I want to be able to handle project management tasks soon, I guess there will be a lot of coordination and communications. I would like to understand more about this role and take any advice from you guys - how to be a good project manager.
Bezos_M
Jan 13, 22 3:04 pm
There is no shortcut. You need to work under an effective and organized project manager for a few years, then work along side an effective and organized project manager for a few more years. Someone who is willing to teach you and assist you. Then maybe you’ll be able to manage a project.
I say maybe because honestly most people do not have the personality for the role. A lot of people think they want to do it, and end up hating it.
hiall
Jan 13, 22 4:41 pm
I am glad you said there is no shortcut. I guess my question rather be, what type of tasks does
a project manager do?
This is great, thanks for the effort. These tasks are pretty much what I am doing right now maybe 50%. Budgeting is something that I've never done b4. You got an A+ for your assignment.
technophobia
Jan 14, 22 4:18 am
I'm one of the ones who ended up hating it, but I never had the years of mentorship described above. My past with project management has been more of a sink-or-swim type learning experience.
My advice: make sure your company is actually able and willing to do some mentoring or be prepared to learn a lot from failures that didn't necessarily need to happen.
reminiscences82
Jan 14, 22 2:22 am
Here's a few cents:
- Remember projects are a team effort. Know your strengths and other people's strengths in your team - stuff like whose good at coordinating consultants, good at figuring out hard custom details, massaging the challenging client/contractor / collaborator. Let others take the lead in situations they are better suited and provide support/help as necessary.
- stay calm and be proactive in talking to people. Try to find solutions and don't take things going sideways in the project (especially in construction) personally. Learn from every experience and improve for the next time.
- do simple stuff like copying your team in emails, keeping everyone in the loop. Lots of journeymen 'project managers' out there who play petty politics by precluding team members on emails, being hierarchical. It only adds to mistakes in projects. There is usually no reason to hide contracts, fees from your team unless its a special case. It only helps if the staff knows how much time they can spend on a project (fixed fee, hourly etc).
- Remember its about building & maintaining good relations and making sure the team is being as effective/productive with their time and has all the tools to do so. Estimating fees, building schedules, preparing proposals are very straightforward tasks in a technical sense.
- Don't be intimidated by getting 100 emails/phone calls a day. Worse don't brag about how busy you are. Most of it is busy work - the good PM's know which fires to put out and which emails they don't even have to read.
whistler
Jul 26, 23 5:58 pm
Key advice is to understand the process anticipated for the particular project ( construction sequencing / approvals / processing time etc ) and get out in from of the requirements / needs / decision making well in advance. It will allow you to keep the project on track schedule wise and allow you to make adjustments to budget / supply issues is changes occur. Sounds easy right, it's not, but if you can you'll save you and the project a world of hurt.
I want to be able to handle project management tasks soon, I guess there will be a lot of coordination and communications. I would like to understand more about this role and take any advice from you guys - how to be a good project manager.
There is no shortcut.
You need to work under an effective and organized project manager for a few years, then work along side an effective and organized project manager for a few more years. Someone who is willing to teach you and assist you. Then maybe you’ll be able to manage a project.
I say maybe because honestly most people do not have the personality for the role. A lot of people think they want to do it, and end up hating it.
I am glad you said there is no shortcut. I guess my question rather be, what type of tasks does a project manager do?
Did you even bother googling? I suspect not. This is like the 4th result in the first page. Please let me know what grade I earn for doing your assignment for you.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://aiala.com/wp-content/uploads/definitions-of-positions.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiEhp_j_6_1AhXFJzQIHbNGCPMQFnoECAwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw09H_MS-lb05u2Pi2JTBdqO
This is great, thanks for the effort. These tasks are pretty much what I am doing right now maybe 50%. Budgeting is something that I've never done b4. You got an A+ for your assignment.
I'm one of the ones who ended up hating it, but I never had the years of mentorship described above. My past with project management has been more of a sink-or-swim type learning experience. My advice: make sure your company is actually able and willing to do some mentoring or be prepared to learn a lot from failures that didn't necessarily need to happen.
Here's a few cents:
- Remember projects are a team effort. Know your strengths and other people's strengths in your team - stuff like whose good at coordinating consultants, good at figuring out hard custom details, massaging the challenging client/contractor / collaborator. Let others take the lead in situations they are better suited and provide support/help as necessary.
- stay calm and be proactive in talking to people. Try to find solutions and don't take things going sideways in the project (especially in construction) personally. Learn from every experience and improve for the next time.
- do simple stuff like copying your team in emails, keeping everyone in the loop. Lots of journeymen 'project managers' out there who play petty politics by precluding team members on emails, being hierarchical. It only adds to mistakes in projects. There is usually no reason to hide contracts, fees from your team unless its a special case. It only helps if the staff knows how much time they can spend on a project (fixed fee, hourly etc).
- Remember its about building & maintaining good relations and making sure the team is being as effective/productive with their time and has all the tools to do so. Estimating fees, building schedules, preparing proposals are very straightforward tasks in a technical sense.
- Don't be intimidated by getting 100 emails/phone calls a day. Worse don't brag about how busy you are. Most of it is busy work - the good PM's know which fires to put out and which emails they don't even have to read.
Key advice is to understand the process anticipated for the particular project ( construction sequencing / approvals / processing time etc ) and get out in from of the requirements / needs / decision making well in advance. It will allow you to keep the project on track schedule wise and allow you to make adjustments to budget / supply issues is changes occur. Sounds easy right, it's not, but if you can you'll save you and the project a world of hurt.