in my opinion, multiple project managers working on one project is not ideal. it's challenging to well communicate within the team, it's even more challenging to communicate between managers and making decisions/managing the project. In some cases which is rare in my opinion, all managers will agree on the project plan and tasks, which in this scenario would be okay to have more than one PM. However, working with different managers with different approaches and mindsets could hinder the performance of the team and the overall executing of a project. if the project managers are not in sync, the whole team wouldn't be in sync
I have not had the opportunity to work on a project with multiple project managers. However, it would be interesting to see if this would benefit a project. When I worked on a medical device project team, the project manager was constantly busy and was always working to remove any obstacles that would get in the way of completing deliverables on time. So by having more than one project manager, it may be helpful in helping the project move along more smoothly without having all the weight of removing obstacles put on one person.
Having more than one manager per project is helpful if each manager specializes in something. Some issues occur that require more than one manager to help or solve the problem. For instance, a manager who specializes in technical issues can solve or give ideas/plans dealing with tech. Another manager can specialize in marketing and knows all about the ways businesses can appeal to the people, and how to fix marketing related issues. Also, having more than one manager can make it easier to divide the responsibilities and the heavy work load that is put on one person. It also creates competition between the managers and makes each and every one of them to work harder to prove themselves and get promoted. One manager might not notice a mistake easily due to all the other responsibilities, but having multiple managers work together in a team can be an advantage for pointing out mistakes that were not noticed.
I'm wondering if any of you have experience working on a project where there were multiple project managers who each were responsible for different portions of the project rather than just one project manager who managed the entire project. If so, please share your experience. If not, what do you think about this?
Although I haven't worked on any project I believe having multiple project managers for a single project would be very helpful when the scope of the project is huge. It makes the work easier for the people working on the project and also the project managers as they can focus on one concept carefully rather than handling many jobs at the same time. Every department should have a project manager to look after the project and handle every step of the project. This concept may not work when the scope of the project is small. One project manager is good to handle all the work for such projects.
Overall, Having multiple project managers is a very effective method for huge projects.
Currently, I am doing a co-op. At my workplace I have more than 1 manager for the project. I feel that having more than 1 manager is actually good as the other substitutes for the absence of the other manager. There are always more ideas and more perspectives on the problem if there are more people involved in managing it.
I'm wondering if any of you have experience working on a project where there were multiple project managers who each were responsible for different portions of the project rather than just one project manager who managed the entire project. If so, please share your experience. If not, what do you think about this?
I think this could cause a bit of chaos if not implemented in an ordered fashion. This is because as we move through the project, it is likely that the team would all experience some overlaps. If the PMs haven't considered those overlaps ahead of time, it could definitely spell DISASTER. However, if the PMs have thought things through and are good will flexibility, this could be a preferred way of working.
I have had the experience of being a part of a project with multiple managers. It wasn't the best experience because of the lack of communication between managers. One manager would ask for a specific task only to have another manager come behind them and request that something else is done. They did not work together to determine which task needed to be completed first and the time requirements for each task. The project was not successful because of the lack of communication and planning.
I'm wondering if any of you have experience working on a project where there were multiple project managers who each were responsible for different portions of the project rather than just one project manager who managed the entire project. If so, please share your experience. If not, what do you think about this?
I have experienced working with multiple project managers who each were responsible for different portions of the project. It worked out well because everyone had their part to do and then we joined back in with each other to combine our results. If you are working with people who know how to communicate and work effectively everything goes fine. Multiple ideas are great when you can all add something because a lot of times something you are thinking the next person is as well!
I have work on a project where there were 3 people involved. The great things about this project was that each person has a different expertise to bring to the project, however we did have an idea of what each other was doing to come together and reach the same goal. One thing I enjoyed about this was that if one person got into a difficult point in their project, one of us could come in and assist. The project was not a big project, but the more people that we had, we were able to get it done in the allotted time frame.
Although I haven't worked on a project with 2 project managers I have joined a company that has both a professional and project manager. If you look at the "project" being myself I guess this could count as most similar to the question being asked. Personally, although it is nice to have someone who can understand you outside of your direct relation to your project and can focus specifically on your developmental needs, I found it easier to have 1 manager for both my professional and project needs as this individual already understands my workload and how that may be impacting my ability to meet my career goals. It saves a lot of time in explaining things twice as this individual is already aware of my situation.
I think in terms of 2 project managers for an assignment it would also be more detrimental than beneficial as there are 2 people responsible for the success of project. Questions being asked will most likely be split between the managers and unless they have really good communication with one another, they will only be aware of half of the struggles the project is experiencing for a more holistic view. Even if there are 2 managers I feel like 1 will take on more responsibilities and end up morphing into the primary project manager anyways.
I have personally never worked on a project with multiple different project managers. Although it’s not very common, but I believe that having more than one project manger has its benefits especially when they both come from different backgrounds. It can be very fruitful as the roles and responsibilities are split between the two, giving each manager more time to focus on his/her role. In some situations, more people means more diverse perspectives, more ideas, and more manpower. However, having more than one project manager can also have its downsides. The two managers might have a different styles in leading the project which might cause some confusion. Moreover, it isomer likely for miscommunication to occur as all employees will have to report to 2 managers at the same time. I think depending on the size and type of the project, it should be decided if more than one project manager is needed as there are benefits to either.
I do not have experience working with multiple project managers on the same project. In my opinion, the project would be the most successful if the project managers were overlooking different aspects of the project, as you have stated. This dynamic would allow each manager to proceed with the project as they wished. The project managers would need to have end goals which correlate to allow all parts of the project to come together as seamlessly as possible. To achieve this, I would expect these project managers to communicate behind the scenes on a weekly basis. One flaw in this structure is that if one part is unsuccessful, the whole project is unsuccessful. It’s like a giant puzzle, a picture cannot be created until all of the pieces come together. Perhaps overlap of project managers would prevent mishaps to occur, but that defeats the purpose of having one manager per project part.
I have never had any direct experience with working on a project that had multiple project managers who each were responsible for different portions of the project, but I think this can be a very efficient way to go about working on a project. I can see pros and cons to this format but overall, I think having one project manager designated to each specific portion of a project can allow for that person to focus on one specific section of the project and allocate all of his/her time to that one thing instead of one project manager having to spread and divide attention over multiple areas. The manager will be able to become an expert (if not already) on that specific portion of the project instead of knowing just enough about all portions of the project to push it through. This experience with, and strong knowledge of, that one portion of the project can help the project manager avoid errors and plan based on what is best for that specific part of the project. However, a big part of this being successful would be excellent communication between all of the project managers. They need to make sure that they are on the same page at all times. If this is not the case, having multiple project managers will surely and quickly become a disaster and a failed project. Although the multiple project managers are working on different portions of the project, they must still work together for the project to be successful. I think this format is pretty useful, but I wonder how big a role project size plays in this idea. Would this still work for a large and complex project? Or would it be better in that situation to just have one project manager?
I personally have not had the opportunity to work on a project with multiple product managers, but I can see how it can be beneficial but also a problem to the team. Having one product manager can help streamline the process, and have one designated liaison for all things product related. But one product manager can also get overwhelmed with multiple tasks, and having to communicate back and forth between different departments. With multiple product managers, it can help lighten the work load and spread out individual tasks easier. But on the other hand if designated tasks are not defined for each product manager to do, things can easily become complicated and un organized.
I have never worked on a project which there were multiple project manager. At first glance, that sounds like it would be very chaotic. There are too many heads on one body and they might not be on one accord. There might be too much micromanaging and disagreements. However, it depends on the project. If it is a project with multiple parts and stages, then multiple project managers are required.
