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Virtual Project Supervisors



Exactly why is there such a goal project managers being on site all day, day-to-day? Am i not the only the one which has pointed out that? Whenever I talk with clients or colleagues about PM positions whether a lot of the time or on contract, the focus appears to always be on being on site all of the time. In today's world of worldwide projects and excellent technology, I would send that being on site could sometimes be a hindrance.
I understand, obviously, that on projects in which the team is there each day focusing on tasks and gifts, and so forth, someone needs to be there to answer questions, provide leadership and ensure things are moving as organized. I have been on many projects where this is the case and I have found that sometimes it is harmful to the team to offer the PM around all the time. Teams can use the PM as a crutch where, rather than exploring the answer to something or sharing the information with one another, everything needs to funnel through the PM HOURS. This brings about a dangerous level of dependence on the PM and does indeed not evoke a really having faith in environment. If I are unable to trust my team to work on their jobs and deliverables just because I am not there watching over their shoulder muscles, then maybe I have the wrong team.

When a PM's job is to provide leadership, manage associates, communicate to leadership, use suppliers and ensure goals and objectives are bring met, then how come being there every day mean all of this will be performed? Are Presidents and CEOs present day-to-day at their workplace? Definitely not, yet amazingly work seems to get done. My fear is that the world of task management has become one of controlling, not of providing skills and knowledge to successfully implement tactical initiatives. It has become a question of how often can you be here, not what value is the organization heading to get because of this with this project.

With today's technology, I am reachable exactly where I might be, whether on outdoor, at a conference or within my office. Through phone or email, I can almost always be reached (except on planes, but that is beyond my control) If perhaps there are issues on a project, I can be reached, even if I am not on site. My MO is to check in with my project teams on a regular basis through in person meetings, phone and email, but not to be on site all day everyday for living of a project. I actually have found this works effectively because it develops independence within the team, but also provides a safety net of communication when issues do occur. I encourage my clubs to call me when they need to and i also like to create open dialogue. If perhaps we see the results, then there is no relevance whether I was on site or not. You can call myself the Virtual Project Supervisor!

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