Have you ever been involved with a project that completely derailed? As a PM trying desperately to wrangle resources. As an RM struggling to meet demanding project requests. Or perhaps as an executive wondering why projects constantly run late or blow out budgets.
You‘re not alone. Over 30% of projects fail due to inadequate resource planning and allocation. Yet many organizations still underestimate the importance of balancing strong project management with strategic resource management for sustainable success.
In this guide, we’ll clarify the distinct but tightly linked Project Manager (PM) and Resource Manager (RM) functions. I’ll walk you through exactly how PMs and RMs collaborate to deliver flawless projects together. First, let’s clearly distinguish these two utterly crucial roles.
Project Manager Definition
The project manager plays lead dog, guiding a project from kickoff to closure while keeping stakeholders aligned. PMs hold accountability for project results.
Juggling strategy, budget, resource needs and team leadership, PMs plan initiatives in detail before orchestrating calibrated execution. It’s the PM’s job to complete projects on time, on budget, within scope and to quality standards – no easy feat!
The Project Management Institute found that for every $1 billion invested in projects, $122 million is wasted due to poor performance. Skilled project leadership can dramatically optimize that spend.
Some key PM responsibilities include:
- Building detailed project plans & schedules
- Leading and motivating project teams
- Monitoring progress/spending vs. targets
- Managing risks, assumptions and issue escalation
- Ensuring deliverables meet acceptance criteria
- Communicating regularly with sponsors and stakeholders
- Identifying resource needs and working with RMs on allocation
Let‘s explore the crucial partner that helps PMs actually obtain those needed resources…
Resource Manager Definition
While Project Managers steer specific assignments, Resource Managers rise above project limits to strategically staff initiatives across the portfolio.
Operating at the department level, RMs constantly juggle project requests with bench strength to align the right talent to business priorities. Master schedulers, skillset analyzers and staffing experts rolled into one, great RMs optimize human capital.
Vital RM duties include:
- Forecasting project pipeline/resource requirements
- Identifying and onboarding qualified resources
- Monitoring team utilization rates and demand capacity
- Balancing employee growth opportunities with project needs
- Renegotiating timelines or recommending temporary staff if overloaded
- Advising line managers on skills development
Hopefully the distinct accountabilities of PMs and RMs are becoming clear. Now we’ll explore how these roles intersect to drive projects.
PM + RM Joining Forces for Project Victories
PMs and RMs work closely together through the project lifecycle even though they lead differently:
- PMs manage specific project components
- RMs strategically oversee broader resource allocation
How do their worlds integrate in practice? Here‘s an example software development project flow:
- The PM finalizes project scope with sponsors
- The PM estimates 10 cross-functional resources needed over a 6 month schedule based on scope
- The PM partners with the RM requesting those 10 resources with essential skills profiled
- The RM assesses current staff levels, upcoming demand, and bench availability to map resources
- The RM onboards resources from bench, other projects, external vendors onto the PM‘s project team
- The PM kickstarts execution now that resources are secured
- Monthly, the PM/RM sync on progress, remix skills if needed, add temporary capacity during crunch times
- The PM completes the project on time with stellar client reviews!
Spot the handoffs? Fluid RM coordination with PM needs is the recipe for victory. When this interplay falters, disaster often ensues…
So the value of balancing solid project oversight with savvy resource planning pops. But PMs and RMs still navigate differently to complement one another.
Contrasting PM and RM Approaches
Project leaders and resource wranglers drive toward distinct destinations using different vehicles:
Goals:
- The PM‘s aim is executing projects flawlessly end-to-end. Matching client expectations is success.
- The RM‘s goal is keeping talent effectively deployed in line with strategic priorities across the enterprise portfolio.
Let‘s compare how PMs and RMs move toward those finish lines:
Methods:
- PMs intensely manage individual moving parts of single projects. With laser focus on the triple constraint (timelines, costs and scope), PMs burrow down using detailed plans, budgets, risk registers, issue logs, etc. to monitor for success indicators or warning signs at a micro project level.
- RMs oversee broader organization-wide resource patterns. Taking a helicopter view of the talent landscape, they track skills supply versus project demand to uncover gaps. Capacity levels, aggregate utilization trends, bench depth and contractor spend offer macro snapshots to realign resources if imbalanced skillsets or bottlenecks appear.
PMs thus track task-by-task progress while RMs monitor department-wide capacity. Though differing in breadth, these lenses must be integrated. Enter specialized skills and tools.
Unique PM and RM Competencies and Tools
Just as PMs and RMs have distinct goals and working styles, core skillsets also diverge:
A strong PM boasts robust abilities like:
- Planning prowess: Deconstructing workstreams, scheduling tasks, scenario planning
- Financial acumen: Controlling budgets, modeling tradeoff impacts, calculating ROI
- Leadership talent: Motivating teams, resolving conflicts, encouraging innovations
- Technical abilities: Information gathering, analytics interpretation, tool configuration
Whereas deft RMs exhibit specialized strengths such as:
- Staffing optimization: Mapping competencies to openings, balancing team blend, negotiating contracts
- Analytical thinking: Scenario modeling, pipeline inspection, gap diagnosis, metrics analysis
- Communication flair: Active listening, diplomacy, writing persuasively
- Systems expertise: Sourcing technology configuration, adoption and enhancements
There‘s natural overlap but also uniqueness that demands tailored software support:
- PM tools like Asana, Monday.com and Smartsheet help plan initiatives, then track progress milestones and budgets during execution.
- RM systems such as BambooHR, Enterprise Hive and RolePoint spotlight skills availability versus demand shaping assignments.
Technology morphs these complex jobs from wild rodeo rides to smooth trains on the rails.
Cultivating PM and RM Symbiosis for Repeatable Wins
Hopefully the distinct but interlinked PM and RM realms now shine clearly for you. Though responsibilities and tools differ, well-orchestrated collaboration bears fruit.
When PMs have reliable access to skilled, empowered resources they can craft incredible products. When RMs receive transparent project pipelines they can uncover capability gaps before go-live crunch times.
So what fosters positive PM/RM integration for your teams? A few proven tips:
- Continuous capacity planning: Share rolling project portfolio previews so RMs proactively groom resources.
- Skills development focus: Make learning pathways part of resource performance to expand capabilities.
- Open cross-functional dialogue: Include RMs in project meetings to clarify needs and risks.
- Automated insights: Use integrated PM/RM tools like Planview Enterprise One for end-to-end visibility.
Cultivating robust PM and RM collaboration pays dividends for staff, leaders and customers alike. Yes, balancing project accomplishments with meeting broader organizational resource priorities poses challenges. But ultimately sweating these details leads to on-time delivery, delighted clients, fulfilled employees and lasting competitive advantages.
So next time you drive or resource a key initiative, remember to leverage the unique but complementary superpowers of your Project and Resource Management all stars! They hold the keys to repeated success.
