It’s tough to define what makes an “excellent” project manager. Every organization has a unique definition of the title and the position. Nevertheless, nearly every industry needs project managers.
A project manager’s job is both simple and complex. It is simple because you don’t need a specialty like design skills or technical prowess. It is complex, as you’ll juggle many tasks, most of which require common sense. Your best thumb rule is to understand two things: how better a project manager you become and what techniques you use to become a valuable asset for the company.
There can be thousands of project management tips, but this article focuses on the eight most important tips to consider to become a better project manager.
Let’s have a look at them:
Jot Everything Down
Being a project manager, you constantly receive new information and juggle other tasks. Note everything down; only sometimes you’ll remember the details. You can use a notebook or a digital space to keep your notes. Doing this gives you a great reference to return to in case you missed anything – which you unavoidably will. This is one of the easiest tips, but an important one. Here are some of the techniques and tips:
- Write phrases, not sentences
- Structure your notes with headings, subheadings and numbered lists
- Code your notes
- Use color
- Write keywords, skip a few spaces, and get the information later.
Use the Best Project Management Tools
Managing people, time, money, scope, and quality is a challenging task for a project manager. Without the use of specialized equipment and software, ensuring high-quality projects is all but impossible. You may have already invested in project management software for control, estimation, and delegation. However, using more minor or supplemental tools to help you organize is fine.
Tools like ProofHub, ClickUp, Trello, or Slack can improve project management and team communication in various aspects of projects.
Be Realistic and Honest
Honesty and transparency are crucial in both planning and delivering projects. Don’t lie to impress the client; give honesty to get honesty. Be realistic in setting timelines or creating estimates. E.g., if the work is asked to complete a six-week project in three weeks, don’t just agree. Instead, give a clear and well-thought explanation, saying completing work carelessly in such a short time may affect the quality and that it is better to work within the decided timeframe. It is because they hired you for your heads, not your hands, and they will appreciate you taking charge of the tasks.
Be Detailed and Organized
As a project manager, it is the utmost requisite that you must be detailed and organized in the work you do. Your team relies on you to keep the project moving, and to do that, it needs to be well-thought-out and well-documented.
A professional project manager must be able to monitor every part of the undertaking and guarantee that everything is proceeding according to plan. Additionally, they must be able to assign tasks to team members and oversee the prompt completion of those duties.
Communicate Effectively
It is widely known that successful project managers are easygoing communicators who do not cringe at the prospect of talking with their team or clients. This entails having face-to-face conversations with individuals about a range of subjects, both simple and complex.
Additionally, project managers must not be shy about maintaining open lines of communication at all times and must be aware that not every member of a team will interact in the same manner. Any initiative that lacks effective communication will undoubtedly fail. When organizing projects, it’s important to be transparent, succinct, and honest.
Hold Regular Meetings
According to most executive leaders. “A lack of clear goals is the most common factor (37%) behind project failure.” At every required point in time, meetings are essential to benefit everyone. Feedback and approval help shape the outcome, and regular communication is key to keeping everyone on the same page. Schedule meetings around specific delivery points in the project to keep things moving at a set pace.
Be a Team Leader
Support your team no matter what; if they need help, give it to them. If they have ideas that spark creativity, listen to them. It is because your team doesn’t work for you; they work with you.
As the team driver, take responsibility for knowing and resolving issues in real-time. The best way is to learn constantly and never act like they know everything.
Without them, you couldn’t have achieved the goals, so make sure that they know just how important they are to the success of every project.
Continue to Learn
Project management is without a doubt one of the most hard and rewarding job paths one can choose. An effective project manager can assist a company in streamlining procedures, defining goals, and boosting sales. It should come as no surprise that PMs are in high demand across numerous industries.
However, you must maintain the fundamental competencies that will define you as “good,” regardless of where you take your PM talents. You must be extremely organized, process-driven, laid-back, adaptive, and genuinely enjoy a good challenge in order to be a better project manager. For more advice on how to manage projects successfully, best practices, and lessons learned, keep reading.
Conclusion
Project managers have a people-facing role. Thus, it would be best if you had all the traits mentioned above to work towards a common goal. When you develop these skills, you will be more clear in identifying risks and saving time, making you an ideal project manager.
In the end, there’s no better feeling than successfully delivering a project that will make people’s lives better, and that’s always a great motivation. The best time to become a better project manager was yesterday; the second best time is now.
Contributed by
Sandeep Kashyap
Meet Sandeep Kashyap, the CEO of ProofHub, who is transforming project management and team collaboration with his innovative solutions. With an unwavering passion for leading his team to success, Sandeep’s mantra is simple: “Keep growing, don’t stop”. When he’s not busy at work, Sandeep loves to explore new destinations and challenge himself with trekking adventures.