Every team needs a good leader. The reason is not to grant an individual with superiority and authority but to have someone who the team can report to, complain to and get motivation from. Such a leader needs to have the skills and intelligence to handle such a task. In team sports, there is always a captain who acts as a leader and whose goal is to manage and guide the team to victory, which is their goal. A project manager has a similar role as well. (Alexandrou)
The Project Manager
The project manager is an individual who has the responsibility to make sure that his/her team accomplishes the set of tasks and achieve the goal, completing the project. The PM is accountable for the outcome of any project and thus needs to have the leadership and managerial qualities needed to guide the project team towards a successful completion. To start off, generally a project manager needs to have the following broad set of qualities:
- A good project manager is a visionary. The ability to visualize the goal makes it possible to work towards it effectively. Thus a good PM has a vision on which he/she bases all their moves and decisions and shares that vision with their team.
- One of the most important attributes of a project manager is the ability to communicate effectively. The PM is the team’s ‘go-to’ person. All complaints and reporting is done to the PM. Apart from that, the PM also has the responsibility to communicate with people outside the team like reporting to top level managers, communication horizontally with other managers, and most of all, communicating the purpose and tasks effectively to the project team.
- Integrity is another important quality. The PM has to set an example for the team and practice good conduct by being ethically and socially responsible. The team looks up to the PM and the PM represents the project and the team. Enthusiasm, empathy and competence are some of the core attributes a good project manager needs to have.
- Other than that, the PM needs to be able to delegate tasks to the team according to the schedules and their expertise. The PM also needs to have the ability to perform under stressful conditions and stay calm. A nervous and stressful leader means a troubled team. And finally, the PM must have skills to identify, analyze and solve problems that come up during the lifecycle of the project. (Barry)
Job Description
As for this particular scenario, LRH needs a typical project manager to manage the tradeshow project, and must fit the following description:
Project Management
- Ability to make plans and work on them.
- The Pm must be able to allocate resources effectively and manage them.
- Should make sure that the team members are at minimum risk.
- The PM should be able to take responsibility to prepare deliverables and report to authority.
- Identify what collaterals need to be updated and assign the tasks accordingly based on the team members’ core areas.
Communication
- Hold and encourage team communication through frequent meetings.
- Keep the team well informed of all the happenings and updates.
- Effectively communicates the required information regarding the project to superiors.
- Must be able to present the information in an understandable manner.
- Motivate the team and create a friendly affable outlet.
- The tradeshow team consists of different types of members with strengths and weaknesses, the PM should be able to keep them in mind while communicating
- Must be able to communicate with clients and customers as well.
Project Accounting
- Keep track of the work hours and the amount of work all team members are doing.
- Manage the project budget.
- Manage the financial aspects such as costs incurred and revenues earned.
- Set targets for these costs and communicate them to the team.
Teamwork
- Appreciates and encourages each team member’s contributions.
- Gives all team members an equal opportunity to work and give input.
- Keeps track of lessons learned and shares those lessons with team members.
- Bale to handle conflict and disagreements within the team.
- Motivates team to work together efficiently.
Leadership
- Set an example for the project team
- Manage progress and control the team members’ activities
- Good leadership includes the proper and fair utilization of authority for the benefit of the team and organization.
- Motivate the team members and guide them through pitfalls, delays, and other project issues.
Client Management
- Must be able to deal with clients on a daily basis.
- Must understand the company well so that he/she can create a positive company image for the clients and customers.
- Take advantage of opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and deepen client relationships by retaining them and providing them with customer delight. (Project Manager Job Description, 2009)
Conclusion
A project manager for LRH needs to be a skillful team player who has strong communication and motivational skills in order to communicate with team members, superiors and clients. Also needed are good leadership skills so that all tasks are fairly and appropriately divided among the team members according to their abilities. The PM also needs to manage progress and visualize the goal and share the vision so that each task is completed successfully and ultimately the project goal is achieved.
References
Alexandrou, m. (n.d.). Project Manager Duties. Web.
Barry, T. R. (n.d.). Top 10 Qualities of a Project Manager. Web.
Project Manager Job Description. (2009). Web.