It’s Time to Hire a Freelance Project Manager…

Leaders, Directors, Managers, and Supervisors…has that critical project proven more difficult than expected? Will you be able to address those challenges internally? Does your team understand the next steps to overcome the current challenges?

Maybe it’s time for you to hire a Project Manager. More precisely, a Freelance Project Manager.

Many organizations do not have a dedicated project management staff to tackle all the organizational projects identified. There is an easy solution to this – establish a relationship with a Freelance Project Manager. This is someone who can work with your organization if you need them, and when you need them.

By hiring a Freelance Project Manager, that tricky project will be completed and you will also be introducing proven project management practices to your organization and your team. A Freelance Project Manager can be available to work by the hour, day, week, or month depending on the needs of the project. They will bring their expertise, skills, and experience to your organization and get that project moving again! This is a WIN/WIN.

I would encourage the organization to establish a relationship with a Freelance Project Manager. They will be your “go to” person for all things project related when you need to call in reinforcements. By establishing a relationship with a Freelance Project Manager, you will be setting everyone up for success – the project team, the stakeholders, the Freelance Project Manager, and the organization. Having an established relationship with the organization will help the Freelance Project Manager understand the culture, get to know the project team members, and how the company operates which will be advantageous in delivering consistent results for the organizational project efforts.   

The Freelance Project Manager will be called upon to help with various projects that need the guidance, direction, and skill of an experienced project manager. Not all projects require the expertise and skills of an experienced project manager, but wouldn’t be nice to have someone you can call when you need them?

Here are some additional ideas for selecting a Freelance Project Manager who will be a good fit for your organization:

• The easiest approach to finding someone that’s a good fit for your organization is to reach out to a Project Manager that you’ve worked with in the past. Especially if it was a good experience for you, the team, and the Project Manager. Ask if they would be interested in a freelance opportunity with your organization. The two of you can then craft the details of how that relationship would develop for the benefit of everyone involved.

• If you don’t have a Project Manager in mind, you can begin to look for someone who has lead projects for a sister company, a similar company or in your industry. It would also be a good idea to ask your employees if they know of a Project Manager that may be a good fit for the organization. What could be better than getting an internal reference from an employee? And what a great way to get buy-in from the project team members! After someone has been identified, you can determine the best approach to defining the relationship based on the needs of the organization.  

I would foresee this as a long-term relationship that will evolve based upon the contributions of the leadership team, the project team, the organization, and the Freelance Project Manager. This would also be an incredible learning opportunity for the staff in helping them understand the benefits of applying proven project management practices to a project effort.

Now is the time to establish a relationship with a Freelance Project Manager who can be your partner in solving those challenging project problems. Start the discussion today.