Do you know what a project manager does? This career has gained momentum in recent years and currently attracts many people.
Corporate projects began to play a prominent role in the work environment. Consequently, professionals in this area began to play a vital role in the success of corporations.
But to become a good manager, it is crucial to understand what makes a project manager and what skills are needed to be successful in this career. Check them out below!
What Does A Project Manager Do?
This professional is responsible for all routines of a project. He executes each step’s planning and defines the goals and objectives to be achieved. It is also up to this professional to evaluate the best methodology for the project’s profile, improving the company’s routines.
Managing a project also involves managing deadlines and continuously analyzing team performance. The project manager must regularly assess which metrics still need to be achieved, existing operational bottlenecks, and other factors influencing the team’s performance. Thus, they will be corrected in the best possible way.
To summarize, the activities of a project manager can be exemplified in four topics.
- Planning each step with everyone involved.
- Management of the activities of all teams.
- Verification of the results of each step.
- Execution of changes when errors are found.
What Is The Expected Education Of A Project Manager?
The formation of a project manager is known for its multidisciplinary character. Those who work in this area know multiple sectors, such as people management and work methodologies.
This is a position that professionals from various areas often assume. But in some cases, the manager may adopt a specific academic background, thus reaching positions such as portfolio manager and project office manager (also known as PMO).
The Importance Of Certifications For The Project Manager
One of the ways to know what a project manager does in depth is to see this professional’s different action strategies. And part of this task can be carried out with the support of courses, even if online, or by reading documentation about the area released by market bodies.
But to turn this knowledge into a factor capable of attracting new jobs, the project manager must invest in certifications. Issued by regulatory bodies, they attest to a person’s ability to act by the rules of a given methodology or management standard.
In other words, a certification is a validation tool for a professional’s skills. They should be obtained even in the case of professionals with undergraduate or graduate degrees in the area since they reinforce the knowledge of a management professional during hiring.
What Are The Skills Of A Project Manager?
Now that you know what a project manager does let’s focus on the skills of a good project manager. They are crucial for people working in the field to have a successful career and face fewer problems in their daily lives. See the main ones below!
Soft Skills
Soft skills are essential for managers. They involve a set of communication skills that help the professional maintain a good dialogue with all those directly or indirectly involved with their work. In this way, negotiations become simpler and always have the objective expected by all. It is essential, therefore, that the manager always works on his soft skills.
As a professional who works directly alongside people from various areas, he must be prepared to deal with the daily challenges of a large corporate project. Thus, from planning to goal alignment, all steps will bring better results.
Leadership
Few management professionals are indeed leaders. And working on this aspect of a person’s training is crucial, as leadership is essential for teams to stay motivated and achieve their goals.
A leader is a professional who can naturally motivate his team to achieve the expected results. He knows the people who work alongside him, knows how to organize them in the corporate environment, and distributes routines in the best possible way.
A manager who knows how to apply good feedback and keep the team on top is also a great leader. Thus, the work environment will always have the necessary climate for everyone to reach their goals.
Organization
The success of many projects depends on your organization. When professionals responsible for management make mistakes in this area, delays and performance drops can be frequent. And in some cases, they can derail the project altogether.
So always have a good organization. Keep a tight grip on critical factors that affect project success, such as:
- the evolution of the scope ;
- the costs;
- the deadlines;
- productivity levels;
- the dates of meetings;
- the goals and objectives of each stage.
With attention to such factors, the company can avoid problems and improve daily performance. In addition, the project manager’s work will have a much higher quality level.
The manager often uses project management software to perform work quickly and safely. With it, the team will have a centralized environment to monitor its activities, which will reduce errors or the chances of something not going as expected. In this way, the results achieved by the team at the end of each stage will always be the best possible.