What is Project Management?

There are many different interpretations — and misinterpretations — about what project management actually is. Many think “project manager” is just a fancy title for a coordinator, task manager, operations manager, or executive assistant.

An executive assistant schedules appointments, plans events, coordinates travel arrangements, pushes paperwork, and may fetch the occasional coffee. Operations involve overseeing ongoing, repetitive tasks and activities.

However, a real project manager involves managing a project from conception to successful completion and drives change.

What Does a Project Manager Actually Do?

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), a project is defined as a “temporary endeavor, with a defined start and end. Real project management involves process, people, and data to bring a strategic objective, product, or vision to life or even solve a problem.”

So what does that mean? What does a project manager actually do?

Every business and organization has goals and objectives. However, many business owners and entrepreneurs are the creative masterminds behind the operation. They have big ideas but seldom know how to execute them or execute them without a plan. As a result, those ideas end up going nowhere.