Agile Project Management: Role, Responsibilities and Job Profile of an Agile Project Manager

Definition: Project management is the art of organizing and managing resources in such a way that these resources deliver all specified requirements within the constraints of scope, quality, time, and cost.

The agile project managers aren’t just organizers – they combine business vision, communication skills, soft management skills and technical knowledge with the ability to plan, coordinate, and execute. They keep the spotlight on the vision, inspire the team, promote teamwork and collaboration and remove obstacles to progress.

Role, Responsibilities and Skills of Project managers

• Identifying, tracking, managing, resolving project issues and providing consistency of success with regard to time, cost, and quality objectives.
• Identifying, managing and reducing risks associated with the project.
• Ensuring that the solution is of acceptable quality and customer expectations are met.
• Defining and collecting metrics to give a sense for how the project is progressing.
• Managing the overall work plan to ensure work is assigned and completed on time and within budget.
• Making sure that people follow the standard processes and there is no conflict exist between team members.

Agile Team building tips for Project managers

A good relationship among team members starts with the project manager’s relationship with the team members. You set the standard and are the role model for the others.So Agile project managers should have good team building skills so that the people work together well, and feel motivated to work hard for the sake of the project and their other team members. You should set reasonable, challenging and clear expectations for people, and hold them accountable for meeting the expectations. This includes providing good performance feedback to team members and influencing behavior in positive ways.

• Throughout the project, gently guide the team to maintain focus on the vision. Everyday decisions and interactions are opportunities to reinforce the vision and create positive energy.
• Take a leading role in encouraging the team to try certain practices about which team members may be doubtful.
• In addition to getting to know the team members yourself, you should help team members get to know each other also by creating opportunities and the right conditions. Opportunities can be created from planning games, everyday interaction, and special events. To set the right conditions, you must establish an environment in which team members treat each other with respect. You may even need to intervene to stop disrespectful behavior.
• Project manager should ensure that the physical workspace is arranged in a way that facilitates collaborative activities such as pair programming and team problem solving. Ideally, the team should be located in an open space with both individual and common areas.
• Promote open access to information. Place team members within close proximity of each other whenever possible. Let them solve each-other's problems. Establish daily status meetings to promote the flow and exchange of information. Sustain open information exchange between business domain experts and the development team.
• Continually encourage teamwork and collaboration. Establish simple rules, but take every opportunity to conduct process reflections: regularly examine what works and what needs improvement. Act with courage to make changes when you feel they are necessary.
• Work persistently to break down the barriers to information sharing. Keep apprised of cultural sensitivities, egos, and other such factors that may impinge upon its success. Operate with a light touch. Intervene quickly, but wisely to solve personnel issues. Motivate and reward initiative, but manage expectations. Recognize and encourage self-organization, but disallow cliques