Project management professionals tend to be highly technical, process-driven individuals. Both are great qualities for managing projects. However, those who seem to rise to the top also understand that there is something more to successful work management than the technology used or the process employed.
As the technology incorporated within business project management software continues to improve and automate many of the tasks project managers once had to perform manually, the role of project managers is changing. The ability to "roll up the sleeves" and interact with individual team members is making some project managers very effective at facilitating collaboration and eliminating the impediments faced by project teams. The more project managers are able to spend time leading project teams rather than collecting data and building reports, the more likely we are to see a drop in the project failure rate and a more positive bottom-line in our organizations.
To facilitate this, project managers need to make sure they have a couple of things nailed down:
- They need a thorough understanding of their process and how to best use project management tools to successfully execute that process. PPM software has the ability to automate much of the data collection and reporting requirements of project management and should make it easier for managers and project teams to collect and evaluate information. Software, or any project management tool for that matter, that forces double entry or encumbers the process, should probably be abandoned.
- Project managers need exceptional people skills. A command-and-control management style is not the most effective way to lead a project team. It’s becoming more and more critical that project managers encourage collaborative communication to drive project success. Successful teams are where the rubber hits the road—and successful project based work has more to do with people than technology.
Has your role as a project manager changed in recent years? How do you utilize technology to make you a more effective project leader?
