The Project Manager

A project manager (PM) needs to wear many different hats, and therefore the PM needs to be a generalist rather than a specialist. The PM needs to be multi-skilled in order to manage the complexities and to meet the heavy demands in a project. Young [4:30-31] identified the following responsibilities of a PM:

As a result, The PM needs the ability to handle stress and many PMs will tell you that they often feel that they need to be super-human to manage a project effectively! To handle the demands of a project, the PM must understand the basic goals of the project, have the support of top management, build and maintain a solid information network, and remain flexible about as many project aspects as possible.

It is even said that a project manager must like trouble and he must be capable of evaluating risk and uncertainty. Therefore, not everybody has the makeup of a project manager. Kerzner identified the following basic characteristics of a PM:

A Project Manager needs, amongst others, the following skills:

Credibility: The PM needs both technical and administrative credibility. Technical credibility refers to the technical knowledge needed to direct the project. Although the PM does not need to have a high level of expertise, the stakeholders need to perceive the PM as a person with sufficient technical knowledge to successfully manage the project. Administrative credibility refers to the ability to perform various administrative responsibilities with apparently effortless skill. These responsibilities include, amongst others, keeping the project on schedule and within budget constraints, and reporting on project progress on a regular basis.

Leadership: The PM needs to possess various leadership qualities to effectively manage the team members. Enthusiasm, optimism, energy, tenacity and courage must be part of the PM’s attitude and behaviour in leading the team members. The PM has to know and believe in the vision, share it with the stakeholders, and bring the vision to life. The PM as the leader must influence the stakeholders positively through effective communication and by being visible (being available for the stakeholders, especially in times of crisis). Taking all this into consideration, it is apparent that the PM also needs to be a great motivator.

Sensitivity: The PM has to be politically sensitive: in his dealings and negotiations with various stakeholders, he needs to sense the feelings, priorities, agendas and personal objectives of the individuals involved, and keep everybody happy without jeopardising the successful achievement of the project. The PM also needs to sense interpersonal conflict on the project team or between team members and outsiders. Rivalries, jealousies, friendships and hostilities are issues the PM needs to deal with. The PM also has to sense when somebody is trying to cover up failures. In this sense, technical sensitivity comes to play.

Management Skills: The PM is not only a leader but also a manager. The PM needs to be a competent problem-solver; decision-maker; communicator; entrepreneur; planner; organiser; controller and facilitator. These “soft skills” are essential attributes of a successful PM.