Foundations of Project Management

Hi! We're so excited that you're here. I'm Emilio, and I'm a Program Manager on the Responsible
Innovation team here at Google, and I'd like to officially welcome you to Google's Certificate
Program in Project Management. Let's start with a simple exercise. Take a moment and think
about some of the different tasks that you've completed in your life. Maybe you planned your
wedding or a birthday party, or you filed your annual tax returns. Maybe you moved from one
state to another, or maybe you're the family member who, somehow, every year, is tasked with
organizing the annual family reunion. Believe it or not, you've been developing all kinds of skills
through these tasks that'll help you become a successful project manager for any organization or
your own business. With this program in project management by Google, we've put together a set
of courses, activities, quizzes, and exercises that'll teach you the fundamentals of project
management, and of course, help you get a job or advance in your career. Wondering how I
started my own career in project management? Well, in college, I always gravitated towards
things that were more hands-on and action-oriented and less theoretical. I wanted to make an
impact in whichever career I took on. My first job out of college was as a Spanish and leadership
teacher in Los Angeles, California. My main objective in guiding the student leadership team at
the school was to identify, mobilize, and inspire the student leaders. After two years of teaching,
I realized that the moments when I felt the most energized were when I was building a vision for
how to get a big project done or when I was working to bring different groups together around a
common goal. That's when I realized I had a lot of core project management skills, and I could
focus on growing and developing them in the business world. I'm grateful that I get to be here for
the start of your journey. When I was first starting to think about my career, project management
wasn't even on my radar. It was one of those professions that I didn't even know existed until I
entered the business world and experienced how great of a need there is for folks who are
organized, action-oriented, diligent, and strategic. I hope that by the end of this program, you'll
be as excited as I am about the prospects of a career in project management. Let's get into it.
We'll start with an important question. What exactly is project management? Project management
is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the project requirements and
achieve the desired outcome. It's possible that you've been project managing every day on some
level without even knowing it. In this course, you'll learn how to hone those skills to become a
truly great project manager. The awesome thing about project management is that it spans a lot of
industries and company types, and it doesn't require deep, technical knowledge. This means that
any job or life experience you've gained so far will help you in building those skills to become
successful in a project management career. There are a lot of people around the world like you
who are hoping to learn the skills to get a project management role. Whatever your reason for
being here, we're glad you've joined us. This program is rooted in a belief that a strong
foundation in project management can help anyone start a great career as a project manager. This
program includes six industry-relevant courses that focus on topics like project management
fundamentals; goals, objectives, and deliverables; risk management; team dynamics; project
management methodologies; data-driven decision making; and more. Each course is made up of
personal anecdotes, reading materials, quizzes, and case studies, and you can go through the
program at your own pace, skip the sections that you might already know, and review the videos
again if you need a refresher. You will be doing a lot of hands-on learning. You'll build project
plans and timelines. You'll learn how to manage budgets and meet the needs of the people
involved in the project, and you'll learn different project methodologies like Agile, Scrum, and
Waterfall. You'll use tools like Kanban and learn about project management software like Asana.
You also develop your soft skills, some of which you likely already have. Don't worry, even if
you aren't quite sure how to tap into them yet, we'll explore which skills are transferable to a
project management role. Above all, this program will help get you ready for a new job. But
we're taking it one step further. When you complete this program, you'll have the opportunity to
share your work with Google and other top employers aiming to hire project management
professionals, and the best part is, you'll have professional work examples you can share with
them to showcase what you've learned. Along the way, you'll hear from Google employees like
me. We'll share personal stories about how we became project managers and how our
foundations in project management launched our careers. We'll also share what we do at work
every day and give you tips for job interviews. We've got a truly amazing group of course
instructors for you to learn from. Ready to meet them? Hi, I'm JuAnne, a Senior Program
Manager on Cloud Security Programs. I'm your instructor for Course 2, where we'll learn more
about what's needed to set the stage for a successful project. Hey there. My name's Rowena, a
Senior Program Manager in Google Cloud. I'm your instructor for Course 3, Project Planning,
Putting It All Together, where we'll learn about the importance of thorough project planning,
identifying key milestones and dependencies, documenting project plans, scheduling, budgeting,
and risk management. I'm Elita, a Senior Engineering Program Manager at Google, and I'm your
instructor for Course 4, Project Execution: Running a Project. Where we'll learn about
communicating effectively, managing risks, understanding team dynamics, using data to inform
decision-making, and tracking progress. Hi, I'm Sue. I'm a Technical Program Manager for
Google Support Platform. I'm your instructor for Course 5, Agile Project Management. Where
we'll gain a deeper understanding of Agile project management, including principles and
practices, the benefits and costs of Agile transformations, the dynamics of Agile teams, and the
process of running Sprints and Releases. And I'm Dan, a Program Manager in Google Research.
I'm really excited to be your instructor for Course 6, Applying Project Management in the Real
World, where we'll take all the knowledge, skills, and understanding you've built up throughout
this certificate and apply it to an advanced project scenario. Ready to get started? Let's go.
Program and course overview
Hello! Welcome to the first of the six courses in the
Google Project Management Certificate
program. In this reading, you will learn about the program structure and course functionality.
We’ve specifically designed the program you’re about to explore to help every type of learner
successfully finish the certificate and get ready for a role in project management. No previous
experience is required.

Icons of the six courses with the first course highlighted: foundations of project management
In the first course, you will learn the fundamentals of project management and how this program
will prepare you for project management roles in numerous types of industries. You will explore
the different types of career paths you might pursue, the responsibilities and essential skills of a
project manager, the importance of the project life cycle, common project management
methodologies, and how organizational structure and culture impact project management. In this
course, and throughout the program, you will get a rare inside look at project management within
Google. Current Google project managers will offer a multi-dimensional educational experience
that will provide you with tools you can apply on the job.

Become job-ready
Throughout the
Google Project Management Certificate program
, you will learn the foundations of traditional project management and gain insight into Agile
project management. According to the Project Management Institute, the project management
labor force in seven project-oriented sectors is expected to grow by 33 percent, or nearly 22
million new jobs, by 2027*. We are excited to join you on this journey as you learn the skills to
begin a career in one of today’s most in-demand professions.

Course 1 covers four weeks of material. Each week includes a series of lessons with many types
of learning opportunities, such as:

Videos with a Google employee as your instructor.

Readings to introduce new ideas and case studies and to build on the concepts from the videos.

Discussion forums to explore course topics for better understanding and chat with peers in the
program.

In-video questions that will pop up from time to time. They’re designed for you to check your
learning as you go!

Practice quizzes to check your understanding and give you valuable feedback. Practice activities
will provide you with a hands-on opportunity to apply skills you are working to master. You will
assess your work by answering quiz questions about it or by comparing it to an exemplar built by
our course team. Note: these activities will not count towards your final course grade, but you are
strongly encouraged to complete them as they will help prepare you for the graded quizzes and
peer reviews.

Graded quizzes on video and reading content to measure your progress.

Ungraded peer-review activities on video and reading content that provide you the opportunity to
practice applying skills you are working to master. Other learners in your course will see the
work you submit and give you feedback based on a rubric.

Graded peer-review activities on video and reading content that assess your ability to apply skills
you are working to master. Other learners in your course will grade your work and give you
feedback based on a rubric.

Everyone learns differently, so we designed this program to let you work at your own pace.
Although your personalized deadlines start when you enroll, they’re just a guide. Feel free to
move through the program however it works best for you. Keep in mind, you can always reset
your deadlines by clicking the blue reset my deadlines button. There’s no penalty for late
assignments. To earn your certificate, all you have to do is complete all of the work.

Tips
We strongly recommend you take all six courses—and complete the items in each lesson—in the
order they appear, as new information and concepts build on previous ones.

Make the most of the readings and additional resources throughout the program. They’re
designed to support your learning.

If something is confusing, don’t hesitate to re-watch a video, go through a reading again, or ask
your classmates for advice in the discussion forum.

Take part in all learning opportunities to gain as much knowledge and experience possible.
Congratulations on choosing to take this first step toward becoming a part of the wonderful
world of project management. Enjoy the journey!

*Source: PMI (2017). Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027.
So far, we've previewed what you can expect throughout this program. In this video, we'll
discuss the details of this course. And you'll have a greater understanding for which types of jobs
are suitable for learners like you. We'll cover some key project management terms and the roles
and responsibilities of any entry level project manager. Plus, we'll discuss the kinds of jobs you
can pursue after you complete this program. One thing you'll learn soon is that there are other
roles and jobs, outside of project manager, that this program will prepare you for. Later in this
course, we'll have a video on how to search for those roles and how to view project management
as both a position and a skill. For now, we'll start by going even deeper into what a project is,
what a project manager is, and what kinds of skills they have. We'll provide real life examples to
help illustrate that you probably already have learned some of the skills required to become a
successful project manager. Then you'll learn more about adding value to projects and tips on
being a successful project manager from real life Googlers. Pretty exciting, right? We'll also
cover the project's life cycle. You'll learn all about a project's different phases, the corresponding
tasks in each phase, different methodologies for completing tasks and which is effective for a
given project. Finally, you will learn about different types of organizational structures and
cultures and how they impact project management. Coming up, we'll start exploring the concept
of a project and the project management field as a whole. Are you ready to crank things up a
notch? See you soon.
Helpful resources to get started
The Google Project Management Certificate will provide you with new lessons every week. As
you’ve learned, each lesson includes a series of videos, readings, activities, in-video questions,
practice quizzes, and graded quizzes. In this reading, you’ll learn about providing feedback on
course content, obtaining the Google Project Management Certificate, and acquiring helpful
habits for successfully completing this certificate program.

Providing feedback on course content

Please remember to give feedback on videos, readings, and materials. Just open the resource and
look for the thumbs-up and thumbs-down symbols.

Click thumbs-up for materials that are helpful.

Click thumbs-down for materials that are not helpful.

If you want to flag a specific issue with the item, click the flag icon, select a category, and then
optionally type an explanation in the text box.

This feedback goes to the course developers, not other learners, and helps create even better
programs in the future.

For technical help, visit the

Learner Help Center
.

Obtaining the Google Project Management Certificate

You can review videos, readings, discussion forums, in-video questions, and practice quizzes in
the program for free. However, to access graded assignments and be eligible to receive your
official Google Project Management Certificate, you must:

Pay the
course certificate fee
, or apply and be approved for
Coursera Financial Aid
.

AND

Pass all graded assignments in all six courses or meet the course-passing threshold. Each graded
assignment is part of a cumulative graded score for the course, and the passing grade for each
course is 80%.

Helpful habits to successfully complete the certificate

As a learner, you’re bringing all of your past experiences and best learning practices to this
program. The designers of this course have also put together a list of helpful habits that they
believe will help you to be successful:

Plan your time: Setting regular study times and sticking with them each week can help you make
learning a part of your routine. Use a calendar or timetable to create a schedule, and list what you
plan to do each day in order to break your work down into achievable goals. Create a quiet place
to watch the videos, review the readings, and complete the activities so you can really focus on
the material.

Be curious: If you find an idea that gets you excited, act on it! Ask questions, search for more
details online, check out the links that interest you, and take notes on your discoveries. The little
things you do to support your learning along the way will take your knowledge even further,
open more doors in this high-growth field, and help you qualify for jobs.

Take notes: Notes are useful-to-remember information that you think might be important in the
future, especially as you’re preparing to enter a new job field. In addition, taking notes is an
effective way to make connections between topics and gain a better understanding of those
topics.

Chat (responsibly) with other learners: If you have a question, chances are, you’re not alone.
Reach out in the
discussion forum
to ask for help from other learners taking this program. You can also visit Coursera’s
Global Online Community
. Other important things to know while you’re making friends can be found in the
Coursera Honor Code
and
Code of Conduct
.

Update your profile: Consider

updating your profile
 on Coursera. This link appears in the menu when you click on your name at the top-right corner
of this screen. When classmates find you in the discussion forums, they can click on your name
to view your profile and get to know you more.

Finding more information

Throughout this course, you will learn the basics of project management. We will provide a lot of
information through videos and readings. But sometimes, you may need to look things up on
your own for additional learning. Things change fast in this growing field, so it is critical to do
your own research so you can stay up-to-date on what is new.

Here are some helpful project management resources available online:

The
Project Management Institute
is the leading association for those in project, program, or portfolio management professions.
Their website provides guides, industry standards, articles, templates, job boards, certifications,
and more to help support professionals in these careers.

The
Scrum Guide
defines Scrum, a technique used in Agile project management. You’ll learn about this
framework later in the program. This guide describes Scrum’s roles, events, artifacts, and the
rules that bind them together. You can also find hundreds of free resources to learn more about
Scrum at
Scrum.org Resources
.

Glossary
This course will cover a lot of terms and concepts, some of which you may already know and
some of which will be new. To remind yourself about what a term means, refer to this
Glossary
.
What is project management?
Hey, again! Let's get back into it. In this video, we'll define a project, define project management,
and explain its value to an organization. Let's start by defining exactly what a project is. A
project, is a unique endeavor, and usually includes a set of unique deliverables. It's also a
temporary pursuit. It has a defined beginning and an end. To put it another way, a project is a
series of tasks that need to be completed to reach a desired outcome. Reaching that desired
outcome takes collaboration and careful planning that keeps the project on track and on budget.
That's where project management comes in. Project management is critical to the success of
projects both big and small. Let's break it down into the what, the why, and the how. What is
project management? Why is project management an important part of an organization? How is
it vital to a project's success? As I mentioned, project management is the application of
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the project requirements and achieve the desired
outcome. Project management is valuable to businesses because it helps ensure that a project
delivers the expected outcomes, both on time and within budget. To demonstrate what I mean I'll
take you through a real-life example of project management. Imagine a school district signs a
deal with a telehealth company to make sure students don't have to miss school for simple health
issues, like fevers or headaches. The deal will be completed by the end of the school year. The
students can now interact with the doctor through a tablet, smartphone, or a computer, while
they're at school. Implementing this technology into the school's procedures is the project. It's got
a clear outcome and start and end date. So, how is that project managed? Well, this project has
several tasks, and each one has to be carefully planned out and tracked, or managed, in order for
the project to be completed. For example, to start you can organize training sessions for faculty
to get them better acquainted with the technology, policies, and procedures. You can budget for
tablets, computers, and other vital equipment to facilitate the virtual checkups. You can maintain
strong communication with doctors, the telehealth company, and school staff members and so
much more. To successfully launch the product in the schools all of those things need to get
done. That is project management. Seems pretty important to an organization's success, right?
More and more companies are starting to understand how project management can save them
lots of money and time. Poor project management can lead to trillions of wasted dollars every
year for organizations around the world. More specifically, poor project management can lead to
48 percent of projects missing delivery dates, 43 percent missing budget targets, and 31 percent
failing to meet an organization's goals. As a company that serves so many different purposes in
communities, it's no surprise that project management's a huge part of Google. But here, many of
our project managers are described as "program managers," because they manage multiple
projects for specific products, teams, or programs. There are thousands of people here with the
job of keeping projects and programs running smoothly. People like me. I'm a responsible
innovation program manager. My team is responsible for ensuring that the technology we
produce, the research we pursue, and the publications we put out are all done with Google's
artificial intelligence principles in mind. I review the processes for each of these types of
technologies, and I give ideas for how to continue innovating responsibly to meet our
organizational goals. My job adds value to Google through the core aspects of project
management we've mentioned, planning and organizing, managing tasks, and budgeting and
controlling costs. Hopefully you have a better sense of what a project is, what project
management is, and why project management is an important part of every company, and how
it's vital to a project's success. Next up, we'll learn more about what a project manager does.

Hey, so we've covered what project management is and why it's important to organizations. Now,
let's learn more about what project managers do on a day-to-day basis. Project managers usually
follow a process that involves planning and organizing, managing tasks, budgeting, controlling
costs and other factors. Everything they do helps make sure the project can be completed on time
and on budget. In broad terms, a project manager also needs to make sure that the project
outcome is bringing value to the company. A project manager can add value in many different
ways. Whether that's creating a new service for customers or modifying an old service so it's
more tailored to the customer's needs. No matter what the task is, a successful project will always
add value. And it's the project manager's job to make sure that project is both valuable and
successful. You may be asking yourself, well, if I'm a project manager, how do I add value to an
organization every day? What does the day-to-day life of a project manager look like? Well, a
project manager's responsibilities can vary, depending on the project, the industry, and the
company they're working in. Are you constructing a new building? Are you project managing a
renewable energy product in a startup? Or are you setting up your own event management
company? Your tasks will be different in each scenario, but here's a general overview of what a
typical day might look like.
Play video starting at :1:29 and follow transcript1:29
A project manager's daily responsibilities always include some version of the following, planning
and organizing. An example of that might be gathering requirements from teammates or
customers. This means figuring out what exactly your project's trying to accomplish. You might
have a kickoff meeting or send a survey. From here you may also work on creating project plans.
Creating project plans is a key part of project management. It helps set the tone of the project,
keeps everyone on pace and aligned, and helps move tasks along. Which leads me to my second
point, managing tasks. Once the project is underway, the project manager helps manage tasks for
the team members and communicates key milestones to the larger team or customers. This helps
keep team members, and customers updated on how the project is progressing. The third piece is
budgeting and controlling costs and other factors. Managing the budget and controlling costs is a
common responsibility that project managers have to understand to keep the project on track and
within budget. This is a full-time job because the plan you've created and managed may change
causing unexpected costs to come up. And that's just to name a few. I could go on for days. But
the most important thing to know about the day to day of a project manager is this: You'll use
different tools, techniques and methodologies every single day. There's never a dull moment.
Personally, my favorite part about being a project manager is that I get to watch the project's
growth from start to finish. It's really special to create something from nothing, working from the
ground up. It's a really satisfying feeling. As a project manager, you'll use a variety of skills
every day, and a lot of these skills you might already have, and we'll discuss this more coming
up. See you there.
0:00
Welcome back. Let's get right into it and explore the variety of skills you'll use. Have you ever
been tasked with planning a loved one's surprise birthday party? There's usually a lot of pressure
and responsibility, but when you get it right, it feels amazing. That's still true even if there were a
couple of issues. Maybe the guest of honor arrived home earlier than expected and nearly ruined
the surprise. But if you made someone feel special on their birthday you probably planned a
successful project. As you chose a venue, sent out invitations, and calculated your budget based
on your number of guests, you were using several project management skills, like planning and
organizing, managing tasks, budgeting, and controlling costs, and more. Or maybe you've never
planned a party. Have you ever worked in the retail space, or in the service industry? Then you
might have experience that'll translate into the project management field, too. For example, you
might have been in charge of managing several employees' schedules. To do that, you had to plan
and organize which employees' work styles would complement each other in a productive way.
You also had to make sure that all duties and responsibilities would be covered during each shift.
Plus, you had to be aware of all employees' availability. Doesn't sound familiar? Well, have you
ever had to relocate for a new job and planned a big move? To successfully move all of your
belongings, you may have coordinated friends and family to help. You would have had to budget
and control costs for moving companies, boxes, and miscellaneous expenses. You probably
packed your boxes one room at a time and clearly labeled the boxes so that you knew what each
box was when you arrived at the new place. You had to manage all of these tasks simultaneously.
You've likely handled several tasks like these in your lifetime. In studying project management,
you'll learn to further advance and sharpen these skills so that you'll be equipped to manage even
bigger, more daunting tasks. The abilities that helped you complete these past projects are a great
selling point for yourself as a future project manager. So be sure to bring up these examples in
job interviews to demonstrate your skills. For instance, if you're asked questions like, "Tell me
about a time when you had to juggle several tasks at once", or "Tell me about a time when you
had to influence a customer or a teammate." It's good to have examples that demonstrate your
skills with time management and leadership in both your everyday life and previous workplaces.
Are you thinking about all of the skills that you already have and can use in your future project
management role? Perfect. Up next, we'll learn more about the types of project management
roles that you'll be qualified for after this program. We'll also discuss how to start exploring the
various job opportunities out there for you. See you soon.
0:03
Hey everyone, my name is X. Yes, just the letter. At Google, I'm a Program Manager for a
department called Responsible Innovation. Most of us, in our everyday life, use program
management. When you have only a couple hours left in a day and you have to figure out, well,
do I clean my house or do I go to the grocery store? How long will each of those task takes?
Those are just different elements or variations of program management and project management.
My path to program management is pretty non-traditional. I didn't go graduate from a great
college. In fact, I dropped out of high school and I dropped out of college. So a GED is the
highest credential that I have. After I dropped out of high school, I taught myself how to code. I
built a whole bunch of websites, but realized, like, I didn't have the responsible skills to make me
a "mature adult." So I ended up joining the military. After spending eight years in the Army, I
traveled the world building apps for really big companies and governments around the world.
When I came into Google, I realized I could still be technical, but then I'm just using the skills I
already have. So how can I grow myself as a person by learning new skills? That's when I heard
about the program manager role. The program manager role at Google is super cool because it
varies depending on which team you're on. If you're a program manager on Google Cloud, that
could look very different than being a program manager in YouTube. That switch up and that
change from coding all day long in front of a computer screen was something that was really,
really attractive to me. Some of the biggest skills from my past and my history that helped me
become a program manager and make that transition from somebody who was managed by
program and project managers, to actually becoming one myself, was taking a little bit more
accountability in my personal life. There's lots of things I want to learn in life. I started doing
things like making schedules to practice, like, different instruments, like the bass guitar. Each of
my roles, whenever I worked with a project or program manager, I also made sure to check in
with them about why they were doing what they were doing. I'm someone who doesn't really
learn from books if you can't tell by me dropping out of school. So I always found somebody
who was willing to teach me why they were doing what they were doing, because that's how I
learn. I tend to be more kinetic. I learn as I go. Program management to me was a natural calling.
Not because I like to run around and tell everybody what to do, but because I have a real
personal passion for bringing people together and getting everybody on the same page to move
towards the same goal. Whether that's convincing all my friends to go to my favorite vegan spot
in downtown LA, like four times a week, or whether that's getting us all together to resolve
conflict or to work on an idea and collaborate on projects on the side together. Those skills that
you use in your everyday life to keep your task together can apply to program and project
management very easily. You just have to be a little bit more intentional around them and there's
a lot more paperwork involved.
0:00
Welcome back. Now that you have a general understanding of what a project manager does, let's
focus on the types of jobs that you may be qualified for after completing this program. To start,
I've got a question for you. How many open roles do you think are out there for project
managers? Hint: The answer is a very big number. Project managers are in high demand. In
2017, a study by the Project Management Institute found that by the year 2027, employers will
need 87.7 million people filling project management-aligned roles. According to that same study,
the industries with the most growth are manufacturing and construction, information services and
publishing, management and professional services, finance and insurance, utilities, and oil and
gas. Project management plays a big part in helping all of these industries grow. In some
industries, you will find the term "project manager" grouped with a more industry-specific
qualifying word. For example: "construction project manager" or "IT project manager," or
"engineering project manager." Don't worry. These are all still project manager roles—they're
just specific to an industry. And it's important to keep in mind that the skills you learn in one
industry can be applied to another industry. New projects are popping up every single day.
Across all industries, we noticed that new technology is introduced, which leads to processes
changing and a need to manage those processes. So all kinds of companies need people like you
who can tackle a variety of projects from start to finish, to help them navigate these changes. By
now, you might have noticed that you already have some of those skills, like organizing or
planning an event, problem-solving, or even managing a budget, and you use them effectively in
your everyday life. Reflect on some of those skills we mentioned earlier and ask yourself, what
are some of the parts of project management that you're drawn to? While you may not have the
answer just yet, thinking about these things can help you find suitable roles later. As you keep
going in this program, try to keep track of the lessons and activities you prefer and the ones you
didn't like as much. This will help you narrow your choices as you search through job boards
later. The beauty of project management is that you don't need to be an expert on a focused
technical topic— you just need to be able to manage projects. You could be a construction or
technology project manager, or you could enter the healthcare industry and work in patient
management. You could also enter the energy sector and act as an environmental project
manager. The possibilities are almost endless. What's equally exciting is that you could even end
up with a completely different title altogether. For instance, there are roles that entail a sequence
of ongoing projects that are considered programs or operations in the industry. In this case, the
role may not be described as a project manager, but instead something a little more evergreen,
like "operations manager" or "program manager." Other titles that might make sense for you can
include "operations assistant," "project assistant," "project coordinator," and "program assistant."
When it comes to job duties, your responsibilities might change depending on the type of
company you choose. For example, the workload and specific tasks at a small agency will be
different from those at Google. It's also important to keep in mind that as the world continues to
change and evolve, so do industries and the job opportunities you'll find there. So be sure to cast
a wide net. You'll be able to find more and more jobs you're qualified for. In addition to being
qualified for project management-related jobs, there's plenty of other roles or paths that may
interest you. Internships can sometimes be a good place to start. An internship is a short-term
way to get hands-on experience in an industry. Plus, internships are a great way to help boost
your resume and set yourself apart from other candidates. One of the key benefits of internships
is that you get real work experience while simultaneously networking with people in that
industry. It's a win-win. Now some internships in your field might not technically be project
manager roles, but a lot of roles are easily transferable. For example, something like an "events
manager intern" role can become a full-time project manager position later on. Internships aren't
great for everyone's lifestyle, but if you can make them work, they're a fantastic option. Another
path you can take is contract work. Working for companies on a contract means you'll work with
them on a project-by-project basis, but you won't be a full-time employee. This kind of work is a
great way to get your foot in the door and build your portfolio. Plus, it gives you the flexibility to
try your hand at a few different projects at once, depending on the commitment level required for
that. Another benefit of contracting is that it lets you explore different kinds of companies and
project types. Since it's a temporary position, you can explore what type of company is the best
fit for you. Maybe you find you like working with a large or a small team, or you find you enjoy
specific types of projects. And if you find a situation that suits you and the organization, your
contract position might just lead to a full-time position. As you keep charging forward, try
thinking about the type of job you might be interested in going after when we're done here.
Every new topic you discover brings you one step closer to your first role in project
management, and one step closer to where you want to be. In the next video, we'll learn how to
identify and search for job titles best-suited for a project manager. We'll see you there.
Explore project management roles
You are about to start on your path to securing a high-demand position as a project manager. One
of the greatest benefits of the project management field is that it encompasses a wide variety of
positions across numerous industries. As you complete this certification, you will acquire skills
that will qualify you for various job titles. Here, we will discuss some different project
management job categories and some common roles within those categories. We’ll also describe
the great potential for career progression in project management, from entry-level positions to
senior program management roles, and the many opportunities in between!

Project management job categories and common roles

Introductory-level project management roles
Entry-level project management positions are a great opportunity to get your foot in the door and
learn the ins and outs of how a company operates and manages projects. The lessons you learn
from these experiences are extremely valuable to your growth in project management. Some
entry-level project management positions include:

Junior Project Manager: Performs all aspects of being a project manager alongside a more
experienced professional.

Project Administrator: Assists the rest of the project team with administrative tasks.

Project/Program Assistant: Supports team members working on a project and offers

administrative support. May perform research or create training documents along with other jobs
as assigned by program leaders.

Project/Program Coordinator: Participates in hands-on project work and administrative tasks.

Works under a project manager to make sure projects are completed on time and within budget.
Project Support Specialist: Works alongside a project manager and team members to oversee
assigned projects. May also be responsible for training and developing employees to perform
designated tasks.

Traditional project management roles

Once you have gained some experience in introductory-level positions, you can explore
traditional project management roles, such as:

Project Manager: Responsible for the initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing of a
project. Includes industry-specific titles like IT project manager, construction project manager, or
engineering project manager, which utilize skills that are transferable among industries.

Project Analyst: Moves a project along by sharing information, providing support through data
analysis, and contributing to strategy and performance.

Project Leader/Director: Drives core decision-making and sets the direction for the project.
Usually knowledgeable about the product or deliverable.

Project Controller: Primarily responsible for project planning. You are likely to see this job title
in industries like engineering and construction.

Technical Project Manager: Conducts project planning and management for identified goals
within a company. Ensures that projects are completed to the requirements within a defined time
frame and budget.

Project Management Office (PMO) Analyst: Manages the progress of complex projects to ensure
timely execution and completion.

Program and portfolio management roles

As you have learned, project managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of
projects. They shepherd projects from start to finish and serve as a guide for their team. Project
managers must apply the right tools, techniques, and processes to complete the project
successfully, on time, and within budget.
After you have carried out projects successfully and feel you are ready for a step up in
responsibility, a program manager position may be the next step for you. While a project is one
single-focused endeavor, a program is a collection of projects. Program managers are responsible
for managing many projects. At Google, all project managers are called program managers
because they manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Successfully implementing programs as a program manager can eventually make you a great fit
for more senior positions, such as a senior program manager or a portfolio manager. A portfolio
is a collection of projects and programs across an entire organization. Portfolio managers are
responsible for portfolios of projects or programs for one client. Over the course of your career,
you might progress from project manager to program manager to portfolio manager roles.

While project, program, and portfolio managers hold different types and levels of responsibility,
they are all project managers. In Course 4 of this certificate program, you will learn more about
differentiating projects, programs, and portfolios.

Graphic of project manager > program manager > portfolio manager

Program managers: Manage a group of projects that are related or similar to one another and
handle the coordination of these projects. They facilitate effective communication between
individual project managers and provide support where necessary. They also help create and
manage long-term goals for their organization.

Portfolio managers: Responsible for managing a group of related programs within the same
organization. They coordinate various programs in order to ensure they are on track and that the
organization is meeting its strategic initiatives. Portfolio managers look at all projects and
programs within the organization and prioritize work as necessary.

Operational management roles

In operational management roles, you will get the opportunity to experience several different
departments and how they interact and operate. Operational management roles allow you to work
alongside peers and management from various business segments, giving you an appreciation for
what each segment does on a daily basis. Key elements of project management include making
sure a project is on budget and on schedule. This course, and your experience as a project
manager, will give you the tools to be able to apply those skills to running a business. Some
operational management positions include:
Operations Analyst: Manages and coordinates research, investigates workflows, creates business
procedures, and recommends changes to improve the project and company.

Operations Manager: Oversees strategic decision-making and rolls out plans of action based on
financial, schedule, and resource reporting.

Chief Operating Officer: Responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administrative and
operational functions of a business.

Agile roles
We will discuss the Agile project management approach in depth later, but here are a couple of
the positions you may see that are related to that approach:

Scrum Master: Coordinates and guides the Scrum team. Knowledgeable in Agile framework and
Scrum and is able to teach others about the Scrum values and principles. May also be listed as a
Technical Program Manager or Technical Project Manager.

Product Owner: Drives the direction of product development and progress.

Industry-specific management roles

As you search for project management roles, you may see positions with titles like “engineering
project manager” or “construction project manager.” Keep in mind that the skills you learn in one
industry can be applied to another industry. For example, you may have experience as a software
engineer but are interested in pursuing a career in project management. You will be able to apply
what you’ve learned working in a technical field, as well as with the skills you have picked up in
this certification course, to a project manager position in multiple industries. Having experience
working on a team to achieve a task and understanding how to execute an effort on schedule and
on budget are aspects of your professional experience—combined with your project management
knowledge—that make it possible for you to move between industries.

Image of project manager with a chart and an audience

Key takeaway
Project management is a career path with a great deal of potential!

With each step along your career path, you are building yourself up to be a significant
contributor to any company. We have discussed a number of possible job titles for you to search
for when you start exploring project management roles. Regardless of the industry in which you
currently work, you have gained transferable skills. Transferable skills are abilities that can be
used in many different jobs and career paths. Your transferable skills can likely be utilized in
project management roles in many other industries.
0:00
Hi again! Let's discuss how to search for a job in the project management field. It's no secret that
job searching can be a challenge. Even the most detailed, specific job listings can leave you
wondering what the company is really seeking in a candidate. Don't worry, we've all been there,
and we're here to help you sort through the lingo and the confusion. The more job listings you
find, the more buzzwords you'll likely notice, too— words like "data-driven," "team player,"
"self-starter." Understanding all the buzzwords in job listings will help figure out if a job is right
for you. Up to now, we've discussed project management as a role, but many companies actually
list it as a skill. Here's some more good news. You'll soon be qualified for a position as a project
manager, and a position that lists project management as a skill. Here's the even better news. If
you have the skills to manage projects, you'll be qualified for program manager or operational
roles that require you to manage an end-to-end system or department, too, which asks for the
same skill set. Now, let's check out different types of jobs that use your project management
skills. When job hunting, keep your options open. As I just mentioned, you don't have to limit
yourself to just project manager titles. There's lots of other titles you're qualified for, too. You'll
know what's a good fit for you by reading the job descriptions, so cast a wide net. Depending on
the field you choose, you might find roles like Operations Manager, Program Manager,
Operations Associate, or Project Assistant. All of these could be a great fit for your skills. For
example, let's say you're searching a job board for project management roles when you notice a
Community Operations Manager role for a small city open up. The job title isn't project manager,
but you'll notice that the job functions match your skill set, and your years of experience also
match the job requirements. The job description may include a list of required skills like
organizational management, strong planning and communication skills, budget preparation and
monitoring. Sound familiar? Maybe you'll even start to notice that the job's responsibilities seem
like tasks you've covered in this course, like creating monthly status reports, helping to
implement new and necessary technologies, tracking work plans and performance metrics,
assisting other members of the operations team on given projects, and ensuring timely responses
to requests for information. These duties are nearly a perfect match for your project management
skills, and there are plenty more listings like these, too. How great is that? The skills that go into
project management are used in all kinds of roles and professions. Believe it or not, we've all
worked with or learned from a project manager at some point in the past. Can you guess who that
is? It's your teachers! Think about it. Everything that goes into being a teacher takes project
management skills: Designing a curriculum that's accessible to students with unique needs;
managing a budget; communicating with others like parents, department heads, or school
admins; developing processes to make things run efficiently in the classroom; and so on. For
example, when I went for my first interview at Google, I highlighted my experience as the
founder and advisor to a student leadership group. I told them about how I assembled and led a
team of 20 students to plan and execute events like fundraisers, community gatherings, and
academic assemblies for over 300 students during the academic year. I even kind of surprised
myself, looking back at how much relevant project management experience I had. Now, I'm sure
you'll think back on your own experiences and feel the same thing. One more thing to call out is
networking. Networking is when you meet other people in a professional setting with the goal of
learning, sharing knowledge, and creating new business connections. This plays a big role in job
hunting, so it is a great tool to start learning and perfecting. The skills you learn here will prepare
you for all kinds of project management jobs. Knowing how to search for jobs will make it even
easier to match those skills with the best opportunities for you.

Interactive Transcript - Enable basic transcript mode by pressing the escape key
You may navigate through the transcript using tab. To save a note for a section of text press
CTRL + S. To expand your selection you may use CTRL + arrow key. You may contract your
selection using shift + CTRL + arrow key. For screen readers that are incompatible with using
arrow keys for shortcuts, you can replace them with the H J K L keys. Some screen readers may
require using CTRL in conjunction with the alt key
Play video starting at :: and follow transcript0:00
[MUSIC] My name is Gilbert, and I'm a talent outreach specialist here at Google. Talent can
mean many things; it can mean folks that have never envisioned themselves at Google. And so
part of our team's remit is to identify talent that Google or other companies may not necessarily
reach out to, or consider for roles in the past and helping them navigate the interview process.
That could also mean candidates that are already interested or have expressed interest in
opportunities at Google in the past, and engaging them to support them through the interview
process today. At Google you have to wear the program and project management hat, regardless
of what role you're in. And that's definitely been the case for me. So in my role I've had to
practice skills such as: communicating to stakeholders, managing a budget, managing a project
timeline in many different projects within my role. An example of this could be organizing
events for university students that come to Google's campus. And hear from guest speakers about
the projects we work on, the roles and their career journeys. And so as you can imagine this can
be a complex project. My first job out of college was completely unrelated to what I'm doing
now. I was an assistant manager at a big box retailer. And so a lot of the skills that I actually
learned in that role have translated to support me in my role and allowed me to have success. So
some of these skills are being able to talk to and have difficult conversations, being able to
manage a budget, managing resources, and managing your time. These are especially important
in the retail setting. I started applying a lot of these project management frameworks or practices,
even into the smallest projects. Maybe it's related to my goals for the next three months, setting
up project plan based around that, right? I was the only stakeholder, I was the only one reviewing
this documentation. But the practice of being able to do this really helped me so that when I had
to do it for a project at Google with multiple stakeholders, with multiple timelines, competing
priorities. It was already second nature to me, because I even applied it just in my day to day. So
I think one of the biggest support that I had as far as working through imposter syndrome, or lack
of confidence as I stepped into a lot of these skills is really just practice. And you can practice it
in many different ways, in your personal life, in your professional life, and anything in between.
So that was really important for me as I've gone through this journey of up-skilling as a program
and project manager. I'd say that by joining this course and stepping into this, you're already
taking the first step. And I think that's just as important, right? Not letting fear, or fear of failure
get in the way of new opportunities for you. And the second piece is don't be afraid to ask for
help. I think that folks are generally willing to help and support you. So the biggest thing that
you can do is reach out, and not be afraid to ask questions. Not be afraid to do an informational
interview, to ask for resume tips, to ask for advice from people that are maybe already in the role
that you're hoping to step into, or in the field that you're looking to work in. Just reach out to
them, ask them questions. I think people like to connect with folks that are intuitive, that are
curious and are just eager to learn. And so if you can leverage those two pieces, I think that
you're going to have success in whatever you do.
Using buzzwords and skills in your job search
In an earlier video, we mentioned buzzwords—words or phrases that are popular for a period of
time or in a particular industry. In today’s job market, buzzwords like data-driven, team player,
and self-starter are common. You may see terms like these show up throughout your searches.

Similarly, many job descriptions list the specific skills they require candidates to have. These
skills can become some of the terms that you use in your job search. Examples of these skills
include:

Coordination, or getting people and teams to work together. You may see responsibilities in job
descriptions such as “coordination of efforts to achieve project deliverable” or “coordinate
internal resources to ensure successful project completion.” Being a project manager is
essentially managing the coordination of resources to achieve your end goal. Coordination is one
of the top skills a project manager should have, so searching for this term can lead you to
appropriate positions.

Organization, or the ability to stay focused on different tasks. You may come across phrases like
“solid organizational skills, including attention to detail and multitasking skills” or something as
simple as “highly organized.” Organization is key to being a great project manager. We will
discuss many ways to sharpen this skill in the upcoming lessons.
Leadership, or being able to lead a group of people. You may see phrases like “strong leadership
qualities” or “ability to lead” in job descriptions. A project manager needs to display leadership
in a number of ways, including effective planning, efficient task coordination, inspiring team
members, and key decision-making. You are working on many of the skills needed to become a
great leader in this program!

Take a look at the skills required for this position. The job description lists each of the terms that
we talked about or a variation of these terms.

Project Manager Example:Excellent time management, prioritization, and organizational skills

Demonstrated ability to lead others
Outstanding communication skills
Successful track record in coordinating the work of internal and external teams to develop new
products
You may also come across positions in your search that do not include the title “Project
Manager” or any of the job titles we previously discussed, but you shouldn’t rule these positions
out. In many cases, the job description will include project management experience and
expectations, but the position may be called something else entirely.

Look at some of the job responsibilities required for a position titled “Operations Associate.”
This position is a type of project manager. You will find that most project management-related
job descriptions call for the ability to plan, organize, monitor, and execute tasks—all skills you
will be able to do once you complete this certification.

Operations Associate ExamplePlan and organize team objectives and priorities

Develop and execute reporting and process design
Monitor daily operations and enhance processes to maximize efficiency
Coordinate training plans
Common project management buzzwords
Including buzzwords and skills in your job search can help you find jobs that are ideal for you
and your skill set. Once you have found a position you want to apply for, listing buzzwords and
skills that are relevant to the position can also help recruiters and hiring managers identify you as
a qualified and knowledgeable candidate.

Some common project management-related buzzwords and skills you could include on your
resume are:

Analytical

Assertive

Assessing outcomes

Assessing progress

Attention to detail

Conflict resolution

Collaborative

Coordination

Communication

Development

Evaluation

Executing plans
Financial analysis

Impact assessment

Leadership engagement

Managing meetings

Managing client expectations

Managing conflicts

Managing relationships with stakeholders

Managing vendors

Meeting deadlines

Monitoring

Multitasking

Planning

Prioritizing

Problem-solving
Process development

Process improvement

Project coordination

Project implementation

Project initialization

Project planning

Project reporting

Quality control

Risk assessment

Risk management

Solution development

Strategic planning

Strong interpersonal skills

Strong verbal communication

Strong written communication

Key takeaway
Job searching for your first (or next) project management position can be easier if you enter the
right search terms. Search for the skills you’re learning throughout this project management
certificate program or skills you’ve acquired in your current or previous positions. These terms
will help you determine if you have found a potential match. As you start your project
management career, don’t let the requirement for project management experience stop you from
applying for project management-adjacent roles. Once you have completed this certification
course, you'll see how many skills you already have that can be translated and correlated to a
project management role.
0:00
Earlier in this course, we introduced you to the world of project management. We discussed how
project management spans industries and companies of all kinds, from large corporations to
small businesses. Now let's define what a project manager is and describe how they add value to
their teams and organizations. Let's start with the definition. Project managers shepherd projects
from start to finish and serve as guides for their team, using their impeccable organizational and
interpersonal skills every step of the way. As you learned earlier, project managers usually follow
a process that involves planning and organizing, managing tasks, budgeting, and controlling
costs so that the project can be completed within the approved timeframe. We'll dig deeper into
these topics throughout this program. What you need to know right now is that project managers
play a crucial role in their organizations. Project managers add value to their teams and
organizations in key ways that include prioritization, delegation, and effective communication.
So let's break these down. First, we'll discuss prioritization. Project managers add value to their
teams and organizations through effective prioritization of tasks required to complete a project.
They're experts at helping team members identify and break down large tasks into smaller steps.
There'll be times when a project manager may not know which task to prioritize. To determine
which ones are the most critical to the success of the project, they'll connect with their teams and
with stakeholders to gather information and make a plan. Stakeholders are people who are
interested in and affected by the project's completion and success, like the leader of an
organization. You've probably used prioritization to complete work in the past. In any kind of
project, personal or professional, there are tasks with different levels of priority. For example,
let's imagine that you've decided to rent a house and plan to repaint the rooms. You've picked out
your paint and you're eager to get started. While it may be tempting to start painting right away,
you'll need to prioritize tasks like laying out drop cloths to protect the floors and furniture,
applying blue tape to the rooms' edges, and much more. Those preliminary steps are critical and
need to come before painting. Other related steps, like choosing new face plates for your light
switches, can come later in the process or be switched out of the project entirely if you run out of
time or money. When you choose to take care of these preliminary steps before wedging open the
paint can, you're prioritizing the tasks or steps of your project. You're also increasing the
likelihood that you'll be satisfied with your newly-painted rooms. This process is similar for
professional projects. When you effectively prioritize important tasks, you set up your team and
yourself for a better project outcome. Now, let's discuss delegation. Project managers use
delegation to add value to their teams and organizations by matching tasks to individuals who
can best complete the work. Let's return to our house painting example for a second here.
Painting multiple rooms can be a time-consuming project, so it's possible that you might enlist a
few friends to help you get it done. Maybe one friend has professional painting experience. Now,
with that in mind, you might ask her to handle the more challenging aspects of the project, like
painting the ceiling or the detailed molding. You might also schedule her to paint the molding
before another friend paints the walls. So by delegating this task to the person with the right
skills to complete the work and ordering the task appropriately, you're applying knowledge of
your team's strengths to the planning of your project. That makes sense, right? Finally, let's talk
about effective communication. Project managers deliver value through effective
communication, both with their team and with key stakeholders. This refers to being transparent,
which means being up front with plans and ideas and making information readily available.
Project managers keep in regular contact with their team about the progress of the work and help
identify areas where a teammate may need support. In our house painting example, this might
involve checking in with your friends periodically to ask if they have enough paint or supplies
left to complete their tasks. Checking in regularly means you'll know if you need to buy more
paint before the can is empty, which ensures that the project stays on track. In addition to
keeping up with teammates, project managers keep in regular contact with people outside of the
team, like company leaders who are invested in the project outcomes. For example, you might
reach out to your landlord to get permission to paint and to share the days you'll be working on
this project. Though your landlord isn't directly involved in the project's execution, the outcomes
will affect her property and so it's important to keep her informed. Without your project
management skills, you might run out of paint halfway through the project, your walls might get
painted without drop cloths to protect the floors, and your landlord could be caught off guard
about your plans. So it's a good thing you're here to keep the project running smoothly and
efficiently. Great. Now you should be able to define what a project manager is and explain how
they use prioritization, delegation, and effective communication to deliver value to their
organizations. Coming up, you'll hear about the career path of a real life project manager at
Google. Their journey to me is fascinating and we can't wait to share it with you.
0:03
My name is JuAnne. I'm a Senior Program Manager at Google. I'm a first-generation Chinese
American. My family and I came to the United States when I was young. My parents worked
really hard when I was growing up and I spent a lot of time by myself, basically just having to
take care of myself; planning my meals, doing my homework, taking care of chores. I feel like I
got a little bit of my program management skills from just being really organized, having to be
really organized all the time. My path to being a project manager really started as a business
systems analyst. I was writing requirements or gathering requirements for our customers and
translating them into documentation for our engineers so that they could implement it. Through
that process, I became a project manager. I started to manage the timelines, manage the tasks,
understand all the pieces, and who needed to be involved. There you go, you have a project
manager. I think the funnest part about being a project manager is really working with people.
You get to meet all different kinds of people, different personalities. Sometimes you get to travel
to places to meet them but even when you don't, just meeting new people and understanding how
we interact, how people interact and behave is fascinating. I think if you build a relationship,
focus on the relationship, and really understand what their style, where they're coming from,
what their concerns are, it will help your working relationship much better. You can
communicate with them in the style that's necessary. You can work with them in the style that's
more receptive to them and that would just make the project better all around.
You have learned that project managers can prioritize, delegate, and effectively communicate to
deliver value to their projects. This reading will focus on the main ways that project managers
can add value to projects and impact organizations, which include:

Focusing on the customer

Building a great team

Fostering relationships and communication

Managing the project

Breaking down barriers

Subheading - focusing on the customer

Customers are always a key element to success in any business. There is no exception to that in
the field of project management. In project management, the word “customer” refers to a person
or an organization that defines the requirements of the project and sets important guidelines, such
as budget and deadlines. In projects, customers can be internal or external. Internal customers are
stakeholders within your organization, such as management, project team members, resource
managers, and other organizational departments. External customers are customers outside of
your organization, such as clients, contractors, suppliers, and consumers.
To successfully deliver a project, it has to meet the customer’s standards. To meet the customer’s
standards, you have to make sure you clearly understand their expectations. The customer is at
the center of a successful project. Project managers can add a lot of value to the project by
building relationships with customers and taking the time to make sure the customer is heard and
satisfied with the result.

Asking the customer questions

Let’s discuss how you can focus on the customer in a project. First, sit with the customer and ask
what problem they are trying to solve. You might ask if they have a specific vision of the final
outcome they would like delivered. Sometimes, customers will lean on project managers to find
the solution to their problem. It’s your job to ask questions like:

What is the problem you would like us to help solve? Example response: The customer wants
help developing a new process that would allow their company to be more efficient.

How is the problem impacting your organization? Example response: The customer states that
they are losing clients because of their current inefficient processes since clients are sometimes
receiving their orders late.

What prompted you to ask for help now? Example response: The customer says that they may
lose department funding if they do not improve efficiency.

What is your hope for the outcome of this project? Example response: The customer states that
their ultimate goal is to increase the speed at which they fill orders without sacrificing quality.

Taking the time to dig a little deeper into the “why” behind the project can help a project
manager better support and understand the customer. The more you understand the customer’s
goals, the more likely you will be able to produce what the customer is seeking.

Subheading - Building a great team

The team is a project’s biggest asset. A successful project manager knows that and takes the time
to understand each person’s motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. Project managers add value
to the project by identifying the right team for the project and enabling the team to be successful
and make decisions.
When you work to build a great team, you have to consider the skills needed for the project, as
well as the resources available. Understanding the customer’s requirements helps shape the skills
needed for your team. If you are working on a project that requires people with medical expertise
and you hire people who do not have a medical background, no matter how hard that team
works, they will not have the right skill set to complete the project. As project manager, you
should bring on people with the right skills and ensure the team knows that each individual is
valued, trusted, and appreciated. You can demonstrate how you feel about the team’s value by
allowing them to have input and ask questions, and by addressing their needs as soon as possible.

Subheading - Fostering relationships and communication

Maintaining customer satisfaction and building a great team are two ways that you, as a project
manager, can add value to a project. Both of these skills are built on the foundation of
relationships and communication. The project managers who add the most value are the ones
who take the time to build relationships, communicate, and treat others with consideration and
respect.

Project managers can set the tone for a project and build relationships within their teams and
with stakeholders. Taking the time to check in daily with your team, see how they’re doing, and
ask if there is anything they need help with can go a long way towards making them feel valued
and heard.

Subheading - Managing the project

When you build teams, each person is generally assigned specific project tasks. Once each task is
done, the person responsible for that task hands that part of the project over to the next person.
Your team members don’t always see the whole picture and how they impact others in a project.
A successful project manager sees the impacts of each process within the project and
communicates those impacts to the team. This ensures that everyone working on the project
understands their task goal as well as the big picture goal for the finished product. For example,
if a graphic designer working on marketing materials for your project doesn't understand the
customer’s overall goal to appeal to educators, they may not be able to fully capture the vision
for the campaign. Helping this team member understand the big picture allows them to tailor
their tasks to meet the needs of the project end goal.

Managing a project can be busy, but if you take the time to build relationships and maintain open
lines of communication, you will increase the chances of the project’s success as well as the
customer’s and your team members’ satisfaction.
Subheading - breaking down barriers
Sometimes, when you ask why something is being done a certain way, the response you get is,
“Because we’ve always done it this way.” A project manager adds value to a project when they
break down barriers, allow their team to innovate new ways to do things, and empower them to
share ideas. As a project manager, you have to model ingenuity and collaboration, and encourage
your team to do the same.

How can you break down barriers on a project? You can provide support for your team as they
try new approaches to find solutions, and you can advocate for additional resources for your
team. If your team is having a hard time getting an answer from another organization, you can
reach out to the organization yourself in order to keep the team on track and on schedule.

Key takeaway
You have now learned some of the ways that project managers can add value to projects and
impact organizations. By focusing on the customer, building a great project team, fostering
relationships and communication, managing the project, and breaking down barriers, you can
overcome obstacles and find solutions to succeed.
0:00
Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed that last story because for me, it's always helpful to hear
about someone else's career path. Maybe you even noticed a few parallels between their career
path and your own, or you felt inspired to pursue a specific area of project management. So far
we've discussed the types of project management roles you'll be qualified for, and how to search
for them. Earlier, we discussed the value that project managers bring to their teams and their
organizations. Now let's learn more about the roles and responsibilities of a project manager.
Earlier you learned that project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and
techniques to meet the project requirements and achieve the desired outcome. How does that
actually happen? That's where you come in. Project managers usually follow a process that
involves planning and organizing, managing tasks, budgeting, and controlling costs, and other
factors, so that the project can be completed within the approved budget and timeframe. Let's
break these down into examples of responsibilities that you might find in a job listing for a
project management role. We'll start with planning and organizing. One responsibility that falls
under the umbrella of planning and organizing is making use of productivity tools and creating
processes. During the planning and execution of a project, you might need to use certain tools
and develop processes to improve information sharing across the team; you may also need to
create plans, timelines, schedules, and other forms of documentation to track project completion,
and you'll usually need to maintain those documents throughout the entirety of the project. The
next task is budgeting and controlling costs, and other factors. As the project is underway,
changes to the plan and budget are bound to come up. Believe me. This will require you to
monitor and manage the budget, track issues and risks as they arise, and manage quality by
mitigating those issues and risks. One way to do this is by removing unforeseen barriers that
come up. Now, by barriers, we mean things that can get in the way of project progress. For
example, if your teammates lack the resources needed to complete a task, you might identify that
issue, or barrier upfront, escalate the issue to a stakeholder, and work to secure the resource so
your team can move forward. Another huge piece of the project manager's role is managing
tasks. A project task is an activity that needs to be accomplished within a set period of time by
you, your team, or your stakeholders. Keeping track of tasks is a great way to help manage the
team's workload and ensure that things are getting done. Keeping track of tasks is also a great
tool for demonstrating progress to people outside the immediate team, like your stakeholders.
Back when I was a program manager in Student Development here at Google, one of our goals
was to create pathways for students who identify with communities that are underrepresented in
the technology industry. A large part of my day-to-day responsibilities involved working with
two separate engineering teams to create our technical curriculum. To manage the tasks
associated with this project, I created separate project trackers for each team that outline the
vision for the curriculum. These trackers kept both teams in the loop about the timeline for
delivery, the categories and subcategories for work, and the team members assigned to each task,
I also made sure to update our stakeholders every step of the way. By actively managing tasks
throughout the project lifecycle, I was able to keep tabs on everyone's work and efficiently
inform stakeholders, which allowed us to achieve our project goal with minimal issues. Nice job.
Now you should be able to describe the roles and responsibilities of a project manager. Coming
up, we'll discuss a project manager's role within the extended team, including how to work
alongside the people tasked with executing the project. Catch you in a bit.
Responsibilities that utilize interpersonal skills
What are the core job responsibilities of project managers? Let’s recap what we learned in the
previous video.

The project manager is responsible for planning, organizing, managing tasks, budgeting,
controlling costs, and other factors to help keep the project within budget and on time.

What does that mean? Basically, as the project manager, you will be responsible for tracking the
day-to-day details of the project, but you will also have an opportunity to step back and see the
bigger picture of the overall project.

Depending on the project and organization, you may also have responsibilities that utilize your
interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are the behaviors you use to interact with others, such as
communication, active listening, and leadership.
Let's review these responsibilities.

Graphic of project manager responsibilities:Teaching and mentoring, empowering the team,

communicating, controlling change and building relationships
Teaching and mentoring
As a project manager, you can serve as a mentor to your team. When you take the time to fully
explain the expectations, you eliminate rework, confusion, and frustration. Mentoring and
teaching others the lessons that you, as a project manager, have learned allows your team to
make better choices and build on your experience. Mentoring also involves supporting each
individual on your team in meeting expectations and helping them to exceed their own sense of
personal potential.

Building relationships
Relationships are everything! Getting to know your team members lets them know that you care
about them as people, not just as employees. Taking the time to build relationships with your
customers, clients, vendors, and other stakeholders is equally important. Dedicate time to check
in with people. Pay attention to the insights they offer you about their work style since their
actions can inform how to most effectively interact with them. Ask about their lives beyond the
project, and then follow up on those discussions later on to show your interest. When you foster
these relationships, you are all more invested in the success of your project.

Controlling change
The American novelist Louis L’Amour wrote, “The only thing that never changes is that
everything changes.” This applies to projects as well. Projects change as you continue to
understand the expectations and the needs of your stakeholders. As a project manager, you need
to remain flexible and adjust to the stakeholders’ needs. However, it is also important to protect
your team from constant change and rework. A good way to do this is by documenting the initial
expectations of the project and clearly identifying the changes being requested. It is also helpful
to understand the budget and schedule impact of the changes and make sure that the stakeholders
understand those impacts. As the project manager, you are responsible for protecting your team.

Empowering your team

We all enjoy being heard and appreciated in our careers. Giving your team the ability to work
directly with the stakeholders and their teams lets them know that you trust and believe in their
skills! One of the best things about empowering your team is getting fresh ideas and passionate
employees willing to help find solutions to problems. Another way you can empower your team
is by delegating responsibilities to them, allowing them to make some decisions for the project,
and using their input in the planning and execution of the project. Effective mentoring often
leads to more empowered teams.

Communicating status and concerns

As a project manager, communication is everything. With effective communication, you can
work together with your team to find solutions to challenges. The project manager sets the tone
for the project. Maintaining an open door policy and building trust within your team and among
stakeholders—all while staying positive—will help the success of the project.

Key takeaway
You have learned that project managers may be responsible for teaching and mentoring project
team members, building relationships with the team and various stakeholders, controlling change
and the impact to the project, empowering team members to make decisions, and communicating
status and potential concerns. These interpersonal responsibilities can be just as important to the
success of your projects as your more concrete responsibilities, like scheduling and budgeting.

As you continue through this course, you will learn more about how these project manager
responsibilities are embedded into the different phases of a project.
0:01
Hey and welcome back. Earlier you learned more about the responsibilities of a project manager.
And while it might seem like a lot to keep track of, it's important to know that you, as the project
manager won't need to do everything on your own. Let's discuss the role of the project manager
and how that role relates to other roles within the project team. It's easier to hear the term
manager and immediately think of your boss. But a project manager is not often the direct
manager of the people working on a project team. Here, we're discussing the project manager as
someone who manages the tasks of a project. But what does that really mean, right? Well,
although you might have a few teammates working with you on a project, you're probably not
their day-to-day boss. With the help of your team, you can get a lot more done together.
Everyone on your team will have their own set of roles and responsibilities. And you'll come
together to ensure that everyone is able to do their part to advance the project. Each person will
be an expert on their portion of the project, but no one will be an expert on every aspect of the
project, and honestly, neither will you. For instance, the graphic designer will focus on graphic
design, but probably won't be an expert on copywriting. Similarly, you'll be an expert on project
management, but may not be an expert on marketing. Here's another way to think about it.
Imagine that you're organizing a camping trip. You might be the person in charge of planning the
trip, but that doesn't mean you have to be a camping expert. Maybe you've never been camping
before, but your partner grew up spending every summer by the campfire. In that case, you might
assign them the task of picking out the right number and style of tents for your group. So, in this
example, you are planning the trip by giving your partner the job of finding the right number of
tents and the right size tents to make sure everyone is covered. You aren't doing the research or
the task yourself, but you're making sure that things are getting done. It's similar in the
workplace. As the project manager, you won't be an expert in every project role, and that's okay.
As we said, your job isn't to be the expert on everything. Instead you're responsible for guiding
your team and making sure that they have the support that they need in order to complete the
project. So how does a project manager go about doing that? Let's discuss using a few more
examples of the required responsibilities you might find in a job listing. First, you'll need to hold
all team members accountable for their assigned tasks. Managing tasks will help you hold your
team members accountable by giving them ownership over specific pieces of the project.
Second, you'll need to ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible, and be able to
establish escalation paths. Now by escalation paths, I mean that you should know how you will
communicate risks to the right people at the right time. Third, you'll need to understand and help
teammates adopt the right workflows and project management styles. As the project manager,
you'll likely have the best idea of which style is best for the work. It's your job to ensure that the
team adheres to that style and the other systems in place. And fourth, you'll need to collaborate
with other teams at the organization to meet the requirements based on project, scope, schedule,
and budget. In other words, a project may affect not only your team, but other teams at an
organization, as well as, say, the marketing or the finance team. So you'll need to work with
those teams to ensure that everyone is happy with the project outcomes. You'll learn more about
working with other stakeholders in a later course. Catch all that? Let's recap. You learned that a
project manager isn't always the direct manager of each member of the project team. Rather,
they're responsible for guiding those people and ensuring they have the support they need to
complete the project. Now that you have a good sense of the way that a project manager fits into
the project team, let's move a little bit ahead, where we'll discuss the types of skills that a project
manager needs to succeed. Meet you there.
As a project manager, you will likely work with cross-functional teams. A cross-functional team
includes team members who have different backgrounds, types of expertise, and job functions.
Even though these team members have different skill sets, occupy different roles, and may even
work in different departments, they are all working towards a common goal: the successful
completion of your project.

Sometimes the members of a cross-functional team are referred to as “T-shaped professionals.”

They are skilled in how to collaborate and innovate with those in different job functions and
across different departments, but they also contribute their own specific areas of expertise. Each
member of a cross-functional team has their own unique perspective and experience, bringing
different ideas and strategies to the project.
Picture of four icons representing clarify goals, recognize efforts, measure progress and get team
members with right skill
Let’s explore each of these ideas in more detail.

Clarify goals
When working with cross-functional teams, it is important to ensure that each member of the
team understands their role, how they support each other, and the common goals of the project. It
is vital to set clear goals for the team and make sure that the team understands those goals. Be
direct and concise, avoiding extraneous details and explanations. When communicating task or
project goals, make sure you define key items, such as budget, deadlines, quality requirements,
or important resources. Ensure your team members understand task and project goals by
encouraging them to ask questions and clarify information. It will be up to you to continuously
check in with your team to make sure they’re all moving towards their goals, staying on track,
and completing quality work. Cross-functional teams may work in different departments, be in
different physical locations, and have different leadership, but all team members work together
with the project manager to support the current project. Your project may be competing against
other priorities, so communicating clearly and often with your team—and vice versa—helps you
identify any potential issues or concerns before they arise.

Get team members with the right skills

Making sure you have team members with the correct skill sets for each of the project functions
is critical. If you are building an airplane and you’ve got five engineers but no mechanics, you
are missing a key element of your cross-functional team. As the project manager, you must help
ensure that your team has the right people with the right skill sets needed for the project to
succeed. Later in this program, we will discuss some tools you can use to help you identify the
skill sets needed to accomplish your project tasks.

Measure progress
Showing your team how much they have accomplished helps keep them motivated. Take the
time to measure and communicate the project’s progress across the cross-functional team. This
helps everyone see the full picture and recognize their impact on the project. You can measure
progress in many ways, including meeting key milestones, completing project tasks, and meeting
project goals on time and within budget. Regularly communicate with your team members to
check on their progress. Ask them if they anticipate being finished on time. If not, ask how you
can help them succeed. Keep track of the team’s progress throughout the project by documenting
when tasks and goals are completed, and let your team members know if the project is on track
or not. Make sure you communicate successes, delays, or issues, to the team so they know how
the project is progressing. Keeping everyone informed is essential to the project’s success.
Recognize efforts
Sometimes, when you work with cross-functional teams, there are certain skills that get
recognized more than others. A mechanic could get accolades for coming up with the solution to
a problem within the project, while the finance member who sourced the funding might be
forgotten. As a project manager, it is your job to make sure that each member of your cross-
functional team recognizes the value of their efforts each step of the way. You have learned the
importance of building relationships with stakeholders, and building relationships with your
cross-functional team members is just as important. Learning what makes your team members
feel supported, giving and taking feedback, and being mindful of each individual's background,
personal identifiers, and work style can help mediate some of the differences among team
members.

Key takeaway
Being able to communicate clearly with team members, clarify the goals of the project, get team
members with the right skills, measure team progress, and recognize team members’ efforts is an
important part of your role as the project manager, and is key to your project’s success.
0:00
Hey, and welcome back. Now that you've learned about the roles and responsibilities of a project
manager, let's discuss the core skill sets that a project manager should bring to the role. While
there are lots of different skills a project manager can bring to their role, there are four specific
skill sets that we think can help a project manager be successful. Those are enabling decision-
making, communicating and escalating, flexibility, and strong organizational skills. First, let's
talk about enabling decision-making. The ability to enable decision-making on the team, or
gathering decisions from the appropriate leader, is crucial to keep projects on task and achieve
their goals. Lots of the day-to-day decisions within a project will likely fall to you and your
teammates to discuss and agree on. You'll ensure that projects stay on schedule by gathering
information from teammates and using those insights to help the team make informed decisions.
You'll also make sure that those decisions are communicated to the necessary coworkers,
whether that's the immediate team or company leaders. For example, you might provide relevant
data or feedback to help your teammates make an informed decision between choice A and
choice B. The second skill is communicating and escalating. As a project manager, you'll use
your communication skills in just about everything you do. This might look like documenting
plans, sending emails about the status of the project, or holding a meeting to escalate risks or
issues to stakeholders. The third skill is flexibility. As a project manager, knowing how to be
flexible when changes are needed is key. Plans definitively will change, even with careful
upfront planning. For example, maybe the goals of your company change, or maybe a member of
your team unexpectedly takes a new position at another company. A good project manager
knows that unpredictable moments like these are almost always guaranteed. A quote we love
here at Google is, "The only constant is change," and that's true. By staying cool under pressure,
you'll be able to adjust while helping your team stay calm, too. Finally, a successful project
manager needs strong organizational skills. As you learned earlier, the role of a project manager
requires using a lot of different processes to keep the project on track. Having strong
organizational skills means having the ability to organize these processes and the core elements
of a project to ensure nothing gets lost or overlooked, which trust me, can and does happen. To
prevent this, you might decide to track daily tasks in a spreadsheet or send frequent status
updates or reminders. There are many ways to stay organized and hone your organizational
skills, and we'll talk more about them throughout the program. To recap, decision-making,
communicating and escalating, flexibility, and strong organizational skills are four core skill sets
that are essential to successful project management. You can continue to build on these skills by
becoming familiar with industry knowledge that applies to most project management roles.
Knowledge of helpful tools and templates and familiarity with popular project management
styles like Waterfall and Agile, can help you organize and document the project throughout its
lifecycle. We'll learn about these throughout this program. Hopefully, you feel better equipped to
explain the core skills a project manager should bring to the role. These skills really help enforce
team morale and accountability for the tasks of a project. We'll discuss this coming up. See you
soon.

Key competencies: Flexibility and handling ambiguity

In the previous video, we discussed the four key competencies of a project manager: enabling
decision-making, communicating and escalating, strong organizational skills, and flexibility.
With time and practice, you will master these skills to help you become successful in a project
management role. In this reading, we’ll dig deeper into why flexibility is essential for effective
project management and how you can help your team deal with ambiguity.

First, let’s review the other project management competencies you’ve learned about so far.

Enabling decision-making
You can help team members feel empowered from the start of your project by making the
decision-making process collaborative. For example, state the goals of specific deliverables and
elicit input from your team on how to achieve those goals. You may have an idea of how you
would like certain tasks to be accomplished, but your team members may have more creative or
efficient approaches. Empowering your team to express their opinions and make their own
decisions allows you to focus on the overarching management tasks and prioritize them in order
of importance. Additionally, when you allow team members to have a voice in decisions, it helps
foster an environment of responsibility, accountability, and team closeness.
Communicating and escalating
Project management requires clearly communicating project goals and expectations, team
member roles and responsibilities, and constructive feedback. Knowing how to effectively
communicate and when to escalate issues to management is key to keeping you, your team, and
your organization on the path to success. When escalation is required, try to approach
management with both the problem and the potential solution or suggestions. This will show that
you’re taking initiative as a project manager.

Strong organizational skills

If you demonstrate that it is important for you, as a leader, to stay organized through efficient
tracking and communications, your team will follow suit. One way to do this is by utilizing the
abundance of organizational tools available, such as:

Planning and scheduling software (templates, workflows, calendars)

Collaboration tools (email, collaboration software, dashboards)

Documentation (files, plans, spreadsheets)

Quality assurance tools (evaluations, productivity trackers, reports)

You may need to experiment with different organizational approaches to determine what works
best for you and your team.

Image of a project manager with an agenda and a clock keeping the team on time and organized
during a meeting
Flexibility
All project managers need the ability to adapt and overcome changes and challenges. Let’s
further explore why flexibility is such a critical project management skill and discuss how it can
help prepare your team for change, mitigate risks, and handle ambiguity.

Flexible planning
Change is inevitable, and the more flexible you are as a project manager, the more successful you
will be throughout your career. These flexible planning strategies can help you manage your
project during times of unpredictability:

Assess external constraints. When planning your project, take external events into account, such
as national holidays and team member vacations and sick leave. Leaving extra time in the
schedule for these inevitable events up front can help minimize the impact to your project.

Plan for risks and challenges. If you consider the risks that may occur, you may be able to find
solutions for them in advance. For example, what if someone on your team gets sick or decides
to quit? Are you able to replace them within the company? If not, can you hire an independent
contractor? Come up with a list of people who may be able to join your team if one of your team
members becomes unavailable. You can also assess risks by looking at historical data. Review
your past projects and examine the challenges you faced. Then evaluate if similar challenges
could occur in this project and prepare accordingly. We will discuss risk management at length
later in this program.

Calculate “float” in your schedule. Float, or slack, refers to the amount of time you can wait to
begin a task before it impacts the project schedule and threatens the project outcome. Identifying
float in your schedule can help with resource management, scheduling, and keeping your project
on track. You will learn more about calculating float in a later course, when we discuss creating a
critical path for your project tasks.

Handling ambiguity
Ambiguity can be a big challenge in managing projects. Project managers often face ambiguity
in goals, requirements, schedules, vision, or other areas related to the project. Your team will
look to you to lead during times of ambiguity and change, and flexibility is especially important
during these instances. Here are some different ways to help your team deal with ambiguity:

Keep calm. In uncertain times, handling ambiguity with grace and poise will help inspire the
members of your team to do the same.

Express empathy. As a project manager, it is important to try to understand what your team is
thinking and feeling, especially during times of ambiguity. Let your team members know that
you care about the challenges they are facing and are there to support them.
Communicate what you know clearly. Define the aspects of the project that are confirmed and
will not change. This helps your team get a better sense of what to expect, regardless of any
aspects of the project that are still unknown or changing.

Make decisions and stick to them. Try not to second-guess your decisions in front of your team
since this can lead to greater uncertainty. If you need to change course, clearly explain why you
have chosen to do so to your team.

Trust the expertise of your team. Increase clarity by having everyone on your team discuss what
they already know or believe to be true about components of your project, such as what is
involved in specific tasks or resources needed, based on their areas of expertise. Then, discuss
what you still don’t know and brainstorm ways to gather more information.

Key takeaway
As a project manager, having the flexibility and ability to handle ambiguity in a rapidly-changing
business setting gives you an advantage. Mastering these competencies, along with enabling
decision-making, effective communication skills, and strong organizational skills, will allow you
to innovate and grow as a project manager and leader.

Common myths about project managers

We have talked about the skills that project managers need to be successful in their role. Now,
let’s debunk some of the common myths about what is needed to be an effective project manager.

Myth: You have to be an expert in the field and have a lot of technical knowledge about the
project.
Reality: There are benefits to the project manager not having a lot of technical knowledge about
a project. Rather than getting caught up in the technical details when communicating with
management and stakeholders, the project manager can look at all of the different pieces that the
cross-functional team is working on and assess how they each contribute to the success of the
project. As a project manager, you bring on the right team members—with their differing areas
of expertise—and trust them to be able to focus on the technical aspects of the project. Your job
is to handle the communication, documentation, and organization necessary to get the project
successfully to the finish line.
Scenario: Jamar just landed his first project management job with a construction company. He’s
been tasked with managing the construction of a new elementary school in his city. He isn’t
expected to know how to do all of the technical skills, like engineering, construction, plumbing,
and electrical; he hires the right people for the job. He communicates the needs, timelines, and
expectations of the project to his team members and stakeholders and helps break down any
barriers to completing the project on time. Jamar helps the engineers and construction workers
communicate with one another to ensure that they are all on the same page regarding the
requirements. He makes sure that the materials are in place as needed for the plumbers and
electricians.

The bottom line: Project managers hire the experts and help put all the pieces of the project
together. Project managers don’t need to be experts in every field.

Image of a person looking at a computer screen with a checklist

Myth: Only people with a lot of experience within an organization can manage projects
successfully.
Reality: It is a common misconception that anyone who has significant experience and success in
an organization can manage projects there. In order to successfully manage projects in any
organization, you must acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, tools, and techniques and be able
to apply them. You don’t necessarily need to have worked in previous roles at that organization.
In taking this certification, you are learning and practicing how to be an effective project
manager before taking on a position.

Scenario: Sofia is a supervisor at a large customer service call center. She has been recognized by
leadership as a top performer. To reward her, management has offered her the role of project
manager for the implementation of a new call center software program. It will be her job to
oversee the installation, training, and implementation of the new process. Sofia tries to manage
the project, but she has no idea how to create a project plan, manage the various members of her
team, identify risks, or handle any of the other major project management tasks. She lets her
manager know that she does not have the appropriate training to manage the project but that she
would like to build those skills. Sofia’s manager enrolls her in a project management training
course so that she will have the necessary skills to manage projects in the future.

The bottom line: To be a successful project manager at any organization—regardless of whether

you have worked there previously—it is essential to master the skills, tools, and techniques of
project management.
Image of a person with a long list of details
Myth: You have to know every single detail about the project at all times.
Reality: Details matter in project execution, but as a project manager, you must also focus on the
big picture and strategy for the project. What is the end goal? Do you and your team have a clear
direction? If the whole team understands their objectives and has what they need to be successful
in their tasks, they can work on the individual details and provide you space to supervise the
overall project goals. Open lines of communication will help ensure that your team members
share any possible risks to the budget or schedule with you.

Scenario: Yui is a project manager working for a clothing company. The company is developing
a new line of winter sleepwear that is set to launch in late October. Yui meets with the key
stakeholders to determine their goals and timeline for the project. She recruits employees from
the merchandising, exports, marketing, materials, production, and quality control departments to
be a part of the project team. Yui meets with her team at the start of the project to clarify the
objectives for the product line and checks in with them regularly to remove any barriers and find
out where they need additional support. When a team member from the materials department
informs Yui that the fabric they were planning on using for a particular style of pajamas has
increased in price, Yui works with the team member to find a new supplier so that the overall
project budget is not impacted.

The bottom line: Your role as a project manager is to communicate with your stakeholders,
clarify objectives, and set expectations. Trust your team to handle the details of each project task
and communicate with you when there’s an issue. Through your direct communication and
strategic approach to problem-solving, you can provide solutions and help remove barriers for
your team. This is where you add value!

We have just busted three project management myths! Recognizing these truths will help you be
more confident and successful as you pursue your project manager career.

0:00
Earlier, you learned about the role of the project manager and the core skills you'll need to be
successful in that role. You've also learned more about your role within the project team. Now
let's discuss a few key skills that you'll use to build relationships with your teammates and
stakeholders. Using your interpersonal skills is key to building relationships with the people
involved in your project. By developing these relationships, you'll learn about the needs and
concerns of the team. This will help you determine the priorities of the project and motivate your
team throughout the process. Possessing strong interpersonal skills is a huge part of good
leadership. Even if you've never held a formal leadership position, having these skills will help
you when you need to guide a team. This is called influencing without authority, which refers to
a project manager's ability to guide teammates to complete their assigned work without acting as
their direct managers. There's a few key interpersonal skills that you can use to accomplish this
and guide the project outcomes, even without the authority of being your teammates' boss. These
skills include communication, negotiation, conflict mediation, and understanding motivations.
Let's break these down. First step is a key skill we've mentioned a few times now,
communication. In the context of leading a team, communication can include checking in with
teammates to understand how they're progressing on a task and providing clear feedback on the
quality of a teammate's work. Next is negotiation. Negotiation might include working with a
teammate to compromise on a new deadline when they tell you that they won't be able to
complete their work on time. Now, trust me, I know this can be frustrating, but you'll need to use
your negotiation skills often with your teammates and stakeholders to balance their needs and
what is best for the project. Another important skill is conflict mediation. As we mentioned,
project plans can change and issues will arise. This can sometimes lead to tension and conflict
within the team. Conflict mediation is a great skill to practice and develop to ensure the project
does not suffer as a result. This might involve setting up a meeting with two teammates who are
struggling to agree upon the best way to handle a shared task. Finally, there's understanding
motivations. This means getting to know your teammates and figuring out what pushes them to
do their best work. Understanding motivations might also include learning how your teammates
prefer to receive feedback, and how they like to receive recognition for doing a great job. You
would use that individualized information to motivate and encourage each person on your team.
To recap, communication, negotiation, conflict mediation and understanding motivations are all
interpersonal skills that will help you influence without authority. During job interviews for
project management positions, you might be asked to discuss a time when you influenced
without authority, and it's possible that you've already noticed ways that you've used these skills
in your personal life without even realizing it. For example, let's say you have a coworker who's
constantly late to every meeting and I mean, every meeting, while you can't force them to arrive
on time, it's likely that you've thought about ways to motivate them to want to be on time. In
doing so, you might have also wondered how to change the way you communicate with your
coworker, to influence them to be on time. Maybe you've tried asking them to arrive 15 minutes
earlier than the rest of the group or maybe you've told them how this behavior impacts the rest of
the team. Both of these strategies are examples of influencing without authority, and they serve
to encourage specific behavior. Influencing without authority is one of the most critical and one
of the most challenging aspects of project management. As you've just learned, you'll need to
leverage your interpersonal skills in order to do it effectively. In later courses, we'll review and
learn more about using your interpersonal skills to manage various projects. We'll see you in the
next video.
0:00
No two projects are exactly the same, which means there are many different ways to manage
them. Each project comes with its own needs and factors that impact how you'll take action and
achieve your goals. There are many ways to manage projects and not always one right way to do
so. Picture this, you're project managing a political campaign for a local candidate. To make it
happen, you need to think about things like your available resources, the people you'll be
working with, the election date, and the location. You need to be aware of lots of details to
successfully complete your project. Because so many different things can impact a project, it's
important to understand its basic structure. We call this structure the project life cycle. The life
cycle is a great way to guide your project in the right direction so that you and your project stay
on track and end up in the right place. Most project life cycles have four major phases, each with
their own set of tasks and concerns. Check it out. The main phases of a project are initiate the
project, make a plan, execute and complete tasks, and finally, close the project. Let's talk about
the first phase, initiate the project. This is the launchpad for the entire process of your project. In
this phase, you'll define project goals and deliverables, identify the budget and resources you'll
need, the people involved in your project, and any other details that can impact the successful
completion of your project. You'll document all this information in one place to showcase the
project's value, and hopefully get approval to move forward with it. Once the project is
approved, it's time to get rolling. Next, you'll make a plan for how you will meet the goals of
your project. There are all kinds of ways to plan your project, and we'll get into some different
methods and techniques later on. Right now, the important thing to know is that for every single
project, creating a plan of how you're going to meet your goals is absolutely 100 percent
essential. Think about it. You can't hire a contractor to build a house without planning what it'll
look like or how much you have to spend. These same considerations apply to any project that
you manage. To be effective, your plan needs to include a lot of things. For example, a budget, a
breakdown of all the tasks that you need to be completed, ways to communicate team roles and
responsibilities, a schedule, resources, and what to do in case your project encounters problems
or needs to change. That's just to name a few. Once you have your plan in place, it's time to
execute and complete those tasks. It's important to point out that your project team has the job of
completing the project tasks. As a project manager, your role's a little different. While you might
be in charge of completing certain tasks in the project, your primary tasks as the project manager
are to monitor progress and keep your team motivated. You also remove any obstacles that might
come up so that the tasks are executed well and on time. Finally, when all the tasks have been
completed, all the resources have been accounted for and the project has crossed the finish line,
it's time to close the project. Why is it important to close? One big reason is so your team has a
moment to celebrate all of their hard work. Closing the project is also a chance to evaluate how
the project went. You can make note of what worked and what didn't so you can plan better for
next time. Even if the project was a massive success, it's helpful to take time to reflect. Closing
the project is also a great way to connect with anyone outside your team who may have had
interest in the project's goal. You can let everyone know what was completed and what you
accomplished. Some projects like the campaign example will have a firm end date. Once the
project is finished, that's it. There's no more work to do. Other projects have different finish lines.
For example, a project where you're implementing a new ordering system at a restaurant is
complete after the system is set up and the employees know how it works. At that point, your
goals are completed. It's time to hand over the project to another group whose job it is to provide
support and make sure the system stays running on a day-to-day basis. Another example of this
is, I once project managed the creation of a dashboard that would be used by various
stakeholders in my organization. This dashboard would show pertinent information to each
stakeholder, depending on the team that they were a part of in our broader organization. I project
managed the beginning, from writing up the vision for the project to the end where we delivered
the dashboard. Once I passed off the final product, I transitioned the continued update of each
team's data and the corresponding dashboard page to the respective teams. Think of it like
turning over the keys of a newly built house to its new owner. The project of building the house
is complete and now it's up to the owner to take care of the house's maintenance and the upkeep.
There you have it. The project life-cycle. The exact name for each phase might change
depending on the type of project or organization you work for. The general idea stays the same.
Following the project processes you will learn in this course will set you up for project
management success. Next, we'll take a closer look into what happens during each phase of the
traditional project life cycle.

Case study: The significance of each project phase

The consequences of rushing through a project phase
It’s Friday night when Jason, a project manager at a company that specializes in virtual reality
software, receives an urgent call from his manager, Mateo. Mateo tells Jason that he needs a cost
and timeline for a virtual reality training program for Flight Simulators, Inc., a company that
does aircraft maintenance, by the end of the weekend.

Jason spends the weekend working through a proposal for Flight Simulators, Inc. He quickly
throws together a proposal estimating that it will cost $200,000 and take six weeks to develop the
course. This is the standard cost and time frame for developing training on his company’s
platform. He sends the proposal over to Flight Simulators, Inc. so that he can meet their deadline.

When Jason walks into the office on Monday morning, Mateo tells him that he got reprimanded
for not following the company’s process for building out a proposal and including the engineers
in the process. The engineers take a look at the information presented by Flight Simulators, Inc.
and realize that the company’s software won’t work with their platform. It will take six months to
develop their platform to meet the needs of the organization’s software and another six months to
test the software and platform integration. The cost to develop and test this software will be over
a million dollars.

This project has failed before it even started. There’s no way to complete the request from Flight
Simulators, Inc. without impacting the budget, quality, and timeline.

What should have happened

When his manager calls, Jason tells him that while he understands that Mateo wants to make the
customer happy by getting them a proposal promptly, he would like to take a little more time to
get the proposal right. Jason tells Mateo that he will draft up an email to Flight Simulators, Inc.
and request additional time to develop an accurate and reasonable proposal. Mateo is hesitant but
agrees.

On Monday morning, Jason sees that Flight Simulators, Inc. has responded to his request. They
appreciate the fact that he communicated his concerns about the quick turnaround on the
proposal request. They say they will give him a week to work with his team to provide an
estimate for the project.

Now Jason has the time to get all of the key players involved in estimating the effort it will take
to complete the project, including the cost, schedule, and resources.

Let’s apply the project life cycle to this project.

Circular graphic showing how the project life cycle phases fit together. Initiate, plan, execute,
and close.
Initiating the project
This is the phase Jason rushed through in the first scenario. Ideally, in this phase, Jason discusses
project goals with Flight Simulators, Inc. to gain a clear understanding of what they are asking
for. Once Jason has defined the project goals, he can gather the stakeholders and project team
members to define what needs to be done to successfully create this training for Flight
Simulators, Inc. Jason identifies the skill sets required, the timeline, and the cost to develop the
training. He identifies and documents the value that this project creates for the company. He
presents all of the information he has put together to his company’s leadership team, who
approves Jason’s proposal. Jason then submits the proposal to Flight Simulators, Inc., and they
accept it.

Making a plan
Now that Jason has the green light to work on the project, he makes a project plan to get from
start to finish. Having a plan in place ensures that all team members and stakeholders are
prepared to complete their tasks. Jason outlines the important deadlines and tasks for the project
to be successful. He creates a schedule to account for all resources, materials, and tasks needed
to complete the project.
Executing and completing tasks
During this project phase, Jason’s project team puts his plan in motion by executing the work.
Jason monitors his team as they complete project tasks. His role as the project manager is not to
complete the individual tasks but to help break down any barriers that would slow or stop the
team from completing their tasks. It is also Jason’s responsibility to communicate schedule and
quality expectations. Jason uses his communication skills to keep Flight Simulators, Inc. up to
date on the project status and gather feedback from them. This keeps the project on schedule and
within budget.

Closing the project

Jason’s team has successfully completed the training, and he delivers it to Flight Simulators, Inc.
They are very pleased with how it turned out! Jason is now ready to close this project and move
on to the next one. Before he closes this chapter, Jason and his team discuss and document the
lessons learned from the project. What worked well, and what could work better next time? Jason
also puts together a small lunch gathering for his team to celebrate and recognize their hard
work.

Key takeaway
It may seem like a lot of work to go through an entire project life cycle, but the long-term impact
it will have on your project is huge! It is your job as the project manager to make sure that your
leadership truly understands the risk of not properly preparing for a project. Making assumptions
that are incorrect can put your company at risk. Instead, taking the time to carefully initiate, plan,
execute, and close your project leads to project success and good working relationships with
customers.

Completed

0:00
Now that we've discussed the project life cycle, we're going to explore some of the different
tasks that match up with each life cycle phase. But first, let's review the phases. The project life
cycle phases are initiate the project, make a plan, execute and complete tasks, and close out the
project. Great. Let's get back to the tasks that need to be accomplished during each phase. For
this video, we're going to focus on the first two project life cycle phases, initiating the project
and making a plan. It's important to call out that the name or tasks for each phase might change,
or may be a little different depending on the type of project or the organization where you work.
At Google, we use a mix of different project management methods, which you'll learn more
about later in the course. But regardless of the method, all projects share a lot of the same tasks
needed to get the job done. So, let's get into it. The first step of the project life cycle is to initiate
the project. During initiation, you'll organize all of the information you have available to you
about your project. This way, when you're ready to continue on, you'll be prepared for the next
phase when you can create your plan. Defining project goals makes the details of your project
clear so that you and your team can successfully complete the project. For example, if the project
goal is to manage a political campaign, then some deliverables, which are specific tasks or
outcomes, might be to raise $5,000 or get 500 signatures in support of your candidate's cause.
With this in mind, you'll need to do some research to come up with ideas that will help you meet
your goals. You'll also need to find out what resources are available. Resources can include
people, equipment, software programs, vendors, physical space or locations, and more. Anything
you need to actually complete the project is considered a resource. Now as a project manager,
you'll record all of these details in your project proposal and then get them approved by a
decision maker or group of decision makers at your company so that you can move ahead with
your project plans. Now in some cases, you may be the decision maker so be sure to consider the
same set of factors when initiating your project before moving to the next stage. No worries, you
will learn all the details about how to create a project proposal. We will be getting into more
detail of what this is and how to create one later in the course. Voila, once your project is
approved, you'll move into the second step of the project life cycle, which is to make a plan. In
this phase, you'll create a budget and set the project schedule. You'll establish the project team
and determine each person's roles and responsibilities. Let's pause for a second. You may be
thinking, "Why can't we just get started?", but that's the thing with project management,
deliberate planning is critical to a project's success. A crucial part of project management is
planning for risk and change. An experienced project manager knows that plans always change.
This ability to adapt is all about thinking and planning ahead. Scheduling delays, budget
changes, technology and software requirements, legal issues, quality control, and access to
resources are just some of the more common types of risks and changes that a project manager
needs to consider. So, it's important to keep in mind that planning is key to reducing those risks.
But don't worry, if the idea of risks seems a little overwhelming right now, in later courses, we'll
teach you all about understanding risks. Just know that it's really important not to skip this step
and to always make a plan. Again, the success of your project depends on it. Once you have a
plan, you'll communicate all of this information to your team. That way, each member will know
which tasks they'll own and what to do if they have questions or if they run into problems. You'll
also communicate your plan with others who have an interest in the project success, so that they
are aware of your plans and your progress as the project continues to move forward. Nice job,
we've made it halfway through the steps of a project life cycle. Up next, we'll check out the
remaining two phases, executing and completing tasks and closing the project. Catch you in a bit.
0:00
Welcome back. We just learned about the core tasks that need to be completed in the first two
phases of the project life cycle, initiating the project and making plans. Now, it's time to put your
plans into action. Remember, it's not your job to actually do all the tasks. Your primary job as the
project manager is to manage the progress of the project as a whole. This means you'll oversee
your team's efforts and make sure everyone understands what's expected of them, what tasks
need to be done, and how and when to complete those tasks. It's also your job to help remove any
obstacles and to alert the right people if it looks like there might be a delay to the project. This
means you'll need to communicate with your team, and anyone else involved in your project
through meetings, written communications like memos, emails or internal chat tools, and other
working documents like task reports. Quick pro tip, if in doubt, err on the side of
overcommunication. As your project progresses you'll make adjustments to the schedule, budget,
and allocation of resources, clearly communicating updates all along the way. When all the tasks
are complete and you've met the project goal, it's time to close the project. This phase is usually
overlooked because it's easy to assume that once the project goal has been delivered, everyone
can move on. But hold up, there's still a lot that needs to be done. First, check to make sure all
tasks have been completed, including any work that was added along the way. Be sure any
outstanding invoices have been paid, resources are returned and accounted for, and project
documentation has been submitted. Next, and this is very important, get confirmation that the
final outcome of your project is acceptable to the people you're delivering it to. It is crucial to
your project's success that the person who asked you to manage the project is satisfied with the
end result. Once your project has been accepted as meeting its goals, take some time to reflect on
what went well and maybe what didn't go so well. This reflection is usually called a
retrospective, and it's a chance to note best practices and learn how to manage your project more
effectively next time, even if everything went great. The notes from your retrospective are also
valuable to the people or organization receiving the end result of the project. That's because they
can use that information to inform decisions about their business the next time they consider a
project. Now it's time to collect all the project documentation that you created or collected along
the way, including all of your plans and reflections, and share the final results of your project
with your stakeholders. Remember, stakeholders are people who are interested in and affected by
the project's completion and success. Depending on the type of project, stakeholders could
include a department or organization's management team, clients or customers of your product or
service, users of your new tool or process, or even the community at large if you're planning a
community town hall meeting. Pro tip, stakeholders play a huge role in the development, and
success of your project. You'll learn a lot more about these key players later on. But for now, just
know that they're like the VIPs of your project. Next, take some time to celebrate the effort your
team invested in the project. Celebrations help people feel good about the work they've done, and
think of the work as uplifting and rewarding because it truly is. Some ideas for small celebrations
are a company or team-wide email, thanking the team and acknowledging individual efforts.
Now for big projects, you may even consider a company party to celebrate the team and the
project success. To wrap up, you and your team can formally move on from the project so that
you can pursue new projects in the future. Well, as you can see, being a project manager is a lot
of work, but it's very rewarding, and it's all, well, manageable when you follow through with the
project life cycle. You can see how the organization, communication, and improvements you add
to various areas of a project can make the entire team more effective and efficient, and you can
have an impact on many areas of a project in a way that's greater than if you focused on any one
task on the project. Similar to a coach with a sports team, even though you aren't actually playing
a direct role in the game, your guidance, your communication, and your team-building can make
the difference in a happy, high-performing, and successful team. In later courses we'll discuss
each of these project phases, and you'll learn methods, techniques, and tools to help you. For
now, we just want you to become familiar with the general project management process, and
we'll share some of the terms and concepts used in the field that you'll need to know as you
develop your project management skills. Up next, we'll introduce you to two of the more popular
project methodologies, Waterfall and Agile. See you soon.

he project life cycle is the path for your project from start to finish. Each project phase builds
toward the subsequent phase and helps to create a structure for the project. To recap, the main
phases of the project life cycle are: initiating the project, making a plan, executing and
completing tasks, and closing the project.

In this reading, we will summarize each phase of the project life cycle.

From left to right, this graphic shows each phase of the project management lifecycle as arrows,
pointing to a target (goal).
The project life cycle
Initiate the project
In this phase, ask questions to help set the foundation for the project, such as:

Who are the stakeholders?

What are the client’s or customer’s goals?

What is the purpose and mission of the project?

What are the measurable objectives for the team?

What is the project trying to improve?

When does this project need to be completed?

What skills and resources will the project require?

What will the project cost? What are the benefits?

Make a plan
In this phase, make a plan to get your project from start to finish.

Create a detailed project plan. What are the major milestones? What tasks or deliverables make
up each milestone?

Build out the schedule so you can properly manage the resources, budget, materials, and
timeline. Here, you will create an itemized budget.

Execute the project

In this phase, put all of your hard work from the first two phases into action.

Monitor your project team as they complete project tasks.

Break down any barriers that would slow or stop the team from completing tasks.

Help keep the team aware of schedule and deliverable expectations.

Address weaknesses in your process or examine places where your team may need additional
training to meet the project’s goals.

Adapt to changes in the project as they arise.

Close the project

In this phase, close out the project.
Identify that your team has completed all of the requested outcomes.

Release your team so they can support other projects within the company.

Take time with your team to celebrate your successes!

Pass off all remaining deliverables and get stakeholder approval.

Document the lessons you and your team learned during the project.

Reflect on ways to improve in the future.

Key takeaway
Each phase of the project life cycle has its own significance and reason for existing. By
following the project life cycle, you’re ensuring that you are:

Capturing the expectations of your customer

Setting your project up for success with a plan

Executing project tasks and addressing any issues that arise

Closing out your project to capture any lessons learned.

As you continue through this course, we will walk through each project phase in more detail.

0:01
Welcome back, as we've already discussed, not all projects are alike. Different types of projects
will benefit from applying different project management approaches or methodologies. A project
management methodology is a set of guiding principles and processes for owning a project
through its life cycle. Project management methodologies help guide project managers
throughout a project with steps to take, tasks to complete, and principles for managing the
project overall. We will talk through two different types, linear and iterative. Linear means the
previous phase or task has to be completed before the next can start. A linear approach would
work well for a project like building a house. You'd need the blueprint created before you can
begin laying the foundation. You've got to know exactly what the house will look like, its
dimensions, and what type and how many resources you'll need. Then you've got to finish the
foundation before you put up the walls and the walls before you put up the roof and so on before
you have the finished project, which is a bungalow-style home. There's also a clear goal, you
know exactly what the house will look like. It's unlikely that in the middle of building the house,
your client is going to decide they'd rather have a multi-level Victorian instead of a single-level
bungalow. What's more, even if they wanted to change, it's too late, you already laid the
foundation and built the walls for the bungalow, done and done. A bungalow is what they
wanted, and a bungalow is what they'll get. Using this type of linear project management
approach, completing each step in order and sticking to the agreed upon specific results and
being able to deliver just what the client ordered. For a project like producing a new show for a
television company, on the other hand, it might be more effective to use a methodology that uses
an iterative, more flexible approach where some of the phases in tasks will overlap or happen at
the same time that other tasks are being worked on. Your team comes up with an idea for a show
and films a pilot. You ran several tests of the pilot in different locations and time slots. As your
team gathers feedback about the pilot, adjustments to the show are made. At the same time,
you're able to make decisions and start working on other parts of the project, like hiring
permanent actors, starting film production, and working on advertising even while the final
version of the show is being worked on. And even though the overall goal is clear, produce a new
show, the type of show could end up being different from the original idea. Your team may have
started out creating a one-hour show, but during testing they realized a half-hour show would
actually be more popular. Or maybe a supporting character got a lot of positive feedback, so you
want to make them one of the main characters. What's more important is that you produce a
show that audiences are going to watch. Because of the iterative approach, plans remain flexible
and you're able to make adjustments as you go along. Each of these projects, benefits from a
different approach to how tasks will be carried out, in order to best meet the project's goals.
Linear projects don't require many changes during development and have a clear sequential
process. If you stick to the plan, it's likely you'll finish your tasks within the time schedule and
all other criteria. Iterative projects allow for more flexibility and anticipate changes. You're able
to test out parts of the project to make sure they work before the final result is delivered, and you
can deliver parts of the project as they are completed, rather than waiting for the entire project to
be done. Over the years, the field of project management has developed many different methods
that project managers can choose from that will help them manage most effectively. Google takes
a hybrid approach to project management. We mix and match from different methods depending
on the type of project. Our project managers are encouraged to adapt their own style to what
makes the most sense to their project and their team. So are you starting to see how different
approaches might benefit the projects you'll be working on now? Pretty soon you'll become a pro
at picking an approach or combining approaches to fit with your project. Up next, we'll learn
about the most well known and most used project management methods that you can add to your
project management tool box.

0:00
Two of the most popular project management methodologies are Waterfall and Agile. Each of
these methods has a rich and complex history. In fact, you could take an entire certificate on just
one of these methods alone. You'll have a chance to learn more about Waterfall and Agile
methods in the upcoming courses of this certificate. Be sure to check those out after completing
this one to learn more. For now, I'll just give you a brief introduction and provide you with some
examples that illustrate how different types of projects can be more successful or easier to
manage when you consider which method to use. First, let's take a look at the Waterfall
approach. Waterfall as a methodology was created in the 70s, and refers to the sequential
ordering of phases. You complete one at a time down the line like a waterfall starting at the top
of a mountain and traveling to the bottom. Remember the definition and example of linear from
that last video? Well, Waterfall has a linear approach. At first, Waterfall was used in the physical
engineering disciplines like manufacturing and construction, then software emerged as an
important field of engineering and Waterfall was applied to those projects as well. It still used a
lot in engineering fields including product feature design and application, also known as app
design. Over time, other industries like event planning and retail have adapted Waterfall phases
to fit their projects. There are now many styles of Waterfall, and each style has its own specific
set of steps. What they all have in common, though, is that they follow an ordered set of steps
that are directly linked to clearly defined expectations, resources, and goals that are not likely to
change. Let's take a closer look. The phases of a Waterfall project life cycle follow the same
standard project life cycle flow that you learned about earlier. Initiating, planning, executing,
which includes managing and completing tasks, and closing. When would you want to use a
Waterfall approach to project management? Well, when the phases of the project are clearly
defined or when there are tasks to complete before another can begin, or when changes to the
project are very expensive to implement once it's started. For example, if you are catering an
event for a client on a very tight budget you might want to use Waterfall methodology. This way,
you could confirm the number of guests first, then very clearly define the menu, get approval and
agreement on the menu items and costs, order the unreturnable ingredients, and successfully feed
the guests. Because the budget is limited, you can't afford to make changes or waste food. The
traditional method won't allow for the client to make changes to the menu once the order has
been placed. You can also reserve tables, chairs, and dishes because you know exactly how much
and what kind of food is being prepared. A well-thought-out traditional approach to managing a
project can help you reach your desired outcome with as little pain as possible during the project
implementation. By spending extra effort thinking through the entire project upfront, you'll set
yourself up for success. In an ideal world, following this approach will help you identify the right
people and tasks, plan accordingly to avoid any hiccups along the way, create room for
documenting your plans and progress, and enable you to hit that goal. However, plans don't
always go according to plan. In fact, they rarely do. The Waterfall method has some risk
management practices to help avoid and deal with project changes. Luckily, there are other
methodologies that are entirely built for change and flexibility. One of these is Agile, another
popular project management approach. The term agile means being able to move quickly and
easily. It also refers to flexibility, which means being willing and able to change and adapt.
Projects that use an Agile approach often have many tasks being worked on at the same time, or
in various stages of completion which makes it an iterative approach. The concepts that shaped
Agile methodology began to emerge in the 90s as a response to the growing demand for faster
delivery of products, mainly software applications at that time. But it wasn't officially named
Agile until 2001. The phases of an Agile project also follow the project life cycle stages we
described earlier, generally speaking. However, rather than having to always go in order or wait
for one phase to end before starting the next, Agile project phases overlap and tasks are
completed in iterations, which in Scrum, are called sprints. Scrum is a form of Agile that you'll
learn more about in the course focused entirely on Agile, and by sprint, we do not mean running
a race as fast as possible. In this case, sprints are short chunks of time usually one to four weeks
where a team works together to focus on completing specific tasks. What's important to
understand is that Agile is more of a mindset than just a series of steps or phases. It's concerned
with building an effective, collaborative team that seeks regular feedback from the client so that
they can deliver the best value as quickly as possible and adjust as changes emerge. Projects that
are best suited for an Agile approach are those where the client has an idea of what they want but
doesn't have a concrete picture in mind, or they have a set of qualities they'd like to see in the end
result, but aren't as concerned with exactly what it looks like. Another indicator that a project
may benefit from Agile is the level of high uncertainty and risk involved with the project. We'll
talk more about those things later. An example of a project that would work well with an Agile
approach might be building a website. Your team would build the different parts of the website in
sprints and deliver each part to the client as they are built. This way, the website can be launched
with some parts, say the main homepage that are complete and ready for public view, while other
parts, maybe the company blog or the ability to book online appointments, continue to get built
out over time. This allows the team to get feedback early on about what works and what doesn't,
make adjustments along the way, and reduce wasted efforts. This same website example, the
Waterfall method will plan for and require the whole website to be complete before it can launch.
Having a basic understanding of Waterfall and Agile will help you figure out an effective way to
organize and plan out your project. Knowing about these two methodologies will come in handy
during future job interviews, because you'll be able to demonstrate a solid understanding of the
project management landscape. Waterfall and Agile are two of the more common and well-
known project management methodologies, but they're by no means the only or the best ones. In
the next videos, you'll learn about Lean Six Sigma, another way to approach projects. Here at
Google, believe it or not, we select from many of these methodologies for project management.
Comparing Waterfall and Agile approaches
Now that you know more about some of the different approaches and frameworks associated
with project management, let's compare specific aspects of Waterfall (also commonly called
traditional) and Agile approaches.

Understanding the fundamentals of—and differences between—these common project

management approaches can help you demonstrate your project management knowledge during
an interview. It can also help you evaluate a project to determine the right approach when
working on the job.

Waterfall and Agile are implemented in many different ways on many different projects, and
some projects may use aspects of each. The chart below briefly describes and compares Waterfall
and Agile approaches. You can use it as a quick reference tool, but be aware that in practice, the
differences between these two approaches may not always be clearly defined.

Waterfall and Agile Comparison

Waterfall

Agile

Project manager's role

Project manager serves as an active leader by prioritizing and assigning tasks to team members.

Agile project manager (or Scrum Master) acts primarily as a facilitator, removing any barriers
the team faces.

Team shares more responsibility in managing their own work.

Scope

Project deliverables and plans are well-established and documented in the early stages of
initiating and planning.

Changes go through a formal change request process.

Planning happens in shorter iterations and focuses on delivering value quickly.

Subsequent iterations are adjusted in response to feedback or unforeseen issues.

Schedule

Follows a mostly linear path through the initiating, planning, executing, and closing phases of
the project.

Time is organized into phases called Sprints. Each Sprint has a defined duration, with a set list of
deliverables planned at the start of the Sprint.

Cost

Costs are kept under control by careful estimation up front and close monitoring throughout the
life cycle of the project.

Costs and schedule could change with each iteration.

Quality
Project manager makes plans and clearly defines criteria to measure quality at the beginning of
the project.

Team solicits ongoing stakeholder input and user feedback by testing products in the field and
regularly implementing improvements.

Communication

Project manager continually communicates progress toward milestones and other key indicators
to stakeholders, ensuring that the project is on track to meet the customer’s expectations.

Team is customer-focused, with consistent communication between users and the project team.

Stakeholders

Project manager continually manages and monitors stakeholder engagement to ensure the project
is on track.

Team frequently provides deliverables to stakeholders throughout the project. Progress toward
milestones is dependent upon stakeholder feedback.

Now that you better understand the differences between Waterfall and Agile project management
approaches, you can use this understanding to determine which is most effective for your
projects.

0:00
Hey again. Now, you've got Waterfall and Agile methodologies in your project manager toolbox,
Lean Six Sigma is one more you can add. It's a combination of two parent methodologies, Lean
and Six Sigma. The uses for Lean Six Sigma are common in projects that have goals to save
money, improve quality, and move through processes quickly. It also focuses on team
collaboration which promotes a positive work environment. The idea is that when your team
feels valued, motivation and productivity increases and the whole process functions more
smoothly. There are five phases in the Lean Six Sigma approach. They are define, measure,
analyze, improve, and control, commonly known as DMAIC. DMAIC is a strategy for process
improvement, meaning you're trying to figure out where the problems are in the current process
and fix them so that everything runs more smoothly. The goal of each step is to ensure the best
possible results for your project. Just like with Waterfall and Agile, there're more specific details
for using DMAIC and the Lean Six Sigma approach. But what's great about the DMAIC process
is that it can be used to solve any business problem. Let's break it down. The first phase is to
define the project goal and what it will take to meet it. This first phase is very similar to the
initiation phase of traditional project management. Let's take a real scenario to illustrate. Imagine
that you are brought on as a project manager for a large travel company to help streamline and
minimize customer service wait times that have been surging due to a recent sales promotion.
Before you begin working on tackling the issue, you're going to need to define the project goal
and talk to stakeholders about expectations for the project. In this case, the goal is to take
average wait times down to less than 10 minutes on average compared to 30 minutes. Next, it's
time to measure how the current process is performing. In order to improve processes, DMAIC
focuses on data. Here you want to map out the current process and locate exactly where the
problems are and what kind of effect the problems have on the process. Using our example,
you're trying to figure out why it's taking so long for the travel company to address a customer
service issue. To do this, you look at company data like average wait times, number of customers
per day, and seasonal variations. Then you'll set a plan for how you'll get that data and how often
to measure it. This could look something like having the company generate reports on a weekly,
monthly, quarterly basis. In other situations, you might have employees or customers fill out
surveys or look at inventory, shipping, and tracking records, things like that. Once you have the
data and measurements, you can move on to the next phase which is analyze. Here, you'll begin
to identify gaps and issues. In our example, after mapping out the process and data points, you
may see that staffing is inadequate on days where customers are the highest. Data analysis is
important for project managers regardless of which method you choose and we will learn more
about that in an upcoming course. From your data, you'll have a strong understanding of causes
and solutions to get to the next stage, improve. Oftentimes, project managers may want to leap
straight to this phase but really projects in process improvements should only be made after a
careful analysis. This is the point where you present your findings and get ready to start making
improvements. In our example, this could be modifying staffing to address customer needs. The
last step of this cycle is control. You've gotten the process and project to a good place, and now
it's time to implement it and keep it there. Controlling is all about learning from the work you did
up front to put new processes and documentation in place and continue to monitor so the
company doesn't revert back to the old, inefficient way of doing things. To sum it all up, you can
remember DMAIC like this, defining tells you what to measure, measuring tells you what to
analyze, analyzing tells you what to improve, and improving tells you what to control. Lean Six
Sigma and the DMAIC approach are ideal when the project goal includes improving the current
process to fix complex or high risk problems like improving sales, conversions, or eliminating a
bottleneck, which is when things get backed up during a process. Following the DMAIC process
prevents the likelihood of skipping important steps and increases the chances of a successful
project. As a way for your team to discover best practices that your client can use going forward,
it uses data and focuses on the customer or end-user to solve problems in a way that builds on
previous learning so that you can discover effective permanent solutions for difficult problems.
There are many ways out there that break the flow of project management into digestible phases
and approaches, all with the same end goal of accomplishing the desired outcome as smoothly as
possible and delivering the best value. Like I said earlier, at Google we follow a lot of different
approaches. For instance, an engineering team releasing a customer-focused product may
primarily use Agile when creating the product, but decide to plug in some of the aspects of
Waterfall project management for planning and documentation. A customer service team might
focus on using Lean Six Sigma to improve an experience for our users like offering new features
based on a recent analysis. But the team might develop parts of the code and roll out the features
using Agile iterations and sprints to allow for change. Or one of our internal education and
training teams may focus solely on Waterfall project management to achieve a targeted goal of
having all employees complete an annual compliance training. Here, Waterfall makes sense since
the requirements of the training program are fixed and so is the deadline and goal. The biggest
takeaway is to know the various methods and tools to be able to confidently apply what works
best for you, your team, and the end goal. There is no real prescription for how to execute a
project perfectly because there're always pieces you can't 100 percent control. But the good news
is, you can get pretty close with the skill sets you develop through learning about these different
frameworks.

Lean and Six Sigma methodologies

Previously you learned about Agile and Waterfall project management approaches. Now, we will
define some key concepts from Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. We will learn how these
methodologies can be used to organize and manage your projects, and we will discuss which is
the most effective for different kinds of projects.

Lean
Lean methodology is often referred to as Lean Manufacturing because it originated in the
manufacturing world. The main principle in Lean methodology is the removal of waste within an
operation. By optimizing process steps and eliminating waste, only value is added at each phase
of production.

Today, the Lean Manufacturing methodology recognizes eight types of waste within an
operation: defects, excess processing, overproduction, waiting, inventory, transportation, motion,
and non-utilized talent. In the manufacturing industry, these types of waste are often attributed to
issues such as:
Lack of proper documentation

Lack of process standards

Not understanding the customers’ needs

Lack of effective communication

Lack of process control

Inefficient process design

Failures of management

These same issues create waste in project management.

Implement Lean project management when you want to use limited resources, reduce waste, and
streamline processes to gain maximum benefits.

You can achieve this by using the pillars of the Lean 5S quality tool. The term 5S refers to the
five pillars that are required for good housekeeping: sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and
sustain. Implementing the 5S method means cleaning up and organizing the workplace to
achieve the smallest amount of wasted time and material. The 5S method includes these five
steps:

Sort: Remove all items not needed for current production operations and leave only the bare
essentials.

Set in order: Arrange needed items so that they are easy to use. Label items so that anyone can
find them or put them away.
Shine: Keep everything in the correct place. Clean your workspace every day.

Standardize: Perform the process in the same way every time.

Sustain: Make a habit of maintaining correct procedures and instill this discipline in your team.

Within the Lean methodology, 5S helps you boost performance.

The final concept of Lean uses a Kanban scheduling system to manage production. The Kanban
scheduling system, or Kanban board, is a visualization tool that enables you to optimize the flow
of your team’s work. It gives the team a visual display to identify what needs to be done and
when. The Kanban board uses cards that are moved from left to right to show progress and help
your team coordinate the work.

Kanban board, showing columns (to do, in progress, testing, and done) with sticky notes
representing tasks of a project.
Kanban boards and 5S are core methods of the Lean methodology. They can help you
successfully manage your project. Now let’s analyze the Six Sigma method and learn when is the
best time to use it.

Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a methodology used to reduce variations by ensuring that quality processes are
followed every time. The term “Six Sigma” originates from statistics and generally means that
items or processes should have 99.9996% quality.

The seven key principles of Six Sigma are:

Always focus on the customer.

Identify and understand how the work gets done. Understand how work really happens.
Make your processes flow smoothly.

Reduce waste and concentrate on value.

Stop defects by removing variation.

Involve and collaborate with your team.

Approach improvement activity in a systematic way.

Use this methodology to find aspects of the product or process that are measurable like time,
cost, or quantity. Then inspect that measurable item and reject any products that do not meet the
Six Sigma standard. Any process that created unacceptable products has to be improved upon.

Now that you understand both Lean and Six Sigma, let's see how they come together to improve
the performance of your project!

Lean Six Sigma

After both Lean and Six Sigma were put into practice, it was discovered that the two
methodologies could be combined to increase benefits. The tools used in Lean, such as Kanban
boards and 5S, build quality in processes from the beginning. Products developed using Lean
methods are then inspected or tested using Six Sigma standards. The products that do not meet
these standards are rejected.

The largest difference between these methodologies is that Lean streamlines processes while Six
Sigma reduces variation in products by building in quality from the beginning and inspecting
products to ensure quality standards are met. You may find that one of these two methods—or
using them both together—can improve the efficiency of your projects.
0:00
Welcome back. In this video, I'm going to talk about the concept of organizational structure and
the project manager's role within a given structure. Keep in mind that your role won't be the
same for every team or organization, because many companies are structured differently. But this
overview will serve as a foundation for wherever you work. So what is organizational structure?
Organizational structure refers to the way a company or organization is arranged or structured.
This structure also tells you how job tasks are divided and coordinated and how all the different
members of the organization relate to one another. In other words, organizational structure gives
you a sense of who reports to who. But organizational structure is much more than that.
Understanding the different types of organizational structures can serve as a map to help you
determine where you fit in, who you should communicate with, and how frequently to
communicate with them. Now that we have a basic overview of the definition of organizational
structure, let's look at the various organizational hierarchies that you may encounter at work. An
organization's structure is most commonly mapped out using a reporting chart or "org chart,"
which is short for "organizational chart." Reporting charts show the relationship between people
and groups within the organization, and details who each person or group reports to. There are a
few different types of organizational structures. But for this course, we're going to focus on two
of the more popular ones: Classic and Matrix. Let's start with Classic. The Classic grouping
includes what are usually called "functional" or "top-down" structures. The Classic grouping
follows a typical chain of command where the Chief Executive Officer, also known as CEO, and
other executives are at the top, followed by directors or managers, then their direct reports and so
on. Each of these directors or managers typically oversee teams within their function of the
organization, like marketing, sales, or human resources. You can see this type of structure in
effect by looking at a branch of the military. Take the Army, for example. You may enter the
Army as a private, and report up to a sergeant who oversees multiple people in your squad, and
that sergeant ultimately reports up to a lieutenant and so on. If your organization works in this
structure, as the project manager, you might communicate regularly with your manager, the
person directly above you, and also with your peers who work on the same types of projects as
you. There isn't always a straightforward, top-down approach. There are other factors at play that
make organizational structures a bit more complicated than we can see on paper. For instance,
you may have project teams that sit across different functions. This is common in many
companies, Google included, and is usually referred to as the Matrix structure. You might think
of a Matrix structure as a grid where you still have people above you, but you also have people in
adjacent departments who expect to hear updates on your work progress. These people may not
be your direct bosses, but you are responsible for communicating with them, since they may
inform changes to your work. For example, at Google, we have the major functions of
marketing, sales, and more, with the traditional reporting chain. But we also have programs for
our products, like Google Search, where project teams consist of program managers, engineers,
user experience or "UX" designers, and so on, and each team member reports to their own
management chains. Another example is my organization. It's called Global Affairs. I have a
direct manager who oversees the work I do and my core role and who is responsible for
delivering my performance reviews. But because I work with multiple people across other teams
and specialties, I often get asked to manage projects where I'm informally working with lead
program managers in other organizations. Similar to my own manager, I provide updates to that
program manager, seek their approval, and solicit feedback on our partnership and progress. So
to recap, the Classic structure follows a traditional, top-down system of reporting, and the Matrix
structure has direct higher-ups to report to and stakeholders from other departments or programs.
Knowing which kind of organizational structure you're working in plays a major role in how you
prepare for and carry out your project or even in an interview. During an interview, you can ask
about the type of organizational structure the company uses and where your role will fit in. This
will help you and the interviewer communicate clearly about the people you will engage with
daily, and the expectations for the role. In the next course, you'll hear from a Googler about a
third type of structure, Project Management Office, which you might see in some of the
organizations where you work or interview. Enjoy.

A project manager's role within different organizational structures

In the last video, you learned about the way a company is arranged, which is called
organizational structure. You also learned that two of the most common organizational structures
are Classic and Matrix.

Understanding the differences in Classic and Matrix organizational structures can help you ask
questions during a job interview to fully understand the role and responsibilities you are
considering. This will also help you understand which skills will be most important for you to
have if you get the position.

Once you are hired into a role, knowing a company’s organizational structure can help you
identify key points of communication and key stakeholders. It can also help you navigate within
the organization when you need support or need to determine who has authority in a certain
situation. Let’s examine the characteristics of each of these organizational structures in greater
depth so you can identify the type of structure an organization has and how to navigate it as a
project manager.

Classic organizational structures

The Classic organizational structure is a top-down hierarchy system, where a Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) has direct authority over several department managers. The department manager
has direct authority over several other sections of employees. This system requires
communication both up and down the ladder. In a Classic structure, authority comes from the top
and filters to the bottom. Frequent reporting of project status updates may be required to pass up
through management levels to keep higher leaders informed.

Classic organizations are also referred to as functional organizations because the organization is
divided into departments based on function. Each department is led by a functional manager, and
employees are grouped according to the functions of their role. For example, the main function
of Friendly Skies Airlines, an airline company, is to fly airplanes. There are typically departments
logically arranged to fulfill other important company functions, such as Marketing, Human
Resources, and Strategy. Employees usually have a specialty within the organization and may not
work within other areas during normal everyday operations.

Managing a project in a Classic organization

Friendly Skies Airlines has a Classic organizational structure, as indicated by its reporting or
“org” chart.

Sample of a Classic org chart showing a top-down reporting structure from the CEO to
department managers on down
Imagine that the Friendly Skies Airlines Board of Directors approves an initiative to retrofit
existing airplanes to carry more passengers. The CEO sponsors a project team to redesign the
airplanes. The project will be led by a project manager from the Engineering and Innovation
department and will require representatives from Finance, Marketing, Strategy, and Operations,
along with several other team members from the Design department, to successfully complete
the project.

The project team will typically remain in their reporting lines but act as their own assembled
team. They do not fall under any of the existing functional departments. In the Classic
organizational structure, the project builds from already existing departments to form teams.

If you are a project manager in this type of structure, you may need to consult with functional
managers to understand your resources and the capacity of each teammate, as well as to
familiarize yourself with each function’s internal processes and approval structure. Your
authority may be slightly limited due to competing priorities, approval chains, and other
complexities, but setting expectations up front will enable you to navigate the organization and
execute your project successfully.

Matrix organizational structures

The Matrix structure differs from the Classic structure in that the employees have two or more
managers. In Matrix structures, you still have people above you, but you also have people in
adjacent departments with whom you will need to communicate on your work progress.
Functional areas tend to cross paths more frequently, and depending on the nature of the work,
the responsible manager for each area has the most authority.
As a project manager in a Matrix organization, a team will essentially have at least two chains of
command, or managers. You can think of the project manager as being a temporary manager
while assigned to the team. The functional manager is consistent regardless of the project a
project manager is supporting. The visual below illustrates what the Friendly Skies Airlines
would look like if it had a Matrix organizational structure.

Sample of a Matrix org chart that has both direct reporting (up to the CEO) and adjacent
reporting (other departments)
Managing a project in a Matrix organization
Imagine that Friendly Skies Airlines is organized in a Matrix structure. Their Product Excellence
team develops a new amenity kit for long-haul flights. They ask the Project Manager to help
gather marketing materials that present research data about how this product fulfills passenger
desires. The Project Manager is working on behalf of the Product Excellence team, but they are
able to work in partnership with the Marketing team to create these materials.

You can read more about an overview of Matrix organizations in this

PMI article
.

Key takeaway
In both Classic and Matrix organizations, project managers must clearly define roles and
responsibilities in order to work effectively. However, within most Matrix organizations, some
project managers or department leads may have the same level of authority as the functional
managers and operate more directly.

Now you know how to identify Classic and Matrix organizational structures, how project
managers fit into them, and how an organization’s structure may affect projects. You are well on
your way to becoming a great project manager in any organizational structure!
0:00
Hey again, ready to keep going? The previous videos explained that knowing what kind of
organizational structure you're working in plays a major role in how you prepare for and carry
out your project. An organization's structure provides the framework for accountability and
communication. As the project manager, it's vital that you understand who you're reporting to on
each project, and just as importantly, who the members of your team report to. Knowing the
organizational structure also tells you how and where to get the resources you'll need so you can
get the project done efficiently. When you understand the organization's structure, you'll be able
to identify how it impacts the way you manage the project. One way organizational structure can
impact the way you manage a project is by the amount of authority given to the project manager.
Authority has to do with your ability to make decisions for the project that impact the
organization. In some cases, you might have the authority to do things like select the vendors
who provide services or goods for the project. Other times, you might have a set of vendors
selected for you. Your level of authority and responsibility will vary from project to project.
Another way organizational structures can impact project management is through resource
availability. Managing a project is a lot easier when you know how to access the people,
equipment, and budget that you need. Let's explore how different structures can affect the way
you manage a project. In a Classic structure, you might find yourself with less authority and a
tighter scope. You may need to rely on getting approval from the appropriate managers, directors,
and department heads in order to move forward and complete certain tasks. In this case, it's likely
that these people are in charge of the people on your team and the resources you need. As a
project manager working in a Classic structure, you may depend on the managers in your
organization to approve resources. In other words, the amount of people working on your project
or the budget that you have allocated to your project is decided by the leaders of your department
or function. In a Classic structure, you may have to go through a chain of approvals and advocate
for more resources if you need them. For example, if you need a budget increase, you would
report this to your manager. Then your manager might escalate this up to their management chain
to get approval. That's the Classic structure; a traditional top-down arrangement of employees
and authority. Now, let's explore the Matrix structure. The main difference with a Matrix
structure is that employees often have two or more managers or leaders they'll need to work with
and update. Your team members will have their functional manager and you, the project manager.
If members are working on multiple projects, they may have even more managers. This can
affect your authority as a project manager, as you will need to cooperate with more than one
leader in the organization. You may need to share resources and negotiate priorities. The key is to
make sure you know who your stakeholders are and who controls what since the chain of
command isn't always as clearly defined as in the Classic structure. Because there isn't always a
clear chain of command in a Matrix structure, you need to make sure you have identified and
communicated with anyone you might need to report to and get approval from well before the
project begins. Once this is established though, your project within a Matrix structure should be
able to run efficiently. Matrix structures emphasize a strong project focus from the team and the
organization. You as the project manager, generally have more autonomy to make decisions and
gather resources as needed. As I hope you've noticed, the way an organization is structured can
have a big impact on the planning and execution of your project. Understanding all of this will
help you run and manage a project much more efficiently. Next, I'll tell you about organizational
culture, another factor that impacts how you manage your project. Catch you in a bit.

The role of a Project Management Office

In this lesson, you are learning about different types of organizational structures. Project
managers serve key functions in both Classic and Matrix organizations. Within both of these
types of structures, there is sometimes a group devoted specifically to program management with
the organization: the Project Management Office. In this reading, we will discuss the purpose
and functions of a Project Management Office.

What is a PMO?
A Project Management Office, or PMO, is a group within an organization that defines, sets, and
helps maintain project management standards and processes throughout that organization. It
often acts as a coordinated center for all of the organization’s projects, helping them run more
smoothly and efficiently.

An organization’s project managers may operate within the PMO itself or within other
departments. At Google, for example, there are project managers who work in a PMO focused on
operational excellence, but there are numerous project and program managers in other
departments throughout the organization, as well.

What are the functions of a PMO?

PMOs offer guidance and support to their organization’s project managers. They share best
practices, project statuses, and direction for all of the organization’s projects while often taking
on strategic projects themselves. The main functions of a PMO include:

Strategic planning and governance

This is the most important function of a PMO. This involves defining project criteria, selecting
projects according to the organization’s business goals, and then providing a business case for
those projects to management.

Best practices
PMOs help implement best practices and processes within their organization. They also share
lessons learned from previous successful projects. They help ensure consistency among their
organization’s projects by providing guidance about processes, tools, and metrics.

Common project culture

PMOs help set common project culture practices by training employees about optimal
approaches and best practices. This helps keep project management practices consistent and
efficient across the entire organization.

Resource management
PMOs are often responsible for managing and allocating resources—such as people and
equipment—across projects throughout the organization based on budget, priorities, schedules,
and more. They also help define the roles and responsibilities needed on any given project.
PMOs provide training, mentoring, and coaching to all employees, but project managers in
particular.

Creation of project documentation, archives, and tools

PMOs invest in and provide templates, tools, and software to help manage projects. They also
play an important role in maintaining their organization’s project history. Once a project closes,
they archive all of the documents created during the project for future reference and to capture
lessons learned.

Key takeaway
To recap, the key purposes of a PMO include: strategic planning and governance, implementing
project management best practices, establishing common project culture, resource management,
and creating project documentation, archives, and tools. PMOs support their organizations in
managing large numbers of projects and help keep all employees working in the same direction
towards the organization’s goals.
0:01
Hey again, let's begin with two quick questions. What do you know about culture, and how do
you define culture? When I hear the term culture, the first things that come to mind are things
like languages, food, clothing, and types of dress. It's important to note that there are other,
maybe less obvious, but just as impactful parts of culture like beliefs, traditions, and customs.
When we learn about someone's culture, we gain a much deeper insight and more complete
picture into who they are and how they navigate the world. The same can be true for
organizations. An organization's culture provides context and acts as a guide for what their
people value, how they operate on a daily basis, how they relate to one another, and how they
can be expected to perform. There are many ways to define organizational culture. Some
definitions emphasize teamwork and innovation, while others focus on attention to detail and
achievement. Entire thesis papers, workshops, and conferences are dedicated to defining and
analyzing organizational culture. We only have a few minutes here, so I'll do my best to sum it
up. Organizational culture is in part the values employees share, as well as the organization's
values, mission, history, and so on. In other words, organizational culture can be thought of as
the company's personality. Understanding an organization's culture will help you navigate your
team more effectively toward achieving the project's goal. It also impacts the way you plan your
project. You'll need to be familiar with an organization's culture, so that you can minimize
conflict and complete the project with as much support and harmony as possible. An
organization's mission and values can provide clues to its culture. If you can demonstrate how
the project supports the company's mission or how the project aligns with the company's values,
you'll have more support from executives and stakeholders to get the approvals and resources
you need. Pay attention to what leaders in the organization value when conducting business.
Does the management team care about speed over perfection? How do people within the
organization make decisions? Do they thoroughly examine every option for every decision? This
will help inform which values are the most important to them and how you can approach your
decision-making. If you're ever stuck in your project and need guidance about making a certain
decision, or are unsure how to communicate with someone in the organization, reviewing the
mission and values may help direct you toward the right way to handle that situation. Here's an
example.: if the company values stability and user feedback, it might encourage expanding the
project timeline to allow for testing and then making decisions based on those testing results. If
the company values innovation and revenue growth, it might encourage a shorter timeline to get
the product out faster, and taking some risks to try out new ideas. As a project manager, when
you understand the different types of values, and what to prioritize, you'll have an idea of how
you can better prepare for conversations within the organization. Ideally, you'll want to have a
good sense of an organization's culture before you start the first phase of your project. If you are
interviewing for a project management position, asking about the culture is a great way to get
more information about the company. It also shows the interviewer that you're knowledgeable
about the impact culture can have on a project. To help you gain a better sense of an
organization's culture, consider the following questions. How do people prefer to communicate?
Is it primarily through scheduled meetings, via email, over the phone? How are decisions made,
majority vote or top down approvals? What kinds of rituals are in place when someone new
comes to the office? Are they taken out to lunch, given a tour of the building or introduced to the
staff? How are projects typically run? Do they prefer a Classic, do they prefer Matrix, or some
other style of project management? And finally, what kinds of practices, behaviors, and values
are reflected by the people in the organization? Is overtime or weekend work an expectation? Are
there company sanctioned social events? Finding out what the company values, will tell you a lot
about the culture. And how to handle communication, manage expectations, and identify
potential conflicts as you work through your project. Once you begin working on a project, here
are some ways to navigate company culture that will help you get the most out of your team, and
ensure that your project is supported. As I just discussed, make sure to ask questions. As you
observe the culture, try asking your peers what they think is going well and what they would
change. Your peers may have the same opinion as you, and if not you may learn something new
you didn't learn in the interview process. Either way, you'll be in a better place to assess risk,
adjust your current project, or be more prepared for projects in the future. It's also a good idea to
make observations. It's important to understand how things work, and what people like and
respect about the company's culture. When working in different geographies, it's also important
to be aware of established customs, like bowing, shaking hands, or wearing head coverings. This
will help you gain understanding and form respectful relationships. Lastly, it's important to
understand your impact. Be aware of your role as a change agent. A change agent is someone
who helps the organization transform by focusing on improving organizational effectiveness and
development. You and your project will most likely affect the organization in some way.
Sometimes just the presence of a project manager creates changes in the office environment or
employee dynamics. If your project requires major changes that the organization must adapt to,
be mindful of how extreme those changes could be and seek feedback and approval early on. The
company may not agree with certain kinds of changes that don't seem to fall in line with their
mission, vision, or culture. It's important to recognize the limits or boundaries of changes to
implement and understand what would be the most beneficial for the project and the company
overall. As you can see, organizational culture has a strong influence over how decisions are
made about the project. The way an organization is structured usually influences the type of
culture that exists. So it's important to consider both structure and culture when planning and
carrying out your project. Coming up, we'll talk about the way your project can create change in
the workplace and how to get stakeholders and employees on board with implementing your
project.
0:00
Welcome back. Let's talk about change management. Sometimes the deliverable of a project is a
new tool or new process that must be adopted by the organization. You've just learned that
understanding organizational structure and culture will help you plan for and manage your
project. It will also help you roll out changes from your project to an organization. In project
management, the process of delivering your completed project and getting people to adopt it is
called change management. Understanding change management can ensure that a project is
completed successfully and that the organization accepts and adopts the recommendations from
the project. For example, if you are launching a new time tracking system for employees, the
project wouldn't be successful if the employees didn't adopt the new system. When you
understand change management and your role in the process, it can ensure a smooth roll out of
changes and easier adoption. Adoption is often the first step to your project having the desired
impact once it goes live. Let's get started. As a new project manager, you may not be responsible
for planning all of the required change management for your project. But regardless, you can
help the success of the project by understanding your role in the process and how your
organization may react to that change. It's important to recognize that it's the people in an
organization who are directly impacted by any changes in the workplace. Implementing a new
project can mean changes to processes, budgets, schedules, and employee roles and
responsibilities. Even aesthetic changes, like building a new wing, renovating the lobby, or
switching to a new company logo, means employees will have to adjust to something new and
different. Something as simple as adding a new logo can lead to a major headache for the
employees, who have to swap out all the old stationery and make sure everyone in the office is
using the new logo correctly. When you consider the success of your project, it's important to
keep in mind the changes that people will need to implement as a result. Thinking through these
changes will set you up for success in getting your project accepted and adopted. There are many
change management models and strategies and a quick internet search will provide you with
more explanations and examples than you will probably ever need. While we have additional
readings on change management coming up, feel free to read on any articles on the topic from
well respected project management organizations to keep learning. Though there are lots of
different models, they all share the same general concepts. Change management in project
management is centered around three core concepts and best practices. The first core concept is
creating a sense of ownership and urgency around the project. Ownership means getting others to
feel they are empowered to take responsibility for the successful completion of their tasks.
Urgency means getting them to understand that the project is important and to identify what
actions need to be taken to move the project along. When team members feel a sense of
ownership and urgency around a project, it increases interest, motivation, and engagement with
the project outcome. Another core concept is to figure out the right combination of skills and
personalities when selecting the people who will work on your team. Find people whose
knowledge and skills complement one another. If your team is selected for you, see if you're able
to choose who gets assigned which tasks. If that's not possible, then it's extra important for you to
find ways to connect with your team. This will get them excited about the project so then they
can be advocates for change when it's needed. One effective way of motivating your team is to
communicate clearly your vision and approach for the project. Then you can share how you see
everyone working together as a team to make it happen. Communicating this idea clearly allows
others to share in your vision and take ownership in bringing it to life. The final core concept is
the ever important one, effective communication. And I can't stress this enough: communication
is key. Having effective communication with your team means being transparent and up front
with your plans and ideas and making information available. Make sure your team, along with
the rest of the organization, is kept up-to-date on your progress. This will allow everyone to feel
like they're included and part of the project. Once your project is complete, you may experience
some resistance or a few roadblocks. Remember, change doesn't happen overnight, so don't give
up on it yet. If you do get some push-back, you can move the process along by helping folks
adjust, rewarding their efforts, and reminding them of the overall value the project is providing
long-term. Understanding the change process can help you determine how you can support a
successful response to your project. For example, understanding the importance of
communication will help you be mindful of clearly communicating project plans to your team, as
well as communicating the expected impact of the project with the rest of the organization.
Remember learning about Agile Project Management? Since it's a popular methodology that
you'll probably use at some point, I wanted to point out that many of the principles of Agile
Project Management align with successful change management. How might an Agile team
approach change management, you ask? Being receptive to change is a core value in Agile
teams. You will often find that they are in a state of evolution or are constantly adapting to
change. If this seems like a lot to remember, no stress. We'll continue learning more about these
concepts throughout the course. Just know, as the project manager, you can enact effective
change management approaches in all of your interactions. In the next video, we'll discuss the
differences between managing and participating in the process. See you soon.
0:00
Hey, welcome back. In the previous video, we talked about the process of change management.
Change management is actually a huge undertaking and a project in itself. As mentioned, you
may not always be responsible for leading and planning the entire end-to-end change
management process. Instead, you may ask a member of the project team, your manager, or
another senior leader to help take on that transition. If you are participating in change
management, then someone else is responsible for successfully implementing the changes. Let's
say you just completed the project of creating the new check-in system. The project is now at the
point where it needs to be installed and adopted by the organization, but you don't have the
formal authority or influence to enact this change. Your role as a project manager then doesn't
include getting employees to use the new system, that's someone else's job. But just because
you're not the one directly calling for, or leading the change, there's still ways in which you can
and should participate. And that's what this section is about, the process of handing off the
project, and the ways in which you, as the project manager who created the new system, can stay
involved. Being empathetic to the challenges of change management can help you support the
process in subtle ways. In this case, participating in change management might mean
communicating with employees throughout the project about how the system will provide a
better experience for their customers. You support the process by providing employees with
information so they feel prepared to adjust to changes once the system is ready to launch. Since
participating in change management is such a big part of being a successful project manager, I
want to take you through a few examples so you can see how this might play out in different
types of organizations. You'll see how to combine your knowledge of organizational structure
and culture to make decisions about planning for the change management process. Let's explore
the same pharmacy check-in project in two different organizational structures and with different
team cultures to understand how these ideas are applied. Say the pharmacy chain is a Classic
organizational structure and has an informal corporate culture. The final project requires a name
change from the old check-in system called "Speedy Care" to the new system called "Speedy
Check-in." Getting this change implemented, is an example of change management. As the
project manager, you need to participate in the change management process by communicating
the project needs through the appropriate channels. In this case, the chief executive officer or
CEO, sends an email to the C-suite, now these are all the chief level officers in an organization.
The CEO lets them know that the name must be changed and to please inform their teams to
implement the name change. Since this is a Classic structure within a hierarchical organization,
the budgets are managed separately, and the marketing department needs to request an extra
$10,000 to change all of their printed posters for the stores. This request goes back up to the
Chief Financial Officer or CFO. There may be other cost adjustments and process changes that
need to happen across the organization to ensure a successful system name change. In this
instance, you may need to have multiple meetings with others to help them understand what is
changing, and why. Now suppose that the pharmacy chain is a Matrix organization structure and
has a formal corporate culture. What does change management look like in this scenario? Well,
you might meet with representatives from marketing and technology to explain the overall
budget impact for all the necessary changes. With the formal culture, you might write a
document that describes all budget, timeline, and training impacted by the name change. Then
you might circulate that document to get feedback and alignment from all the stakeholders and
share that feedback with the CEO so they can understand the full scope of the name change. The
feedback and alignment from the stakeholders will tell the CEO how the change management
process went. Did everyone agree on the implications? Was the feedback positive, or was there
resistance? Then, when the CEO needs to communicate the name change to the entire
organization, she may have someone on her team write up a formal memo that describes why the
name change needs to happen and share out the memo to her staff and their teams. Keep in mind
these are just examples and every organization's structure, team culture, and change management
processes are going to be different. But understanding this framework can help you navigate how
to effectively participate in and support change management. This understanding can allow you
to ask yourself questions that will inform change management, such as how will the organization
react to change? Which influencers can affect change? What are the best means of
communication? What change management practices will lead to the successful implementation
of my project and so on? The answers to these questions will help you prepare for a variety of
possible scenarios, and craft solutions to effectively support the adoption of your project. They
will also help you navigate possible challenges along the way and lead your project through a
successful change management process. I know this is a lot, but you're doing a great job. We'll
continue to talk about these concepts throughout the course. So no sweat if you're still processing
all this new information. See you in a bit.
Corporate and project governance
Governance in business is the management framework within which decisions are made and
accountability and responsibility are determined. In simple terms, governance is understanding
who is in charge. In this reading, we will discuss corporate governance and project governance.
It is important to learn how corporate and project governance are related since you may have to
speak about governance in an interview. Additionally, you will need to understand how your
project relates to the governance structure of the organization.

Corporate governance
Each organization is governed by its own set of standards and practices that direct and control its
actions. Those standards and practices are called corporate governance, and they will influence
your projects. Corporate governance is the framework by which an organization achieves its
goals and objectives. Corporate governance is also a way to balance the requirements of the
various corporate entities, such as stakeholders, management, and customers. Corporate
governance affects every part of an organization, including action plans, internal and external
controls, and performance measurements.

Governance and change management go hand-in-hand. Think back to the previous videos on
change management. To successfully implement change management, it is essential that you
understand the structure and culture of the organization. Effective governance in change
management provides clearly defined roles and responsibilities during change. This enables the
people within the organization to have a precise understanding of who makes decisions and of
the relationship between those managing and participating in the change management process.

Another example of governance within an organization is the creation and use of steering
committees. Steering committees decide on the priorities of an organization and manage the
general course of its operations. The steering committee essentially acts as an advisory board or
council to help the project manager and the company make and approve strategic decisions that
affect both the company and the project.

Project governance
As a project manager, you will be responsible for project governance. Project governance is the
framework for how project decisions are made. Project governance helps keep projects running
smoothly, on time, and within budget. Project governance involves all the key elements that
make a project successful. It tells you what activities an organization does and who is responsible
for those activities. Project governance covers policies, regulations, functions, processes,
procedures, and responsibilities.

How project and corporate governance intersect

Project governance needs to be tailored to your organization's specific needs. These needs will
influence how you implement and monitor the governance framework on your project. Project
governance concerns those areas of corporate governance that are specifically related to project
activities. Effective project governance ensures that an organization’s projects are aligned to the
organization’s larger objectives, are delivered efficiently, and are sustainable. This includes:

Considering the long- and short-term interests of your organization

Making thoughtful decisions about which projects to take on and avoiding projects if you do not
have sufficient resources

Providing timely, relevant, and reliable information to the board of directors and other major
stakeholders

Eliciting the input and buy-in of senior managers since they are the decision-makers
During the initiation phase, prioritizing clear, reachable, and sustainable goals in order to reduce
confusion and conflict

During the planning phase, assigning ownership and accountability to an experienced team to
deliver, monitor, and control the process

During the execution phase, learning from mistakes and adapting to new or improved knowledge

Corporate governance can involve clearing many hurdles before making decisions. These
decisions can influence not only a single project, but the entire corporation.

At the same time, corporate governance can help support project governance, as it provides
oversight on compliance and mitigating risk and offers guidance and direction for project
managers. Good corporate governance can also help project managers secure resources, get
issues addressed, avoid delays in decision-making, get buy-in from stakeholders, and achieve
visibility for projects on the executive level.

Key takeaway
You should think about an organization’s culture and structure when you are interviewing for a
new role and as you begin a new role or project. You should consider an organization’s
governance processes and practices in the same way. This will help you understand how
decisions are made, who is responsible for what, and what are the potential issues and areas of
concern.