A paper presented to the Project Management Institute's Annual Seminar/Symposium "Tides of Change", Long Beach, California, USA, 1998 (Updated for web presentation, 2002). Presented here as the fourth in a series linking project type through management style to project success.

Introduction | Review 1950-1970  | Review 1980-1990  | Classification
Findings | Summary & Conclusions | Appendix A  | Appendix B

Appendix A

Project Manager's Personal Characteristics
(i.e. natural tendencies or preferences)

Explorer

Coordinator

Driver

Administrator

Imaginative

Responsive

Assertive

Organized

Planning ........

vision oriented

mission oriented

goal oriented

objective oriented

bold, courageous

empathetic

resolute

precise

seemingly-chaotic

free-wheeling

well-planned

systematic

stakeholder oriented

people oriented

compliance oriented

situation oriented

risk-taker

risk avoider

risk resolver

risk mitigator

ideological

follows tradition

objective

sensitive to personal goals

Organizing ........

solution seeker

conflict mediator

solution enforcer

conflict solver

opportunity-driven

team-driven

management-driven

information-driven

shrewd

sensitive

realist

rational

pioneering

loyal

resourceful

reliable

team player

thought provoking

results-oriented

weighs alternatives

idealistic

helpful

emphatic

evaluative

Executing ........

inspiring

understanding

hard-driving

analytical

charismatic

democratic

autocratic

bureaucratic

good leader

good facilitator

good director

good manager

comfortable in lead

comfortable on side lines

comfortable with authority

comfortable administrating

opportunist

probing

pragmatic

professional

individualist

spontaneous

decisive

reserved

Controlling ........

determined

free-form

rigid

flexible

creative

resilient

disciplined

organized

value oriented

process oriented

policy oriented

procedure oriented

tenacious

in-tune

strong-willed

prudent

information generator

information sharer

information distributor

information collector

power from enthusiasm

power from persuasion

power from authority

power from intelligence

Characteristics required by all: credible, confident, committed, energetic, hard-working, self-starting.


Summary & Conclusions  Summary & Conclusions

Home | Issacons | PM Glossary | Papers & Books | Max's Musings
Guest Articles | Contact Info | Search My Site | Site Map | Top of Page