Who Manages Project Managers?

No matter what type of industry you work in, there is always a project manager that is responsible for certain projects to ensure deadlines and budgets are met. Have you ever wondered who those project managers report to, though? Those project managers have to report their deadlines and budgets to their superiors in order to be successful.

Get an understanding of whom that person is and what they expect out of their project managers.

Who Manages Project Managers?

If the company is on the small side, the project manager will report directly to the CEO or owner of the business. This is because there are not a mass amount of districts or other projects happening for there to be another level of supervisory. For larger businesses, however, a project manager reports to a higher authority, but it is not always the owner or CEO.

In larger companies, that person may be a district or regional manager that is supervising a group of projects in an area.

What are the Expectations of a Good Project Manager?

No matter which type of company your project falls into in terms of size, the expectations of good project managers seem to be the same everywhere.

• Multitasking with different operational needs.
• Overseeing deadlines and budgets.
• Review situations and make appropriate decisions that may be difficult.
• Manage employees with various personalities.
• Conflict management between employees and customers.

While these are not the only characteristics required for project managers, they are some of the most important and work in all industries. From law firms to construction companies, being able to manage a team for a project you are working on will require essential skills to be successful. Project managers not only make decisions for the project and the company that will be successful but they are also meant to make decisions for the team as well.

No project is successful without having the right employees in place and providing them with the most appropriate tasks to fit their skills. If you are the project manager, then it is your job to ensure that the right people are in the right places at all times, continuously moving the project forward and doing so in a way where they can communicate as efficiently with each other as they can clients or other departments.

What are the Impacts of Management at Different Levels?

If you are currently working on a project as the project manager reporting to another level of management or an employee on the team, you can see that there are impacts to the project that are based on the different levels of management. These impacts can be either good or bad, depending on the situation and the role in which you have with the project.

Pros of Higher Level Management

While it may not always seem ideal to have another layer of management, there are benefits to this. Should you have an issue that is not resolvable with your current project manager, you have the ability to go a step up and get assistance after making all attempts with your current project manager. They are available to hold that manager accountable and assist you.

The benefit of having a checks and balances system with another layer of management forces the immediate project manager to make the best decisions so that the project is able to succeed.

Cons of Higher Level Management

While the higher management makes current project managers accountable, it can cause confusion during certain stages of the project. If there is a disagreement between managers about processes or how to move forward in the best way, then there could be a concern with the decisions that are made. Also, when there are different levels of management involved, some decisions are not made appropriately because those that the project manager is reporting to may not have enough insight into the project directly.

When there is only one project manager that is not being overseen as much, then they have the confidence to make the appropriate decisions.

What Roles Do These Higher Level Managers Have?

While they are not making the direct decisions in each and every project, they do oversee what is being done by your current project manager, reviewing the decisions and determining if they are the appropriate ones for the company. In the role of the company, these higher-level managers have an administrative role in most cases, where they are an officer in the business or even the owner.

Final Thoughts

Those managing your project manager are names that you hear periodically and could be individuals that visit your place of employment periodically. Whether you are the project manager or someone working on a project, there is always another just ahead of your current project manager that is reviewing the project at different stages and could intervene at any time. This is true in businesses that are large and small unless you work somewhere with single-digit employees.

As a project manager, it is critical to know what your superiors expect from you daily in your position, and also understand how they can impact it if they choose.