PROJECT MANAGER – NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES OF PROJECT SUCCESS

Understanding the importance of the Project Manager or Project Management is crucial in the engineering field, especially when managing large-scale projects aimed at ensuring success.

The Project Manager is one of the most important and relevant figures at MEP-Projects, as they are involved across all phases of a project from assignment onwards. Their objective is simple yet paramount: to ensure the project’s success and achievement of set objectives. To accomplish this, they must coordinate various departments and profiles involved, setting the strategy and determining project timelines and phases.

The Project Manager must instill confidence in the project, understand its business and peculiarities well enough to suggest changes and refinements. Moreover, in long-term projects, it is common (and desirable) to establish a trusting relationship with the client: understanding their needs, concerns, weaknesses within the company, etc.

To truly grasp the importance of the Project Manager, it is appropriate to understand the functions performed by this professional. Below are the tasks performed by all our Project Managers at MEP-Projects:

• Design and create project planning. In collaboration with all discipline heads in our company, the Project Manager is responsible for creating the planning of the various projects to achieve set objectives.
• Determine task execution times. It is a logical perspective function, where the Project Manager defines the estimated execution times for each task of the project.
• Manage teams. The ability to manage appropriate team profiles for project achievement is another function of great importance for the Project Manager. Additionally, they provide encouragement and motivation to enhance the quality of work and synergistic collaboration. Without teamwork, a project can never achieve success. This is a key part of MEP-Projects’ essence, and we always strive to instill this value in the entire team.

• Define the methodology to use. Another relevant task of a Project Manager is the authority to decide on the action methodology for executing each action and task of the projects designed. Additionally, selecting the appropriate tools to achieve their goals.
• Control and review each project phase. One of the most important tasks of the Project Manager is the ability to control, review, and evaluate each phase to ensure the achievement of objectives. Additionally, they are vigilant and equipped to resolve any conflict or unplanned situation in project execution.
• Creativity. Perhaps one of the less required skills, although from our perspective, it is one of the most important. Being creative to find efficient and suitable solutions to complex issues. The Project Manager must be able to see things from different perspectives and viewpoints to find simple solutions to complex problems, and this can only be achieved through creativity.
• Dialectical skills. Dialectical skills are essential for PMs because they allow them to communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, negotiate beneficial agreements, and understand client needs, all of which contribute to the overall success of the project.

Ultimately, although the role of the Project Manager is very important in our company, we try to instill the following philosophy in every worker who joins us:

Success is not individual, but a team effort.

It is important not to forget that behind these figures, there are other professionals who make their work “shine” before the client. Therefore, it is essential to highlight that the success of the Project Manager is thanks to the success of their colleagues, and everyone involved in the project is equally important and relevant. The Project Manager is the “orchestra conductor,” but precisely to make it “sound good,” a series of instruments played by experienced professionals is necessary.

With this, I want to take this opportunity to, precisely, thank the entire MEP-Projects team for their daily work and commitment to the values of our company.