The role of the project manager

Describe the various roles that a project manager can play within in an organization.

Many become involved in projects from initiation through closing. In some organizations, project managers may be involved in evaluation and analysis activities. Ultimately the role of the PM is tailored to to fit the project.

What is the subtle difference between leadership and management?

The word management refers to directing another person to get from one point to another using a known set of expected behaviors whereas leadership deals with working with others through discussion or debate in order to guide them from one point to another.

What are strategic business management skills?

Ability to see high level overview of the organization and effectively negotiate and implement decisions and actions that support strategic alignment and innovation.

What are some examples of personality traits?

Authentic, courteous, creative, cultural, emotional, intellectual, managerial, political, service-oriented, social and systemic.

Describe the PM's role in the Project sphere.

Balance competing constraints with the resources available, communication roles and the best PMs demonstrate superior relationship and communication skills while displaying a positive attitude.

How is complexity of a project typically defined?

Containing multiple parts, possessing a number of connections between parts, exihibiting dynamic interactions between the parts.

What is the role of the project manager when performing integration?

In order to contribute to the integration and execution of a strategy, PMs work with the sponsors to insure that the objectives align with the organizational strategy. PMs must guide the people on the project to work together this is achieved through the intregration of processes, knowledge and people.

What does personality refer to?

Individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

What does politics involve?

Influence, negotiation, autonomy, and power.

What are the numerous leadership styles that a project manager can adopt?

Laissez-faire, transactional servant leader, transformational, charismatic, interactional.

What factors influence the leadership styles of a project manager?

Leader and team member, organizational and environmental characteristics.

List 10 type of power

Positional, informational, referent (admiration), personal or charismatic, relational, expert, reward-oriented, punitive or coercive, guilt-based, persuasive or avoiding.

What do the spheres of influence within the project managment role represent?

Reflect the PM's capabilities, and are representative of the value and contributions of the project management profession.

What is a technical project management skill?

Skills to effectively apply project management knowledge such as focusing on critical issues, planning and prioritizing and managing project elements.

What should the project manager apply to every project to ensure alignment?

Strategy, mission, goals and objectives, priority, tactics and products and services.

At a minimum, what knowledge should the project manager have about the organization?

Strategy, mission, goals and objectives, products and services, operations, the market and market condition and competition.

What factors influence complexity within a project?

System behavior, human behavior and the uncertainty at work the organization or its environment.

What are the skills needed by project managers?

Technical project management, leadership and strategic and business management.

Describe how the role of a project manager differs from that of a functional and operations manager.

The functional manager focuses on providing management oversight for a function or business unit. Operations managers are responsible for insuring that business operations are efficient. The PM is assigned by the organization to lead a project to achieve specific objectives.

What are the PM's spheres of influence?

The project, the organization and the industry.

Explain integration at the context level?

Various elements of the environment (such as social networks, multicultural aspects, virtual teams etc...) capitalized by the PM to achieve success.

What are the core qualities of a leader?

Visionary, optimistic, a good communicator, being respectful, focusing on important things

What do strategic and business skills help the project manager determine?

Which business factors should be considered for their business. These factors include but are not limited to: risks and issues, financial implications, cost versus benefit analysis, business value, benefits realizations and expectations and strategies and scope, budget, schedule and quality.