What Is a Working Definition of Project Management?

GOAL: A Manager Who Problem Solves & Doesn’t Give Up!

Who and what constitute a working definition of project management? YOU!

That’s right. Project management is a guided process that depends on a person taking charge, who is ultimately responsible for the program’s final outcomes.

That’s why project managers are always on their toes—in anticipating problems and avoiding them, putting out fires as they arise and setting the overall tone to achieve win-win outcomes.

A project manager is a whole different breed of go-getter who never ever gives up easily. Why? Because there’s just too much at stake to abandon ship. “PM” (project management) managers are creative problem-solvers with bags full of experiences to guide and innovate on solutions as needed. Solutions and resolutions will always have to be unique to the challenges at hand.

A Working Definition
That’s what a definition of project management is—the person at the helm of every project is the one responsible in overseeing and successfully completing all stages of the plan; even if it means:

• changing the scope of the plan to meet goals
• switching around team members to complete various tasks
• working longer and harder than anyone else to get the job done.

For example, each day you get to the office, it may seem that something is always going wrong with the project. In my book, When Life hands You a Project, Manage It! I define a snag as any obstacle that consumes your time or hinders your ability to move forward. It’s like facing a nuclear meltdown on a daily basis. The trick to success, though, is fairly simple.

You have to manage the project—not let the project manage you! Your ability to maneuver your way out of, or around, obstacles is what makes you a successful project manager.

BIO: A corporate executive and entrepreneur, Angela Brister is the author of When Life Hands You A Project, Manage It! Visit http://www.projectmanageit.com/ for more online project management ideas. You're welcome to quote from this article and credit the source to Angela Brister at: http://projectmanageit.blogspot.com/.