As a project sponsor one of the most difficult choices you will make happens before the project even begins: identifying who you want to run your project. Identifying a project manager within your own organization can be difficult because you may be limited in your options. Contracting or hiring from outside your organization isn’t any easier as you have a whole other set of obstacles to sort through. I have put together a list of qualities that a project sponsor should look for in their prospective project manager which may help in identifying the right person for the job.
EXPERIENCE: A project manager’s experience can be evaluated in many ways. Ideally it is best to engage with a project manager who has had experience managing projects that closely match that of the project you are leading. Let’s say you are leading a B2B implementation project. Using someone who has 25 years project management experience won’t do you any good if they have never managed a project that involved B2B implementations. Be sure to get specifics on how their previous projects are similar and different from the one you are leading.
LEADERSHIP: Big surprise right? Leadership is a quality that is looked for in almost any position, but the importance of strong leadership abilities in a project manager is critical to the success of your project. It is important for the project manager to be able to step immediately into the project and ensure that everyone is on the same page and it stays that way.
COMMUNICATION: It surprises me how often I come across project managers who have poor communication skills. Communication is a skill that project managers use in almost every aspect of their daily work life. The ability for a project manager to provide clear, effective, and frequent communication to you and your team is vital to the success of your project.
FLEXIBILITY: A common trait you will find in many project managers is stubbornness. Project managers love a plan, and don’t like to venture away from it. Unfortunately in many projects things happen that were not planned for. Timelines will shift, resources will disappear and scope will creep. Good project managers are flexible and are able to adapt to the evolving requirements and surprise changes.
UNYIELDING: What do I mean by unyielding? Project managers will come across situations within a project when resources are unable to deliver to the schedule or commitments. It is not uncommon for resources to use excuses such as not enough time or not enough help as to why they are unable to achieve the targets that were set. Understandably this occurs, but a good project manager cannot be afraid to push back a little. Not only should they push back to challenge the resource to complete on-time, but to also ensure that every possible avenue was checked for a possible solution before admitting defeat.
As a project sponsor you can literally drive yourself crazy trying to identify the perfect project manager for your upcoming project. Focusing on these top 5 qualities will help you ensure that you are making the right choice.