Job Description of a Project Manager
The role of the project manager is to plan, coordinate, execute, and finalize the projects specified in order to fulfill its requirements. As a result, the managers get the required resources like labor and capital then organize them in order to produce the required output within strict deadlines (Field 284).
The responsibilities of a project manager include supervising and directing the project development from the beginning to the end. As a result, they define the scope, goals, and objectives of the project, thus ensuring that the project plan is developed and communicated to the executing team (Meredith 127). Nonetheless, the managers also draft and present the budget proposal to the company to ensure that resources and funds are available. Another key responsibility is to manage the critical paths, conflicts among members and control reports, documentations, and progress of the project (Field 105).
Qualities of a Project Manager
Further, this paper discusses the important qualities of a project manager to ensure that the project is successful. It also looks at the best qualities ranging from intrapersonal, interpersonal, and other general qualities. The project managers need to be visionary. This means that they should be able to see the beginning, progress and the end of the project. However, what matters most is to cultivate the same vision to the team members and to ensure that all of them have a clear vision of what the company wants to achieve. (Meredith 214).
In his book, Meredith further stated that the project managers should have good communication skills (105).This will be useful in explaining the company requirements to the members and communicating every aspect of the project to the company as well as to his teammates. The same skill will be useful in inspiring the members to work hard towards achieving the set objectives
Nonetheless, project managers are leaders. They must be able to get their subordinates trust as a leader towards achieving the project’s objective.They should have a good competent and success record. Moreover, the managers should be able to inspire, encourage, and motivate other members to work towards required objectives (Field 275).
Another important skill of project managers is their problem solving skills (Meredith 105). This will be important as some problems faced by members and affecting the smooth running of the project needs solving before they affect the time scope and quality of the project (Kerzner 99). Kerzner explained further that the managers should see problems as opportunities and use their ability to generate ideas, quick action, and decision-making to get rid of all problems (99).
It is also important for project managers to be able to delegate duties. This shows his trust for other staff members and his/her ability to know the strengths and weaknesses of his members. The delegation of responsibilities ensures that tasks are divided and solved even when the manager is not present or is busy with other responsibilities. Delegation motivates team members by way of showing that they are trusted and accepted as an important part of the team (Field 397).
In conclusion, leadership and communication skills enable project managers to motivate team members, solve problems, and use their leadership skills to guide members and to delegate tasks in a good manner. It also helps them to show people the mission of the project and to make them understand what it takes to achieve it.
Works cited
Field, Mike, and Laurie Keller. Project Management. London, Walton Hall: Cengage Learning EMEA, 1998. Print.
Kerzner, Harold. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling,
and Controlling. Columbus, Ohio: John Wiley & Sons, 2006. Print.
Meredith, Jack R., and Samuel J. Mantel. Project Management: A Managerial Approach. Columbus, Ohio: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.