About Project ManagementLearn More

Project management involves planning, monitoring, and ultimately closing out work completed by a team. A project manager will ensure that all goals get met, the final deliverable meets product requirements, and the project's deadline, scope, and costs do not exceed the budget. Project managers get tasked with ensuring that a project operates efficiently and that it yields its best outcomes. Throughout the project, project managers will interface with their team and key stakeholders, ensure that the project is still on course, and make sure their team remains motivated and effective. Project managers will use project management tools to stay organized and enhance communication and collaboration while also using various project management strategies and methods.

Project managers can use project management certifications to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of project management principles and familiarity with different project management styles such as Agile or Waterfall. The Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification is one of the most popular project management certification types, including three levels: PSM I, PSM II, and PSM III. Companies such as Microsoft use Professional Scrum Master certifications to ensure that their project managers keep up to date with their competencies. Beginners would start with PSM I, which will show they understand the basics of Agile project management methodology. There is also the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification, a lighter-weight entry-level course for entry-level project managers and those who are transitioning to project management.

A project manager controls the flow of a project, working with team members and product owners to ensure that the project remains on time, under budget, and in scope. Project managers create project workflows and ensure that goals and specifications get met under a given time frame. It is the role of a project manager to ensure that team members are on the same page throughout the project, that the end product remains on target, and that primary stakeholders remain pleased with the progress. Project managers will use various tools (such as collaborative, project management tools) and strategies (such as Agile or Waterfall methodology) to ensure that they can complete products satisfactorily and on time. Project managers may also need to ensure that teams can work well together, pare down to what product owners want, and manage expectations.

Agile project management remains common in software development. It is a cyclical, collaborative, and iterative process under which incremental changes take place, get tested, and confirmed. Agile is often used for software development because it is an inherently flexible methodology; as changes occur, they can also get adjusted. Comparatively, Waterfall project management is a more structured approach that works through set phases one at a time, from initial conception to development. Agile provides for continuous analysis, design, construction, and testing; Waterfall project management will only "flow-through" each product stage once. Waterfall project management lends itself better to smaller, one-off projects. In contrast, Agile development lends itself to more complex products requiring continuous development and support.

Project managers need excellent organizational skills and communication skills. They need to be able to express their ideas clearly, they need to be able to motivate and inspire their employees, and they need to be able to draw hard deadlines, boundaries, and expectations. Often, project managers will have to make critical decisions — and being able to make these decisions quickly can mean the difference between failure and success. Project managers will have to be realistic about what they can achieve, and they will have to get organized and ambitious enough to meet their goals. A successful project manager generally maintains some knowledge of their team's technology and capabilities and in-depth knowledge of their industry. Project managers will also need to be up-to-date on the project management utilities used in their field.