by Deon Snider TD&C
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”.
John QuincyAdams
“Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.” 1 While this statement takes but a few seconds to read, it can take a project manager several years to develop the skills required to become an effective Project Manager. The FSG Project Manager is expected to lead out with excellence while tapping into the strengths and skills of others, motivating and mobilizing them into a united team that will effectively and efficiently take a construction project from mere conceptual drawings to the reality that meets or exceeds the owners expectations. While this is a great synopsis of what project management is, it does not even come close to describing the complexity of what it takes to be a project manager. Talented people spend their lives pursuing the destination of becoming a skilled project manager. They quickly come to realize that the life of a PM is an expedition, you never fully arrive at your journey’s end.
We are all familiar with the analogy… “… busier than a ‘one armed wall paper hanger’ “. This metaphor only begins to express the skill required to handle the overwhelming demands and expectations that the FSG Project Manager faces daily. Project Managers are responsible for complete coordination of the project from the Letter of Intent, through Final Close Out, including all the steps in between. All in all there are 66 processes. These processes, when jumbled together, become a labyrinth that is jam packed full of countless convoluted steps and requirements the PM must consider while charting the course and schedule for materials, tools, information, manpower, and access to the work area. Developing the plan, propelling and steering it in forward motion, while ensuring all the details are handled with precision is all part of the daily practices. The PM is always planning ahead to ensure optimal efficiency while delicately guarding each step to identify potential risks and provide proper mitigation. While all of this is in motion the PM is constantly monitoring and controlling job costs, change orders, quality control, and forecasting cost to complete.
Our P2P – Construction Project Manager group is looking at means and methods that help the PM become more effective in our daily tasks. We have discussed everything from “cutting edge technology” that helps expedite underground layout with impeccable precision, to new software which will improve efficiency and accuracy of controlling job documents.
If you are interested in participating in this group, contact Deon or your Division Mgr. We will ensure that this is the right group for you, then you will be added to to the roster. It’s that simple!!! You will receive reminders and meeting information via email. Remember, these focus groups are designed as open collaborative forums. We need all who join to participate and engage in the discussions.
Following is the schedule for the upcoming P2P – Outside Sales / Marketing Group for 2011.
Tuesday December 6 (3pm cdt)
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1 (A guide to the project management body of knowledge: PMBOK Guide Third Edition pg 8)