Lets get clear on something straight of the bat here… a project manager can be known by many titles…and sometimes people aren’t even sure what one does. So today we are going to lay it all out! We will focus on the the skills required and break down the role of a project manager. 

The important thing to remember is project managers drive your teams, projects and organisation forward. 

Obviously we are a little biased but we think it is imperative that every organisation has the project manager skill set within it. 

So what does a project manager do?

Any project manager is responsible for 

• Leading initiatives 
• Completing projects on time
• Keeping costs under budget
• Ensuring the team is on-task

In all honesty though a PM is actually the leader and champion in your organisation. Their job is full of psychology and they need to learn and work to understand the dynamics of the team — every in and out — and be able to effectively delegate responsibility. It is their remit to make sure the team is progressing in the right direction and that any issues, risks or people problems affecting the projects success are handled and resolved in a productive manner.

The abilities of a project manager

1. Communication and planning

Keeping everyone involved in the loop about the project’s progress is key. The project manager’s job includes figuring out how to get tasks done on time, deciding what’s most important, and making the most of the team’s resources. They also need to make sure everyone sticks to the timeline they’ve created.

2. Managing risk

This involves spotting possible risks and figuring out ways to deal with them. They should also be ready to make backup plans if anything unexpected pops up during the project. It’s important for them to spot potential chances for success and brainstorm ways to make the most of them.Its important for a project manager to know when to escalate risks upwards in the organisation. This post is all about teamwork. 

3. Having strong organisational skills 

They’ve got to juggle a bunch of tasks all at once and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Keeping tabs on the team’s progress and hitting deadlines is all on them. Plus, they’ve got to be great at talking to other folks involved and know their way around project management tools. Project managers really keep the whole operation running smoothly. Without them, things could easily get chaotic. This is where having project management software really comes into play. It can take a project manager from getting the job done, to being able to excel. 

My top picks for software for project managers 

Gone are the days of a fake gannt chart in excel (or at least they should be!)

When I first started out working in projects we had the task, the date columns then a cell fill for that duration. That’s how basic our toolkit for plans, task management and Risk management were. Fast forward the best part of 2 decades and the world is a much more technically advanced place. I am lucky that I get to work with great software. 

So you’re still reading this? That’s great!

Now let me show you the wonderful world of Hive. 

A democratically built CRM, all its users get a say in the direction the software goes in. It’s a true PMs dream as you can do so much very simply and easily yet pull some amazing data from it. We all like to have the ability to seem smart at a touch of a button after all!

Hive allows for project boards, dynamic note taking, integrated video conferencing and the ability to report and goal track easily. You can even send documents, links and images for proofing and approval all from within the software.  

My favourite features are resourcing which allows you to see capacity of your team and gives a handy alert if they are over-allocated work, I also love the time tracking and the chat feature.

If you have a project manager and want to give them the ability to rock your world or you don’t have one in place, want to outsource but want to ensure work is kept inside your organisation check out hive. 

Here at Elle Baldry Consulting we are specialists in project management, digital transformation and process improvement. In fact we may be just what you’re looking for to source, implement and manage your next project and oversee the adoption of your newest tool to manage your business. 

Here’s our Hive link