Fast Track Into Management

If you think all there is to project management is writing a to-do list on a napkin at the lunch table, you're about two decades behind the times.

So says Paul J. Rutkowski, project management professional, senior manager and project/program management curriculum specialist at Lucent Technologies Inc.'s Corporate Learning & Performance Center in Naperville, Ill., and a director-at-large at the Project Management Institute.

"Today, projects are much more global and complex," Rutkowski says. "Customers are demanding speed to market because a project's timing affects business operations. They require flawless execution to realize business opportunities. Effective project management is the way to make it happen."

Rutkowski says the project manager has an "awesome role." Some of the skills project managers need to succeed include the following:

• Leadership: the ability to create a vision and inspire a team to achieve project goals successfully.

• Communication: with the project team, customers, project sponsors, vendors and others. Rutkowski estimates that more than 80% of the project manager's time is spent using this skill.

• Conflict resolution: making sure that nobody feels ostracized or less a part of the team, no matter what the final decision.

• Negotiation: understanding how to leverage vendor partnerships and build relationships with people whom the project affects.

• Team building: once the project team is assembled, team members need to understand their roles and responsibilities to work together effectively.

• Listening skills: not having a predisposed notion, but truly listening to team members, customers and managers.

• Relationship management: among various constituents at all levels of the organizations involved.