Project Managers are multi-talented species. They cannot be successful if they are not.
Managing a projects involves multiple tangible and intangible aspects such as
- Leadership
- Communication
- Expectation management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Keeping teams motivated & focused
- Be the go-to man for the team
- Expertise not only as a PM, but end to end understanding of the project
- Managing timelines, budget, quality & deliverables
As is evident from the list, one size doesn’t fit all. And there is no silver bullet that will provide everything on a platter. A project manager has to have a mix of the technical knowhow, empathy, and ability to lead, take the fall if things go bad, and turn the tide in favor of the business.
And, he/she has to do it while keeping the business as well as the customers happy. Not an easy thing to do by any means.