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5 Benefits of A Dedicated Project Manager

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5 Benefits of A Dedicated Project Manager for Your Innovation Program! 

Most businesses acknowledge the importance of project managers for their innovation and improvement initiatives. But many managers or leaders will inevitably end up relying on an existing employee who is already part of the daily running of the business, rather than creating a dedicated role for the job. 

Ideally, you will want a leader who can ensure that the program is implemented according to plan, in order to successfully deliver accumulative cash to the bottom line of the business. However, we all know that the reality of running an improvement program involves delays and complications. If this isn’t managed appropriately, performance will slip, and the business will suffer.  

Technology businesses, in particular, may see a project manager role as the perfect opportunity to challenge a technical SME. However, this scenario often leads to a project manager relying on a basic SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and them being unable to fully commit to change.   

The role of a project manager should not be taken lightly and requires someone who can fully commit to a project’s requirements. In this article, we’ll explore a wide range of opportunities and benefits that a dedicated project manager can bring to a business.  

Benefit 1 – They Maintain Momentum 
Without momentum, a company’s initiatives will stall, causing a knock-on effect throughout the business. Before you know it, you will begin to experience a dip in performance and a severe lack of communication.

A project manager will be able to keep a project moving according to the approved schedule, despite any events that might be happening with the general running of the business. Their efficiency in time management and communication will also ensure that you can continue to keep the business running as they overlook progress in other areas, thereby freeing up resources.

As Rocco Baldassarre explains in this article with Entrepreneur Europe, “Rather than have employees dashing to an array of upper management types for different concerns, the project manager is a unique individual aware of the needs of multiple projects and can speed up the decision-making time.”  

Benefit 2 – They Keep Your Team, Stakeholders and Sponsors Engaged 
Engagement can be met with the same devotion by a dedicated project manager. While SMEs are busy with the running of a business, a project manager will have the time to actively meet and follow up with a project team to clear any obstacles for them, document progress and adjust timelines accordingly. 

However, employees are not the only ones involved in business innovation. Dedicated project managers can keep stakeholders and sponsors engaged too, providing updates and reports all the while maintaining impartiality when receiving and accepting feedback. After all, as Ken Blanchard states, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” 

It is through this strategic alignment that all departments within a business will start to sync and communications will start to flow, leading to better results and decision making – a positive outcome for any business looking to gain a competitive advantage in their industry.  

Benefit 3 – They Manage Risks and Exploit Opportunities 
It is hard to deal with risks and issues if you do not have a contingency plan set in place to deal with them. It is even harder to process these problems if you do not have the foresight you need to identify them before they become too big of a problem.  

By having a dedicated project manager, you will be providing your business with a readily available resource to work on project risks and opportunities, without disrupting the daily running of your company.  

Detached from the business as usual, a project manager can maintain an independent view of the project, identifying areas that are underperforming.  
At the same time, a dedicated project manager can also explore areas where opportunities exist to deliver faster and cheaper solutions, resulting in a higher ROI. You will be surprised how many of these opportunities could have been potentially missed without a dedicated project manager.  

Benefit 4 – They Free Up Management and SMEs 
Once relieved of the responsibilities of a project manager, an SME can do what they do best, instead of being preoccupied with other tasks. As John C. Maxwell says, “If something can be done 80% as well by someone else, delegate!” 

A project manager can help innovate, provide training, develop work on new ideas or be available to help progress the project. Additionally, they can provide management support by overseeing the details of the projects, which can be difficult for many managers to work through – it is common to see improvement projects stall for days (or even weeks) when management is too busy and unable to approve plans.  

Benefit 5 – They Ensure a Smoother Handover  
Perhaps one of the most significant milestones of a project is the handover of the programme. Although this is the last step for the team producing the programme, it is the very first step for the end users who will be assuming the management responsibilities afterwards. It is, therefore, essential that the end users understand everything and that the end result has had a proper evaluation. 

A dedicated project manager is the perfect resource for the post-evaluation process in a project and will ensure that a robust handover is delivered, while management and SMEs focus on the next big project.  
Working in a dedicated role, a project manager will have the time to make the most of this opportunity for reflection, collecting data that could be useful for other projects. This includes analysing employee and business performance, resources, budgeting and timescales.  

As industries continue to change in response to technological advancements, environmental factors and consumer demands, the need for innovation and improvement programs within businesses will increase. It is essential that leaders and management teams take innovation programs seriously if they want to continue to be successful.

Due to their unique position, dedicated project managers can help to form and manage a team that will grow a business while also maintaining the right course of direction, saving resources, improving communication and acting as a role model for other employees. 

 Could your business benefit from a dedicated project manager for your next innovation and improvement programme? How can you ensure that they have sufficient time and resources to oversee and manage the project? If you still have questions about effective project management, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 Shivendra is a highly regarded inspirational leader, well known for his collaborative work with businesses. With over 12 years of leadership experience working for reputable organizations such as Siemens and the Downer Group, Shivendra is equipped with best-in-class practices that will transform your business and deliver high impact outcomes. For more information, visit https://shivendra.com