A good and effective IT Project Manager - what should it be and what features should it have?
13.11.2016
Many projects fail due to poor management. It doesn't matter what industry we operate in - whether we are building a highway running across the entire width of Poland, or whether we are participating in an important mobile project. Initially, each project consists of a number of unknowns, and our goal (a good PM) is to arrange processes in such a way that their analysis, planning and final implementation run smoothly. After all, we risk losing a client or the company's reputation. Project Manager is a very responsible position in the work of every development house. Not every person is ready to take this position and it is worth being aware of that. Based on experience, I present below 5 features, in my opinion the most valuable, that a good Project Manager should have.
1. Has leadership qualities
A good PM is respected in the team. He is optimistic about the team and its results, but keeps his distance to all stakeholders. He can critically look at the whole project and does not hesitate to express his (sometimes bluntly) opinion on a given topic. A good PM understands the team and its difficulties, can quickly help in solving problems and react to emerging situations. The team knows that "providence" is watching over them and thanks to this, their motivation grows along with their effectiveness.
2. He listens and asks
It is not without reason that the saying "speech is silver and silence is golden" is considered to be one of the most important, because this is the principle that most good project managers follow. Listening to stakeholders and then in-depth analysis of data obtained from the interview allow you to critically assess situations, look at the project more “horizontally” and see the unused potential of human resources.
3. Cares about relationships
Both the end customer and the team require a good working atmosphere, otherwise unnecessary tensions arise, which does not have a positive effect on the project. Any loss of time in the project, as well as problems in communication with the client cause delays and dissatisfaction on both sides - the client starts to get nervous and is less satisfied with our services, and the team loses motivation, which reduces its efficiency.
4. Likes details
Undoubtedly, one of the key features of a good project manager is the ability to look at a project through the prism of detail. Each new CR (change request), each task, each bug requires the focus and attention of the project manager. The developer's task is to program, and the wrong interpretation of what he is supposed to program can be blamed not on him, but on PM who did not do his homework and did not ask the client how the given functionality should actually work. Of course, it is not the case that the project manager knows all the tasks of the stakeholders by heart, but he is aware of the importance of focusing his attention on the details - it is from them that the greatest inspirations, but also problems, often arise.
5. Maintains quality, cares about the budget, sticks to deadlines
In case of problems - a good PM should respond immediately. Each loss of time means costs for the development company, and for the client, a delay in delivering the project. Quality assurance is the key to a good product. This can be done thanks to proper communication in the team, proposing good solutions to the client, quick response to errors. Efficient management of the client's time and budget is possible if we provide daily communication, daily standups (information for the client about what has been done and what will be done today) and weekly demo (showing the client a demo version of the project containing the work done throughout the week).
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