« | »

The New Day Project Manager

Infelise_PhillipBy Phillip Infelise

 

Welcome back. 

 

Last month we defined our Project Management paradigm.  Project Management in the New Day context is much more than overseeing design and construction efforts.  Embracing that, I thought this month we could talk about what it takes to be a New Day Project Manager.  It requires an interesting mix of skills that is often hard to define.  However, try we must, and with that in mind the high performance Project Manager (PM) must possess all of the following:

 

  • Clear Vision.  (and a clear head) To see both the big picture strategy and the most minute details; often hundreds of them simultaneously.  A need to know what happened in the rear view, and at the same time, look far over the horizon.
  • Consummate Communications Skills.  Both verbal and written.  The PM needs to be able to describe technical things in layperson’s terms for the client, jump into the techno-speak when the techies talk; reduce a complex issue into a simple memorandum; and craft the perfect PowerPoint presentation to win Board approval.
  • Listening Skills.  Need to listen intently to needs, constraints, and expectations and translate those to a project strategy, a design approach, and a project result.
  • Numbers. Uncanny ability to archive costs in the databanks of our brain, memorizing particularly important ones.  We need to have the cost of everything that goes into a facility at the tip of our tongues.
  • Sticks and Bricks.  While we play more as an advisor/consultant than as a construction manager and downplay the importance of pure construction background, knowing the details of the process and the inner workings of the design and construction interrelationship goes a long way to establishing the credibility needed to manage the process.
  • Penny-Pinchability.  To protect every client dollar as if it was the PM’s own money, to be spent to enhance project value at every turn.
  • Diplomatic skills. Like a UN representative – often negotiating territory between feuding departments and navigating Board and CFO approval.
  • Manage both Up and Down.  The PM is required to manage a myriad of complex details from the quarterback position to members of the team, but also required to “manage” the expectations of the C-Suite.
  • Finesse.  When managing a project team, a velvet hammer approach is preferred over the sledgehammer; the approach is required to achieve an “advocacy,” not “adversarial” relationship.
  • People skills to empathize across the organization from the C-Suite to the mail room staff and support both extremes through tough decisions and unforeseen surprises.
  • Broad Shoulders.  For everyone to lean on and get advice and counsel; and to cry on when the trauma of the transition gets to be too much.
  • Passion.  Given the demands and the trials and tribulations, a PM truly has to love the challenge of this job and relish the results of a happy client in great space that has enhanced the client organization.

 

Tune in next time.  Perhaps we can discuss how to put together the perfect high performance project team.

 

Cheers.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 9:00 am and is filed under Project Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed.