Project management is very broad and complex and a what works for one project manager may not work for another. Each project will have its own level of complexity making it either easy or difficult to meet the scope, time, and cost goals of the project. Project managers need to continue to develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities and remember to always learn from their mistakes and from the successes of others.

The Harvard Business Review outlined the “Five Critical Roles in Project Management”

Sponsor

The sponsor champions the project at the highest level in the company and gets rid of organizational obstructions. She should have the clout to communicate effectively with the CEO and key stakeholders, provide necessary resources, and approve or reject outcomes. It’s also important that she have “skin in the game”—in other words, accountability for the project’s performance.

Project Manager

The project manager identifies the central problem to solve and determines, with input from the sponsor and stakeholders, how to tackle it: what the project’s objectives and scope will be and which activities will deliver the desired results. He then plans and schedules tasks, oversees day-to-day execution, and monitors progress until he evaluates performance, brings the project to a close, and captures the lessons learned. The project manager receives authority from the sponsor. In many respects, he’s like a traditional manager because he must:

• Provide a framework for the project’s activities
• Identify needed resources
• Negotiate with higher authorities
• Recruit effective participants
• Set milestones
• Coordinate activities
• Keep the vision clear and the work on track
• Make sure everyone on the team contributes and benefits
• Mediate conflicts
• Make sure project goals are delivered on time and on budget

Team Leader

Large projects may include a team leader, who reports directly to the project manager. In small projects, the project manager wears both hats. The team leader cannot act like the boss and still obtain the benefits of team-based work. Instead, he must adopt the following important roles:

• Initiator. Rather than tell people what to do, the leader draws attention to actions that must be taken for team goals to be met.
• Model. He uses his own behavior to shape others’ performance—by starting meetings on time, for example, and following through on between meeting assignments. Leaders often rely heavily on this tactic, since they typically cannot use promotions, compensation, or threats of dismissal to influence team members.
• Negotiator. He gets what he needs from resource providers by framing the project as mutually beneficial.
• Listener. He gathers from the environment signal of impending trouble, employee discontent, and opportunities for gain.
• Coach. He finds ways to help team members maximize their potential and achieve agreed-upon goals. Coaching opportunities are abundant within teams because the skills members eventually need are often ones they don’t already have.
• Working member. In addition to providing direction, the leader must do a share of the work, particularly in areas where he has special competence. Ideally, he should also take on one or two of the unpleasant or unexciting jobs that no one else wants to do.

Team Members

The heart of any project, and the true engine of its work, is its membership. That’s why bringing together the right people is extremely important.

Criteria for membership

Although the skills needed to accomplish the work should govern team selection, keep in mind that you’re unlikely to get all the know-how you need without providing some training. Consider the following areas of proficiency:

• Technical skills in a specific discipline, such as market research, finance, or software programming
• Problem-solving skills enabling individuals to analyze difficult situations or impasses and to craft solutions
• Interpersonal skills, particularly the ability to collaborate effectively with others—a critical aspect of team-based work
• Organizational skills, including networking, communicating well with other parts of the company, and navigating the political landscape, all of which help the team get things done and avoid conflicts with operating units and their personnel

When forming project teams, people tend to focus too narrowly on technical skills and overlook interpersonal and organizational skills, which are just as important. For instance, a brilliant programmer may thwart team progress if she is unwilling to collaborate. By contrast, an organizationally savvy person with average technical skills may be the team’s most valuable member, thanks to his ability to gather resources and enlist help from operating units.

Individuals who are strong on all four skill measures are few and far between. Make the most of the talent available, and take steps to neutralize weaknesses in your group. Look for people not just with valued skills but with the potential to learn new ones. Once you identify a candidate for membership, discuss her potential contribution with the sponsor. Consult her supervisor as well, since team membership absorbs time that would otherwise go toward regular assignments.

You may have to add new members and possibly bid thanks and good-bye to others over time, as tasks and needs change. One note of caution: Team members gradually develop effective patterns for working together, making decisions, and communicating. Cohesion is undermined when too many people join or exit the team.