You have seen it many times: A scan through an agenda for a popular project management seminar reveals several critical steps in the typical project life cycle that should be well-known to an experienced project manager. A deeper look at several of the subjects indicates some commonality between the various aspects of a project, the management of the team, and the relationships with the clients. One of the common threads, and a discrete outcome of the upcoming ASCE Body of Knowledge, is communication.

Since no project exists in a vacuum, it is imperative that any manager, and hopefully the team, is adept at communicating ideas and needs within the firm and outside to the client and other consultants. Further, this communication must motivate the cooperation and coordinated effort of the entire team to fulfill the project’s goals. To the rest of the technical staff, it may appear that managers often pull rabbits out of hats to make things happen when unforeseen circumstances threaten the project’s success. It is important to remember, however, that the manager does not work alone. The team as a whole is the "actor" that makes things happen. Also, while the manager may seem to have tricks up his or her sleeve, it is nothing more than the application of accumulated knowledge and networking to the problem at hand. Networking and communication work together to provide a bank of resources for the manager.

Networking is most often associated with job searches or marketing and sales, but its usefulness may be underestimated with respect to project management. At its broadest, networking simply refers to meeting new people and incorporating their expertise into one’s collection of resources.

Another related concept is that of entrepreneurship within an organization. Similar to networking, entrepreneurship connotes activity supporting the creation of new business, but it can also be applied effectively to an existing firm. Generally, entrepreneurship is defined as bringing together capital, human resources, and ideas to put a business plan into action. These concepts should sound vaguely familiar to a project manager who must manage budgets, staff, and technical solutions to undertake a project. It follows that the continual accumulation of resources leads to the ability to implement entrepreneurial project management more effectively. This, in turn, leads to the apparent "tricks" that can turn an impending failure into a management success.

The project manager’s networking should focus on other consultants, contractors, vendors, and public agencies, as well as clients and competitors. These are the people who will have a direct influence on specific project phases and the prospects for new business. If the project manager has insights into how quickly a task can be completed or what resources will be required, the project schedule and budget will be more realistic and the client will hopefully be more pleased with the final product.

An example of this kind of networking is early involvement with contractors or builders. Often, these parties are not brought on board until the design is substantially complete and bids can be sought. But if the manager has knowledge of the contractor’s methods or idiosyncrasies, these can be incorporated into the design, resulting in smoother construction and fewer change orders. The ultimate goal is the ability to anticipate, which can be perceived as magic by managers who neglect the world outside their cubicles.

The use of networking, communication, and cooperation among the project manager’s peers and those with whom they must negotiate will eventually lead to a better understanding of the development process. By immersing oneself in the community and the industry, the manager is better prepared to have the proper resources on hand when the right client comes through the door. Being able to communicate one’s expertise effectively to others is therefore critical to the success of any networking endeavor and the application of networking to technical challenges and project management.

Jason Burke works for Allied Engineering (www.alliedengineering.com) in Bozeman, Mont.

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