• People (42%): this domain emphasizes the soft skills a project manager needs to manage a project team effectively, considering the many environmental changes.

• Process (50%): This domain focuses on the technical sides to managing projects successfully

• Business Environment (8%): this domain highlights the connection between organizational strategy and projects.

• The current ECO deviates valuably and significantly from the last one.

• Each of the domains enlists the responsibilities of project managers in the form of tasks and the actions taken to complete those tasks--enablers.

• The ECO also mentions that “About half of the examination will represent predictive project management approaches and the other half will represent agile or hybrid approaches.”

• An exam completion time of 230 minutes, down from 240 on the previous exam.
• There is an additional 10-minute break for the computer-based tests (time stops during this break) and none for the paper-based test (time does not stop during the break).
• A total of 180 questions, contrary to the former 200 questions.
• The questions consist of multiple-choice, limited fill-in-the-blank, multiple responses, matching, and hot-spot questions compared to only multiple-choice on the previous exam.

• The Minimum education is still 35 Contact Hours

• You Must Know Agile

• The New Exam Will Be Harder

• Read the new Exam Content Outline carefully.
• Use the PMBOK guide in studying for exams.
• Study the agile approaches the PMI way carefully by utilizing PMI’s Agile Practice Guide.
• Contact your trainer to know if they have an Agile background and have worked in your industry.
• Meet the requirements to take your exam virtually at home or in a private setting.

Every project requires five process groups known as the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) process groups. They can be confusing for team members and leaders who are newer to formal project management, but we’ll break down and explain what each one requires and entails.

Project management process groups define what a team needs to do and the knowledge areas they need to know during the lifecycle of a project. Let’s start with the first process group: initiating.

1. Initiating

Initiating is the first process group of project management, and it helps set the vision of what the project wants to accomplish. This stage is when the project becomes formally authorized, the initial scope is defined, and the stakeholders are identified.

Stakeholder identification is one of the most crucial steps in the initiating process; correct identification and analysis of those stakeholders are what makes or breaks a project, and this information is located in the Stakeholder Register, which gets created in the process of identifying Stakeholders. The Initiating process group happens to ensure projects and programs are sanctioned by the sponsoring organization, align with their strategic objectives (or diverge and the reason why,) and a project manager is assigned.

During the initiating process group, a project charter gets developed, and the document usually includes:

• Required resources
• Known risks
• Key stakeholders
• A high-level timeline
• A high-level cost estimate
• Success Criteria or Definition of “Done”

Projects that don’t go through the initiating process group tend to go without a specific goal or objective, and the odds of being successful drop significantly. With no objective to fall back on, it is easy for scope creep to occur. 

This stage is also when a project manager is selected and authorized to carry out the project. The sponsoring organization should establish a project manager early on during this process because they are the ones who hold accountability for the entire program. This is also a good time to determine the authority level, or what changes the PM can and can’t approve.

Related: In-Person PMP Master Class

2. Planning

The second process group of project management is planning, and establishing the scope of the project happens here. The project’s scope, milestones, budget, risks, and summary get defined at a high-level in the initiating phase, but there is still more to do regarding those.

Progressive elaboration is an iterative planning process, and it happens in this stage and throughout the project as well. The team begins developing much more detailed project documents by collecting project/product/stakeholder requirements and breaking that scope into individual work packages, or deliverables. 

There are many discrete processes involved in planning, and a project team chooses which ones to use for any given project - which is known as tailoring. Planning is crucial to project management; if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. Nearly half, 24 of 29 project management processes happen in the process groups.

Not only is the team responsible for planning out the project, but they consider the risks and the best way to respond to them. A project management plan gets created and includes items like:

• A definition of the project’s scope (what they are and are not doing)
• A list of detailed requirements
• An estimate for time and costs
• A detailed timeline and schedule
• A Risk Register and Risk Report
• A plan for communications, quality, and procurement

The planning process group creates a roadmap and path to success for the project. The team should come out of this stage with a well-defined understanding of how to execute the project within budget and schedule.

3. Executing

After the planning has occured to the point where work on the project can start (remember progressive elaboration? This is an iterative process, planning is usually finished when the project is finished), it’s time for the executing process group. Now the work starts, and there is a project management plan to keep everyone on track throughout the project’s execution. This is when the project team starts creating deliverables, and the project manager coordinates the resources.

During this process group, the project manager is not only responsible for acquiring and managing the team but also for cultivating them by utilizing team-building exercises. The project manager also manages communications and stakeholder engagement while ensuring the project and product quality.

In the execution process group, most of the budget gets spent and the project’s deliverables get produced. It is also the most likely time to receive stakeholder change requests. 

Project execution could last for weeks, months, or years. The most important task for any project is to stay on track, and that’s where the fourth process comes in.

4. Monitoring and Controlling

• Track, review, and regulate the performance and progress of the project.
• Identify any areas where a change in the plans might be required.
• Initiate any necessary changes to the project plan.

No project stays on plan perfectly. The monitoring and controlling process group helps you get back on track by comparing the plan to where you actually are, measuring variances, and taking corrective actions.

Scope, cost, and schedule all have variations in regard to the tools and techniques used to control them, but they all have baselines that were defined in the planning process. Because progress gets tracked by those baselines, planning changes aren’t made lightly, but they can be made.

Proper planning is essential to project management, but monitoring and controlling is the process that keeps the team on top of the plan and keeps the project focused on hitting its objectives.

5. Closing

Closing is the fifth and final process group of project management. This process is when the project is formally closed, and the customer signs-off and accepts it. The closing stage is where projects often fizzle out; team members stop showing up to every meeting, and communication efforts go downhill.

Project management best practices show that the effort applied to the whole project should be applied to the closing stage as well. The project manager should close the project by holding a lessons learned session, archiving records, and celebrating the team before releasing them from their duties.

• Creating a report that measures productivity, schedule variation, and return on investment (ROI).
• Holding a stakeholder meeting to ensure they are satisfied with the deliverables.
• Archiving the project records, including the plan, process, budget, and notes from the lessons learned session.

Becoming a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) is the best way to be seen as an effective, successful project manager while improving your abilities even further.

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What attributes make an effective and successful project manager? Every good project manager knows how to execute projects on time, on budget, but what makes an exceptional leader stand out?

Effective project managers go above and beyond simply meeting requirements; they build cohesive teams, encourage innovative ideas, and communicate with all stakeholders while being fully vested in an organization’s success.

If you’re a project manager, or want to become one, and want to stand out and expand your project management career, these are the traits of a highly-effective project manager:

1. Communication

A good project manager has the ability to communicate with people at every level. Not only does project management depend on the clear communication of responsibility, goals, performance, and feedback, but also on openness and directness.

Project managers are the people who connect the team’s efforts with the rest of the organization. Good project managers must negotiate and use persuasion to ensure the success of the project and team. By using effective communication, project leaders support the team’s achievements by creating explicit guidelines that lead to successful results. 

But there’s more to success than simply communicating. How you communicate is just as important. Writing skills are a prerequisite for great PMs, and understanding styles including when to match, be formal or informal is an important aspect of effective communication. Same goes for verbal communication. Having control of your tone, speed, eye contact and other non verbal communication cues will take you a long way.

This involves listening too. Listening to what is not being said is just as important as knowing what was spoken. Can you wait until a stakeholder has completed their sentence without finishing their sentence for them or cutting off the last part to give your answer? Can you deal with accents? A big part of project management communication is being able to synthesize large amounts of information and report out only the important parts in a clear and concise way.

Related: In-Person PMP Master Class

2. Ethical Practices

Integrity is an important attribute of an effective project manager, and their actions set the methodology for the entire team. Good project leadership happens through the commitment and demonstration of ethical practices.

Creating and living by these ethical standards, along with rewarding those who follow the same practices, is a large responsibility for a project leader. If a project manager is motivated solely by self-interest, it damages the well-being of their team. Project managers earn their teammates’ trust by representing the values they set in place.

When do you take gifts and when do you politely refuse? When do you back the team vs. when do you back the sponsor? How do you handle receiving negative information about the team or the project? While there is no single response to these types of scenarios, in the end, if the project’s best interest is the north star, staying objective and free from self-interest becomes easier. Oftentimes, the right response may not be the popular one, and good leaders understand this. 

3. Empathetic

An empathetic project manager understands and acknowledges that their team has responsibilities outside of the workplace. Teams that know their project manager cares about them are much more likely to have success. This is where the idea of servant leadership comes into play. Successful project managers understand that the team, and not the PM, actually does the work. 

Having an interest in ensuring that team members are able to be the best version of themselves goes a long way towards success. This means that you must be able to put yourself in their position and understand what that means in context, and when you can’t do that, being open to listening and asking questions until you reach the necessary level of understanding. 

Each team member is entitled to their own ideas, feelings, and emotions, and by recognizing this, a good project manager can earn trust and loyalty from everyone they work alongside. 

4. Competent

If a project manager wants their team to have trust, loyalty, and success, the team must believe that the leader is competent and knows what they are doing. Competence for a project manager not only refers to their technical abilities but to their abilities to lead others.

Project managers are often referred to as competent when they have a winning track record of leading successful teams. Their experience in leadership allows a good project manager to inspire, encourage, and challenge the team to receive the best results possible. Many times, the team members do not report to the project manager, so knowing how to lead without formal power is very important. This is where your technical abilities come into play. 

Technical PM skills include the ability to break down scope, develop a schedule and budget, identify and engage stakeholders, develop communication and risk management plans, control changes and keep quality levels high. But it doesn’t stop there. Can you manage conflicts with grace, deliver bad news tactfully, and drive decision making? 

Having the ability to run a technically sound project while leading a team is the measure of competence for a project manager. 

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5. Enthusiastic

A project manager’s attitude is one of the first things their team will notice; they want to see an enthusiastic leader with a can-do attitude. A negative attitude is the downfall of otherwise good project managers because no one wants to follow a leader who brings them down.

Enthusiasm shows that a project manager is committed to the team’s success, and they display that commitment through optimism. One thing that all good project managers know is that enthusiasm is contagious, and an encouraged team is a successful one.

It is important to note that the timing and delivery of your enthusiasm is key. Knowing when, knowing where, knowing with who, and knowing how to show your enthusiasm is a skill that can be developed over time. However, having a positive and optimistic attitude is where it starts, both with your team and with stakeholders. 

6. Problem Solving

Project managers and their team share problem-solving responsibilities, but a true leader is expected to have exceptional problem-solving skills. They provide creative responses to opportunities as they arise rather than concerning themselves with how others would approach the problem.

With problem-solving comes decision making; good project managers make effective decisions on the fly when a project isn’t going as planned. Leaders that a team wants to follow take these problems in stride and come at them with a hardy, positive attitude. The best leaders ensure that team members are involved in the process. 

Project managers who master problem solving typically create environments that foster innovation and remain free from judgement. This allows people to be free to experiment and fail their way to success. Successful project managers understand the key consistent problem solving lies in harnessing the collective power of the team. 

7. Stakeholder-Focused

Companies, team members, and project managers all face hardships from time to time, which can make it difficult to prioritize stakeholder needs over personal ones. Good project managers are professional leaders and know how to separate their personal needs from the stakeholders.

Effective project managers give their best performance for each job, regardless of any personal needs or bias. This high level of focus is what makes the best project managers stand out. See, when you break it down, even team members are stakeholders. In fact, the definition of a project stakeholder is anyone whose interest is positively or negatively affected by one or more of the project’s objectives. 

By keeping the sponsor (customer) and team in the forefront, successful project managers are servant leaders that ensure roadblocks are removed, information is radiated, and all stakeholders are aware of and working towards the same goal. No project is completed without people - focus on the people and your chances of success increase. 

Related: Virtual PMP Master Class

Become an Effective Project Manager With a PMP Master Class

The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is one of the best ways to become recognized as an effective, professional project manager. Becoming PMP certified and following the above attributes is how a project manager can go from simply being a team leader to becoming an invaluable asset to any organization. Remember, it is not just knowing the “what,” but understanding the “how” and “why” of project management that will help you to become a successful project manager. 

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The demand for good project managers is always on the rise, and the field has grown extensively over the years. Project management is a critical aspect of every organization, and how a project manager handles their work directly impacts the success of a business.

Project managers are the ones who make sure everything goes as planned and get the team back on track during unexpected events. It is an essential position that comes with rewarding work and a generous salary, but how do you become a project manager?

We’ll get to that, but first, you need to understand why project management is so important.

The Importance of Project Management 

The importance of efficient project management in an organization can not be overemphasized; a good project manager ensures that each aspect of the business runs smoothly. Project management empowers employees to deliver better results and directly impacts the organization’s bottom line. It also allows the team to focus on the right work at the right time, helping everyone to stay on track and within budget constraints.

Some of the benefits that stem from good project management are:

• Improved Communication: Project management, when done right, makes internal communications easier and more efficient. Working within multiple departments or teams can be challenging, but with good project management, you can increase transparency, simplify collaboration, and ensure accountability.

• Track Performances: Through project management, businesses can utilize data from past projects to see where their team can make improvements and what they are doing well. Measuring your key performance indicators (KPIs) allows you to track and understand the ways your team performs over each project. This can lead to operational improvements as well. 

• Save Money and Time: Well-planned projects allow your team to deliver their work within budget and on time. A good project manager maps out the entire project roadmap and tracks commitments, deadlines and the projected spending to reallocate resources when necessary; this prevents project delays and overspending.

• Make Better Decisions: When you can see the details of each project your business takes on, you understand what to prioritize, where resources are going, and if the organization is moving closer towards its goals. Project management allows you to discover problems before they become an issue by making decisions based on actual data.

What Do Project Managers Do?

Ifyou ask a project manager what they do, they’ll probably reply with “what don’t I do?”

Defining a project manager’s role in an organization can be challenging since they are involved in different parts of each project from start to finish. Their responsibilities range from measurable things like budgets and planning to less tangible ones like the leadership and support they give to their teams. It really depends on industry, company, job function, and project type.

Some of the primary duties of a project manager are:

• Planning Projects: Project managers define the range of a project and ensure that it is within the scope of stakeholder’s expectations while being linked to a long-term strategic goal for the organization. There are two stages where the project manager creates an outline of the plan and discusses the timeline, budget, and required resources. In the beginning, the goal or objective and success criteria need to be developed along with high level constraints and the project manager’s authority level, which is known as scoping or chartering. Once complete, the project manager moves on to what is known as the scheduling or project planning, where the detailed plan is created and executed by the team. 

• Resourcing Projects: After the initial plan is in place, project managers look at the three primary resources needed to make the plan successful: people, time, and money. These resources are limited, and a project’s success relies on the project manager allocating them efficiently. Project managers are responsible for effectively identifying and sourcing resources as well as administering the procurement process for those resources, be it machines, materials, supplies, physical locations, and technology needs in addition to people. 

• Managing Projects: Projects rarely go as planned, no matter how well-managed it is. Project managers track their resources and deadlines closely to tackle any issues quickly and efficiently. They maintain the flexibility to make changes to a project’s plan at a moment’s notice to keep their team on the right path. Ultimately, creating transparency and accountability for team deliverables along with resolving conflicts between stakeholders and managing their expectations becomes the daily focus. 

• Delivering Projects: One of the most straightforward responsibilities of a project manager is to deliver the finished project within budget and on time. They are accountable for the planning, resourcing, and managing of a project to result in the project being delivered successfully. But a good project manager will deliver what a stakeholder needs, not what was simply requested. This goes back to the ability to accurately scope out the “Definition of Done” with detailed success criteria and then have the ability to manage stakeholder expectations throughout the project, including the team. 

• Analyzing Projects: Once the project gets delivered, a project manager has one more crucial step: reviewing it with the team. The project manager, and the team who worked with them, will review and analyze how it went and ways to improve on best practices for future projects. More and more, this process is happening multiple times throughout the project lifecycle in order to make on the fly adjustments rather than waiting until the end. The retrospectives look at the operational aspects of how the team interacts with each other and is more focused on the people vs the product. 

• Motivating the Team: One important and often overlooked responsibility of a project manager is to keep the team motivated and on track. Understanding what motivates different team members and how to navigate conflict allows project managers to keep their team feeling valued and happy, which leads to better productivity. Project managers have the responsibility to get stakeholders involved to perform their duties properly and timely, and this requires empathy, communication, leadership, persuasion, and consensus building. 

How Do You Become a Project Manager?

There are two different ways people become project managers:

• Traditional Path: A traditional project manager is someone who sought out a career as a project manager. They learned about the profession and subsequently seeked out roles and qualifications or degrees relating to project management. Folks may traditionally move from being a project team member, to becoming a project coordinator, assistant project manager, project engineer, or a role within a “PMO” or Project Management Office such as project analyst or project controls technician. 

• Accidental Project Managers: These are “non-project manager” project managers who manage projects as part of their work. These are people like marketers, web designers, producers, or product managers who aren’t typically viewed as project managers but typically manage projects as part of their day to day operations. These folks end up becoming full time Project Managers as their skill set increases and opportunities open up to move from their traditional roles. 
  
  

For any project manager, there are ten key aspects that they manage:

• • A project’s scope
  • Integration
  • Schedule Management
  • Communication
  • Risks
  • Costs
  • Resources
  • Quality
  • Procurement
  • Stakeholders

Becoming a Qualified Project Manager

Whether you’ve had your sights set on becoming a project manager or became an “accidental project manager” at your current job and want to pursue it as a career, getting certified as a project manager should be your first step.

Obtaining a formal qualification for project management is the best way to gain more job opportunities and more earning power, but it can also introduce you to new methodologies, techniques and best practices that you might have been unaware of.

The leading organization for project management, the Project Management Institution (PMI), offers the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification: the most well-recognized credential for project managers. Obtaining a PMP certification is the best way to build your project management portfolio of professional development and move up the ladder in an organization.

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