What skills do I need to beat my competitor to be a good project manager for my team?

Question

I've learnt project management and I got a project by my lecturer requesting me to form a team. And yes, I have a team now. I just want to be the project manager so badly! My performance has been great so far but I am worried about the competition.

How do I prove to my lecturer that I'm capable of being a good project manager for the team?

Thanks to StackExchange Community, I've learnt so much compared to my competitors.

I just need to be the best. What exactly do I need to prove?

UPDATE:- I don't think I need to improve because my lecturer knows what I'm capable of. I was a team leader twice in my diploma projects. I've experienced the WORST situations and I learnt how to improve myself. The difference is that in my diploma level, I was managing a college project for the sake of an exercise (not a real one). This time, I've been ask to work on a real project.

My point here is that, I want to prove to everyone that I can be the best project manager (Example:- picture a scenario where competitors compete in presidential election campaigns)

I know how to use methodologies depending on the size of project and organizational rules, I know how to manage my team, I know how to solve problems, I know how to plan, organize and manage the project flow. In short, I have the knowledge.

I just want to prove it. Example:- What are the main points you would show to your boss if you want to be chosen as a project manager?

Answer 1

Conceptually, it's pretty simple. As Project Manager, you are responsible for the success of the project. It gets complicated by technology and people.

Upfront:

1. Make sure you have clearly defined goals for the project. There should be very clear requirements about what the final product should do.
2. Make sure the people assigned to the project clearly understand their individual goals for the project. Sounds obvious, but it never surprises me how two people can look at the same thing and interpret it completely differently.
3. Make sure people are capable of completing their individual goals. You don't want someone accepting responsibility out of peer-pressure and then melting down halfway thru.
4. Identify the most significant areas of risk (technological and/or chronological) on the project and figure out what you can do to reduce the risk as early as possible. Prototype, do hard stuff up front, etc.
5. Set up measurable milestones for the project so you can tell whether or not you are on schedule.
6. Set up a good, comfortable workflow for everyone involved.

In progress:

1. Make sure individuals are making progress. Support them. If one person if falling behind, figure out why. See if you can identify someone else who is ahead and can help them.
2. Make sure the work that is getting done meets requirements and is solid.
3. Ensure that people on the team are communicating with each other. People may make assumptions that someone else is going to do something. Then they don't find out until the end that the other person thought the first person was going to do it. Don't let this happen.
4. Integrate early and often. Integration can be one of the trickiest parts of any project. Do integration as soon as you can and then continue to monitor integrated work. It can be as simple as ensuring that everyone's code builds when checked into the project.

That's a lot of it. As others expressed, the question is somewhat vague so there can easily be a lot more specifics.

ADD:

One other thing, you use the words "I", "me", "my", etc A LOT in your question. Your question is very "you"-centric. As Project Manager and someone who wants to be Project Manager going forward, you need to put the project and people first. If the people on the project have clear, accurate goals and meet them, then the project is likely to be successful, and you are likely to be successful.

Answer 2

I think you'll fail in your profession if you want to beat your competitor. The thing is that if you are in competition, you are focusing on the opponent not on yourself or the work you have to do. For example, if she creates a nice presentation on a project, you'll try to create a better presentation, but you'll compare yours to hers. Your focus is on the presentation and not on the project.

If you are in competition, you are playing a zero-sum game (there is a winner and a loser), but at a workplace is usually a non-zero-sum game (there can be two winners, or two losers as well), which is not necessarily a bad idea, but the outcome is very uncertain. For example, you beat your competitor, but it can happen that she comes out as a winner, too.

My advice is set your own goal and do your best to reach that goal. Of course, you can keep your eyes on others, but as soon as you shift your focus to them, you'll have less resources to do your job. Less resources can lead to bad performance, which can lead to a bad evaluation.

Answer 3

Performance. You need to perform. You need to do a great job. Above all: THINK.

Answer 4

worry about the project that your managing and aim to be successful at project's goals.

dont worry about the competition, very hard to control that

project's success is more profund than achieving personal points.

accept your failures publicly,learn from them and adapt will be my advise

Answer 5

Spend time meeting with the project sponsor. Learn their goals, what they want the project to accomplish and why. Establish open and clear communication with the sponsor.

This time spent will improve your relationship with the sponsor (which is particularly helpful when things don't go as planned in the project lifecycle) and give you a sense of what is truly important for the project to be a success.

Remember, projects are not one time entities that exist for their own sake. They exist to meet a business or organizational goal.

Answer 6

I can see the energy and anxiety in your question. Energy is good. Anxiety is bad. I won't worry about competition. Focus on the project and do a good job. Rewards will automatically come.