A senior project manager (as compared to a project manager) is not defined simply by the number of projects he/she has run, or a project’s size and complexity, but by a number of additional actions/traits. Here is a starter list of 10 expectations I have for Senior Project managers that I don’t have for those who are less experienced.
Whether you hope to become a Senior Project Manager or already are one, how do you stack up against these expectations?
(Click here for a handy 1-page takeaway with which you are free to make not-for-sale copies.)
1. Evaluate performance. A Senior Project Manager has the skills to know what is expected of a Project Manager and should be able to help evaluate that person’s performance—especially since management often seeks his/her skills, opinions and recommendations.
2. Mentor less-senior personnel. A Senior Project Manager mentors those around him/her in aspects of the profession such as Project Management, leadership, methodology, tools, people skills and navigating politics.
3. Identify project management-related training needs. He/she should be able to evaluate the readiness of a project team or organization, and then recommend the related training required to ensure the effective application of Project Management and leadership principles.
4. Conduct training. He/she should be able to teach many of the skills required for the successful planning, execution, delivery and support of projects and their products or services. He/she must also qualify Project Management training vendors and monitor their delivery and effectiveness.
5. Perform project reviews. He/she should have the ability to either individually assess the health of a project or lead a small team in doing so.
6. Turn troubled projects around. A Senior Project Manager should be able to turn around any sized troubled project in his/her industry.
7. Help hire or place Project Managers. He/she should be able to significantly contribute in the interview and selection of new Project Management hires—and help determine the placement of Project Managers onto specific projects.
8. Make continuous improvement a priority. He/she should have a solid grasp of basic and advanced Project Management principles, along with having experience in successfully applying and advancing those principles.
9. Be a role model for integrity. Integrity is not an option. He/she should champion the promotion of integrity in all endeavors.
10. Think like a business person. Project Management is mostly about business. A Senior Project Manager should understand the business need for each project. He should make ongoing decisions based on what’s best for the organization—even if that means challenging senior stakeholders on critical success factors.
(These 10 expectations appeared in Neal Whitten’s April 2012 PM Network® article and March 2013 Mini-Newsletter. Thank you Neal for your permisson to publish them in my blog.)