Project manager, project lead, program manager… a role by many names, but what does someone in this role really do? The short answer — they are the person in charge of making sure the project runs smoothly. It means they are making sure the project is on time, on budget and in scope. The challenge comes when the person who is accountable for making sure the project runs smoothly is also responsible for the technical side of the project. This includes keeping track of what each technical area is responsible for, balancing workloads, producing parts of the design, reviewing and approving contractor submissions, answering questions from the field, checking the work for quality and accuracy and taking legal responsibility for the final plans. This sounds like a lot of hats to wear, particularly when you’re managing ten-plus projects in active design. This is why ColeBreit decided to try something different from the status quo.
Instead of dividing our team members’ attention and creating what I like to call a 2-in-1 shampoo effect (you’re doing multiple things but no one thing particularly well); we decided to focus our efforts, and the efforts of our team, on each individual operating at the highest and best use of their skills. This means that we have our top designers spending their time designing, and our most skilled folks in each discipline, leading teams of designers for their discipline.
Now the next logical question might be, what about the role of project manager? If we have an excellent team of technical staff, filling technical roles, who is going to make sure the project runs smoothly? The answer is dedicated project managers. These are not engineers with a knack for leading projects. These are people who manage projects professionally, that’s what they do, and they have chosen project management as their career because it is their superpower. How does this benefit the project team? The project manager knows how to clearly communicate with clients and our internal team, they manage schedules, track scope creep and keep the project on budget, and most importantly, they ensure we show up as strong partners and meet our milestones. They make the lives of the architects, owners and contractors that we work with easier, rather than harder.
It’s a win-win to have a dedicated project manager on a project. Communication is streamlined, projects run smoothly and all team members (internal and external) know what is expected of them. Clear expectations lead to success — on every project, every time.
