More Than Managing

The process of leading a project is more than managing the project. The process of leading a project entails the approach utilized to guide the people involved (team, stakeholders, organization) toward the accomplishment of the project’s objectives. This process involves your mindset and leverages key skills like dedication, interpersonal, adaptability, and customer-orientation. If we look back at Chapter 2, many of the roles a project manager performs involve leadership, including

• Planner— Ensures the project is defined properly and completely for success, all stakeholders are engaged, work effort approach is determined, and processes are in place to properly execute and control the project.

• Point Man— Serves as the central point of contact for all oral and written project communications to key stakeholders.

• Facilitator— Ensures that stakeholders and team members from different perspectives understand each other and work together to accomplish the project goals.

• Aligner— Gains agreement from the stakeholders on project definition, success criteria, and approach; manages stakeholder expectations throughout the project while managing the competing demands of time, cost, and quality; gains agreement on resource decisions and issue resolution action steps.

• Problem-Solver— Utilizes root-cause analysis process experience, prior project experiences, and technical knowledge to resolve unforeseen technical issues and to take any necessary corrective actions.

• The Umbrella— Works to shield the project team from the politics and “noise” surrounding the project, so they can stay focused and productive.

• Coach— Determines and communicates the role each team member plays and the importance of that role to the project success, finds ways to motivate each team member, looks for ways to improve the skills of each team member, and provides constructive and timely feedback on individual performances.

• Salesman— This role is focused on “selling” the benefits of the project to the organization, serving as a “change agent,” and inspiring team members to meet project goals and overcome project challenges.