You turned up for work one day and your boss took you to one side and broke the ‘good’ news. Congratulations, you are now in charge of a medium to large sized project. It’s not a planned career path but somehow you have become an ‘accidental PM’.
How did this happen to you? Well, you’ve worked hard and smart, and proven you know your stuff in your chosen field of expertise, so you’re not altogether surprised at this sudden ‘promotion’, but you still have to ask yourself, ‘What does a project manager do?’.
That’s the questions that every ‘accidental project manager’ asks themselves when the enormity of their new role begins to crystallize in their minds. While you didn’t choose this twist in your career, it’s one you’ll need to get a handle on quickly, so here are a list of basic skills you will already possess or will have to develop fast.
Good Communicator
PM’s must be good communicators. You will be dealing with key stakeholders, managing clients needs, negotiating with contractors and leading a team. You will have to do a lot more than simply hand out brochures and send the occassional memo to keep relevant parties up to date about the project!
Team Building Skills
Your team may be cobbled together from different departments from within your organization and also include contractors. Many of these good folk will not be acquainted, or worse, know but not like each other. It’s your job as PM to turn this group into a lean, mean, productive dream team.
There are a number of steps to follow that will help you achieve the best team possible from your HR. Begin with:
- A common purpose
- Clearly define each persons role
- Ensure that team members recognize you as the team leader
- Make sure you implement effective processes
- Seek out opportunities to develop solid relationships
- Be an excellent communicator.
Leadership Skills
You have to share your vision, get others to adopt it and use all available resources and your skills to make that vision a reality. Another necessary leadership skill you’ll need to possess in abundance is the ability to stay calm under fire, and believe me, there will be fire! The video below is a compilation of great leadership quotes that I found inspiring and made me think a little different about how I approach tasks.
Problem Solving Skills
I hope you like problems, because as a project manager your job is to manage risks, have contingency plans for every possible scenario that could threaten your projects success, and deal with problems proactively and promptly.
Management Skills
You’re probably used to doing most things yourself, in your own way and to high standards. As PM you have to learn how to delegate tasks to your team and give them the space they need to complete those tasks. Your role as PM is not to do the work, but to manage others as THEY do the work. Check out the video below for advice about becoming a manager.
Knowledge Of Your Industry
While projects have similar processes, it’s best if a person from a construction background handles construction projects, while a person from a media background manages advertising projects. Having knowledge of your industry will mean you will be alert to red-tape and risks, changes in related technologies and project environmental factors that could influence the final outcome of your project goals.
I hope this short survival guide gives you a better insight into the core skills you need to have or develop in order to become a successful PM.
Loading ...Further Reading:
Check out Josh Nankivel’s excellent website and post www.pmstudent.com/8-habits-highly-effective-project-managers/