6/3/2014

Traits of a Great Project Manager | LinkedIn

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Ivan Dimitrijevic

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Traits of a Great Project Manager

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If you are looking to maintain a successful business, then you are probably aware of how
important your job really is. Running a project and making sure that all the smaller details and
tasks are happening in sync is a demanding, responsible, but also rewarding job. You are one
of the most important things that will oversee the situation, and introduce new techniques that
are going to ensure that the goals you and your team have created are achieved.

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There are many abilities and traits that you are obligated possess if you intend to be a
successful project manager, and one of your duties is to constantly improve your knowledge
and skills in order to execute your projects. It can be hard to be a good project manager, but
you should strive to be a great manager, and because of that, we are offering you a list of
things you need to work on, if you are planning on being the best there is.

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This is probably one of the more important things, and it will help you in many situations in
your everyday life, but first, it will be important to know the difference between a project leader,
and being a project manager. Both of these jobs involve making sure that all the tasks are
being done, and that the project is going the direction it is supposed to. The difference is
somewhat explanatory in the name itself - the leader prepares the people for their roles and
different situations that are not necessarily within their experience, and is good at motivating
people, whereas the manager only works within the boundaries set by those people and can
manage their skills, their time, and he or she will only apply solutions that are tried and true.
When you really understand this difference, youll understand that while project leaders are
more idealistic, you should be more pragmatic.

Quick thinker
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It is really a respected trait, to be able to make decisions in a matter of seconds, or to be able

to think on your feet. Even though we make these kinds of decisions every day, we are only
aware of them when we are in a situation when we understand their importance. With a lot of
experience or knowledge, you can overcome situations where you would typically freeze, or
when you are unable to find a solution. Critical thinking is essential, and in order to do that, you
will need to quickly prioritize, and separate things that are important from those that are not. In
any given situation, a project manager can be overwhelmed with the number of smaller things
that can cloud your judgment, so you will first need to establish a set of criteria that will
determine what is critical and what is not. After a while in this job, youll be able to follow your
gut instinct and make a good decision, no matter what.

Not afraid to ask or take advice

The difference between a good project manager and a bad one is the ability to admit when
something is above his or her head, and when they ask for advice from someone more
familiar with the topic, or someone with more experience. Even if you are under a lot of
pressure, first of all, because you want to succeed no matter what, it is always good advice
not to endanger the whole project with one bad move. So, even when asking for advice, make
sure to know all the things that could impact the decision, so that you have all the information
needed for someone else to help you. Being prepared is part of your job, and that is
something you will never overdo in this area, and the biggest mistake you can do is to try and
solve a problem, asking someone for help, and not knowing all the details. Most people are
simply too proud to ask for help, and this stems from confidence, which is, in essence, a
good trait. But, too much confidence can easily blind you, and it will lead you to making bad
decisions.

Able to predict
No, we are not thinking about being able to predict events in the far future, since a great
project leader should really be able to instantly think of all the most possible outcomes, and
see which one is most likely. This ability relies on common knowledge, but also on your
experience and intellect. This can be developed over time, though great experience, or
through an extensive learning process, but another important skill to have, in addition to this
one, is understanding, as not everyone will be able to understand what you are talking about,
or how you are able to see something, so make sure you explain how you see what you do. A
perfect project manager would be able to complete all project before the deadline, with a
budget to spare, and no problems are left along the way. Therefore, knowing what could arise
as an issue is a necessary skill, so being cool under pressure, and seeing one step ahead will
only help you.

Being competent
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In order to determine why someone is good for a certain task, and whether someone will be
able to perform under a certain set of situations, a project manager will need to know an
extremely long list of criteria. A project manager can be recognized by his peers, or simply by
having great previous knowledge, which prepares a person for all the challenges this job
might present, so getting that PMP certification training might not be such a bad idea. A great
training, good set of skills, and the constant need for improvement will certainly create a great
project manager that can thrive in stressful situations, and who can get a broader view of
things and the possible impacts on the business. Keeping things organized and in their place
is a prerequisite for the whole job to rapidly evolve and adapt to the ever-changing market.
Having a strong sense for business will not hinder you, and you, most of all, will have to have
a strong vision and you will follow it to the end.

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51 comments

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Mark Culmer
Agile Lead / Agile Project Manager at HomeOffice
You [the PM] are one of the most important...disagree.
The 'team' is the most important.
Listening to the team...important
Asking the team...important
Allowing the team to be and not to manage
Like (17)

Reply(3)

1 day ago

Douglas Glaeser
Senior Portfolio Manager at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.) Published
Author
I have been performing project management, program management and portfolio management
since before any of this even had a name. A grass root approach, and quite successfully I
might add. PMI certification and all the other bull has nothing to do with being qualified or, for
that matter, even remotely tied to a project's success factor. I lead IT Portfolios requiring
upwards to 10 Program and 50 Project Managers and combined budgets exceeding $100
million... one or two might be a Leader ... Leaders are born, not made. Most are excellent
managers (I'm a good interviewer). The bottom line ... learn from those who went before us and
adapt. Change is life's only constant ... embrace it. - "A Lifetime Working with Idiots & How to
Survive". Visit: www.WorkingWithIdiots.net
Like (11)

Reply(2)

23 hours ago

Hubbert Smith
Big Data Alliance Manager, LSI, hubbert@hubbertsmith.com
Great post, thanks for sharing.
I'd like to add Project Management is mostly about people.
If the folks on the project recognize the project manager is setting them for success, (and not
setting them up for failure), they'll have a better time trusting and collaborating. A good project
manager actively reduces risk, finds out about problems in time to recover. it's about fixing a
problem, not assigning blame. there is frequently a need to get help for someone who is
struggling, there is rarely a need to afix blame or throw anyone under the bus. A good project
manager is more selfless than self-centered.
Like (6)

Reply

1 day ago

Jason Luttrell
IT Project Manager, Technical Lead
I'm slightly surprised that communication and diplomacy is not mentioned. You can have all the
great book knowledge when it comes to project management, but there's one thing that they
don't teach in those project management courses that probably comes above all else... and
that is good communication skills.
Like (5)

Reply(1)

17 hours ago

Brian Birch
Solvency II Project Manager (HIC) at Hiscox
It seems to encourage people to be great at tasks but also great with people, a leader and oh,
you have to be a natural leader who also wants project training. Lovely but confused article.
Like (3)

Reply

1 day ago

Kenneth A. Sull
President Deville Community
My 82 year young Uncle taught me Project Management and the key to success is to listen.
learn. develop decisions based on the Project Scope and lead by example.
Like (3)

Reply

23 hours ago

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Robert Miles
Aviation & Aerospace Professional
On the point about being a quick thinker, I would like to offer:
- Important and critical problems need and deserve a lot of reflection and time to make sure that
you make the best decisions. Ever regretted an impulsive decision?
- Being a quick thinker is not the same as being highly analytical and logical. By all means,
listen to your gut instincts but make sure you gather what evidence you can in the necessary
timeframe to back up your feelings and try to construct the logic of your proposed decision.
Sometimes the right decision is counter-intuitive to what your gut is telling you what is the right
thing to do.
Like (2)

Reply

1 day ago

Kelly Jackson
Director of Marketing at PMAlliance, Inc.
I would add that many of these things comes from experience. I think to be a great project
manager you also need to have enough experience to be able to predict and think quickly. It's
one thing to have a generalized idea of how things work, but the detailed insights come from
being in the trenches day after day before you became a leader.
Like (2)

Reply

19 hours ago

Jon Van Volkinburg

Engineering and Business Leader
Salesmanship - to create buy-in
Patience - to not nag or blame
Communication - to relay what needs to by said only when it is needed to be said
Humbleness - to ask more out of those who have no vested interest in you or your project
Like (2)

Reply

22 hours ago

Nicholas Oleynick
Accountant/Finance for Horizon School Division, Councilor at Town of Lanigan, Owner
of Nick Oleynick Financial Services
Very nice article. To me, it is important to work toward a consistency in those quick decisions.
When one makes those quick decisions it is easy to become lost in the scope of the project,
however should your decisions not be as consistent as you would hope, you may lose the buyin that you need from those you are leading. Rest assured, those people will notice any
inconsistencies.
Like (2)

Reply

1 day ago

emily mcandrew
SAISD/ Longfellow Middle School
Great article
Like (1)

Reply

1 day ago

Joshua Lanada
Creative Services Project Manager at Art.com
Awesome reminder of what PM does. Satisfying the task, team, and individual needs.
Like (1)

Reply

23 hours ago

Bret Coffman
I think that all great Program Managers/ Project Managers share the ability to plan for success.

So often, I see teams get wrapped up in dealing with minor issues and miss the fact that they
are still on plan for completion of a project. To prevent this, I have found that a great PM needs
to hold strong boundaries around the timeline.
If a team or person spends 30 minutes explaining why they can't keep on schedule, I ask them
to spend that same amount of time to discuss how they *could* keep to the schedule.

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This planning for success characteristic can really make a big difference over the course of long
Programs and Projects.
Like (1)

Reply

22 hours ago

Kathie VanNess
Creative Problem Solver Seeking Opportunities
Nice article. I value many of those qualities and strive to get better at them.
Like (1)

Reply

21 hours ago

Heather Broman
Solutions Analyst at Business Forward
Visibility is also very important - visibility of the PM (and how to reach out to them for their
inputs, escalate issues, and ask questions) and the project itself (its goals, deliverables and
benefits to the organization after close-out).
Like (1)

Reply

21 hours ago

Ed Desautels
Lifelong creative and wordsmith who speaks the language of business
I took a course in project management from a guy who'd spent a career doing it. He said, only
slightly in jest, that the most important skill for a project manager is the ability to nag.
Like (1)

Reply

21 hours ago

Dr. Enetta Nelson Rose, EdD

Education Management at SPARCY Project
Great article.
Like (1)

Reply

20 hours ago

Clare Godson
Senior Lawyer and Head of Business Development at Derivative Services LLP (Affiliate
of Allen & Overy)
Would recommend the book it's the people on this topic at http://ajpconsulting.org
Like (1)

Reply

19 hours ago

Tania Cabrera
Looking for opportunities that Suit the Employer and Myself
What a lovely article! From my understanding Project Manager is knowing exactly where you
going and how good you can handle your business by instinct, previous experience, and good
quick thinking. But something is missing, what about Communication with your team? For
better outcome and better understanding? Right? :)
Like (1)

Reply

17 hours ago

Edson Jose Ferreira

In my humble opinion, one more ability would be added to these ones Ivan told us:
communication. In order to drive the team to the goals using a proper rhythm, and to inform to
the sponsors the work done and risks/decisions beyond PM authority. And do all the tasks
balancing the time spent with documentation versus results!
Reply

17 hours ago

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