Let’s be real: managing a project isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Unless that park is filled with wild bears, occasional hurricanes, and tight deadlines to build a playground with only duct tape and your personality.
But how still can you pull all this together? Teamwork.
The Secret to Success: It’s Not a Mystery (It’s You)
“The secret of a successful project is working together as a team.”
Groundbreaking? Nope. True? Absolutely. No project becomes a success because of one individual carrying it on their back while everyone else was not doing their part.
As a team understanding each other is key. No, we don’t need to be BFF’s or do trust falls, but we do need clear communication, a bit of empathy, and shared understanding of each others roles and expectations.
So with that said: Who is a Project Manager (and Why Are They Always Sending Emails)?
A Project Manager is not just a human reminder app with a fondness for Gantt charts. They’re part air traffic controller, part therapist, and part caffeine-powered motivator.
Enter the Triple Dipple (Yes, I Made That Up)
All project managers live inside a triangle (scary, right) that they are responsible for and is called the triple constraint (or as I like to say: The Triple Dipple):
- Scope: What are we doing, why are we doing it, and can we not add 12 new features halfway the project?
- Time: When is it due, how long does it take, and what happens when someone takes “a quick vacation” just before a milestone delivery?
- Budget: How much can we spend, and how do we still make it work after Finance cuts our budget in half? And yes, that does happen.
Bonus constraint: Resource Management. Because you can’t build a spaceship with only glue sticks and part-time interns it’s important you have all the right folks and ensure to utilize their skillsets at the right moment in time.
Sounds Simple? Not So Fast…
“Just manage scope, time, and budget,” they said.
But here’s a fun fact: in general only 29% of projects are delivered on time and on budget. That means 71% of us are just hoping for the best ?
Why such a low average ? Because project plans are not written in stone. They change. A lot…. And often due to things which are completely outside the project’s control. Like a delayed vendor, shifting client expectations or requirements, or the mysterious disappearance of half the team during lunch time.
So yeah, clear communication and teamwork to anticipate and overcome the unexpected, that’s the mystery to success if we want any change of delivering what actually matters and make our stakeholders happy.
So … What’s a PM Really Doing All Day?
Besides perfecting their passive-aggressive email tone?
- Comparing plans vs. reality (spoiler alert: reality usually wins)
- Coordinating people, vendors, and your cousin’s friend who knows Excel “really well”
- Forecasting budgets while praying to the spreadsheet gods
- Managing risks, escalations, and existential crises
- Reporting to stakeholders without breaking into nervous laughter
So, What Do PMs Really Want?
Besides a nap? Just this:
- Tell them if you can’t complete a task, we won’t bite (much).
- If it’s harder than expected, let’s problem-solve.
- If you need something to start your task, let them know.
- Raise risks, issues, escalations, they love a good escalation! (Okay, maybe “love” is to strong of a word. But they’d rather hear it early than too late.)
And if you bring a proposed solution to the problem? You might just earn yourself a virtual beer!
Help Me Help You (yes, that line is stolen ;-))
Yes, PMs can be a bit annoying. They ask too many questions and seem to be living only for updates and status calls. But remember they are here to facilitate success, not frustrate you.
Their job is to make sure that others have what they need to do their best work, on time, within budget, and (ideally) with your sanity intact.
So let’s work together. Because while they might not have all the answers, they definitely know who to ask, what to track, and when the deadline is.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a status report to write and three “quick syncs” back-to-back. But don’t worry, if anything changes, I’ll let you know. Twice. And send a reminder.
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