Project managers are an essential part of time management when it comes to any IT project.  They keep your IT projects on schedule and lead your IT team in the correct direction.  With such an important role it is vital to you and your company to have a project manager that is knowledgeable, professional, and hard working.  Unfortunately a great project manager can be difficult to find, especially if you don’t know what to look for in one.

You want your project manager to be self-motivated; after all there is no point in hiring a project manager if you need to manage him or her the whole time.  They should come to the table with their own time and team management strategies.  Your project manager should be giving your project 100 percent of their attention for the duration.

Another attribute that you want out of your project manager is great people skills.  Obviously they need to be able to work with other employees to get the job done, but they also need to work with clients.  This may not be a daily task of the project manager, but they will need to be in contact with clients if problems arise.  Your project manager can be the key to client retention if they are capable of working with clients to diffuse any potential issues and keep them happy.

A great project manager is focused on the success of the team as a whole.  They work with all levels of employees on the team to create a safe and productive environment. They often serve as mediators between lower and high level employees relaying information and solving disputes.  Your project manager should be able to see conflicts coming and be able to head them off before they become full blown problems.

It should go without saying, but a hallmark of a great project manager is dependability.  They don’t just get to work on time and do their job.  They are there first and leave last working hard the whole time.  Your project manager may even be counted on to step up and perform tasks that are outside of his or her job responsibilities.

Close to the top of the list is a strong knowledge of the industry.  They should be able to answer most of the questions that are brought to them by clients and employees alike.  While it is implausible to think that they will know everything about your business a little training should be able to close the gap between their knowledge and your business operations.

Above all else your project manager should display strong leadership skills.  He or she should be confident in their ability to lead a team with strength and diplomacy.  They should be able to easily delegate tasks to ensure that they are staying focused on the areas that need the most of their attention.  Most importantly they should be able to do all of this while remaining someone that lower level employees trust and respect.

You may be thinking that expecting all of this out of any one person is ridiculous, but this is no fairy tale.  Finding a project manager that meets and exceeds all of these criteria is as easy as enlisting the expertise of on the GoWARE.  On the GoWARE has an extensive list of project managers that have proven themselves through working relationships.  If you are looking for a project manager for a single project or a full time position we will be able to place you with the manager that is perfect for your individual needs.