What makes a good project manager?
Abstract: There is a growing awareness within project-based sectors of the relationship between performance and managers’ competencies. This article reports on research that investigated the competency profile of ‘superior’ project managers working within the construction industry, one of the most complex and dynamic project-based industrial sectors. The study combined an assessment of both their behavioural competencies and job-task competencies. The results reveal that while their job-task competencies are highly specific to the industry in which they work, the behavioural competencies of superior project managers are mostly generic in nature and apply to a range of other management positions. This research shows how it is practically possible to identify the competency profile of superior managers and utilise this framework for managing the performance of this key management group.
At Contract 105 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link “the most exciting piece of engineering currently in Europe” Costain’s project director Charles Ball draws on his eldest sister’s philosophy to describe what constitutes an effective project manager. “I am the youngest of four brothers and two sisters. But out of all of us it is my eldest sister, who studied music and drama at the Guildhall and went on to become a very successful business woman, who is probably the most worldly wise. She believes that it’s very easy to succeed. Success is simply a matter of learning one’s subject and delivering to other people what they expect.” It was after an 18-year career within Costain that in 2004 Charles took over the leadership of CORBER, a joint venture between Costain, Laing O’Rourke, Bachy and Emcor Rail, to build CTRL Contract 105. The project involves the refurbishment and extension of the existing St Pancras Station to form the new international terminus for Eurostar. When the contract is co
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By Dan Morrill Expert Author Article Date: 2008-03-12 What is a good project manager? The definition of a good project manager from a bad project manager is subjective, but there are some highly effective traits of good project managers that can be captured. It is not about filling in financial statements, it is about having a passion for what you are doing, and productivity, supporting a team in what can be very harsh corporate environments. Deborah Bigelow, PMP in the expert series points out two definitions for good project management.
