What is a project managers job

What Does a Project Manager Do? A Complete Guide to the Role

A project manager is the person responsible for turning plans into action.

Whether they are managing a website launch, implementing new software, delivering a construction project or coordinating a company-wide transformation, project managers keep people, deadlines, resources and objectives moving in the same direction.

But what does a project manager actually do on a day-to-day basis?

The answer is much more than simply creating task lists and attending meetings.

A project manager is responsible for planning the work, coordinating teams, managing risks, tracking progress, communicating with stakeholders and making sure the project ultimately delivers what it set out to achieve.

In this guide, we'll look at what a project manager does, the key responsibilities of the role, the skills they need and how project management software can make managing complex projects easier.

What is a project manager?

A project manager is responsible for overseeing a project from its initial planning stages through to completion.

Their job is to make sure the project is delivered within its agreed scope, timescale and resources while keeping everyone involved informed and aligned.

Depending on the organisation and industry, a project manager might work with internal teams, clients, suppliers, senior leadership and external partners.

They are often the person connecting all of those moving parts.

A typical project manager might be responsible for:

• Defining project objectives
• Creating project plans
• Setting deadlines and milestones
• Assigning tasks and responsibilities
• Managing project resources
• Tracking progress
• Identifying and managing risks
• Resolving issues
• Communicating with stakeholders
• Managing changes to the project
• Reporting on performance
• Closing and reviewing the project

The exact responsibilities vary depending on the project, but the overall goal remains the same: keep the project moving towards its intended outcome.

What does a project manager do?

1. Plans the project

Before work begins, someone needs to establish what the project is actually trying to achieve.

Project managers work with stakeholders and teams to define objectives, requirements, deliverables, deadlines and dependencies.

They then turn those requirements into a practical project plan.

Good project planning answers questions such as:

• What needs to be delivered?
• Who is responsible for each part?
• When does each task need to be completed?
• What depends on something else being completed first?
• What resources are required?
• What could prevent the project from staying on track?

A well-structured plan gives the team a shared understanding of what success looks like.

Learn more about project planning with CombinedWork.

2. Organises tasks and responsibilities

Once the plan is established, the project manager needs to turn it into actionable work.

This means breaking larger deliverables into individual tasks and making sure each task has clear ownership.

Without clear ownership, projects can quickly become difficult to manage. Tasks can be duplicated, forgotten or left sitting with no obvious owner.

Project management tools can help by giving teams a central place to see what needs to happen, who is responsible and when it needs to be completed.

Manage project tasks and responsibilities in CombinedWork.

3. Keeps the team aligned

Project managers spend a significant amount of time communicating.

They need to make sure everyone understands priorities, changes, deadlines and dependencies.

This could involve daily stand-ups, project meetings, written updates, stakeholder calls or one-to-one conversations.

The challenge is that information can quickly become fragmented across emails, spreadsheets, instant messages and meeting notes.

Having a central project workspace can make it easier for everyone to work from the same information.

Keep your project team aligned with CombinedWork.

4. Tracks project progress

Creating a project plan is only the beginning.

A project manager also needs to know whether the project is actually progressing as expected.

They may track completed tasks, outstanding work, milestones, deadlines and overall project health.

One useful way of visualising progress is through a burn-down chart, which shows how much work remains over time.

Instead of relying on assumptions or waiting until a deadline approaches, project managers can use project data to identify where progress is slowing down.

Track project progress with CombinedWork's dashboards and burn-down charts.

5. Manages risks

Every project has risks.

A risk could be anything that might affect the project's ability to achieve its objectives. This could include resource shortages, technical problems, supplier delays, changing requirements or dependencies on another team.

Project managers identify potential risks, assess their impact and put plans in place to reduce or manage them.

Risk management isn't about predicting everything that could go wrong.

It's about making sure the team is prepared when something doesn't go according to plan.

Manage project risks and issues with CombinedWork.

6. Solves problems

Projects rarely go exactly according to the original plan.

A deadline might move. A supplier might miss a delivery. A requirement might change. A technical issue might appear unexpectedly.

Project managers need to respond to these problems while keeping the wider project objectives in sight.

This often means assessing the impact, working with the relevant people and deciding what needs to happen next.

Good project management isn't about preventing every problem.

It's about creating enough visibility to identify problems early and deal with them effectively.

7. Manages stakeholders

Project managers often sit between the people doing the work and the people interested in the outcome.

That means they need to communicate project progress to stakeholders at different levels of the organisation.

A stakeholder might want to know:

• Are we on track?
• What has been completed?
• What is currently being worked on?
• Are there any risks?
• Has anything changed?
• Do we need to make a decision?
• Is the project still within budget and scope?

Project reporting helps turn all of the activity happening within a project into information that stakeholders can actually use.

Simplify project reporting with CombinedWork.

8. Manages changes

Projects change.

A stakeholder may request something new. A deadline might move. The original requirements might no longer be relevant.

Project managers need to understand how these changes affect the project before they are introduced.

This can mean assessing the impact on scope, resources, timelines and dependencies.

Without proper change management, small additions can gradually turn into significant delays or additional work.

9. Keeps projects focused on the end goal

One of the easiest things to lose sight of during a busy project is the original objective.

A project can have hundreds of tasks, meetings and updates, but completing tasks isn't necessarily the same thing as delivering value.

A project manager needs to continually connect the day-to-day work back to the wider goal.

That means asking:

Are we actually moving towards the outcome we set out to achieve?

This is where effective project management becomes more than task management.

What skills does a project manager need?

Project management requires a combination of technical, organisational and interpersonal skills.

Some of the most important include:

Communication

Project managers need to communicate clearly with people across different teams, roles and levels of seniority.

Organisation

There can be hundreds of moving parts within a project. Project managers need systems that allow them to prioritise and keep track of them.

Problem-solving

Unexpected issues are part of almost every project. Project managers need to assess problems and coordinate solutions.

Leadership

A project manager doesn't necessarily manage everyone working on a project. They still need to bring people together around a shared objective.

Time management

Deadlines, dependencies and competing priorities make time management essential.

Risk management

Understanding potential risks and preparing for them can help reduce disruption later in the project.

Adaptability

Projects change. Good project managers need to be able to adapt while keeping the overall objective in sight.

What tools does a project manager use?

Project managers use a wide range of tools depending on the organisation, project and methodology.

• Project management software
• Task management tools
• Spreadsheets
• Communication platforms
• Reporting dashboards
• Risk registers
• Gantt charts
• Kanban boards
• Burn-down charts
• Documentation tools

The challenge isn't necessarily having too few tools.

For many teams, it's having too many.

When project information is spread across multiple platforms, it can become difficult to get a complete picture of what is happening.

This is why having a central project management system can be useful.

How can project management software help?

Project management software can give teams a central place to plan, manage and monitor their work.

Instead of relying on separate spreadsheets, emails and documents, teams can use a shared system to manage tasks, track progress and understand what needs attention.

CombinedWork is designed to bring these different parts of project management together.

From planning and task management to progress tracking and reporting, the platform gives project teams greater visibility over the work happening across their projects.

Why project visibility matters

One of the biggest challenges for project managers isn't necessarily knowing what their team is doing.

It's knowing whether all of that activity is actually moving the project forward.

A team can complete dozens of tasks while a critical milestone remains at risk.

Project visibility helps project managers see the bigger picture.

When project information is accessible in one place, it becomes easier to identify:

• Work that is falling behind
• Upcoming deadlines
• Outstanding tasks
• Potential bottlenecks
• Changes in workload
• Risks and issues
• Overall project progress

That visibility can help project managers spend less time searching for information and more time acting on it.

Project manager vs project coordinator

Project manager and project coordinator are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not necessarily the same role.

A project coordinator often focuses on supporting the day-to-day administration and organisation of a project.

A project manager typically has broader responsibility for the project's objectives, delivery, stakeholders, risks and overall direction.

The exact distinction depends on the organisation and project structure.

What does a project manager do every day?

There isn't really a typical day for a project manager.

One day might involve planning a project, reviewing deadlines and running a team meeting.

The next might involve resolving an unexpected issue, speaking to a stakeholder and reviewing project performance.

A project manager's day might include:

Morning

• Reviewing project progress
• Checking outstanding tasks
• Identifying urgent issues
• Preparing for team meetings

During the day

• Team meetings
• Stakeholder communication
• Planning sessions
• Risk and issue management
• Reviewing deliverables
• Updating project plans

End of the day

• Reviewing progress
• Updating project information
• Confirming next steps
• Communicating important changes

The work changes constantly, which is one of the reasons project management can be both challenging and rewarding.

Final thoughts

The job of a project manager is ultimately about bringing people, processes and priorities together to deliver a defined outcome.

They plan the work, organise responsibilities, manage risks, solve problems, communicate with stakeholders and monitor progress.

But successful project management isn't just about keeping a list of tasks.

It's about understanding how all of those tasks connect to the bigger picture.

The right project management system can help make that picture clearer.