Long distance runners

Consistency, openness and good organisational skills are the key characteristics of a successful project manager, but "perseverance is just as important because project management is a lot like long distance running," says Marcin Klammer, Project Manager at EC Harris

Project managers must have a deep knowledge of all aspects of design and construction. In Marcin Klammer's view they can also be compared to orchestra conductors, who don't need to play each instrument but must know how they work. You may acquire some knowledge while at university, by studying architecture for instance, but the real school starts later when daily problems occur, of which there are plenty on a building site.

Show me your CV
"I think that what a project manager has done in the past and his approach are more important than having an official title," says Jonathan Cohen, head of Gleeds Polska, who can boast many years of managerial experience. "When I meet potential project managers I ask them about their approach and experience. Based on the interview I can usually detect whether the candidate is likely to be a good project manager." He continues by stressing that when working on projects, he usually knows how he would tackle a problem, how he would deal with a project and what the issues are that need attention.
Before he came to Poland and became head of Gleeds' Polish division, which specialises in construction consultancy, Jonathan Cohen worked for British clients whose requirements were not quite the same as those in Poland: "A project manager's skills need to be the same in Poland and Western Europe but the projects are different and the areas requiring attention are different," says Cohen. "Whilst in the UK you look after cost, timing and delivery, in Poland you have to be more focused on issues such as infrastructure, permits and quality. Design co-ordination is a major issue on projects involving multi-national teams."

The negotiator
Another difference noted by Cohen is the number of tasks imposed on him by investors: "My experience is that Polish investors expect project managers to work very closely with them and have a much higher level of delegated power than exists in the UK. There, project management is all about co-ordination, but at the same time it is very much an impartial role. In Poland, the client's expectation is that the project manager is much more of an 'investor's representative."
Marcin Klammer of EC Harris is of the same opinion but puts it differently: "Sometimes the investor has to negotiate between the investor and general contractor, particularly when new questions, which haven't been considered in the contract, occur after it's been signed. However, I work for the investor who's commissioned me and I stay on his side."

The cheaper option?
Though being between the hammer and the anvil can be the predicament of a project manager working for a project management company such as Gleeds, EC Harris, Bovis Lend Lease or SAP Project, life can be easier for the likes of Konrad Skonieczny, who works for the Von Heyden Group, a developer. "In dealings with general contractors, those project managers who work for consultancy firms can sort of become investors' spokesmen. I on the other hand have the luxury of being at the heart of things," he says. He adds that his task is a lot less complicated because he's the one who commissions work and together with his management, decides on how the project is to be carried out.
Cohen concedes that, "there appears to be a trend towards clients employing in-house project managers" and explains the factors that contribute to this: "one is the general perception that if you employ someone in-house it's cheaper than employing a consultant. Another reason is that if you employ someone internally as a project manager, then you have a lot more control over his actions," and believes that "as time moves on the trend will again be to return to external consultants, as clients and project founders see other benefits, such as delegating risk and responsibility."

Stress compensated
All three managers regard continual stress as the major drawback of the job. When managing a process which often involves hundreds of people, making correct on-the-spot decisions and reacting promptly to volatile situations are unavoidable.
The reward for all the stress is the feeling of a job well done and the satisfaction of having turned an architect's drawing into something tangible. "I treasure the opportunity of creating something from scratch," says Marcin Klammer of EC Harris and adds that "another advantage is that you co-operate with everyone involved in the project, from builders to investors."
Konrad Skonieczny shares this opinion, and believes that being a project manager is about self-development and having in-depth knowledge of the scheme: "When everything goes according to plan, I become one of the fathers of success."
Jonathan Cohen is more sparing with his words and simply explains that "I enjoy the work and that's why I do it."