Wild Blue YonderTalent Development For Creative Companies

From Project Manager to Project Master:

New Skill Requirements for Today’s Project Leads

By Gary DukePartner, Chief Talent Officer

Onsite Training • Webinars • Talent & Culture Consulting • Retreats • wildblueyonder.biz

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Now that project-based, multi-agency teams working on behalf of a common client are the

new normal, a different skill set is required for agency project managers. Driven by changing

client requirements, project managers not only need to be great resource organizers and

workflow “herders,” but also master facilitators and team leaders who inspire the best

possible work from internal and external team members, all while keeping projects on

schedule and on budget.

The bottom line: Now more than ever, an agency’s future success is heavily influenced by

the project managers shepherding work through the shop.

The Traditional Project Management RoleAs client needs and the marketing environment changed in recent years, project management in

many agencies evolved into its own distinct function, with dedicated staff keeping projects moving

along and meeting deliverables. In many instances, project managers have only a couple years’

experience under their belts and little or no client interaction.

Sometimes advancement opportunities in project management exist if the agency is large enough,

but these positions are often lumped in with the creative resources, production or account

management departments and are commonly viewed as a springboard into account management

or other specialized areas of the agency.

Key Factors Driving the Evolution of Project ManagementToday, clients are ditching their agency of record contracts

in favor of having a roster of specialized agencies on call for

project-based work. Clients are going this route because it

provides them with the ability to be nimble and responsive

to marketplace opportunities, and to assemble the best

possible talent pool for each project.

“Now more than ever, an agency’s future success

is heavily influenced by the project managers

shepherding work through the shop.”

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Agency Rosters Vary In Terms Of Size And Makeup, But Typically Fall Into One Of Three Models:

Client Led Model The client takes the lead coordinating efforts and deliverables across agencies. There may be a designated lead agency for concept development or implementa-tion activities, but the client is in the driver’s seat throughout the process.

Lead Agency Model An agency is selected by the client to lead the project and oversee the work of partner agencies. Which agency plays the lead varies by project and is chosen based on the specific requirements of the assignment.

Organic Model The client facilitates communication between partner agencies, but no single agency or the client drives the entire process. There may be times when an agency takes a lead role for a specific phase of development, but otherwise collaboration is very loose and organic.

No matter which model is followed, the role of project management in these circumstances is exceedingly more complex. Not only are project managers responsible for work contained within their own agencies, but they must now coordinate with — and often lead — other agencies with whom they have little or no prior working relationship.

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New Skills & Experience RequirementsSuccessful agencies in the post-AOR, multi-agency world are retooling the job requirements

of project managers to reflect their evolving roles. These firms recognize the need to realign —

and often elevate — the function within the organization. Key attributes for today’s project

managers include:

Relying less on processClient demands dictate that agencies be nimble and responsive in the moment. It’s less about following a specific internal process and more about providing an ideal collaborative environment in which team members — both within the agency and externally — can develop their best ideas. Recognizing the differences and knowing how to move forward in the absence of an established process requires a different mindset from traditional project management.

Possessing a high degree of emotional intelligenceProject managers interact with a wide-spectrum of personalities on the team. This requires them to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict among team members. This skill is particularly important when dealing with external agency partners, where inherent competitive dynamics can get in the way of collaboration.

Agencies staffing these positions with

properly trained project “masters” are being

rewarded with new assignments from clients

who expect and appreciate the unique skills

and talents required to manage projects

across agency partners.

Skills For Today’s Project Managers• Less process, more people-focused• Embraces changing parameters• Facilitates team cohesion• High emotional intelligence• Solid judgement & experience

Being adept at building team cohesionWith most projects requiring quick turnarounds without much ramp-up time, project managers need to quickly build trust and open communication between team members. And they need to make sure that everyone on the team believes they have an equal voice.

Having more on-the-job experienceProject management should no longer be delegated to junior staff members who are just starting out their careers — the stakes are simply too high. Today’s project managers need to have enough experience under their belts to exercise good judgement in the moment.

Gary Duke is Partner & Chief Talent Officer of Wild Blue Yonder, a talent development and consulting firm specializing in the creative services industry. Clients represent leading consumer brands and ad agencies throughout the US and

abroad. For more info: wildblueyonder.biz.

Contact Gary Duke at gduke@wildblueyonder.biz or call 202.746.6055.

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