Managing the Project
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This is particularly good advice if you, like many project managers, came into the management ranks from a technical occupation. Most people in technical occupations are taught a respect for facts and logic, and therefore have a tendency to reject things that don’t fit within a factual and logical context. Unfortunately, the same values and approaches do not work with human beings inside the dynamics of a typical organization. If you have problems in this area, then make that area of learning your next goal. As you put the finishing touches on your project plan, verify each element of the schedule. Next, take a moment to appreciate the hard work and insight that has brought you to this point. Then take a deep breath. Now you’re ready to actually manage the project.
What You Need to be a Great Project Manager Like all managers, project managers must be leaders. They must know the business of their organizations. They must know about current concepts in management, from effective team approaches to empowerment, from TQM to MBO, from appraising performance to running meetings to preparing reports to working with other departments. They must be able to negotiate, to build consensus, to work and play well with others. Project management, like all management, requires good people skills. Project management has unique elements as well. The technical aspects of project planning, the power of the Triple Constraints, the use of mathematical and statistical tools specific to the project world—all are part of the special world of project management. In this chapter, you’ll learn some of the management issues and problems of the project manager. To explore every single aspect of being an outstanding project manager would require including book-length chapters on teams, office politics, self-esteem,
