All of us try to be a successful project manager irrespective of the nature of the organizations or irrespective of the nature of the projects. A project manager should understand some important rules or you can say a project manager should abide by some rules that can enhance the scale of success for him/her. Remember that you are a successful project manager only if you are running your project successfully. If you are able to please your customer and the performing organization through your project results; only then you can treat yourself as a true and successful project manager. There is no other way available to be a successful project manager.
Let me explain you some important rules for a successful project manager:
Proper communication with the customer:
A project manager should communicate with the customer on the routine basis and properly should update the project status. Ultimately the customer is going to pay for the project deliverables and for the same, project manager should try to keep the customer updated on the performance baselines. If you are noticing any changes in the project; you should intimate to the customer immediately. If there is deviations in the performance and if you think you should revisit the schedule baselines and cost performance baselines; you should intimate the customer at the utmost. A project manager should communicate with the customer with due respect and in a well-mannered fashion. Remember sharing of true information will increase the success in your project.
A true guardian of your project team:
There is a very good saying about the project management: Customer is the king; and it is true also up to a larger extent. But do you know one thing, for keeping your customer happy; you need a team to work on the project and that is called project team. And that project team follows you while working on the project. Obviously, you should take care of your team at the utmost level. While there are some things you can do for the whole team, it comes down to taking care of each team member as the individual that he or she is. And to make it more difficult, then we must bring their various interests into coherence.
Properly concentrate on the project goals:
What work you need to do and what work you need not to do. How you will accomplish your project goal? This should be in your mind. As a true and successful project manager you should work on it positively – how to accomplish the project objectives? You should not deviate with your project goal otherwise you can’t achieve the objectives. Think positive and work positively; this is the best formula to get the success in the project. Involve your team members; involve all your key stakeholders to get the ultimate project goal. Concentrate on it. Project work can be difficult. It is easy to loose sight of what you are doing and why you are doing it. Remind your team and yourself of the overall promises and how you are doing fulfilling those promises.
A habit of lesson learning in the project:
A project manager should document the lessons learned throughout the project life cycle. He/she should try to implement those lessons learned in the project to get better result. As you know, lessons learn is not a one time work, so as a project manager you should do it on routine basis. Document those lessons learned in your project that to be used in the upcoming project(s). Make it your habit to incorporate learning loops in all your project activities. Your team will appreciate it. Your customer will benefit from it. And best of the all, it will make your job easier and easier only.
Keep ethical relations with the organization:
I am sure a lot of us will appreciate this – as a project manager you should deal ethically correct with everyone including your customer, team members, other stakeholders etc. You should not be an arrogant at any point of time. Try to maintain it to be a successful project manager.
A true leader – a true problem solver:
‘Leader leads by example.’ That belongs to you also. A project manager is the leader of the project. Mind you, a success and failure of the projects mostly depend on the leadership of the concerned project manager. Be a true problem-solver. As a project manager you should try to solve conflict tactfully without any type of bias. Be a true problem-solver.
