Operations Management
Good Project Manager
Written by Richard San Juan for Gaebler Ventures
In the business world, good project managers are needed to ensure that every element of a specific project is running smoothly. We take a look at the role of project management in entrepreneurship.
Project management skills are essential for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Project management is needed especially in the early part of a company's life because it represents the main concept of planning and maintaining both financial and physical resources to bring about the accomplishment of certain objectives and goals related to the project.
Project management lays down a protocol as a guide that can require the involvement of many people for it to succeed efficiently. The emphasis in such a project would require being able to coordinate the different personalities and responsibilities of several people to move directly and efficiently towards a common goal.
For an entrepreneur or small business owner, project management takes on a different meaning.
Usually, the emphasis will not be on the several people you have to manage but rather on the ability of multi-tasking and how to efficiently use the limited financial resources to achieve an objective. In either case, project management provides structure and an efficient plan to be followed. Any deviation from the project manager's directives could lead to the whole project being inefficient with regards to the resources given.
We have established how vital the project manager's role is in overseeing the project to get better productivity, relieve possible bottlenecks in the operation, and target the intended market more effectively. The next step would be to determine what some of the characteristics of good project managers are. As the founder of your company, it would be your responsibility as you bring in more personnel for these highly important positions. Potential project managers you hire could make or break your new company.
The first characteristic of a good project manager to look for is if the candidate good at multi-tasking. In a startup or small business, it is very probable that the project managers would have to be responsible for multiple projects at a time. A good manager should be able to handle all facets of a project like setup, scheduling, documentation, and reporting.
It is also important that the quality of the work is not lessened just because there is more than one project happening simultaneously. Having said that, being able to set the appropriate priorities and schedule accordingly is a must for an effective project manager.
Being able to lead a team is a very important part of project management. It involves a lot of people skills, as well as being able to act as a person of authority and responsibility. Furthermore, the defined role of the project manager is to communicate with all team members to avoid any miscommunication.
It is also essential to give correct guidance to ensure that the project team will be able to fulfill the agenda of the various projects. As a project manager, keeping your team updated about the progress of the projects they are involved in helps motivate them by demonstrating it is not just your project, but their project as well. People who feel they are involved with all aspects of the project tend to work harder.
Richard San Juan is currently pursuing an MBA degree with an emphasis in Finance from DePaul University in Chicago. He is particularly interested in writing about business news and strategies.
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