Four Key Responsibilities for Project Managers by Nils Madden

You Can Do Anything But Not Everything

nilsmadden — 2025-04-18 23:28:01 UTC

It's easy to fall into the trap where you believe you know best. But, the Project Manager can't complete a 20,000 hour project by himself. Trust the team, learn to let go.

Sharing is Understanding

nilsmadden — 2025-04-18 23:34:10 UTC

The Project Manager has to communicate to everyone the changes/news/updates made in small groups. People can't be expected to understand if the information isn't shared completely.

Repetition Repetition Repetition

nilsmadden — 2025-04-18 23:36:14 UTC

Often, people pay little attention in meetings, or people don't read the project documents and emails. If the team needs to know, share the information once, twice, three, or four times to ensure people receive it. If the team groans, "We went over this already!", you've done your job.

Who's Who List

nilsmadden — 2025-04-18 23:38:25 UTC

Good communication is made possible by a communication plan. Bob can't remember the phone number for the concrete contractor? He only has to look at the communication plan. Who does Sally call at midnight when the tank overflowed? She only needs to look at the communication plan.

Subject Matter Experts Know Best

nilsmadden — 2025-04-18 23:42:28 UTC

You hired subject matter experts to be the expert. Use their expertise! You may know just enough about diesel engines to know where the fuel goes, but the diesel mechanic knows that the black smoke probably means the turbocharger has holes in it.

RACI - What a Good Idea!

nilsmadden — 2025-04-18 23:45:14 UTC

Feel like you can't keep track of who is doing what? Create or improve your responsibility assignment matrix to determine who's Responsible, who's Accountable, who's been Consulted, and stay Informed. A Project Manager can't and shouldn't try to hold everything in his head. Document what tasks have been assigned and hole team members accountable.

All Those Recommended Documents? They Exist for a Reason

nilsmadden — 2025-04-18 23:52:12 UTC

So many projects just stumble along with the team members having meeting after meeting, discussion after discussion, rehashing the same details because nobody codifies decisions or information in documentation. A Charter and Scope Document is a joke to most project teams: "Why do I have to do this? Nobody will ever read it." Six months later when everyone has forgotten the project kick-off, these documents will save a project.

Follow Up Discussions with Emails or Notes

nilsmadden — 2025-04-18 23:54:12 UTC

People often think that follow up emails are for CYA: "See everyone, I told you I gave Bob the measurements!" Follow up emails, notes, and documents exist for posterity. How does Sally know that Bob has received the measurements? Will Bob remember in 6 months what was discussed in a 5 minute conversation?

Remember the Next Guy

nilsmadden — 2025-04-18 23:56:04 UTC

Project teams often hand off their finished product to an operations team, whether it's a new design or service. The operations team relies on the project teams good documentation like manuals, drawings, diagrams, or instructions to continue to manufacture, serve, or support the product.

Stuff Happens

nilsmadden — 2025-04-19 00:48:23 UTC

No project goes as planned. Be prepared to accept changes, and be prepared to communicate the change to the team.

Follow Through on Change

nilsmadden — 2025-04-19 00:51:40 UTC

Most change starts with the team eager to adopt it. Then the change doesn't work, and a second change is needed, then a third. By the last change, everyone is tired of the problem, and the final product isn't as polished as the scope document set it out to be.

Scope Creep is not Change

nilsmadden — 2025-04-19 00:54:17 UTC

Scope Creep and Change are similar but not the same. Change is necessary because perhaps the original plan didn't meet the objective. Or discovery in the execution necessitated a change. Scope Creep is an expansion of the original objective. Project Managers need to know the difference and accept change while rejecting scope creep.