5 Important Ways How Project Managers Can Lead Behind the Scenes

August 9, 2023 Stan

What happens when a project goes perfectly? Ask a Project Manager and you may be surprised by the answer. While the main objectives are to successfully launch a project on time, on budget, and within scope, these aren’t the words I hear and listen for from Project Managers when they share an experience on a project with a happy project team. So how does a Project Manager lead behind the scenes on a successful project?

Here are 5 areas describing how Project Managers lead behind the scenes.

Listening – always listening.

Project Managers are always listening, using their ears and yes their eyes. They listen for tone in conversations. People are the biggest barrier to projects. While either leading calls or taking notes, Project Managers actively lead behind the scenes by picking up on verbal and non-verbal cues and acting on them. It could be noticing praise to share publicly or a quiet response from a team member, whether a body move or voice change, that might require a bit of teasing to understand if there is an issue at hand or an escalation is needed.

Also while they are listening, they take what they’ve heard and go a few steps down the path of impacts – if this, then what, and then what, and so forth. Then they review their project plan to understand which task or tasks need attention, whether it’s a setback or a gain in the timeline, and validate it with the team. Time saver!

Communication – this is two-way.

First, the Project Manager needs to be an effective communicator. The easy days are when everything is going as planned and status calls, meeting notes, project plans, and log updates are a breeze. There are other days when they hear of a delay or an issue and must be the communicators of what happened, why it happened, the next steps, and how to eliminate the issue or not let it repeat.

Then not only does a Project Manager need to be a good and effective communicator, but they also do their checks and balances with their project teams and sponsors. A quiet project team is not a good sign. If project team members are not encouraged to speak up when they see something go wrong (or even well), the Project Manager will need to find out what blockers are in the way or what praises are due.

When it comes to identifying a blocker, it could be project related, personal, a team item, or some external factor out of their control. In some situations, a group conversation is needed. Other times, the Project Manager picks up on the fact that an individual crucial conversation is needed to lead behind the scenes.

Level of involvement – clarity for all.

When projects are identified and proposed, there also needs to be an agreed-upon level of project management involvement. This gives the Project Manager and project team members an aligned understanding of what kind of communication frequency, deliverables, etc. to expect. Then there is no confusion when a Project Manager is or isn’t involved heavily through each phase of the project.

This is best to outline at the start, such as at kickoff, and throughout the project, as some projects may turn into maintenance mode during build and testing. Then there may be some that may take a bit more effort and involvement, especially if a strong level of involvement is needed during issue resolution on a new implementation project. While this area may seem very visible, it allows the Project Manager to seamlessly lead behind the scenes while actively participating where needed.

Seek to understand – the success of the team.

An example of this could be taking time to better understand the scope of a project so they can assess if the appropriate resource type or skill set is assigned to the project. Sometimes Project Managers are not given a specific set of scope and requirements and need to work within ambiguity.

Another example of how they lead behind the scenes includes passive listening while a subject matter expert on the project team is explaining something to a project sponsor. They’re also listening to how the matter is shared so that when it is time to report on project health and progress, they can communicate and interpret the appropriate amount of complexity for each audience.

It also helps the Project Manager test how well they know the matter at hand, or humbly ask the subject matter expert to help further explain something so they can support the team and listen for any dependencies as the project progresses.

Managing team dynamics – onsite, remote, and hybrid.

This is important, as Project Managers are working in all types of environments these days. The Project Manager knows the communication styles of all their project team members and sponsors. They also know how to balance the individual and group levels needed to stay engaged and keep the communication lines open.

Sometimes learning the personalities and stress management styles of each team takes a bit of trial and error – and that’s okay! Project Managers find ways to keep the project objectives and measures of success front and center, as well as lead the team to bond over time through the celebration of project successes and working through issues.

This too can be accomplished as they lead behind the scenes. Most times the Project Manager just needs to create the environment and forum for a safe space to work, while fostering good behaviors through chat chimes of praise, verbal acknowledgment on calls, or emoji celebrations on video conference calls.

At the end of the day, how did the project team feel at the beginning, during, and after the project launched? The success of the Project Manager behind the scenes also stems from how others felt the project went. Did the Project Manager listen to the team and individuals, communicate well, provide the appropriate level of involvement, seek to understand, and manage the team dynamics?

While the science of project management is important, let’s not forget the art as Project Managers lead behind the scenes.

Want help refining your project management skills behind the scenes? Relationship One is here to help, contact us today!

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