Johannesburg, 09 May 2013
For many years, "project manager" was not an official title, but more of a role that many people "fell" into - essentially, companies had projects, and someone had to manage them. Twenty years on and corporate structure had made this role into something far more formal - a proper title with a certified career path - leading to hundreds of thousands of qualified project managers. What we're finding more recently, however, is the return of project management to a place more reminiscent of its roots, says Frank Reinelt, senior director for Northern Europe and emerging markets at Mindjet.
Here, current workplace trends, in particular collaboration and greater transparency, are forcing organisations to seek assistance from individuals who are not de facto project managers because, quite simply, there are not enough project managers to go around, and projects still need to be completed.
Hence, organisations are starting to train employees within human resources, legal, sales and marketing departments in project management too, allowing individual corporate disciplines to manage their own projects as needed.
What then should these "accidental" project managers bear in mind for the successful completion of their projects?
1. Get organised!
It is critical that all of the project's deliverables are identified upfront and the team understands what is needed to reach a successful conclusion. This can be achieved by drawing up a project plan, complete with timings, that is then communicated to the entire team. With any time access to this plan, priorities are highlighted, allowing others to see how their contributions fit into the bigger picture. A clear understanding of what needs to be done will also assist in assigning tasks to team members according to their strengths.
2. Allow for creative thinking
Creative genius doesn't often strike after a long day's work, so it is necessary to allocate regular time to get some head space. This could be done through browsing online, trying new experiences and thinking "out of the box", as every successful and innovative project starts with a well-thought and insightful creative idea.
3. Become a people person
It has been proven time and again that good communication is important for effective project management. Teams need to prioritise regular meetings and feedback sessions. Using tools such as Mindjet can help with remote communication, facilitating an environment for feedback, which everyone can access and update - regardless of time or location.
4. Who's in charge here?
Good leadership is another key consideration for effective project management, in order to keep the team motivated and inspire confidence. Aside from acknowledging when the team accomplishes something good and instilling a sense of purpose in their actions as part of the project life cycle, the team leader also needs to be able to delegate the right task to the best team member (as mentioned in point one above).
This means the team leader must understand the talents, strengths and weaknesses of each individual within the team. Failing to do this can lead to disastrous results, as even the best of teams can run aground if the team leader fails to match up the tasks according to team-mates' strengths.
At the root of this shift back to traditional project management lies agile business principles, an approach that requires self-directed, self-organising teams that work together, with members taking on tasks that are best suited to their abilities (even if it means taking on the team leader role temporarily).
The agile method aims to provide relief by both sharing responsibilities and accountability should something go wrong, as well as fostering greater collaboration, ensuring all team members remain informed and project data is organised.
Although agile business processes are causing different aspects of project management to shift away from the typical "command-and-control" approach, project managers should not shy away from this movement as it certainly does not advocate losing that official "project manager" designation. In fact, it hones the project management office (PMO) by filtering out smaller tasks and allowing official project managers to focus their experienced attention on the parts of the job that need it most.
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