follows the same process. You have to record the issue, assess the impact and work out what you could do to fix it. There might be several options, in which case you’ll also need to make a decision about which one to go with. If the issue is too large for you to make the decision yourself, you’ll have to make a recommendation to your project sponsor or board and let them make the final call.
Knowing how to deal with problems when they arise is another key skill for project managers. If you can handle issues calmly and smoothly it will not only help the project but also make you look professional too.
5. Presenting
The final key skill to mention is that of being able presentation skills to give good presentations. There will be plenty of moments in your project management career when you will have to stand up in front of a group and give a short talk. That could be during a requirements gathering workshop, in front of 20 project team members, or during a staff conference in front of thousands. Either way, presentation skills are critical as being able to present well shows that you have confidence and public speaking abilities and that will help your career develop.
Many, many people find public speaking a scary thought, even if it is just in front of a small group of people that you know. In fact, speaking to an audience of colleagues is often more scary than speaking to strangers. After all, you won’t see the strangers again! If you make a mistake in front of your colleagues you’ll have to face them the next morning. And the morning after. And the morning after, until news of your presentation mishap dies down. Don’t worry – you can learn good presentation skills and you can get better at them with practice.
Coutesy: ProjectManagement.com
So even very repetitive-seeming projects can have a vastly different outcome. It’s one of the great things about project management and why it’s such a great career choice – managing projects is never boring!
1. Task Management
Projects are made up of tasks, and being abletask management to manage all the tasks is absolutely essential for a project manager. There are a number of task management software solutions to help, but as well as those you will need a strong eye for detail and the ability to chase down updates on progress from your team.
Task management involves ensuring that you know what is going on at any one time, and reorganizing tasks around the available resources as appropriate. Using software to help can make this critical skill easier, as much of the process of getting status updates can be automated.
2. Team Management
Projects aren’t done in isolation, so you’ll be leading a team, even on the smallest project. That team could be just one person, but that individual will still be looking to you for advice and guidance. You’ll be able to put your team management skills into practice on every project.
Team management may come naturally to you or it may be something that you have to work out. It includes ensuring that the team members are motivated, that they know what they are supposed to be working on and that they have the resources required to get their jobs done. Some people say that project management is mainly about giving everyone else the resources and space to do their work, and that’s what team management is all about.
There are also some administrative elements to team management like tracking holidays, sickness absence and ensuring reward and recognition for your team members where it is within your ability to do so.
3. Change Management
Requirements change on projects all the time – it’schange management one of the most annoying things about project work! But it can also be very rewarding. After all, changes normally make a project better as they add more functionality and end up with a better result for the client. So we shouldn’t shy away from changes, but they do need to be managed effectively. Changes should be recorded, assessed and an impact analysis carried out so that you can see what impact the change would have on the schedule, budget, scope and quality. Then someone has to make a decision about whether to incorporate this particular change into the project or not. That’s usually the project sponsor, although they will probably look to you for a recommendation.
Change management is another critical skill for the project manager. If you can manage changes effectively you can introduce new features and changes to the project with full analysis of the impact and the minimum of fuss. Use the existing change process and your change log to effectively manage issues on your project.
4. Issue Management
Just like there are always changes on projects, there are always issues! Something always goes wrong, so if it hasn’t happened on your project yet, just wait. It will! Issues can range from anything from the very small, low impact problem that you can resolve yourself to a massive disaster needing you to convene a team of experts to come up with a solution.
Issue management, whether the problem is big or small, always follows the same process. You have to record the issue, assess the impact and work out what you could do to fix it. There might be several options, in which case you’ll also need to make a decision about which one to go with. If the issue is too large for you to make the decision yourself, you’ll have to make a recommendation to your project sponsor or board and let them make the final call.
Knowing how to deal with problems when they arise is another key skill for project managers. If you can handle issues calmly and smoothly it will not only help the project but also make you look professional too.
5. Presenting
The final key skill to mention is that of being able presentation skills to give good presentations. There will be plenty of moments in your project management career when you will have to stand up in front of a group and give a short talk. That could be during a requirements gathering workshop, in front of 20 project team members, or during a staff conference in front of thousands. Either way, presentation skills are critical as being able to present well shows that you have confidence and public speaking abilities and that will help your career develop.
Many, many people find public speaking a scary thought, even if it is just in front of a small group of people that you know. In fact, speaking to an audience of colleagues is often more scary than speaking to strangers. After all, you won’t see the strangers again! If you make a mistake in front of your colleagues you’ll have to face them the next morning. And the morning after. And the morning after, until news of your presentation mishap dies down. Don’t worry – you can learn good presentation skills and you can get better at them with practice.
Coutesy: ProjectManagement.com
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