Project managers are critical for the success of any project and being a great project manager can ensure that your endeavour garners the best results possible.
As you embark on your first project as a team leader, it is important that you have in your mind the ways which you will lead your team effectively and successfully. As project manager, you will be the difference between a job well done and a complete failure. And many agencies rely on them to make a success of the project in hand.
Here are some hints and tips for new project managers to help you make your role a resounding success; from your first project and throughout your new career.
Maintain your enthusiasm
As with any new job or opportunity, right now you are most likely filled with enthusiasm and raring to get started on your first project. That feeling of optimism and energy for your new role will be one of the biggest factors in what will make you a great manager rather than just an OK leader. People naturally gravitate to and want to follow others who have a can-do attitude and enthusiasm and positivity is contagious- your team are likely to adopt a similar attitude to yourself. It is important that you maintain this high level of enthusiasm, not only throughout the entirety of this project but throughout the next project and the one after that. For as long as you hold to role of project manager, your positive attitude and willingness to work will help you to ensure you become great at your role.
Further training
The greatest project managers stand out from their crowd as they choose to view project management as a career rather than just a job. As you begin your journey through your new career, you too can stand out by seeking additional training and qualifications. Not only with extra project management qualifications (PMQs) look great on your CV but the additional training will arm you with the tools you will need to be able to work well within a range of industries on a plethora of projects. Courses such as APM PMQ courses will keep you updated with the latest techniques but also give you the knowledge needed to become an outstanding project manager.
Learn to share the load
As project manager, you may feel as though the success of the task relies solely upon yourself. This feeling of responsibility may lead you to attempt to complete much of the project yourself or spread yourself too thin trying to monitor what your team are doing too closely. An important skill you will need to learn early on is the ability to delegate tasks to your team and allow them the time and space to complete these tasks. An essential element of the relationship between project manager and their team is trust and as manager, you must demonstrate the trust you have in your team by leaving them to complete the work you have requested from them.
Communication
As project manager, it is your responsibility to be able to communicate with a range of people effectively to ensure the success of your project. You will need to keep in touch with your team, your own managers, stakeholders and clients in order to see your project through to completion. All project managers need to be effective communicators in order to be able to express expectations, performance, responsibility and feedback. However, great project managers will spend their career improving their communication skills so that any future projects run smoothly and effectively.
As a new project manager, you will already possess the necessary team building and problem solving skills needed to make your first project as success. However, if you are hoping to make a career out of project managing, further training and qualifications are a must to give you the best chance of becoming the best manager you can be.