Does My Project Really Need A Project Manager? Yes! Here's Why!
Business owners or department managers ask themselves if they genuinely need a project manager… and often brings awkward conversations about whether the cost for a PM is worth the outcome. The plan looks soundproof on paper, and getting a project manager often feels like an unnecessary cost that won't bring much to the table.
"Why bring a project manager when I can simply brief the team, and they'll manage by themselves. It's cheaper this way." This is one of the project managers most heard statements, that quite frankly is often a false statement, and even a bit laughable.
The problem with running a project without a project manager is that it provides a false sense of economy. It's true, a good project manager can cost as much as 20% of the overall project budget, but the benefits they bring in the long-term far outweigh the initial cost.
A project manager does more than ensuring that the team delivers their work in time. They also create a vision for the project's goal, ensure everyone stays on track, become a single point of communication, create a strategic alignment, and negotiate a realistic project planning. A well-managed project impacts more than the final product you deliver, but it reverberates over the entire company.
With that in mind, let's look at why you need a professional and experienced Project Manager.
First Thing First: Understanding Project Management
Perhaps the simplest way to explain project management is by describing it as the method by which a project is planned, monitored, and reported.
As you can see, project management encapsulates different disciplines, such as scheduling, task management, resource management, etc. The project manager has to devise a plan that fits the stakeholders' requirements, assign the right team for the task, monitor and control the project's execution, plan the budget, identify potential risks, create a risk management plan, and communicate effectively with all the parties.
Creates a Unified Vision of the Project's Goals
A project manager's role is to bring a bit of structure and ensure that everyone knows and understands their role in the project. The project manager will create a unified vision of the project's goals and give it a clear purpose and direction.
Establish a Single Point of Communication
Chaos and confusion set in quick when a project has no appointed leader. The project manager is the central figure of a project, the person responsible for communicating information from the stakeholders to the project team and vice versa.
Communication when it comes to project management means more than just disseminating information - a good project manager can temper an overly excited client who may want to rush through the creative process or whose requirements are a bit unrealistic.
Monitor and Control the Scope of the Project
The project's scope refers to the deliverables of a project, meaning what needs to be done and the work required to submit the product. The project manager will continuously monitor and control the scope to ensure that it aligns with the project's goals and that the team is on track with their work.
The project manager will also work with the team to define the task and their importance and ensure that they are completed efficiently.
Manage Costs and Time
It ensures that a project is delivered on time, and a budget is perhaps one of the biggest challenges a company faces.
More often than not, team members have to tend to their day-to-day tasks, too, so the project manager must set a schedule and ensure that their time is appropriately managed and no deadlines are missed. For example, the PM might help team members calculate the time a task takes and provide that they will work on the task in the right order.
Good project managers are also business-oriented. They know how to allocate resources effectively, whether it's monetary or human resources, like the right person for the right task.
Excellent Problem Solvers
It's rarely a smooth sail, but a project manager's job is to find a way around the hoops and bumps along the road. When the project is delayed, you can count on their experience in understanding the problem and how it can be removed.
Motivates Team Members
It's easy to lose your motivation when you've been working for months with no end in sight or when your work is continuously sent back for revisions. Poor project management can create stress and increase turnover. A good PM can bring the team together during difficult times and motivate members.
Final Thoughts -
Few businesses can meet stakeholder expectations and complete project goals in time and within budget without a project manager. A project manager can increase productivity and efficiency, but their leadership can also provide a great sense of professionalism and higher morale among team members. While it may seem like a high cost at first, an experienced PM, it's cheaper to bring one from the start of the project than later when so many costly mistakes have already been made.
