Abby Dryer, PMP is a Chicago-based Project Manager, specializing in system integration. She focuses much of her energy on team-building and morale - as a cohesive team with high morale can be a determining factor in the success or failure of a project. You can read more of her musings at http://pmbabble.wordpress.com/
(Photo courtesy of Interrobang Photography. www.interrobangme.com) Abby Dryer - UCSC Extension in Silicon Valley
Abby Dryer, PMP is a Chicago-based Project Manager, specializing in system integration. She focuses much of her energy on team-building and morale - as a cohesive team with high morale can be a determining factor in the success or failure of a project. You can read more of her musings at http://pmbabble.wordpress.com/
(Photo courtesy of Interrobang Photography. www.interrobangme.com) Project Managers need to be Jesters
We all know the saying Time flies when you’re having fun. Are you helping your team’s time fly?
Project Managers are Supporters
Many of the things that go wrong in projects will be wholly and completely out of your control, but can have a massive affect on your project. You will need to find a way to support your team while they work through whatever issues they may be dealing with.
Project Managers Pave the Way
As a Project Manager, it is going to be necessary to pave the way through obstacles that come up as the project progresses. Some say that this is the main responsibility of a Project Manager, and I tend to agree. It is up to the Project Manager to ensure that obstacles are dealt with and mitigated before they affect the project team and the project itself. Generally, there are three different kinds of obstacles that projects face: Technical, Political, and Emotional.
Project Managers are Leaders
Think about a person that you would follow regardless of where they were going. What makes them a leader worth following? In terms of the business world, a leader doesn’t necessarily make decisions, and a leader doesn’t necessarily have the highest ranking title. A true leader is someone that has earned the trust and respect of their team; and as a result, that team will follow that person in whatever direction they take.
What exactly, do Project Managers Do?
Project Management is a very difficult line of work to describe in terms that every person can understand. The quickest answer I can usually come up with is “I get all of the work done on projects without doing any of the actual work”, which is the best description I have of what I do.
The Blessed Curse of Opportunity
I am part of the generation that has been told from birth that “as long as you have your college degree, you can grow up to do anything you want.” Realistically speaking, this concept is flawed, or at least overly general. I can’t become a Brain Surgeon with a degree in Social Behavior, and I [...]
