Being the Director of Project Management I’m a bit biased about the benefits of having a project manager work on your project, but by the end of this post I hope to convince you why we are so great.
According to dictionary.com a project manager is...
I would mostly agree with this broad definition of a project manager. A project manager organizes the things, ensures the things get done by the appropriate person and gets a project across the finish line. Super easy, right? You may even be thinking, do I need someone who is in charge of “things”, can’t I just do that? Don’t the “things” just happen?
Maybe. Give it a shot, come back and let me know how it goes. My guess is though that you’ve got your own list of “things” to do and ensuring that each little piece of the project getting completed isn’t on your high priority list. If you’ve ever had a construction project take place at your home you’ve probably experienced working with a project manager. They were your primary point of contact who worked with all the sub-contractors, and kept your timeline on track and within budget – or at least that was their goal. You are no construction expert, so you gladly let them take the reins.
When you agree to a digital project with JH, whether that be a website, digital campaign or video project you are assigned a project manager. Your project manager is responsible for the same things your construction project manager was handling but the sub-contractors are the experts at JH who are completing your new site or campaign setup. We are your advocate and best friend during your project, ensuring that you reach the finish line successfully.
Who is Doing What by When?
This is a common question at the office when in a meeting about a project. Your project manager is divvying up tasks, setting expectations and then following up with those the whole way through.
Communication is Key.
Our web team is fantastic. They are highly skilled experts in their fields. If we allowed them to be interrupted by every question from a client, they would never get anything done. This also means that your project would take longer and cost more. I don’t think anyone wants to sign up for that!
Your project manager is a phone call, email or visit away. Their job is to answer your questions. And also the questions of the JH team. Your project manager translates the tech speak into something you understand and in turn, translates your request to "add pizzazz" into something the designer and developer will understand.
So ultimately, do you need a project manager? I vote yes. It makes your life easier and keeps all the details and follow-ups on someone else’s plate instead of your own. Think of what you could do with all that freed-up brain space!
International Project Management Day is Thursday, November 7, 2024 so go ahead and send a quick thanks to your project manager for keeping track of all the "things" so you don't have to.
