Project manager tips for all levels of managers. Even the most seasoned project managers often find it difficult to successfully oversee an entire project because with every assignment comes new challenges and different criteria.
With these six expert tips, you can work on fine-tuning your multitasking abilities to become the best project manager possible:
1. Be Fearless
Being a successful project manager means leading fearlessly, despite what issues might arise. Whether you’re presented with large obstacles or small problems, you can’t be phased or deterred by the challenges that stand in your way.
If you’re unable to solve the problem alone, don’t be afraid of recruiting help. By having a general idea of the job duties of your team, you’ll be able to know when and how to pull in the right people and resources to help you reach a solution.
Remember that the longer you wait to address an issue, the bigger it will become and the more likely it will impact both the project’s success and your credibility as a team leader.
2. Encourage Collaboration
A great, successful project manager encourages the entire team to come together and solve any challenges as a unified group.
As you grow and learn in your role as Project Manager, you’ll inevitably gain a deeper appreciation of the value of others’ contributions, and you’ll be able to encourage collaboration between team members with humility and understanding.
3. Believe In Your Team And Your Project
Without faith in your team and hope for your project, you’ll never find success as a manager.
One of your key roles is to be an honest and sincere advocate for both the project and the organization. By finding the good in the project and what’s working right in team performance, you can highlight these positives to everyone around you and radiate your belief in the overall success of the team and your project.
4. Lead With “Yes”
The truth about project management is that you’ll always be faced with the impossible, the improbable, the highly unlikely, and the completely unreasonable. Regardless of the challenges with which you’re presented, it’s your job to provide options and determine what can be done to reach a solution.
Leading with “yes” is one of the most effective ways of overcoming tough obstacles. If a client needs to move up a deadline, start your solution with a positive response such as, “Yes, we can move up the deadline but we will need to either majorly reduce the project’s scope or increase staff.” Offering a positive response along with possible options and outcomes will typically encourage the person with the request to come up with the “no” answer on their own.
5. Persevere Through Hard Times
The road to project management success is often littered with setbacks. Objectives and scope will inevitably be questioned. The more time elapses, the more failures and setbacks are encountered.
To prevent the team from falling further off course during these setbacks, be vigilant about and emphasize adherence to the original project objective, scope, and justification.
6. Reflect On The Project
Without taking time to reflect on the successes and failures of each project, you’ll never have the chance to learn from the experience and grow as a project manager. Consider compiling lessons that you’ve learned throughout the project and file or document these lessons to later reflect on when the project has concluded.
Be sure to archive any thoughts or discoveries to revisit before the next project starts or to share with your team at an appropriate time.
By understanding these six simple tips, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed when faced with common and uncommon challenges.
Apply what you’ve learned from these tips to your personal leadership style to become the best project manager possible!
Want more tips? Take a moment to explore Workfront’s article: How to Be a Better Project Manager: 81 Tips from PM Experts.
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