(124e) Leading People Versus Managing Projects

Of the many important aspects of project management, the most important key to successful project management is people. When we speak of project management, we often think of Gantt charts, time lines, budgets, resource constraints, quality challenges, performance measures, and so on. While these are important, they are neither meaningful nor effective without people. This paper presents and discusses several fundamental concepts regarding the importance of people in project management. We will discuss the importance of people in project management and their importance to project success. Emphasis will be placed on a proper understanding of communication, alignment, and teamwork.