A project manager or project leader: the most important cog in the machine

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Launching any project, whether a video game, a new social network or a new model of stereo speakers, requires someone who will lead you through the entire process, like an orchestra conductor. This person is called a project manager or project leader. Thanks to them, each employee clearly knows their responsibilities and area of ​​​​competence, meets deadlines, and does not miss the requirements for a technical creation. The project manager coordinates all the developments within the team and is also the link between the team and the customer (client.)

In addition, the project manager is also responsible for the success or failure of a project. Therefore, they should also be a team leader. The essential skill set for an excellent project manager should include flexible thinking, the ability to negotiate and come to a compromise, emotional intelligence, forecast skills and high adaptability.

In practice, they solve many tasks, including:

• Monitoring the project's progress and complying with the deadlines.

• Holding regular meetings with their team, including training, or seminars, where they can communicate vital information to their team members.

• Selecting the most effective approach for organising work and distributing tasks based on them.

• Maintaining feedback with the customer and monitoring the fulfilment of their requirements.

• Monitoring and managing risks.

• Keeping track of expenses and predicting income.

• Improving workflow to increase team productivity.

• Maintaining all the necessary documentation for the product and the customer.

• Organising A/B testing at the appropriate stage and regulating feedback.

• Evaluating the performance of employees and the results of their completed tasks.

It depends on the project manager's work, how the project is delivered, how the client wants to see it and whether they will be happy with it. Amongst other things, the project manager may also need to solve additional interpersonal tasks, for example, resolve conflicts within the team, find a compromise with the client (if there is a misunderstanding or non-compliance with requirements), supports the team with the technical side of any issues, etc. Therefore, a project manager is a cross-functional specialist with a vast array of knowledge from completely different areas, which they must be able to combine and constantly update.

A legendary project manager: how one of the world's leading skyscrapers was built

Paul Starrett was the project manager of the legendary Empire State Building, a 102-story skyscraper in the heart of New York City dating back to the 1930s. Back then, such a large-scale construction was not easy, so Paul Starrett, who became its project manager through his initiative, deservedly made US history.

The team for the construction of the project was recruited through a bidding process. Starrett volunteered first and told the project owner that he could build the Empire States building in 18 months, which was unthinkable at that time (especially since Starrett did not even have the right equipment then.) To save investors' resources, Starrett decided to sell the purchased equipment at the end of the construction project and give them credit for the difference, which in the end really turned out to be much cheaper than hiring out second-hand equipment.

As a result, Starrett's firm, with the name Starrett Brothers & Eken, won the bid for the Empire. The building was completed in just a year and was the fastest construction of a 1,454-foot skyscraper in American history. According to Starrett's notes, which he kept in his work notebook, the structure's success was achieved by bringing architects, workers, and clients together. Plus, he showed truly outstanding leadership qualities. Still, simultaneously, he kept a thorough record of all resources and tasks. Moreover, he was ever present at the construction site whilst managing the process independently.

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Quiz with case studies: how ready are you to master the profession?

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The deadline for delivery of the site is today, but the developer is seriously ill. Meanwhile, you have already put off the release date by a week, which was not agreed upon with the client. What will you do now?

• I will take the developer out of sick leave in return for a bonus that I will set aside from the budget or my fee for the project.
• Discuss the situation frankly with the client and take the brunt of the blame without mentioning the developer's name.
• I will get the customer to accept the site at this stage, with the condition that it will be completed later.

Next

You have been offered a new major project that might give you invaluable experience involving an exceptionally large team in a new area. What is the first thing that you will do when you are officially appointed to manage this project?

• Calculate the budget and deadlines.
• Define the tasks for each team member individually.
• Discuss with the client their vision of the finished project.

Next

Oh no! … The customer is unhappy with your project and argues that it does not meet 100% of the requirements set out in the document. However, you know this document by heart and understand that implementing the obligations is not technically possible. You have already discussed this with the customer numerous times. What are your actions?

• Involve a third-party expert in the field and/or a client partner and ask them to evaluate the project, considering demands and capabilities, to influence the client in this way.
• Try to achieve a compromise by agreeing to implement a part of their requirements, even if they will not be as effective as the customer hopes.
• Offer compensation to the client for a project not fully completed and deduct the difference from your salary and that of your team.

Next

Why is the Agile methodology different from the Waterfall methodology?

• Waterfall is designed to work with large teams, whilst Agile is for small creative teams.
• Agile is a strict hierarchical model with a rigorous sequence of steps, while Waterfall suggests flexibility and room for change.
• Agile is a more versatile methodology that allows you to swap development stages and do the work in short iterations.

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What is Scrum?

• A system for agile software development using Agile principles dividing work into sprints and the distribution of roles within the team.
• An approach for applying large-scale creative projects for teams of about 15 people, where the customer is directly involved in the development process.
• A cloud-based system to simplify project management and team accountability, accessible only to the project manager and the client.

Next

The project is nearly completed, although the customer suddenly adds things they want to the project, which you do not have enough time to carry out. However, the client asks extremely persistently, almost begging! What will you do?

• Assess the situation and offer to apply only a part of their new requirements to benefit the project.
• Agree to implement the new requirements on the condition you can push back the deadline and increase the budget.
• Refuse any changes and new requirements because they have all been expressed in the document during the discussion stage.

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