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Thursday, February 11, 2010
“How to be an effective Virtual Project Manager?”-Virtual Project Management
A Project Manager needs to understand many aspects of project management to be effective, but three key elements are e-mail, conference calls and phone calls.
The Project Manager needs strong skills using all three of these communication methods to be an effective Virtual Project Manager.
The e-mail send to your team should be short and specific items/questions sent to your virtual team member. The e-mail should not contain complex wording or be confusing for the reader. A Project Manager must remember that a virtual team member reading e-mail will not have opportunity to ask questions or listen to the emphasis of the request as a person would give working in the same office would.
Another strong communication skill needed by the Virtual Project Manager is the ability to lead conference calls. This is a skill learned by much practice and much listening on the part of the virtual Project Manager. It is important to remember that the purpose of the conference call is not for the team to hear the Project Manager's voice talk over and over about the project topics, but to get the teams input in key areas/topics that need to be covered in a group forum.
Finally, phone calls to the virtual team members must be kept short and to the point. Again, the virtual team members have a day full of meetings and tasks and a half-hour call from the virtual Project Manager two or three times a day, will make the team member ineffective.
In summary, the Virtual Project Manager needs to have many skills to be effective to manage his/her team. Key communication skills needed by these Virtual Project Managers are strong skills with e-mail, conference calls and individual phone calls. Only with a strong understanding of these communication skills can a project manager be an effective Virtual Project Manager.
Kevin R. Wegryn, PMP, CPM, MA
Kevin R. Wegryn, PMP, CPM, MA, is a bottom-line improvements specialist and problem solver, driven by measurable goals and strong communication skills. Kevin's unique background has enabled him to successfully manage projects that demand business development, expense management, strategic positioning, and program management.
Kevin is currently a Vice-President, Senior Project Manager, for Bank of New York Mellon. He is a seasoned Senior Project Manager and has managed complex projects, budgeted up to $73 million, and led teams of project managers.
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