Project management is a key factor in any project. It’s important to have proper project management to ensure your project goes as intended. There are many factors that will influence the outcome of a project. But it all begins with the upfront planning process. This is all part of the project management process. Poor project management from the beginning can derail any project. Many businesses fail to carry out any form of insurance process that will ensure that a project is completed on time.
If a project manager does not know how to effectively plan out a project, then there is no chance of success. Even with a decent project manager, most projects are not completed on time or effectively at least fifty percent of the time. This is why the planning stage is the most important aspect of a project. Before any tasks can be completed, the team needs to understand what is required of them and where they work the most effectively. This means your project manager needs to be someone who can start a task and work effectively in the planning stages.
Another huge issue is the ability to communicate not only with the clients but also with those who are on the team. In order to understand the qualities and details of the project, a manager must have communication skills. This does not mean just speaking eloquently, it also means having the ability to listen and comprehend instructions. The success of the project is based primarily on how the project manager interprets what the client is looking for from your company. If they get it wrong, you could lose business.
Along with communication, there needs to be meetings on a regular basis between your project manager and team or client. These meetings can allow all parties to see what has been accomplished and what goals are being worked on. This also allows the client to determine if the PM has correctly interpreted their needs. If there are any miscommunications, they can be cleared up. The project manager can then get on the right track without much delay or wasted time. When a project manager has irregular meetings or none at all, this can create chaos and can waste manpower hours. And again, this can mean an unhappy client who takes their business elsewhere.
Finally, a good project manager has to be able to handle the monetary side of the project which includes sticking to the budget that the client has provided. You never want a PM telling a client that he has mismanaged the funds or overspent. Instead, there should be constant watch on the budget. The planning phase should have set up a schedule but it’s the manager’s job to ensure it is adhered to completely.
As has been illustrated, there are many areas where a project manager needs to be proficient in and have the skills in order to be effective. While there are many tasks in a project that can be delegated, the above can only be handled by the PM. If you want to have successful projects, you must first hire a project manager who can handle the full workload and who has many different skill sets.
About Author
Dirk has written this article for Inloox,one of the best project management software that integrates with Outlook and works on the cloud.
