Project manager: A look into its roles and responsibilities

Do you know what it is and what it takes to become a project manager?

The project manager is responsible for materializing different objectives in business contexts. Any project must abide by a series of guidelines, whether opening a business, starting a campaign, managing an account, etc. For this reason, it is necessary to have adequate training that allows them to know the direction and management of projects.

In this post, we will cover the roles and responsibilities of a project manager and training resources if you wish to pursue a project management career.

Who is a project manager?

A project manager is a person in charge of establishing an action plan. From its beginnings to the end, the Project Manager supervises the fulfillment of the project plan, which contains all the keys and objectives to follow.

The project guide should include information about the program, deadlines, and objectives. The idea is to know platforms specifically designed to manage initiatives and properly use these tools. In this sense, project managers must stand out for their organizational skills and attention to detail. 

What is the job of a project manager?

The project manager takes charge of monitoring the action plan. Its main job is to control and supervise the campaign to ensure its effectiveness, which allows him to correct possible deviations. The idea is to establish specific achievements that can be achieved and measured objectively and, most importantly, realistic goals.

To achieve good results, the project manager has three key functions:

• Control the project and keep track of how it evolves.
• Detect difficulties and problems that arise, and find ways to solve them.
• Lead the project and the entire team effectively until the goal is met.

However, the work of becoming a project manager does not end here. In fact, it has several fundamental responsibilities that we will see below.

Responsibilities in managing a project

This professional has a series of responsibilities regarding the management of a campaign or project:

Planning

Above all, the manager must be the one who devises a plan to achieve the objectives. This document will guide all subsequent actions that are carried out, so you must be meticulous and consider possible unforeseen events.

Leadership

Building and leading the perfect team is a fundamental role of a project manager. It is necessary to have good communication skills, people skills, and the ability to judge the strengths and weaknesses of people and act accordingly to achieve this aim.

Execution

The project manager will supervise and participate in the execution of each stage of the project. This requires clear and regular communication with other team members.

Time management

Meeting deadlines is essential to achieving objectives successfully. The person in charge should be the one in charge of resolving possible conflicts that may arise and also communicate effectively with the team members.

Budget

These professionals must develop a budget and stick to it. If some parts of the campaign cost more, they must moderate this expense and redistribute the necessary funds.

Documentation

Project managers are also concerned with documenting all aspects of the project to analyze progress and determine that everything is going according to plan.

Subsequent follow-up

Once the initiative has been completed, it cannot be forgotten. In other words, it is key to have a plan to follow the project with a view to final delivery.

Project Management Types

Different methodologies can be used to supervise a project. Depending on the needs of each company and the characteristics of the campaign, you can choose one way or another:

Traditional sequence

This system is based on achieving objectives in order, which means that the second objective will not start until the first is complete, and so on until the end. Its main advantage is that it makes it easy to monitor that each phase is fulfilled. The disadvantage? It can be too rigid and making a mistake can lead to starting from the beginning.

Agile methodology

Agile is not a strict methodology. The form of organization used and the solutions provided are not constant. That is, it is not necessary to meet objective 1 to move on to 2. In this way, it is possible to reduce planning time and is a much more flexible method. Of course, in contrast, it can cause extra costs in the budget.

Change management

This methodology is specifically designed to deal with changes that may arise in a company. It allows you to control usually chaotic situations and eases the transition.

Study project management

Project management is complicated and requires discipline and technical knowledge. Following a campaign from start to finish can be as rewarding as it is daunting, but with good preparation, there’s nothing to be alarmed about. It is a challenge, so the idea is to train and learn certain skills.

To specialize as a Project Manager, you can take a PMP boot camp training course and become a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). This training allows you to learn the different project management tools & techniques, as well as the specific office automation and organization programs for this task.

Conclusion

To learn to manage projects, you must know the basics of this discipline to become an expert in project management. You can check out some courses or attend one of the best PMP Bootcamp online courses. From this training, you will get detailed explanations and teachings that will give you a blueprint for becoming a successful and certified project manager.