Project managers — like most leaders — get things done by getting other people to do them.
A project manager’s responsibilities include overall management, but he or she is seldom directly involved with the activities that actually produce the end result. PMs oversee any associated products and services, project tools and techniques to help ensure good practices. In addition, they are responsible for recruiting and building project teams, and making projections about the project’s risks and uncertainties.
Project managers are strategists and communicators.
They give presentations at various times and for different reasons to customers and clients, to upper management, and to team members.
The Three Presentations Every Project Manager Needs
- Promote
Program Managers make presentations to promote an idea, service, product, trend, development, or organization. They provide information and insight about that idea, etc. in order to attract people’s attention, to gain their interest, and to build support. The goal of a promotional presentation is to motivate the listeners to take some action that will advance the PM’s goal. - Propose
Program Managers make presentations to seek the buy-in, support, or approval of relevant stakeholders for a particular project. PMs require authorization to act from their own leaders (internally) and/or from prospective clients. The goal of a proposal presentation (sometimes called an oral proposal) is simple: to get those in authority to say “yes” to what’s being proposed. - Update
Program Managers make presentations to communicate information about a project’s current status — its progress, problems, and opportunities — to relevant parties and to recommend next steps. The goal of a project update (also called a status report) is to keep people informed and to gain their input and approval for necessary changes.
What other presentations do you think Project Managers need?
