Where should a Project Manager focus most of their efforts?

Question

What is the most critical aspect of managing a large-scale project? Where should the PM spend most of their efforts to ensure highest probability of success?

Answer 1

A project life cycle phase includes initiation, planning, execution, monitoring/control, and closure. So depending on which phase the project is at, the project managers' involvement will vary.

During the initiation phase, the project manager is expected to understand the project requirement and strategize to attain desired results. The project manager expected to kicks-off a meeting to understand the client's and stakeholders' requirements, goals, and objectives.

During the planning phase, the project manager is expected to take care of operational requirements, design limitations, and functional requirements. The project manager is also expected to create a project plan, create workflow documents, budget estimation, gather resources, and anticipate risks.

During the project execution phase, the project manager has expected to implement project-related processes, assign tasks, and allocate resources.

During the project Monitoring and Controlling phase, the project manager is expected to measure the performance of the project and tracking progress to check whether everything aligns with the project management plan, especially concerning financial and time parameters.

During the project closure, the project manager is expected to deliver the product, wrap up the activities related to the project, and highlight strengths, takeaways of the project, and lessons learned.

Each of the phases of a project is important. As a project manager, you must meet your project objective with the allocated budget and schedule. To accomplish the goal, the Project Manager needs to focus on having the right resources who have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibility, and willing to follow through.