The project manager leads the project team to meet the project's objectives and stakeholders’ expectations.

The project manager works to balance the competing constraints on the project with the resources available.

The project manager also performs communication roles between the project sponsor, team members, and other stakeholders.

This includes providing direction and presenting the vision of success for the project.

The project manager uses soft skills (e.g., interpersonal skills and the ability to manage people)

to balance the conflicting and competing goals of the project stakeholders in order to achieve consensus.

In this context, consensus means that the relevant stakeholders support the

project decisions and actions even when there is not 100% agreement. 

The ability to communicate with stakeholders, including the team and sponsors

applies across multiple aspects of the project including, but not limited to, the following:  

  • * Developing finely tuned skills using multiple methods (e.g., verbal, written, and nonverbal); 

  • * Creating, maintaining, and adhering to communications plans and schedules;  

  • * Communicating predictably and consistently;  

  • * Seeking to understand the project stakeholders’ communication needs

  • (communication may be the only deliverable that some stakeholders received until the project's end product or service is completed);  

  • * Making communications concise, clear, complete, simple, relevant, and tailored;  

  • * Including important positive and negative news; and 

  • * Incorporating feedback channels.