Publish date:

• 25th November, 2020

Project managers are the axis or pivot on which a project revolves. They are responsible for the planning and successful execution of projects within the designated time frame and keeping track of their progress, including budgets, which may go haywire. Project managers are required in many industries, such as construction, IT, HR, and marketing. In this blog, we are looking at the role of project managers in a holistic manner. 

The qualifications needed to be a project manager are: 

• 5 – 10 years of experience in project management as a team member 

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is an added asset 

• Ability to solve problems with relative ease 

• Analytical skills 

• Good interpersonal skills 

• Good communication (written and verbal) skills 

• experience of seeing the project through its entire life cycle 

The myriad responsibilities of a project manager are: 

• Defining the scope and objectives of the project, its size, and its nature are irrelevant. 

• Forecasting of the finances needed for the timely and successful completion of the project 

• Monitor the costs on an ongoing basis to see that it don’t exceed the proposed budget 

• Prepare the project schedule till completion 

• Prepare the work plan for all 

• Resource and task allocation 

• Resolving issues being faced by team members along the journey 

• Communication with all stakeholders regularly 

• Dealing with vendors and suppliers via contracts, and tasks, and conveying deliverable responsibilities. 

• Keeping the project on track using best practices and standards 

• Making adjustments along the journey as and when required 

• Documentation 

• Measure project performance for analysis and areas of improvement

Project manager Mr. Dinesh Kapoor, working with a Gurgaon-based MNC, says, “Working as a project manager with team members spread around the world has its own set of challenges and cultural issues. A sense of calm and serenity is needed to ensure that you don’t go crazy and lose your mind in the mayhem of deadlines and information”.  

As you can see, project managers are the generals who lead the project from the front. They need to have the necessary skills and experience to succeed in their role. An experienced, empathetic, humble, and communicative project manager is a gold benchmark that we all need to aspire to.