Owning and operating your own business can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. Have you just realised that it may be getting too much for you to handle alone while growing your business? This is where you might have to consider a project specialist.

Your executive team might be efficient enough to look after the business and support you. However, there exists a need for a project manager to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.

According to research, 67% more projects ultimately failed in businesses that underestimated project management as a critical competency for transformation. The statistics might prepare you more for hiring a project management specialist.

This first step of placing a high value on project management and results will help expand your business successfully. A talented project manager will take care of the big picture while you and your team work on other, more critical tasks and projects.

Let’s examine what a project manager brings and what to look for when hiring.

What is a project management professional?

Project management is one of the most challenging aspects of any organisation. Thus, it would help if you consider delegating it to skilled hands capable of flawlessly supervising the completion of a project. Although the role might vary depending on the project, it requires specialised knowledge.

A project manager is accountable for the project’s success from inception to completion. They are generally seen as team players and are often sociable, as they oversee directing teams. A project management professional definition is comprised of a role that specialists are responsible for:

• Developing objectives
• Organising
• Planning
• Executing projects within budget and time restrictions

Besides, the project manager is also accountable for the following:

• Defining the project’s scope
• Maintaining a routine
• Costing a project and adhering to a budget
• Managing resources for a project
• Keeping track of the project’s progress
• Communicating with stakeholders
• Risk assessment
• Troubleshooting
• Leading assurance of quality

The role will influence the success or failure of the project and the organisation’s growth. As a result, it is essential to exert more effort while hiring them for your job.

Do I need a project manager?

Project management entails risk identification and mitigation, prudent resource management, prudent budgeting, and effective communication across many teams and stakeholders. Thus, having a project manager to lead the initiative and keep everyone on track is vital to project success.

Still undecided on why use a project manager? The following reasons may be of assistance:

1. Project planning

Without realistic planning, a project can quickly derail before it gets started. A smart project manager evaluates the big picture and establishes goals, budgets, and attainable schedules. They develop a project plan based on their study that balances those priorities within time and budget limits. Instances might include cost estimation, resource management, risk assessment, etc.

2. A well-defined objectives

A 2017 research shows that the primary reason for project failure is a lack of well-defined goals and objectives. Project managers will assist you in defining and monitoring the project objectives, thus quickly identifying the emerging risk indicators.

3. Alignment of strategic objectives

Strategic alignment ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page and that your actions benefit the organisation. The project manager’s role is to ensure that the project’s overall aims are consistent with the organisation’s strategy.

4. Structured process

Project managers assist teams in breaking down large projects into manageable components. By decomposing the project into small, assigned tasks, they may more effectively manage their teams and respond to challenges.

5. Quality

There is a lot of pressure on project teams to complete a project on schedule and within budget. As a result, hasty effort and poor execution are possible outcomes. To help with this, you’ll need a project manager. They keep track of project deadlines and goals and monitor how efficiently the tasks are completed.

Hiring a project manager may benefit your business in effective terms. Remember, by increasing efficiency, minimising risks, and optimising resources, project management helps lower project costs. And who else can do it better than a project management specialist?

What qualities should a project manager possess?

While you may have chosen to engage a project specialist, it is critical to check for certain characteristics when hiring. This may profit you as well as save you money on future investments.

• One of the most valuable abilities a project manager can possess is filtering through the team members’ strengths and flaws. They can then allocate duties efficiently by understanding who is best at what.
• Communication is another obvious skill vital for a project manager as they’ll be juggling various roles and teams.
• Leadership is one of the top qualities to possess. Many of the project manager’s teammates will look to them for guidance and solutions.
• Capacity planning and balancing available resources against other commitments are essential skills for project managers.

Apart from holding the fundamental talents, there are instances when challenges arise, such as missed deadlines, team conflicts, exceeded budget, etc. These require a strong problem solver with exceptional team building and negotiation abilities. Hence, do consider these too.

Project management professional: sources of hire

When looking for a project manager, you may decide to promote a current team member. From an organisational sense, this decision eliminates a lot of responsibilities. For example, your onboarding process may be simplified as the person will already be acquainted with the project’s culture and requirements. Also, knowing your organisation’s aims and plans, they may be able to lead and direct the team from the start.

As an alternative, hiring an external project manager has several advantages. The culture of your business may be well-established, but bringing in a new employee with new perspectives and an unbiased point of view may be beneficial.

Your projects may benefit from a fresh set of eyes. They may also get you new access to resources that weren’t available to you through your usual vendors. Or, maybe you can hire virtual assistant services to gain better productivity by reducing labour costs while improving flexibility and work quality.

Endnotes

In addition to focusing on the vision and success of your company, as a business owner, you have a lot to do. Hiring a project manager would help your business grow and free up your time from daily distractions.

There is no better way to ease the pain of growth than to choose a candidate who has the majority of all of the skills mentioned above.

Are you starting a new project? Start by considering project management specialist hiring to keep it on track and meet your business goal.