January 5, 2022
By Diana Cardona, Project Management at Xtendo Group
Learn about some of the most important points to successfully complete a project, as well as the skills a Project Manager needs to excel professionally.
What is Project Management?
When we talk about “project management” in the business and private sector, we are referring to the planning, execution, and oversight of a project, with a set of well-defined objectives.
Projects vary according to the company’s profile or the work within a particular area. They may involve many or few employees, distributed across different divisions or working together. The project can be of high complexity or something smaller in the company’s development.
The fact is, for all scenarios, there is a key role responsible for ensuring the progress of the project, overseeing both the incubation and growth stages and the constant supervision until the final phase. This professional profile is that of the Project Manager.
A Project Manager is responsible for planning and executing a specific project. To fulfill this role, they need to have a set of skills and qualities, related to various fields. Some of their knowledge does not come from a specific university degree but from professional or organizational experiences that make them competent for the job.
What are the necessary attributes to be a good Project Manager?
First and foremost, leadership ability. A Project Manager is at the helm of a team, overseeing both daily tasks and partial and/or final results. To do this, they need to have strong interpersonal skills, communicate assertively, multitask effectively, and ask insightful questions.
Their job also involves detecting unspoken assumptions, mediating and resolving conflicts within their team, and making quick decisions under pressure. All of this is done while maintaining open dialogue, motivation, and enthusiasm in the workplace.
In addition to these qualities, the Project Manager simultaneously applies management principles, i.e., understanding the project from end to end, planning, effective resource allocation, ongoing monitoring through reports, and meeting set production timelines.
A critical aspect of a Project Manager’s role is recognizing risks that could jeopardize the project’s success. They are responsible for evaluating these risks continually—formally or informally—studying how they might impact the chances of success and applying techniques or making decisions to minimize them.
What types of risks does a Project Manager face?
Logically, the biggest risk is making some kind of mistake, failing to overcome a setback, or simply not achieving the project’s goals, resulting in losing a client.
Next, risks include operational issues, such as conducting tasks incorrectly or without transparency, leading to fraudulent situations, hacking, or unverified data that complicates the project to varying degrees. The effectiveness of tools and connectivity issues—especially in a virtual work context—are also potential risks that the Project Manager needs to address and eliminate.
The Keys to Developing a Successful Project
The success of a project can be compared to a chemical formula. With the right elements and by following the correct steps, only one possible result exists: the successful achievement of the proposed objectives, on time and in the right form.
However, it should be considered that the initial stage of a project is never simple. Several factors can complicate matters, such as planning problems, time issues, technical difficulties, or personal/group situations, such as lack of trust or morale.
That’s why it’s vital to keep these 6 points in mind to anticipate any obstacle that may arise:
- Clear objectives and goals: Without a clearly defined direction, it is very difficult to deliver quality results. With general objectives to guide, specific ones to focus, and particular ones to address details, the team can develop in an organized and methodical manner. When setting goals, betting on innovation is what makes the difference.
- Effective planning: From the very beginning, it’s crucial to research and master the subject of the project. It’s also essential to create a calendar with timeframes for each task and delivery dates, including the tools that will be used. Additionally, it’s important to have a visionary approach and anticipate any possible contingencies, generating emergency plans to face challenges.
- Efficient control and resource evaluation systems: Smart use of human talent, as well as material and financial resources, is a decisive factor for the success of any project.
- Having an active and committed team: Creating an environment where everyone can freely express their opinions and tasks are distributed equitably are key factors in ensuring a high-performance work environment. With commitment, time, and dedication, a project is unlikely to fail in achieving its goals.
- Budgets: When a project is well-crafted, it’s known from the start how much investment will be required to carry it out. Meeting objectives also means applying the budget without issues, keeping the initial figure throughout the development process.
- Talent, passion, and joy: Giving your best at all times while enjoying the task at hand is a fundamental component in managing any successful project.
With this in mind, both the Project Manager and their team can approach their goals equipped with the necessary preparation to deliver high-quality results.
