Project managers (PM) play a critical role in any business, though that role can be hard to define and easy to underestimate. Most companies wait too long to hire a project manager because it seems unnecessary and find out too late that it is, in fact, necessary for company growth. As a new or growing business, how can you identify when you need to hire a project manager?
Are you struggling to keep track of project details?
Are you having problems with delegating project tasks and managing your team?
How about your team? Are they staying motivated and on task?
Any of these questions resonating with you? Yes?
You might consider hiring a project manager.
How can a project manager help your team?
- With planning, an essential and crucial element of any project. Project management ensures setting proper expectations about what can be delivered, by when, and for how much. They negotiate reasonable and achievable deadlines and milestones. They will define and clarify project scope, develop the project plan, outline the project schedule, and create policies and procedures to support the achievement of the project objectives.
- With organization, a PM sets up the project team’s structure so the plan created during the planning phase can be executed effectively. The project manager organizes projects into phases and task lists. They assign tasks to people and get status reports so everyone knows they are on time and under budget. Project managers know where each piece of the project is and where it is going next to ensure that all components are moving through the workflow in a timely manner.
- With communication, a PM ensures all communication lines are open. This helps ensure the project is headed in the right direction. Having a central communications person decreases confusion and increases accuracy, a crucial component of any project!
Project managers require a variety of hard and soft skills. They need to have experience with many different types of projects and people in different industries.
When looking to hire a project manager, look out for these crucial skills:
- They listen carefully.
- Able to plan large scopes of work as well as schedule daily tasks.
- Excels at prioritizing the tasks at hand.
- They practice creative problem solving.
- Can identify and manage project risk.
- Will provide helpful feedback to clients and production teams.
- Able to lead teams to success.
- They are interested in upskilling and continuing to keep learning and growing.
It’s not always feasible to hire an in-house dedicated project manager. Even part-time, a project manager can be a costly hire. So, consider hiring a freelance PM to fill your needs. A freelance project manager has all the same skills and experience as an in-house PM, but at a noticeable price cut. They are flexible, affordable and easy to hire.
Whichever project management style works best for your company, our team at Life by Design Virtual Solutions can help!