You’re a New Project Manager on the Team – Now What??

A big challenge for project teams is when you join the team as a new project manager to lead the project. There may be many reasons why the previous project manager was replaced or left, but important for you as the new project manager is to take a few steps to ensure the team is comfortable with you and the project can get back on track as quickly as possible.

Here are some steps you can take to get things moving along again on the project as quickly as possible:

• Meet with the project sponsor and other stakeholders (both internal and external) to understand the project objectives and goals and the current project status. What are their expectations of you?
• Read all the project documentation (schedule, budget, project plan, risk plan, issues log, etc.) and review past project status reports.
• Introduce yourself to the entire project team as a group – ideally in a face-to-face meeting.  Your goal is to get to know the team members, understand their roles and responsibilities on the project and what support they need from you on the project (there may be situations where they need something addressed immediately.)  Tell them about yourself so they can get to know you.
• Review project documentation with the team
• Discuss current project status from their perspective
• Discuss any issues which need to be addressed to move forward with the project
• Update them on the project from the perspective of the project sponsor and/or stakeholders
• Ensure they understand the project objectives and goals
• Over the next week or so, meet with the team members individually so they can bring up any issues that they were not comfortable addressing in the group as a whole.   Additionally, this gives you some additional time to get to know your team members. You may find the need to reassign roles and responsibilities based on what you learn.
• Don’t be afraid to make proposals for changes to get the project back on track – for example, bringing on new project team members or contractors, making adjustments to the schedule or budget, or resetting expectations with stakeholders.  Have data to back up your proposal.
• Consider taking time out for a team building event to improve how the team works together.

For the first few weeks or months (depending on the length of the project), stay “hands-on.”   Remember that the team has gone through quite a bit in the shake-up of losing one project manager and having another one take the helm of the project.  There is a lot of adjustment they need to go through, as do you as the project manager.  To really get your hands around a project that you did not start, you need to stay involved for a while.

Your thoughts?  There are probably many others things you can think of that a new project manager on a project already in progress must do to be successful.  Share your thoughts in the Comments field below. Thanks!