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Article:
Why a Project Manager Manages More Than Just The Project by: Blair Ballard So your Project Manager is responsible for getting your Project - whatever it may be, completed. This is going to involve more than just managing time and resources. Above all it requires good people management, in particular managing You, the Client! Let me give an example from 'History'. We were engaged in the development of a large (several million dollar) project. It required development of software, building of a company intranet, a web presence, a big database and overcoming lots of security issues. The 'Client' was actually represented by 4 parties. An IT Manager, who is in overall control of the budget, but doesn't actually have any involvement in the hardware or software. The Systems Manager, who looks after the operating of the Client's hardware and software. The Sales Team, for whom this product is being built. The boss, who pays the bills, but doesn't appear to understand what all the money is being spent on. It is important to appreciate the characters and dynamics involved. I won't go into too much detail to protect their identities. The IT Manager is extremely demanding. The IT and Systems Managers are best of buddies. There appears to be a power struggle between the IT Manager and the Boss. As will become apparent, we don't know about the Sales team. By the time I am involved, the IT Manager has already fired 2 project managers, supposedly on technical grounds, but realistically more because the two sides didn't get on. Part of project management involves soliciting information from the Client - what do you want? How are you going to use it? So far, are we on the right track? As I said this system was to help the Sales Team and to a degree, the Accounts Department. The IT Manager explicitly refused to let us talk to anyone else in the Client's company except himself or the Systems Manager. He is the one approving our pay, so what he says goes. He feels that he alone is capable of determining the result of the project and therefore can manage all aspects on behalf of the Client. Unfortunately, project management is all about collaboration. The Systems Manager, before any coding has started or even the system processes are worked out, decides to spend $'300
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