5 TRAITS OF A SUCCESSFUL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER

Introduction

A Project Manager is the sole person responsible either for the success or failure of a project. Project success is mostly hampered by Delays and Cost overruns both in developed and developing countries. The Project Manager must develop h4 characteristics so that whenever there is a problem in the Project he should have the guts to resolve it. In this article, we are going to talk about five key traits of a successful Project Manager.

Team Building

Construction works involve a team of people. Every person has a specific part to be played in the success of a Project. It’s the Project Manager who will manage its people and provide necessary guidance to them.  At the start of a project, the Project Manager must properly introduce the team members to each other and assign clear roles and responsibilities based on the capabilities of team members. According to Famous Psychologist Bruce Tuchman, there are four vital steps in team building, i.e., Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. Mainly, the conflict occurs in the Storming phase wherein all team members push each other for their roles and functions. It’s the Project Manager’s responsibility to resolve any conflict at the very start of team building by clearly defining the roles and boundaries of each member of the team. Project Manager, on the other hand, must ensure the proper execution of all the assigned work while on the other hand avoiding micromanagement. A great team builder must provide appreciation and positive feedback regularly.

Communication Matters a Lot

PMI suggests that a Project Manager must spend 90 % of his/her time on communication.

Communication is always two ways, i.e., Incoming, and outgoing. A successful Project Manager must focus on clear and precise information to be floated to all the parties of the project so that all stakeholders will remain on the same path. It is learned from history that a minor miscommunication can cause disasters in the Projects.

A neat and clear presentation showing Gantt charts, graphs, and reports can simplify many hurdles in the Project. In Projects, the Project Manager must listen to all stakeholders’ concerns and suggestions rather than only give instructions to its team members.

Organized

In projects, numerous factors need the Project Manager’s attention at all times. A Project Manager must correctly organize his/her time. Proper time slots shall be allocated for all the important project matters. Experience tells us that organized Project Managers succeed more often than casual ones. A good organizer of tasks often says “No” to someone who is coming out of the plan. It might seem rude but ultimately this “No” will give you peace of mind and success. Time is of the essence in project management, therefore, it is properly managed.

Stakeholder Management

Anyone that can influence your project is a Project Stakeholder. Stakeholder Management is the most vital function of a Project Manager. The Project Manager should primarily identify the Project Stakeholders, and list them in a register. After listing all the stakeholders, their ranking shall be made based on their involvement and their impact on the Project. A Stakeholder might have a different definition of project success;      therefore, stakeholders’ expectations must be clearly noted and fulfilled for making a project successful.

Taking care of project stakeholders’ requirements and needs is of utmost importance. Your project can be any area or community where different social and political stakeholders can impact your project. Stakeholders can impact positively as well as negatively. They can ask for some change or requirement in the project which can cause the project to change in timeline and cost perspectives. Therefore, a Project Manager must proficiently plan stakeholder engagement in the project after analyzing their negative or positive impact on the project.

Have an Eagle Eye

As Dr. Stephen Covey said, “Your most important work is always ahead of you, never behind you.”

A successful Project Manager must always have an Aerial view of the project deliverable and tasks to come. Sometimes, a Project Manager becomes too busy and stuck on Project tasks that the higher image of Project deliverables is somehow faded in his mind. The Project Manager shall frequently take these breaks from the daily engagements and have an eagle image of the project. It’s like an internal assessment of the project by asking these questions. What goals are already achieved, what goals are still remaining, and what shall be done to achieve those goals? Are we on the right path to project success?

Summary

Project management is a vast field, and there can be numerous personality traits of a successful Project Manager. One thing must be kept in mind that becoming a successful Project Manager is a lifelong journey with small improvements over time, keeping the lesson learned from previous projects in mind. It is imperative to enjoy the journey of becoming a great Project Manager.